All Year Round (Plus sum :)
Some of the "Good News" we spread throughout the year :) (: Simply click on a picture to find out more :)
Baptism Anniversary Cards ...
Since May 2012 we have been sending out “Baptism Anniversary” cards to children (and adults) across our parish.
Basically, we took the baptism registry with our start date as January 2005 and after compiling the list, started to send out baptism anniversary cards.
The cards that we made have an insert with a simple message inscribed and is signed by Fr. Harriott on behalf of the parish.
Using a 7 year period, we are finding that we are sending out about 40-50 cards per month.
(Of course you can also adapt this to Holy Communion & Weddings)
Candle Card – A Light for our "Lost Sheep" ...
Parishioners light a candle at our Lady Alter and pray for those they wish the Lord to bring “back to the fold”. The idea is that these simple cards can be taken away by the parishioner and passed on to the person they have prayed for.
The prayer card ...
... asks that this small tea light will be a flame “that warms their heart and rekindles their passion for the love of Christ”.
... asks that it becomes a “light that guides your lost sheep back to your flock (Matt 18:12)”
... also calls on the intercessions of St. Monica, and her son, St. Augustine as well as St. John the Baptist.
Requiem Mass on All Souls Day ...
The invite provided here is a sample of what we send out to the living relative who has had a funeral at St. John’s for a loved one.
In essence, it is aimed at those relatives that have had a bereavement in their family with a funeral at St. John’s in the past year.
The main invitee will be the deceased persons immediate relative as identified in St. John’s records. However, the invite also extends to any family or friends of the deceased.
For this Years List - Click on the Picture
Sick List of Parishioners
All parishes tend to have a sick list of parishioners which usually means the parish Priest and Eucharistic Minister is a very busy person.
From a Good News perspective, we use this list to send people who are unable to get to church, the items, invites, news etc that they would have received if they had been able to attend church.
In other words, we don’t forget them and we include them in all we do
We also create a general invite to parishioners so that they too can add names of people they want remembered at the Mass.
We also encourage any relatives, family or friends that may be in attendance to come forward and light a candle.
Therefore by offering a requiem mass on All Souls day for their loved one it is hoped will ease the path of their bereavement and highlight, as Catholics, we remember all in our parish who have gone to the love of Christ.
At the requiem mass, as we call out each deceased person’s name, we light a candle in memory of them.
The immediate relative, family or friends may themselves not necessarily be Catholic (or they may be Catholic but with a small “c”), but undoubtedly St. John’s has been a focal point and a place of association to the bereaved person.
Coffee Afternoons
Have regular coffee/tea + chat events for all – especially for those old and live alone.
Offer to provide transport for people
Parishes of YOUR Deanery ...
Why not create a map of all the parishes/churches of your deanery and include the mass times. Encourage a "mini-pilgrimage" to attend ALL masses in a year :)
~ Prayer for our Deanery ~
“... Lord, we, in our deanery we are a “little flock”, and just as you called your disciples, we too are called to live as a community in fellowship with one another.
A fellowship, which is the salt of the earth and a community that is a light to the world.
Lord, we are all called to bear witness to a constantly new way of living together in fidelity to the Gospel. The Gospel that brings us all joy and is at the heart of our community.
Father, we pray, let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of community and the joy it brings us ...”
Pope Francis ~ EG-92 (Adapted)
Deanery Mass for Healing ...
Why not have a "Healing Mass" at different times during the year and get different parishes to host the event.
Why not start with ...
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Followed by Holy Mass with anointing of the sick or laying on of hands.
24 Hours of Prayer - 'One Night, One Day' ...
The Prayer covered the whole period from 6pm Mass on the Friday evening until the 5.30pm Vigil Mass on Saturday with a variety of forms of prayer on the hour every hour. These forms of prayer where then promoted on social media for our “virtual” friends to follow – and we got a lot of feedback, comments and interaction from numerous people. We hope the video captures that for you.
The wide-ranging forms of prayer included making a prayer chain, prayer for the dying and sick, a scripture Rosary, an outdoor sunrise service, prayer for peace with songs by the Filipino community, prayer around the Cross (Taizé-style) and prayer led by the Northumberland Lay Carmelite Community.
We were most grateful to the H&N Department for Spirituality for facilitating this. For more info contact (0191 243 3302) or eMail spirituality@diocesehn.org.uk
Click on the photo to launch the video :)
All Hallows Eve’ Candle Display ...
To ‘Christianise’ Halloween ...
To be handed out to parishioners of weekend before Halloween
Parishioners to take them home and display in their windows on Halloween and All Saints & All Souls days
You could bless a candle at the w/e Mass to hand out also.
(click on the picture for a short 'fun' video - but turn up the volume - very loud :)
Candle card template to download is here :)
#GodBless+
Prayer + Remembrance Tree ...
Grateful for a parishioner providing this tree.
We put butterflies with the names of loved ones whom we wish to remember.
Today, the children attached all those parishioners who have died in both wars.
Feel free to put your own butterfly on the tree and we will pray and remember your loved ones in our prayers.
#GodBless+
(click on the picture for more info)