Developing Bereavement Support in your Community

If you would like to know more about developing this important ministry in your parish or Pastoral Area, put Saturday June 21st 10am-4pm in your diary.  St Bede’s Church in Basingstoke will be the venue for a Diocesan Day on Developing Bereavement Support in our parishes and worshipping communities.  The day will be an opportunity to hear from groups around the diocese who already work with their parish clergy to offer all kinds of support to the bereaved and their families.

Booking is essential, download the booking form

God’s Embrace for All: Making Parish Life accessible for People with Learning Disabilities - Saturday 26th April

This Day Conference is for Parents, Catechists, Teachers and those who care about people with Learning Disabilities to discover how they can be helped to be integrated into parish life.  We are very fortunate to have Christina Gangemi to facilitate the Day.  Christina is the Disability Adviser for the Southwark Diocese, who has vast experience in working with children with Autism, Asperges Syndrome and other Learning disabilities. She is an inspiring speaker and passionate in her love of these children and adults. 

There will be opportunities to experience a multi sensory area, which could be used in a parish or school, to discuss and share ideas on Sacramental preparation and symbolic catechesis and to explore proven useful resources, which can be used in parish liturgy and in catechesis.

The Head of Salesian College in Reading Road, Farnborough, has made all their facilities available to us free of charge. There is plenty of parking space.

There is no charge for the day but everyone is asked to bring a packed lunch – drinks will be provided. Refreshments will be available from 10am so we can make a prompt start at 10-30am. The Day will finish with a short Liturgy at 3-30pm.

This is an opportunity not to be missed (the opinion of those who attended the Workshop run by Christina at Newbury in 2006.)

The Department ran a day for Confirmation catechists on using the Rite of Confirmation. To find out more and download the resources click here.

Live Simply

This is a national project which aims to promote reflection and action on, and the celebration of, 40 years of Pope Paul VI’s 1967 Encyclical ‘Populorum Progressio’ (On the Development of Peoples) particularly within the Catholic Community in England and Wales, leading to a renewed commitment to social action.  

www.livesimply.org.uk

Stewardship in the Diocese

Some of the responses from the six pilot parishes which have been involved in this process have been remarkable. Find out more here

Diocesan Welcome Group News

The aim of this group is to encourage and develop an attitude of welcome and inclusiveness throughout our diocesan structures.

RCIA

One area of evangelisation/ outreach in which many readers of 'The Vine' are involved is RCIA, journeying with those who are enquiring about following Christ as members of the Catholic Church. Pastoral Areas present us with an opportunity for developing RCIA further. 

Disability Audit

All parishes have now been asked to carry out an audit of all their activities and premises to let us know how people with disabilities are being helped to play a full part in the life of the Church.  All Diocesan properties and services are likewise being checked out.

Some photos from the Justice and Peace day  

J & P pages