News

Living Our Faith Continues Success, with Parishes Across the Diocese Raising over £13.2 Million in pledged support! So far monies actually received totals £7.1 Million.

 

Key Numbers
The value of pledges raised to date	£13,247,239
Total amount received to date	£7,136,838
Allocated to the Clergy Support Fund	£1,565,246
Allocated to the Parish and Lay Formation Fund	£1,565,246
Allocated to the Parish Fund (Parish share)	£3,223,723

 

                        

 

Allocated to the Renewing Facilities Fund

£782,623

 

  Thanks to the hard work of clergy and volunteers, even more parishes are surpassing their Living Our Faith goals, helping propel the Campaign to more success. Below are some Good News stories from across the Diocese:

                                Pastoral and Lay Formation Fund - Approved Applications

 

         March 7, 2012. Guernsey. Full time Youth Worker for three years. Approved £75,000 

  November 9, 2011. Portsmouth St Colemans. Candidate for the Acorn Listening Course. Approved    £350.

November 9, 2011. Central and West Reading. Candidate for the Ignatian Spirituality Course. 3 year course starting October, 2011.Approved £1,000 per year for 3 years

September 14, 2011. Central and West Reading Pastoral Area. Funding towards course fees to attend the Ignatian Spirituality course. Approved £3,000

September 14, 2011. Portsmouth Cathedral. St Cassians, Kintbury. Gap Year Student on the retreat team. Many former gap year young people go on to become RE teachers or go into chaplaincy work. Quite a number also are heads of RE in schools or in leadership roles. Approved £2,000

September 14, 2011. North West Hampshire Pastoral Area. Youth Ministry Co-ordinator. To work with young people aged 11-25 in such a way as to support their journey of faith and to develop youth leaders across the pastoral area. The role will further develop the sense of pastoral area and evidence the benefits of developing and using specialist resources effectively, and establish a social outreach/stewardship youth volunteer project; aid collaborative working between clergy and laity and between the 5 pastoral area parishes. Further, the role will increase parish and pastoral area involvement with schools and support the development of relationships between schools, families and parishes. In addition, involve more youth activity in parish ministry across the pastoral area.

September 14, 2011 - Portsmouth Cathedral. Called to Listen Week. An advanced course to develop listening skills. A 12 session course inviting participants to listen carefully to themselves as part of their growth in wholeness, and to listen to God in a variety of ways. Approved £700.

June 2011. Pastoral Assistant - Southampton Central and West Pastoral Area. The Pastoral Assistant's main responsibilities will be to work with existing Liturgy Groups offering support where needed recruiting new members or new groups. Help to provide education and formation of the Laity by sharing good practice in the areas of RCIA, Sacremental Programme, Liturgy of the Word, Childrens's Liturgy. In addition, they will support and manage volunteers, and promote parishioner involvement and develop training to clarify and support new and existing roles. They will also provide pastoral care and be available at times of crisis for individuals or groups, for example, bereavement, marriage preparation, divorced or separted. Approved £57,000 over 3 years.

June 2011. Youth Worker - Reading Pastoral Area. Canon John O'Shea wrote "a youth worker will be the most effective way of reaching out to our young people and help them to develop their faith". The youth worker will develop and support young people's spiritual development, coordinate and strategise youth events, act as an advocate for young people in the pastoral area, and train and support adult volunteers. Approved £3,000

• June 2011. Youth Events held within the Diocese of Portsmouth - A successful youth event "A Noble Adventure" was held at St Peter's school and St Stephen's church Winchester in November, 2010. The event was designed to nurture and grow the faith of young people saw well over 170 young people and 50 youth leaders attend a day of workshops, drama, music, outdoor activities and a mass. A further youth event is planned for 11th June, 2011 called "Fired Up. Approved £2,000
• World Youth Day Pilgrimage in Madrid, Spain. Funding towards the cost of travel and expenses for 163 youth travelling from our Diocese to Madrid, Spain (the largest group in the country) has been granted by the Living Our Faith Impact committee. A grant of £8,150 has been provided to the Department of Pastoral Formation who are organising the trip. Pope Benedict has stated that each World Youth Day is a special gift. “We were impulsed by the joy of the faith, and it was possible for hundreds of thousands of people to remain united in silence in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Amidst the recollection and interior joy, admist everything, something amazing happened, something that is very different from what usually happens in mass encounters.” Finally he concludes saying, “And Sydney continues to produce effects, such as priestly vocations, for example. I think that we have found something that helps everyone in World Youth Day.  
• New Stewardship Coordinator has been approved for the Parish of Jersey. The role will require an enthusiastic ambassadpr for the development of stewardship throughout the Parish. The role will support the Outreach Services and Catholic Pastoral Services, and require the identification of people throughout the Parish with particular talents to serve the Parish in various ministries. The Stewardship Coordinator will collaborate with the clergy, pastoral assistants and laity to achieve the vision of the Bishop's Pastoral Plan 'Go Out and Bear Fruit'. Approved £75,000 over 3 years.
• New Catechesis and Formation Coordinator has been approved for St Swithun Wells Parish. The role will encourage increased involvement across the laity to equip them for mission by discerning needs, reviewing current practice and resources, identifying potential leaders and provide them with appropriate formation and training. Approved £75,000 over 3 years.
• Pastoral Youth Worker has been approved for the Portsmouth Pastoral Area. The role will enable the growth of youth ministry across the Pastoral Area and encourage and facilitate the inclusion of young people in parish projects across the city. Also to be part of the larger Parish life in accordance with the Bishop's plan for the future. Also to forge closer links between school and parish communities to encourage a wider vison of Church. Approved £75,000 over 3 years.
• April 6, 2011 - Pastoral Youth Worker has been approved for the Bournemouth Pastoral Area. The role will encourage the young people of the Catholic Community to help them develop their relationship with Jesus, nurture their faith, individually and corporately, and establish a programme of activities to the needs and aspirations of young people. Also to help them become active members of their worshipping communities and to enable young people to take on leadership roles in Youth Ministry. Approved £75,000 over 3 years.
• April 6, 2011 – Basingstoke Holy Ghost. Approved Amount £900. One day course open to anyone in the Pastoral Area to consider how to approach passing on their faith ‘Pass It On’. One of the parish key initiatives was to develop a mission and outreach group and initiatives in the mission area.

       Local Designated Fund used for Parish Priorities - Approved Applications

                      

                     March 7, 2012. Yateley. St Swithun. To reduce the church debt. Approved £2,890 

                      

                    March 7, 2012. Basingstoke. St Joseph. Part time Children's Ministry Coordinator

                   for three years. Approved £40,500

 

                    March 7, 2012. St Swithun Wells Pastoral Area. St Andrews resurface car park (£9,576).

                   St Edwards audio visua work (£5,000) and disabled access construction (£1,000). Approved £15,576

 

                    March 7, 2012. Reading. English Martyrs. Upgrade to Parish Kitchen. Approved £13,000

 

                    March 7, 2012. Brockenhurst. St Anne. Emergancy repairs to lead flashing on the church roof

                    to prevent water ingress. Approved £11,000

 

                    November 9, 2011. Reading St Joseph's. Block patio adjacent to Parish Hall plus a metal post to

                   protect an external gas meter. Approved £6,050

 

November 9, 2011. East Hendred. Repairs to St Mary's and an extension to St Patricks. Approved £118,836

 

November 9, 2011. Alton St Mary's. Repairs to the church roof.Approved £211,720. The Impact Committee agreed to transfer £90,836 immediately Nov 2011. The remaining monies to be transferred as the Parish share of the fund becomes available. 

 

November 9, 2011. Liphook The Immaculate Conception. Repairing and resurfacing the church car park and the repayment of a £11K Diocesan loan. Approved £15,859

 

November 9, 2011. Lymington Our Lady of Mercy and St Joseph. Refurbishment of the old brick built school buildings to make into a hospitality centre for use as a core parish facility in the New Forest Pastoral Area. Approved £55,000.

November 9, 2011. Park Gate - St Margaret Mary. Repay outstanding loan for the church extension. Approved £41,000

November 9, 2011. Cowes, St Thomas of Canterbury, Isle of Wight. Restoration of presbytery kitchen. Approved £1,000

November 9, 2011. Fareham, St Philip Howard, Additional sum requested for roof repairs.Approved £30,000

 

 

September 14, 2011 - Bournemouth Corpus Christi. Upgrade to Parish Kitchen and meeting rooms. Approved £30,000.

 

 

September 14, 2011 - Jersey Pastoral Area. The Oasis of Peace project to restore for fuller use St Matthew's presbytery, Jersey. Approved £95,000.

September 14, 2011 - Portsmouth Cathedral. Re-development of the Cathedral Centre Toilets. Approved £16,819

September 14, 2011 - Ringwood Sacred Heart and St Therese of Lisieux. Waterproofing the church. Approved £53,544

September 14, 2011 - Bournemouth St Thomas More. Replacement of windows and fire doors in the church hall. Approved £4,860

                                   

               

September 14, 2011 - Waterlooville. Parish share of LOF funds towards the building cost of the new church. Approved £188,233

September 14, 2011 - Thatcham Our Lady of the Assumption. 1) New Sanctuary floor £3,077. 2) New Parish Computer £416. Lentern Retreat £400. Approved £3,893

September 14, 2011 - Farnborough Our Lady Help of Christians. A DPC Tray as part of church building costs. Approved £2,750.

June 8, 2011 - Southampton Christ the King and St Coleman, and Hedge End/West End parishes. Funding to cover the cost of the new Roman Missals for three churches and supporting materials. Approved £2,200.

June 8, 2011 - Southampton Immaculate Conception. Funding to cover the cost of audio visual equipment £14,191, the cost to redecorate Our Lady Chapel £2,300, and the cost of a CCTV system £5,000. Approved £21,491.

June 8, 2011 - Refurbishment of the parish hall at Our Lady Queen of Peace, Bournemouth. New furniture has been purchased as part of the refurbishment programme for the parish hall. Approved £5,354-21.

June 8, 2011 - Pastoral Assistant for the Southampton Central and West Pastoral Area. In conjunction with a £19,000 contribution from the Living Our Faith Lay Formation Fund towards the cost of a youth worker for year one, St Joseph and St Edmund also donatated £9,000 from their local parish Living Our Faith account. Approved £9,000

June 8, 2011 - Youth Worker for the Reading Pastoral Area. In conjunction with a contribution from the Living Our Faith Lay Formation Fund towards the cost of a youth worker for year one, the following parishes also donatated funds from their local parish Living Our Faith accounts:

Reading English Martyrs .................. £7,000

Reading St James and St William ..... £5,500

Earley Our Lady of Peace ................. £5,500

Woodley St John Bosco .................... £4,500

Reading St Josephs .......................... $4,500

April 6, 2011 - St Swithun Wells. Approved Amount £10,430

The Three Rivers Pastoral Area became the Parish of St Swithun Wells on 10^th December, 2011. To hightlight the importance of the event a commemorative booklet was produced and made widely available. The booklet sets out the inaugural liturgies for the formation of the new parish, celebrates the life of all the communities and provides a history of St Swithun and looks to the future. A new web site has also been developed to emphasise the new parish without individual churches losing their identity.

 April 6, 2011 – Fareham St Philip Howard. Approved Amount £103,567

 Funding to cover the cost of repairs to St Philip Howard church and hall. The work will include renewal of the high level windows and glazing system, renewal of the church entrance doors, re-roofing the church and central guttering system. Other items include refurbishment of the hall and hall kitchen. It is also hoped to replace the existing timber alter table and ambo in the church with a more solid material and design which is more in line with liturgical requirements.

 April 6, 2011 – Brockenhurst St Anne’s. Approved Amount £4,300

 Renovation of the flower room leading off the sanctuary at St Anne’s church

 April 6, 2011 – Guernsey – various projects. Approved Amount £206,146

Various projects have been approved and funding will be released on a rolling basis as and when the Finance and Property committee give their go-ahead to each of the elements. The projects include refurbishment of Notre Dame Junior School (£70,000); St Joseph’s Church windows and car park (£68,314); Our Lady of the Sea parish rooms and car park (£47,832); and new lighting and additional radiators for Notre Dame du Rosaire church (£20,000).

                      Southampton St Joseph and St Edmund. Approved Amount £6,000

                      Funding towards the cost of a Youth Worker working within the Southampton Area.

                      Christchurch Immaculate Conception and St Joseph. Approved Amount £26,745

                      Funding towards the cost of a new hall and meeting centre.

                      North Hinksey– Local Projects. Approved Amount £14,000

St Mary’s Outstation, Chiphaso Parish, Malawi which needs £6,000 to pay the final costs of their new church and community hall.

The Porch Steppin Stone Centre  for homeless people - £6,000

The St Barnabas Society - £2,000

     Southampton Immaculate Conception – Improvements to Church Grounds. Approved Amount £2500       

     Leigh Park – Replacement  of Church Hall Roof. Approved Amount £12,000

     Andover – Donation, Decoration and a Mosaic. Approved Amount £5,615. 

              Donation of £2,000 to the Bishop Challoner School

              Redecoration of the exterior of St John Fisher Church - £2,615

              Exterior Mosaic in memory to the now closed St Benedict's Convent, Penton Mewsey - £1,000

     St Swithun Wells - Telephone System, Improved Sound System in Holyross Church, and shared funding for a Pastoral Area Youth Worker. Approved £34,040

             Horndean - Church Toilet Upgrade. Approved Amount £8,430

 

 Havant - Friendly Neighbours.

 Father Tom Grufferty parish priest of Havant Parish photographed presenting a cheque for £7,500 to Mr Cyril Brown the Chairman of the Parish Council in the presence of the Parish Priest for Waterlooville, Father Kevin Bidgood. Havant Parish donated the cheque from their own Parish Living Our Faith fund. The photograph taken outside the new Church which will be opened later this year.

 

 

 Father Tom Grufferty parish priest of Havant Parish photographed presenting a cheque for £7,500 to to Fr. Jozef Cruszkiewicz (St Michael and All Angels, Leigh Park) with a cheque for £7500 as a result of Havant Parish's Living Our Faith Campaign. The presentation was made in the presence of parishioners from St. Joseph's Parish, Havant and St. Michaels Parish Leigh Park.

Presentation made in the New Church of St. Michael and All Angels Leigh Park.

 

 

 

Renewing Facilities Fund - Approved Applications

April 6, 2011- Ringwood Parish - 'Sacred Heart and St Therese of Lisieux'

The Ringwood parish church of the 'Sacred Heart and St Therese of Lisieux is porous and lets in water through the parapets and through the brickwork. It it's raining during Mass the proceedings are accompanied by the steady drip, drip of water pouring into strategically placed buckets! A new pitched rool and insulating render will be added to the church in addition to a new church porch. Approved Amount £40,000