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.
Recently Dead: Anniversaries: Bill Spence, Beryl Sullivan, John Beadnell, Mark Reynolds
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. To date, we have received £987.67 in fabric donations. 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. INVITATION FROM OUR SCHOOLCHILDREN As part of their celebration of the Jubilee Year some staff and parents have contributed recipes to a “RECIPES FOR HOPE” Cookbook. This will raise money for the current School charity “The Upper Room Project”. For more details or to purchase, please contact School.
METHODIST ASYLUM PROJECT - MAP Thank you to all who contributed to the March delivery. NO delivery in APRIL but Donations of Summer clothes can be left in cottage after May 19th for delivery on the last Wednesday May 28th.
ASSISTED BYING BILL With the debate continuing and the next vote due on 13 June, it is possible to watch a recording of the recent local forum using the following link: [email protected]
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. The next opportunity is 20 June
AMPLEFORTH LOURDES PILGRIMAGE There's spaces available for assisted pilgrims on the Ampleforth Lourdes Pilgrimage from 11th to 18th July. We're specifically looking for pilgrims who are able to walk a little (or a lot) unaided, however all applications from assisted pilgrims will be considered. Many assisted pilgrims live completely independently, but are only able to join our joyous week in Lourdes because of the additional support we can provide through our clinical team and volunteers, young and old. The pilgrimage fundraises throughout the year to ensure that anyone can apply to join our pilgrimage as an assisted pilgrimage regardless of personal circumstances. If you are interested in joining us, or know someone else who may be, please speak to Emma Craig or Gavin Williams after mass on Sunday, email Gavin at [email protected] or visit www.ampleforthlourdes.org.uk
THE CHURCH OF ST HILDA AND THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY AND ST BENEDICT
Rev James & Fr Kentigern invite you to join them for
COMMUNITY PRAYERS 10.00am Monday 26 May – Our Lady & St Benedict Monday 9 June – St Hilda Monday 26 June – Our Lady & St Benedict Monday 7 July – St Hilda Monday 21 July – Our Lady & St Benedict Followed by refreshments and fellowship
MISSION APPEAL 2025 On the weekend of 7/8 June we will be receiving an IHM Sister delivering a Mission Appeal at each Mass. Watch out for more details. Might anyone be willing to offer overnight accommodation etc for that weekend?
PENTECOST PRAISE All are invited to a special service to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Birthday of the Church. It will include participation from the young people of the Youth Church. 7.00pm Sunday 8 June Our Lady and St Benedict
THE ALPHA EXPERIENCE In October 2025 we will be offering the opportunity to join the Alpha Experience. At present we ask you prayers as we discern the right people to lead this. We also ask that you pray about and discern who might be invited to take part in this experience. Who do you know with questions about faith or who is seeking meaning for their lives?
YOUTH 2000 MUSICAL EVENING We are planning an evening of musical entertainment to raise funds for our friends in Youth 2000. Watch out for more details. ALSO Youth 2000 are coming back to Ampleforth this year from Friday 22nd - Monday 25th August for our Summer Festival 2025! We are so excited and are hoping to welcome almost 600 young people this year! As such, we need as many priests and as many rooms available for young people as possible. To help us free up beds for more young people we are asking local families to consider if they are able and willing to host any priests or religious this year. All their meals will be provided for at the Summer Festival, our priests would just need a bed to sleep in at night. If you think this is something you and your family could offer, please get in touch with Youth 2000 at [email protected] or by texting Louisa at 07444 214089.
National Ecumenical Pilgrimage in York, 18th June 2025, 2 pm The late Holy Father, Pope Francis, gave this Jubilee Year the title “Pilgrims of Hope”, and, as sisters and brothers in Christ, we are coming together in the historic pilgrimage site of York Minster to renew our baptismal promises as fellow Christians on the pilgrimage of unity. On Wednesday, 18th June 2025, at 2 pm, we will gather at the south door of York Minster. There we will wait as the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Middlesbrough walk together from the shrine of St Margaret Clitheroe towards the Minster. When they arrive, we all enter together into York Minster for a service celebrating our common baptism and reaffirming our baptismal commitment to hope and unity. The service will end around 3.30 pm and we hope you will be able to join us for refreshments afterwards. If a group from your parish are able to come, could you please email Kinga Kosterska, at the directorate of mission at the Catholic Bishops Conference, with the number of people you are expecting. Her email is [email protected]
FROM FR KENTIGERN ROYAL PRAYER FORCE A huge “Thank You” to all who have committed themselves to praying each day for the Mission of our Parish, especially to our Sick and Housebound. This is a crucial participation in the life of our Parish. We have much to give thanks for in recent times, but the Parish and me in particular face a number of challenges going forward. Please hold all this in your prayers, asking the Holy Spirit to pour out his gifts upon us all.
Thank you to all who agreed to take part in the pilot of this scheme. Unfortunately, we do not have enough response to form any clear picture of our Parish Journey of Renewal for Mission so far.
You seem to perceive your parish as On the Shore
JUBILEE OF FAMILIES, GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY, 30 MAY - 1 JUNE.
Thank you to everyone who has already supplied their thoughts in response to the invitation from Liam Kelly on behalf of the Hozana App. (https://hozana.org/en) - the App is free!
We were invited to provide some thoughts for the celebration of this part of the Jubilee Year. If you would still like to participate then you have until the end of Sunday 25 May to send Fr Kentigern ONE SENTENCE describing your experience of our Parish from the point of view of either a family, an grandparent or one of our senior parishioners.
The deadline for our contribution is the Spring Bank Holiday, Monday 26 May.
LENT LUNCHES A big thank you to all who came to the Lent soup lunches this year, and to those who helped out in any way including the pupils, parents and staff of St Benedict's school! We raised a total of 246.48 to be split between Mary's Meals, the Middlesbrough Food Bank and the school's chosen charity the Upper Room project.
THE LAST ENGLISHMAN Come along to an entertaining talk on Colonel Wintle of the Royal Dragoons, a seemingly Colonel Blimp character who was in fact a man of intelligence, action and bravery who spoke truth to those in power - even if it meant disagreeing with his seniors or putting right politicians, crooked solicitors and other 'clots' in sometimes very decisive ways! Rob Thompson will be enlightening us in St Benedict's Hall on Thursday June 19th at 7 pm. Drinks and nibbles will be served.
DIVINE RENOVATION
LEADING PARISHES IN THE APOSTOLIC AGE Join Fr Kentigern and participate in this webinar LIVE from 8.00pm on Friday 30 May in St Benedict’s Hall
UNLOCKING THE POWER OF INVITATION This Webinar took place on 8 May. There will be an opportunity to watch a recording of this at 7.0pm on Wednesday 11 June in St Benedict’s Hall.
HOPE ON THE HORIZON And a third webinar… All welcome to watch LIVE at 7.00pm on Thursday 3 July in St Benedict’s Hall.
MIDDLESBROUGH FOODBANK - MFB Dear MFB Supporters, Our delivery to the depot was lighter this month but the generous donations in cash and cheques made our trip more than worthwhile. Thank you very much!
GOODS: 69.75kg CASH: £160.00 CHEQUES: £66.66
Tracey and the MFB volunteers were again very grateful for your donations and one of them said that we were one of the biggest source of donations.
This is an extract from her e-mail of thanks: ‘We are really grateful for your support. We are still very busy, and donations are still dropping. To date this year, we have fed over 4,000 people.
We hope you will be able to continue to do your best to support the MFB and contribute to the SUMMER HOLIDAY APPEAL which will involve all of its usual loyal supporters, as well, as those in the villages of Cawton, Gilling, Oswaldkirk and Stonegrave, thanks to Peter and Sue Allen.
PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN AND INCLUDE TREATS AND SUMMER SNACKS, eg CEREAL BARS, BISCUITS, CRISPS and SWEETS!
Exceptionally there will be no delivery in June, so we can use the pause to build up stocks. Please just keep on giving!
NEXT DELIVERY: TUES. 15th JULY ‘25 DEADLINE FOR DONATIONS: 12 noon MON.14th JULY ‘25 PLEASE HELP ALL YOU CAN!
Donations should be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church as always.
PS. MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of church for individual donations of cash and cheques. If you are able to, please could you hand them into the office along with your donation or give them to us directly?