St Aelrred's PPC Meeting minutes

Dates for your diary: Pilgrimage to Walsingham: Saturday 26th September. St Aelred’s Church Cleaners meeting - At St Aelred’s on Saturday 26th September at 10am (for half an hour) CAFOD Harvest Family Fast Day: Will be on Friday 2nd October. Collection Sunday 4th October 2026 Week of Guided Prayer – 11th -16th October 2026: If you would like to take part, then please return your completed form to Fr Gerard by Sunday 15th September. November Mass for the deceased: 7pm - Tuesday 10th November STA Confirmation Catechesis for the Sacrament of Confirmation - session 1 Sunday 18th October 11.30am to 2pm with a half an hour break for packed lunched session 2 Sunday 8th November same timings. Both sessions to be held in the classroom at St Mary’s. It is essential to attend both sessions before receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. Please email Fr Gerard before Wednesday 14th October to apply for Confirmation this year. The Sacrament will be celebrated at St Aelred’s on Saturday 21st November at 5.30pm First Reconciliation: will be held on Saturday 14th March 2027 at 4.30pm at St Aelred’s. Wednesday 17th March 2027 at 6pm at St Mary’s. A meeting for parents from St Mary’s on Sunday 29th November 2026 following the School Family Mass. A meeting for parents from St Aelred’s on Saturday 28th November 2026 at 4.30pm in church. First Communions: will be held at St Mary’s on 22nd May 2027 at 11am and St Aelred’s on Sunday 23rd May 2027 at 9am. A meeting for parents from St Mary’s on Sunday 29th November 2026 following the School Family Mass. A meeting for parents from St Aelred’s on Saturday 28th November 2026 at 4.30pm in church. Christmas Fair St Aelred’s: 29th November 2026. Christmas Lunch for both parishes will be held at St Aelred’s on 9th December 2026. Advent Reconciliation Service. Thursday 10th December 7pm STA.

As part of the auction on Sunday 13th at St Mary's, we have a lot which could be purchased individually or by the parishioners in a group to keep for the Church. Pictures of the Não by Lladro nativity scene are attached to this email. At the auction there will be a reserve of £400 as each porcelain figurine purchased as new can cost between £150 and £350. Similar 8 piece sets are retailling for around £1160. Many of you have seen the Nativity scene on display at Mass today. Should you wish to pledge towards buying the Nativity scene for the Parish. Please can you email Fr Gerard the amount you wish to pledge by Saturday 12th September. This allows us to know any starting bid. All money raised for the Nativity Scene will go directly to the building fund.

Harrogate Hospital - has withdrawn the part-time chaplaincy role that Canon Gerard Kearney held due to funding cuts within the Trust. Meetings and written complaints have been entered into with so far, no movement from the Trust. If you require a Catholic Priest to visit whilst you, or a relative, are in hospital please ask the ward staff to facilitate this. In the meantime, please write to Eillen Watson at Harrogate hospital to register your dissatisfaction with the new arrangements. Her email address is eileen.watson3@nhs.net

St Aelred’s Parish BBQ: Saturday 19th September from 4pm. Tickets £10 per person including burger, sausage and chicken skewer, salad and a glass of wine, vegetarian options available. Family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) £20. Either order a ticket by signing up on the list at the back of Church or speak to Fr Gerard. All welcome!

Nepal Flooding: CAFOD's local Caritas partner, Caritas Nepal, is assessing and coordinating its response with local authorities. The immediate priorities are search and rescue, evacuation, emergency health care, aid distribution and restoring critical services. They have already dispatched food to provide meals for 300 families for 15 days. This response will be expanded as assessment continues and more areas become accessible. If you wish to support this work go online to: cafod.org.uk Please join us at CAFOD in praying for all who have been affected.

St Aelred’s Fish and Chip Lunch The next fish and chip lunch will be held on Monday 14th September. The hall will be open from 12 noon and fish, chips and mushy peas will be served at 12:30 followed by sweets and tea/coffee. The cost is £8.00. Please pass on the money to Margaret or Tony. All are welcome. Please add your name to the list at the back of St Aelred’s church or phone Tony on 07912790773

Week of Guided Prayer – 11th -16th October 2026. Please take an information leaflet from the back of church and consider taking part in this valuable offering for ALL parishioners. You do not need to have taken part in a retreat before. If you wish to talk it through, ask questions etc before committing, speak to Fr Gerard, Deacon David, Deacon Philip or Bernadette. If you would like to take part, then please return your completed form to Fr Gerard by Sunday 15th September. Payment towards the retreat in daily life can be made in cash, on the dona machine, QR code from the bulletin or by bacs (please see Fr Gerard for details of the account number)

Deanery Day of Renewal - Saturday September 12th 11.30am to 3.45pm in St. Aelred’s church hall.  Speaker is Nick Price. "How do we begin to see coincidences and situations as encouragement for growth in the Holy Spirit within our daily lives."

American Style Ceilidh - Saturday 12th September 7.30pm in St Aelred’s hall. Come and dance to a top class live band. Sociable and fun. No previous dance experience needed - our expert dance caller will explain everything. This event is open to the public - bring your friends from outside the parish. Tickets £12 / £6 on the door. Tea, coffee & cake in the interval. No licensed bar but you can bring your own drinks if you wish. For more information see Philip Rowe (Sunday organist 9am).