Latest News - St Augustine's Church, Parkwood, Kent

Thank you for your generous donations to CAFOD's Family Fast Day during Lent.
We featured Marian and her son Svondo in Zimbabwe in Lent 2018. The community vegetable garden that your donations helped provide is growing well and during the pandemic the family has survived on the vegetables. This is one of many long-term development projects that CAFOD has funded with the money from that Fast Day. Thank you for your steadfast support.

Priest Training Fund Second Collection
Next week is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life. As members of the Church, we are encouraged to pray earnestly for an increase in priestly and religious vocations. Next week we take up the second collection in support of the Priest Training Fund, which pays for the formation of Southwark Seminarians and Deacons and the good work of our vocations team. Please be generous to this appeal. Your gifts will support 7 men currently in formation to the Priesthood for our Diocese. There will be a donation envelope available at Mass which can be used to Gift Aid your donation. You can also donate online via www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/vocations.htm, by telephone on 0207960 2504 (office hours Monday - Friday). Thank you for your prayers and generosity. Click here for Training Update and Prayer card

Easyfundraising
Several Parishioners have kindly signed up and donations for St Augustine's are starting to accumulate. Thank you. Please do consider signing up via https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/staugustineofcanterbury/
It is a simple process. When you register please select St Augustine of Canterbury, Parkwood as your preferred charity. Each time you shop on line please log on to Easyfundraising first and then select your retailer e.g. Argos and you will be directed to their site and you then shop in the usual way. There is no additional complication involved. As an initial target for St Augustine's it would be great if we could see 50 parishioners signing up. Please do try and give it a go. Thank you.

We have been encouraged by the Archbishop to sign up to this initiative which is one of a number of new fundraising ideas we will be asked to consider this year - more news to follow on these. A number of other Parishes have already started and been very successful in raising much needed additional funds. It is acknowledged that these are very difficult times with many parishioners having financial and job security worries so it is understood that some will not be in a position to offer any additional support at this stage. However Easyfundraising seems an easy win as it will not involve any additional cost to each individual.

If you are a taxpayer signing up to GiftAid would be another easy win as the Parish would receive an extra 25p for every £1 you put in the weekly collection without any extra cost or hassle to you. Please speak with Father Adams or our GiftAid co-ordinator Joe Flannery if you are interested in this. Or e-mail them on parkwood@rcaos.org.uk

Second Collection causes 2021 can be seen here.

COVID 19 Changes
The ongoing impact of the Covid 19 pandemic must be treated with the utmost seriousness. The Catholic Church accepts the important role it has to play in ensuring that Catholic churches are safe places at the service of the spiritual and human wellbeing of anyone who might wish to enter.

The Catholic Church is committed to following the approved Covid safety guidelines for communal worship.
You must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble. You should maintain strict social distancing at all times. You should follow the national guidance on the safe use of places of worship.

I appreciate how very difficult all of this is for you and how you so look forward to meeting up with your fellow parishioners for a chat in the Narthex or outside of the Church before or after Mass.
However for now we must follow the rules and refrain from doing this and head off home promptly after Mass.
We pray that together we will soon come through this and be able to return to our normal ways.
In the meantime I am very grateful for your continued understanding and full co-operation with all of the above.
Fr Michael

Face coverings should be worn at all times whilst in the Church unless you are exempt under Government guidelines.
Please also respect the 1 metre+ social distancing guidelines at all times.

There will be weekday Masses at 9.30 a.m. and in addition a Mass at 8.00 p.m. on Friday and 10.00 a.m. on Saturday. Saturday evening at 6 p.m. and on Sundays 9.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. .
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will be between 8.30 and 9.30 on weekdays.

Whilst the obligation to attend Mass on the Sabbath remains suspended for the time being Father is currently saying ten Masses each week so sincerely hopes that you will be able to attend at least one of these.
There has also been plenty of capacity at each of the weekend Masses so please do come along to one of these if you feel able.

There will be 2-3 Stewards at each Mass who will offer you hand sanitiser as you enter and leave the Church.
They will take your name and a contact telephone number as you enter the Church. This is necessary to comply with the Government's Track & Trace guidelines. We do thank you for your co-operation with this important requirement.
The Stewards will then direct you to a suitable seat with due heed to the 1 metre+ social distancing guidelines.

They will also co-ordinate the procession for Holy Communion. This will be one row at a time and to avoid any breach of the 1 metre+ distancing rules as you exit or enter your pew all parishioners will be asked to follow the Holy Communion procession route even if not receiving Holy Communion. When approaching Father for Holy Communion please do so with your arms at full stretch and with your hands, palms upwards, one on top of the other, extended as flatly as possible.

You will notice some differences in how the celebration of the Mass takes place.
There will still be no Holy Water, no congregational singing, no prayers of the faithful, no Offertory Procession, still no sign of peace and Holy Communion will be silent. With a briefer Homily you will notice that overall the Mass will be shorter than usual. However none of this detracts from the centrality of our encounter with the Risen Christ in the Eucharist.

As parishioners may be attending Mass at different times and on different days of the week than usual there will be a Collection held at each Mass. The collection baskets cannot be passed around so they will be placed by the doors as you exit the Church.

In accordance with the Covid guidelines the kitchen facilities must remain closed for the time being so there will be no tea or coffee after Mass with parishioners encouraged to maintain their social distancing and to depart for home as soon as possible after Mass has finished.

Please do listen to and co-operate fully with the Stewards as they seek to help us respect the Government guidelines. Their role is vital to us all if our Church is to remain open safely and successfully and for the enjoyment of us all.

Home Mass Times Weekly Newsletter Clergy & Parish Sister Our Primary School Our Secondary School Organisations & Charities Contact us	*St. Augustine's R.C. Church* Easyfundraising update - more info below
		Thank you for your generous donations to CAFOD's Family Fast Day during Lent. We featured Marian and her son Svondo in Zimbabwe in Lent 2018. The community vegetable garden that your donations helped provide is growing well and during the pandemic the family has survived on the vegetables. This is one of many long-term development projects that CAFOD has funded with the money from that Fast Day. Thank you for your steadfast support. Priest Training Fund Second Collection Next week is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life. As members of the Church, we are encouraged to pray earnestly for an increase in priestly and religious vocations. Next week we take up the second collection in support of the Priest Training Fund, which pays for the formation of Southwark Seminarians and Deacons and the good work of our vocations team. Please be generous to this appeal. Your gifts will support 7 men currently in formation to the Priesthood for our Diocese. There will be a donation envelope available at Mass which can be used to Gift Aid your donation. You can also donate online via www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/vocations.htm, by telephone on 0207960 2504 (office hours Monday - Friday). Thank you for your prayers and generosity. Click here for Training Update and Prayer card Easyfundraising Several Parishioners have kindly signed up and donations for St Augustine's are starting to accumulate. Thank you. Please do consider signing up via https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/staugustineofcanterbury/ It is a simple process. When you register please select St Augustine of Canterbury, Parkwood as your preferred charity. Each time you shop on line please log on to Easyfundraising first and then select your retailer e.g. Argos and you will be directed to their site and you then shop in the usual way. There is no additional complication involved. As an initial target for St Augustine's it would be great if we could see 50 parishioners signing up. Please do try and give it a go. Thank you. We have been encouraged by the Archbishop to sign up to this initiative which is one of a number of new fundraising ideas we will be asked to consider this year - more news to follow on these. A number of other Parishes have already started and been very successful in raising much needed additional funds. It is acknowledged that these are very difficult times with many parishioners having financial and job security worries so it is understood that some will not be in a position to offer any additional support at this stage. However Easyfundraising seems an easy win as it will not involve any additional cost to each individual. If you are a taxpayer signing up to GiftAid would be another easy win as the Parish would receive an extra 25p for every £1 you put in the weekly collection without any extra cost or hassle to you. Please speak with Father Adams or our GiftAid co-ordinator Joe Flannery if you are interested in this. Or e-mail them on parkwood@rcaos.org.uk Second Collection causes 2021 can be seen here. COVID 19 Changes The ongoing impact of the Covid 19 pandemic must be treated with the utmost seriousness. The Catholic Church accepts the important role it has to play in ensuring that Catholic churches are safe places at the service of the spiritual and human wellbeing of anyone who might wish to enter. The Catholic Church is committed to following the approved Covid safety guidelines for communal worship. You must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble. You should maintain strict social distancing at all times. You should follow the national guidance on the safe use of places of worship. I appreciate how very difficult all of this is for you and how you so look forward to meeting up with your fellow parishioners for a chat in the Narthex or outside of the Church before or after Mass. However for now we must follow the rules and refrain from doing this and head off home promptly after Mass. We pray that together we will soon come through this and be able to return to our normal ways. In the meantime I am very grateful for your continued understanding and full co-operation with all of the above. Fr Michael Face coverings should be worn at all times whilst in the Church unless you are exempt under Government guidelines. Please also respect the 1 metre+ social distancing guidelines at all times. There will be weekday Masses at 9.30 a.m. and in addition a Mass at 8.00 p.m. on Friday and 10.00 a.m. on Saturday. Saturday evening at 6 p.m. and on Sundays 9.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. . Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will be between 8.30 and 9.30 on weekdays. Whilst the obligation to attend Mass on the Sabbath remains suspended for the time being Father is currently saying ten Masses each week so sincerely hopes that you will be able to attend at least one of these. There has also been plenty of capacity at each of the weekend Masses so please do come along to one of these if you feel able. There will be 2-3 Stewards at each Mass who will offer you hand sanitiser as you enter and leave the Church. They will take your name and a contact telephone number as you enter the Church. This is necessary to comply with the Government's Track & Trace guidelines. We do thank you for your co-operation with this important requirement. The Stewards will then direct you to a suitable seat with due heed to the 1 metre+ social distancing guidelines. They will also co-ordinate the procession for Holy Communion. This will be one row at a time and to avoid any breach of the 1 metre+ distancing rules as you exit or enter your pew all parishioners will be asked to follow the Holy Communion procession route even if not receiving Holy Communion. When approaching Father for Holy Communion please do so with your arms at full stretch and with your hands, palms upwards, one on top of the other, extended as flatly as possible. You will notice some differences in how the celebration of the Mass takes place. There will still be no Holy Water, no congregational singing, no prayers of the faithful, no Offertory Procession, still no sign of peace and Holy Communion will be silent. With a briefer Homily you will notice that overall the Mass will be shorter than usual. However none of this detracts from the centrality of our encounter with the Risen Christ in the Eucharist. As parishioners may be attending Mass at different times and on different days of the week than usual there will be a Collection held at each Mass. The collection baskets cannot be passed around so they will be placed by the doors as you exit the Church. In accordance with the Covid guidelines the kitchen facilities must remain closed for the time being so there will be no tea or coffee after Mass with parishioners encouraged to maintain their social distancing and to depart for home as soon as possible after Mass has finished. Please do listen to and co-operate fully with the Stewards as they seek to help us respect the Government guidelines. Their role is vital to us all if our Church is to remain open safely and successfully and for the enjoyment of us all. If you are unable to attend Mass live Masses can also be viewed via https://www.churchservices.tv/ or at https://mass-online.org/ Holy Communion will not be available online so you may like to make an Act of Spiritual Communion