The Sick: The Diocese, on advice and under Data Protection Regulations (May 2018), asks us not to name individuals, but to pray for them as a group within the Parish Body as those in particular need.
Anniversaries: Massimo Brooke, Fr Justin Caldwell, Adrian Stewart, David Carter, Noel Francis Allen, Dorothy Wallinger, Gillian Mayne
HOME COMMUNIONS If you require Holy Communion at home, please contact John Ridge: [email protected], Fr Kentigern or Fr Bernard either by e-mail or leave a telephone message by 8.00pm on Friday evening stating whether you require a weekly visit or a one-off call. Someone will then be in contact to arrange a suitable day and time to visit.
EASY FUNDRAISER Do you regularly shop online? Did you know you could support your church at the same time? For more information speak to Tracey in the Parish Office and see information leaflets in the Hall.
WORLD COMMUNITY OF CHRISTIAN MEDITATION Meets each week: Mondays at 2pm - 3pm in St Ben’s Hall: contact Mary Sturges Thursdays at 8pm - 8 45pm on Zoom: contact David and Sue Walsh Should you wish to join either group contact Mary Sturges 01439788563.
CHRISTIAN MEN OF THE VALLEY Meet each Monday at 8.00pm to share faith, friendship and interests.
FABRIC PROJECTS Works have cost £35000. All contributions to these costs will be gratefully received.
CAFOD Donate to CAFOD’s Israeli-Palestinian Crisis Appeal at cafod.org.uk/ipc or call 0303 303 3030. or to the Sudan Crisis Appeal: cafod.org.uk/SudanAppeal or call: 0808 58 588 85.
MISSION TO MALAWI Maria Toone is now in Malawi working with the Jacaranda Foundation. If you would like to support her efforts you can donate using the following website, https://www.jacarandafoundation.org/donate or by using our digital collection plate.
ASSISTED SUICIDE Assisted suicide committee bias Committee stage of Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill has begun, raising serious concerns about its conduct.
The Committee has been ‘stacked’ with a higher number of MPs who support the Bill
Nearly twice as many witnesses supported assisted suicide than the number who opposed it
Important voices have been excluded, including the Government’s chief Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisor, the British Geriatrics Society and a number of disability rights groups, senior palliative care doctors and legal experts with relevant expertise.
MPs must be aware of the serious issues in the scrutiny of Kim Leadbeater’s Bill. It’s vital they know your concerns and vote against it at Third Reading. Please take action now and visit www.righttolife.org.uk/ASBillAction to write to your MP - it takes just 30 seconds!
ADVANCE NEWS On Sunday 11 May all are invited to a Picnic, Games and Service of Crowning of Our Lady at the Marian Garden of Ampleforth Abbey. Watch out for further details.
HOUSE CLEARING A huge “Thank You” to all who gave up time and energy to help with the first phase of clearing the Parish House. We will probably need a further period later in Lent to complete things, once storage solutions have been found. We have a large stock of religious books to dispose of. They are currently on display in the Hall. They are free to any who would like them, otherwise they will be removed permanently by the end of March.
YORK DEANERY APPEAL Eucharistic Ministers-are there any Ministers of the Eucharist who could visit York Hospital on a weekly basis to help support the two who are presently bringing Communion to Catholic patients? Training and support will be available and a DBS check will be necessary of course. Please contact Sue Ellis on 07748108253.
INVITATIONS FROM OUR SCHOOLCHILDREN “Holy Week” Assemblies Monday 31 March 2.45pm – Palm Sunday Wednesday 2 April 2.45pm – Holy Thursday Thursday 3 April 2.00pm – Good Friday Walk of Witness Friday 4 April 2.45pm – The Story of the Three Trees ALL WELCOME
RECIPES OF HOPE Another Jubilee Year initiative is the creation of a “Recipes of Hope” Cookbook. If you have any favourite recipes (which bring comfort or hope to you or others) our school would love you to share them. Watch out for details of how to do so.
Supporting the Upper Room Project with Middlesbrough SVP As part of our Lenten efforts, our school and parish community are coming together to support The Upper Room Project, a vital initiative providing food, warmth, and essential supplies to those in need in Middlesbrough. Every Saturday, around 65-70 visitors rely on this project for a hot breakfast, a takeaway lunch, and access to much needed services, including emergency clothing and sleeping bags for those sleeping rough. Easter Care Bags – A Gift of Kindness To share hope and comfort this Easter, we are inviting families to contribute to Easter Care Bags, which will be distributed over Easter weekend along with handmade Easter cards created by our pupils. We kindly ask for donations of: • Deodorant, hand gel, soap • Socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes • A small chocolate or sweet treat If each family could bring one or two items from the list, we can ensure that every visitor receives a care package filled with kindness. ‘Good for the Sole’ – Donating Shoes for Those in Need In addition, we are launching ‘Good for the Sole’, an initiative to provide gently worn but usable adult shoes and trainers to those supported by The Upper Room Project. Many individuals face extreme hardship, and a sturdy pair of shoes can make a world of difference. If you have any good-quality adult shoes or trainers that are no longer needed, please consider donating them. How to Donate: Donations for both Easter Care Bags and ‘Good for the Sole- shoes’ can be brought to school by Wednesday 2nd April. Your generosity and kindness will provide dignity, comfort, and hope to those who need it most. Thank you for your support in living out the values of compassion and service this Lent.
CHURCH CLEANING Another call for volunteers. This time to assist in cleaning and polishing the church in preparation for Easter. Saturday 29 March at 2.00pm. There will be a second session during the School Holidays – with a reward of mini eggs for participating families. Watch out for more details.
VOLUNTEER DRIVERS As part of the experiment in providing more time for Fr Kentigern to develop his Leadership of the Parish, Fr Bernard will be taking on some of the visiting of the housebound in Gilling. Would there be anyone free to act as his chauffeur on Friday 4 April between 10.30 and 12.30?
COXWOLD ARTS FESTIVAL OF PALESTINIAN FILMS 2025 We are showing the best of films coming out of Palestine. These are very troubling times, and these films show a glimpse into the life loves and challenges of Palestinians and indeed their neighbours. 7 for 7.30 Coxwold Village Hall – with a bar.
COMING SOON – Wajib and The Teacher WAJIB: 2017. For some light relief I highly recommend this delightful film. After years abroad in Italy, Shadi returns to his native Nazareth. But this is no spectacular homecoming. He's back somewhat begrudgingly to honour his "wajib" (or duty) to hand out invitations to his sister's wedding with his father. The simmering tension between the two — who are often stuck in a car, more often than not in traffic — builds, exposing the sometimes-comic chasms that exist between men who live in different worlds but share an unshakable bond.
THE TEACHER The film takes its cue from a real prisoners’ swap that took place in 2011, when Israel freed more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one soldier who had been kidnapped by Palestinian militants. In “The Teacher,” a Palestinian school teacher played by Saleh Bakri struggles to reconcile his commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students. There is also a subplot involving his romantic relationship with a British volunteer worker, played by Imogen Poots (“The Father”). The film, which is produced by Sawswan Asfari and Farah Nabusi, has been well-received on the festival circuit after premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in 2023.
Donations only to support ABCD Bethlehem’s work with disabled kids in Gaza and the West Bank – RSVP Anthony 07711 423649