Category: Parish council minutes

10 March 2026, 7:30pm

Present: Father Kevin, Mike Campbell (chair), Deacon Stephen Parker, David Bellamy, Jen Benzies, Richard Bushell, Sam Caldwell, Eva Kaltenthaler, Maria Levesley, Sarah Lynch (minutes), Richard McQuinn, Sian Price (SP2), Ben Ryan, Stephen Spooner

Apologies: None.

Opening meditation: two minutes’ silence, led by MC

Minutes of the last meeting: passed without debate

Matters arising:

Spirituality & Liturgy:

There is a service of healing on Saturday. Stations of the Cross are being planned for Good Friday morning and SP, EK and SS are to meet. 23 May is a proposed day in relation to the Eucharist. There may be a café course later in the year, likewise a blessing for pets. In relation to the Stations of the Cross, there may be issues with audio-visual technology; EK mentioned there is an existing recording which may be of assistance. It could be advertised in other local churches if it goes ahead. Fr K noted our stations are not the traditional one, which lessens the number of books available. They do mirror those in Clifton Cathedral who produce a guide to them.

ML mentioned there is also a plan for a Taizé service in Lent, probably 25 March 7.30pm.

There are four baptisms scheduled in the near future.

J & P Report:

The Live Simply campaign is still the focus for the group, although we still have no date for assessment. Presentations at the back of church continue. Wildflower seeds will be planted again in the summer. Our contributions to the S2 foodbank were 100kg in the week where we had a particular push in this regard, and a local funding group, Sheffield500, has made a donation of £500 to the food bank. DB suggested SL do an article for the Chronicle. The idea of a system for sharing items has not been pursued due to legal queries.

Action: SL to write an article and put a reminder on the WhatsApp group.

Youth Ministry:

Invitations have gone out for First Holy Communion. The youth group has restarted, now on Thursdays, with seven people present at the first meeting. Children’s Liturgy continues, a few new faces but still quite small numbers. Some children of that age group are not coming out of mass, which could be for a variety of reasons. It was felt it would be good to make clear what the group does and that all are welcome. It is not on every week though, as there are only three leaders now across two families, but they will put up a sign in the weeks it is happening to make it clear to any non-regulars. An announcement to reintroduce will also be done by SC.

Action: JB/SC will ensure a sign is made about Children’s Liturgy and then make an announcement to reintroduce it.

Finance Committee:

There has been a recent meeting of the committee. Parish finances are still sound, despite a number of recent expenses. There have been fire and lightening inspections, as a result of which we may need a costly electrical surge protection system. Work is being done on our annual return to the Diocese, hopefully ready to go within a week. Accounts will be presented to the AGM. We have paid all sums due to the Diocese, including our Allocation and our contribution to the Sick & Retired Clergy Fund.

Maintenance:

We do not have a committee as David Hughes is less available than he was. We need to identify someone to take this on, two or three people who take responsibility for it and can report back to this committee and also to the Finance Committee if funds are needed. An advert could be put in The Franciscan and we could consider if there are people we could approach. We need someone who can problem solve and do some of the more basic practical fixes. SL said her husband may be able to assist on an ad hoc basis. Outstanding is the surge protection system, but DB needs to check if this is actually required including by our insurers. DB and SC will have a look at the report regarding this to assess the need for action. The lines in the car park are still not addressed. The tree surgeon has done a preliminary assessment and has suggested he come back when the buds are out to remove any dead sections of the trees.

Parish AGM:

The parish AGM is due next month. There was a discussion about what would be the best time, a weekday evening or after mass. Last year it was on a mid-week night and people did come but fewer. After mass might get a better attendance but leaves less time to discuss matters. After discussion, it was agreed it would be held on 26 April straight after mass, with a bring and share meal with the parish doing teas and coffees, with a focus on feeding back from the parish survey.

Parish Survey:

BR had produced a document earlier on the day of this meeting, separating out matters we could deal with quickly, those which we cannot change but need to acknowledge, and then areas which are going to require more work and more involvement from the parish, including planning for the future. The document also addresses how we might draw more people in.

Looking at the section that covers what we have already done or can do:

• Children: JB will look at packs for children

• The curtain between the chapel and music group is seen as a barrier and many at the meeting would be keen for it to be taken down. Fr Kevin said originally it was for people in the chapel who did not want to be overly visible due to the angles of the church. It was felt the views of those who use the chapel should be sought. It was not designed specifically for those with children but some families do choose to be in there. SP made the point that we are one community and should not need to be ‘private’ during the liturgy.

• Explicit welcoming feels important: those doing the notices often incorporate this and the packs for children will hopefully help with that.

• Bookshelf to be repositioned away from the doors of the Assisi Hall: it can stay where it is before mass but afterwards could maybe be pushed against the wall, the books being received in on the other side only or taken to elsewhere in the narthex. The welcomers would need to reposition it. Fire evacuation needs to be considered.

Action: MC (or Alan Wenham) will communicate with the welcomers about this.

• Streamlined notices: there is a strong view that these could be done more concisely at the end of mass. Fr Kevin marks it up as to what is to be read out. Fr Kevin would be happy with the reader choosing what is to be read out but it was felt it was an important role for the parish priest. Paraphrasing of the items though could be encouraged. It would be good routinely to offer a welcome and an invitation to refreshments. DB suggested there could be an evening for readers to include discussion about paraphrasing.

• Accessibility commitment: we do not produce a lot of printed documents, but there was an observation about font size, etc, in relation to the printed survey. We could consider large print copies of Laudate.

Action: BR will produce a short guide about what people producing documents should adhere to.

Agreement was recorded with the first two sections of BR’s document, areas where action has been taken or could be taken quickly and areas which needed to be acknowledged but where the parish could not effect change.

The main section of BR’s document, where more work is needed, would be for discussion in future, in smaller working groups. The small group are working on a written feedback document to address similar areas to those in this PCC document.

The idea would be that we have sign-up sheets for the various areas at the AGM, that the feedback document will also go out with the Franciscan the week after, and then by the next PCC meeting we should have an idea of who is interested in which area and a first meeting can be organised.

It could be that one or more of the small groups might choose to take a synodal approach, depending on their desire to and familiarity with the approach.

Thanks were given to BR for producing the document to focus discussion.

Matters raised by Fr Kevin

Fr Kevin mentioned a woman came today to say something was being organised by St John’s, a training event for any parishioner who is involved in dementia pastoral care or supporting someone on the dementia pathway. They are keen to get other churches involved, although the course is limited to 20 places. This led to discussion about finding out if there is still a Churches Together group in the area; it was thought not.

Action: DB will produce something for the Franciscan as to the dementia event.

Closing prayer: led by Fr Kevin

Next meeting: 12^th May at 7:30 pm in the parish room

27 January 2026, 7:30pm

Present: Father Kevin, Mike Campbell (chair), Deacon Stephen Parker, David Bellamy, Jen Benzies, Richard Bushell, Sam Caldwell, Eva Kaltenthaler, Maria Levesley, Sarah Lynch (minutes), Richard McQuinn, Sian Price (SP2), Ben Ryan, Stephen Spooner

Apologies: None

Opening meditation: two minutes’ silence, led by MC

Minutes of the last meeting: passed without debate

Matters arising:

• Roof repairs: DB confirmed the roof was repaired last week, some parts repaired and one reroofed, cost approximately £4500. with spare tiles being retained for future use. However, there was a new leak today during the storm from the Velux over the Blessed Sacrament chapel and the roofer is coming out to look at it.

Action: DB and SC with anyone else able to assist will move the spare tiles into the garage.

• April visit by Franciscans: we have offers of accommodation for the three visiting friars  plus volunteers to take them around. The trip may also include a possible interview with Radio Sheffield and some form of engagement with youth within the diocese. There will be a focus on Friday night 17^th April with mass, a session led by one of the priests, and a shared meal.
• Equipment: EK said at the Lexio event there were evident shortages of some equipment and the cupboard seems to be full of non-functioning items. There needs to be a sort out and then some essential purchases, a couple of extension leads and maybe a raise-and-lower table or a two-level trolley. DB may have a suitable projector which can be raised and lowered he could offer to the parish. Jon Dale could be asked to assist if needed in respect of the system.

Action: MC said he and Alex Krzyz, with DB, could go through the cupboard to identify and clear out the broken stuff.

Parish Roles and Responsibilities

Ahead of the meeting, MC had looked at the directory on the parish website and noted it was very out of date. He had circulated an updated version and some comments had been made. Some other additions were given to MC during the meeting.

Regarding descriptions for the roles, it was felt that primarily DB’s role as parish clerk needed clarification and he is going to write a description. It was agreed ideally there would be a deputy for him, which can be addressed once there is clarity about his role.

Action: DB will do a description of his role.

Jonathan Yewdall’s role was discussed, whether he is sacristan as well as being responsible for the altar servers. If sacristan, as it was felt he was, we need a description of that role, as many in the meeting were not certain what it entailed.

Action: MC is going to ask Jonathan to do that. MC will then provide the updated information to the webmaster(s) for uploading.

DB pointed out there needs to be certainty about who is responsible for the sound system in church. After discussion, it was felt this maybe falls into Jonathan’s role, albeit Stephen tends to make the final checks. However, if a problem arises during a service, noting there are four knobs around the church, anyone technically capable could step in to deal with it.

Photos of the parish council in the narthex needed to be updated.

Action: All PC members who have not already done so are asked to provide photos to DB at the St Francis email address.

There was discussion about the use of the Assisi Hall and it being rented out. One yoga group uses it at the moment and pays per session. It would be available to other groups but the Finance Group did not feel the need to push that as it does not provide significant income.

There was a discussion about how the people named for each area could be contacted whilst protecting the privacy of their contact details. There has been a suggestion that we could have more parish email addresses, in addition to the office, and someone DB is in touch with at diocesan level is waiting to hear if we want more. It was agreed we could have one for the office/enquiries and one for the parish council. It may be that email addresses for those who do The Franciscan and The Chronicle but their views would need to be obtained. Fr Kevin does not wish to have his own separate email address for confidential emails, which he feels is not the way people address such issues. SP advised that in other parishes priests do not have personal addresses which are public.

Action: DB will notify the relevant person of the email addresses we require, which could be added to the webpage.

The Parish Computer

Queries have arisen about who has access to the parish computer and what information is stored on there. SP advised this arose from a parishioner raising concerns about potential access to confidential information. DB advised we have three parish computers, the first being desktop which Fr Kevin and he goes on. There is a laptop which Paul Doherty and David Kaye, those who count the collection, use, and DB can access it as well. There is finally a very secure password protected Raspberry Pi on which DB stores data, which can be accessed through the laptop and his own devices. It was felt there could be problems if DB suddenly was not around. It was agreed Fr Kevin and SP  should be able to access the Raspberry Pi maybe also the Chair of the Parish Council.

SP noted there have been queries about confidentiality and access to information. Parishioners want to know what information there is about them available and stored at church, and who has access to it. There is some information from the diocese which comes and is time-limited confidential and some sensitive documents come for consultation amongst the clergy. We therefore need to be able to reassure anyone raising queries about confidentiality. Apparently, according to Ed Whitaker, there are no diocesan guidelines about this but individuals should not be given access to the parish computer on an ad hoc basis due to the need for confidentiality. Others also have specific information, eg RM has a fire stick for gift aid purposes. We also don’t have a named data protection person. The key people who need to observe confidentiality are Fr Kevin, SP and DB, but even they have not been specifically advised regarding confidentiality. DB is working on a data protection policy and it can be addressed within that. Regarding information, most of it is on the ‘black box and some by the provider of the card reader if a donor signs up to gift aid which can be accessed by the parish.

Action: SP and MC will talk to DB outside the meeting about access to the ‘black box’ in the event of his absence. DB will advise if he feels a sub-committee is needed to address this because he has too much else to do.

Parish Survey:

It is three months since the survey closed but feedback has not been given in any detail. EK, BR and DB and now JB had previously agreed to pull together some action from this. BR sees two strands, the need for feedback to the parish sooner rather than later, even if not in detail, and then there are things we could maybe action but will need more dedicated resources into the future. Regarding the latter, BR advised we could pull out the key themes from the survey and align them to existing parish council groups where they exist, eg music or justice & peace, or identify other groups that are needed for other matters. There will also be some matters which honestly cannot be addressed or changed and we need to acknowledge that.

SB agreed with the urgency to feed back soon, to say what we can do now, what we are not going to be able to do, and what other matters we want to work on. Regarding the latter, that is where we maybe set up a meeting to discuss. SK suggested we may want to revive some of the groups in the parish council that have fallen by the wayside since Covid, including mission and pastoral care. Parishioners could then be invited to subgroups addressing those areas. SS suggested it was important to be precise about what the groups are about using clear language as otherwise people will not volunteer. SC suggested we use the wording that was used in the responses to the survey. The preliminary work could be done by email shared with all parish council members, if an individual or a small group pulled that together soon.

Action: BR, JB and EK are going to meet to start this process.

Spirituality & Liturgy:

EK is going to take over the lead on this from SP. EK, SS and SP have met to set up some events for the year. There are three events already planned:

• There will be a healing service led by SP with Sr Helen on Saturday 14^th March.
• Stations of the Cross are to take place on Good Friday morning, by way of a mediation.
• There will be a day on the Eucharist on 23^rd May.

For the future, there may be a blessing of pets, noted to be appropriate in this year of St Francis of Assisi; a CAFE course on prayer, a topic which came up in the parish survey; and a discussion is taking place around ways in which we might support bible study in the parish.

SC suggested in Lent or Advent we could consider the parish working through a book published by the CTS wriiten by his uncle. Also, in the Year of St Francis, we could consider if there is any more we could do on that theme, there could be a pilgrimage to here for the diocese to gain the plenary indulgence that is available.

J & P Report:

The main theme has been the Live Simply campaign. ML advised we are waiting to hear about our assessment. There has been good fundraising for CAFOD including the panto, toilet twinning and Advent stickers. The wildflower garden is going to happen again. Involvement with a soup kitchen is being considered. SL mentioned that St Mark’s in Broomhill are looking for assistance with theirs due to decreasing numbers. There will continue to be bimonthly topics, also information about parishioners already volunteering to highlight their projects and encourage others to volunteer.

Youth Ministry:

RB gave an update. Confirmations took place before Advent, ten candidates going forwards for confirmation. Previously the parish council funded a celebration for them and a small gift and, if the group still wants to mark it, funding for that was approved.

First Holy Communion preparation has begun again. Altar servers are thriving. The Youth Group is to regenerate soon (14-18 year olds).

It was noted there is a gap between children making their Holy Communion and the Youth Group, something which would ideally be addressed by one or two other youth groups. There is a diocesan youth group, covering it was thought a slightly younger group, who met in the parish last Sunday as The Hub was not available to them. For anything to be provided for younger children, there would need to be others willing to take this forward.

Finance Committee:

We have spent quite a bit of money, doing work on the roof amongst other things, which might mean tightening our belts over the coming year, but we are still in a positive financial situation. Our heating bills are going up significantly. The accounts are well underway to be ready for the AGM.

Maintenance:

DB advised some blown lights have been noted in church and an electrician has been asked to come and deal with this. He will also see if we can replace the bulbs with more eco-friendly ones, particularly in the Assisi Hall. Some repairs of plaster and decoration will be needed after the roof leaks. The lines in the car park are to be addressed and a tree surgeon is coming to look at dealing with possible dead trees in the car park.

AOB

DB advised some young people in the parish are going on the Lourdes Pilgrimage in June, under the auspices of their schools. Parishes are being asked to contribute for adult pilgrims. Last year, in the Jubilee Year, we funded two pilgrims. The cost this year would be £1010 a person. One suggestion was we contribute the equivalent of one pilgrim but it could be shared if more than one pilgrim wishes to go. The pilgrims would need to fundraise for the balance. RB queried why we particularly focus on Lourdes over other possible pilgrimages. It was agreed this needs more thought and will be adjourned to another meeting.

The international mass last Sunday was a big success, in bringing people together in a very special way. A thank you note has been passed on to Susanne Staub by MC, to go all those involved in organising.

Matters raised by Fr Kevin

Fr Kevin had no specific matters to raise.

Mention was made (not by Fr Kevin) that it is Fr Kevin’s 65^th anniversary on 28th May. There was a discussion about how the parish would want to mark this. It was agreed cake and wine would be offered after mass (suggested date 31^st May). A papal certificate would also be obtained.

Action: SC to organise the obtaining of the papal certificate. Arrangements for the celebration will be considered at the next meeting.

Closing prayer: led by Fr Kevin

Next meeting: 10^th March at 7:30 pm in the parish room

11 November 2025, 7:30pm

Present: Mike Campbell (chair), Deacon Stephen Parker, David Bellamy, Jen Benzies, Maria Levesley, Sarah Lynch (minutes), Richard McQuinn, Ben Ryan, Sian Price, Bob Levesley

Apologies: Father Kevin, Richard Bushell, Sam Caldwell, Stephen Spooner, Eva Kaltenthaler

Opening meditation: two minutes’ silence, led by MC

Minutes of the last meeting: passed without debate

Matters arising:

• Boundary wall: It has been repaired, there were some issues about the work done initially but it has now been completed. David noted he was not qualified to approve it as appropriately completed, but has passed that back to the Diocese for comment.
• The roof in the Upstairs Room has not progressed. The builder initially chosen has not been available so David is now pursuing the second option. The leak seems to be fixed.
• Welcome sheet/committee: There used to be a group who welcomed/visited new parishioners, but it is no longer exists. Discussion highlighted that new parishioners would be likely to vary in terms of what they wanted, ie a phone call, a visit, coffee after mass. It was agreed there would be mention made in the Franciscan to see if anyone wanted to volunteer for this. Ben linked this to how we link in existing parishioners who aren’t as engaged, whether any small group who met would want to look at this as well. David observed it might be useful to have a welcomers’ group, in terms of those who greet on Sunday mornings and hand out the books (MC to pursue this). He also mentioned that it might be that welcomers should know the procedure if there were a fire, noting we don’t have a fire policy/plan which we should. That led to a wider discussion about fire safety regarding the building and consideration as to whether we should look into seeking advice in this regard. It was agreed we would put something in the Franciscan to see if we have anyone with such expertise in the parish (DB to do this).

Safeguarding

BL said he felt it would be sensible for him to attend PPC meetings a few times a year, to keep safeguarding at the forefront of our minds and to answer any questions PPC members may have.
He has also spoken with Fr Kevin and MC about the fact we should have done a parish safeguarding audit earlier this year. He intends to pursue this now, along with Fr Kevin and MC. SL offered to help with this, given a former work role in this area.

Mention was made that we don’t have a safeguarding section on the website, which BL will ensure is addressed. There are signs up at church about it, although they maybe need to be more prominent.

Parish Council makeup

SL has offered to be the secretary, which our constitution says we require. No one else sought to act in that role so she was appointed.

MC queried if anyone would volunteer to be deputy for his role. DB said he would act in that role at the moment but would not necessarily want to take over from MC on him standing down.

David Bellamy’s role

MC suggested that DB’s role should be recognised. In practice what he is doing is acting as our (unpaid) parish administrator and it was suggested that name could be given to his role. Deacon Stephen advised that this title has a formal meaning, in the absence of a parish priest, so it was felt that was less appropriate. The title of office manager was suggested but Parish Clerk was ultimately approved.

A parishioner had recently raised some concerns about the informality of DB’s role and also the absence of any deputy for him. DB is conscious of the need for writing up what he is doing in his role and is on to that, also he is looking into data protection issues, how we process and record it in accordance with the legal requirements. We store data in different places with only limited people having access to those.

• The Parish Register (a list of those people in parish who have given this information – name, address, telephone, email) which is held by the Chair of the PPC and it is password protected.
• The Gift Aid data is being put on a spreadsheet accessed the parishioner who has responsibility for Gift Aid, which information goes on to the responsible person in the archdiocese of Leeds.
• Safeguarding information is recorded by the parish safeguarding officer on a national database, although that system is changing.
• Paper records and emails are held in the parish office, though being digitised and are password protected.
• Finally, the phone numbers of those parish WhatsApp groups will be public to others in the group, but those are people who have chosen to join these groups.
• There is a list of those people who choose to have the Franciscan by email, held by the two parishioners who administer this.

Spirituality & Liturgy:

Deacon Stephen reported back that the parish day on spirituality/Lectio was a success with about twenty-five people attending. Other future topics are being considered.

Justice & Peace:

SP said there has been a successful monthly awareness campaign, the toilet twinning being a particular success. We await a date around consideration of our application to CAFOD for Live Simply status. World Gifts are being looked at as an Advent focus.

Youth Ministry:

Final confirmation preparation is underway tonight.

Finance:

SC had given apologies but sent a written update:

• ⁠The boundary wall – the wall between our car park and the Football Club has been repaired: we agreed to split the cost evenly between us.
• ⁠The roof – Three quotations had been received, from MHA Roofing, AT Roofing, and Thornton and Wood to repair the roof. That from MHA, of £2200, had been accepted a month ago but no date had yet been offered and the work needed to be done before the weather deteriorated. DB would send a final reminder, failing which the contract would be offered to AT.
• ⁠Income – The appeal earlier this year for parishioners to increase their gift aided standing orders has had a positive effect on income. Overall, parish finances are helpful despite the large unexpected expenditure noted above.
• ⁠Garden maintenance – It was noted that, whilst the garden is generally well maintained, some of the shrubs and trees have grown and spread significantly. We agreed that it would be provident to commission a full tree survey and that DB would initially look to see when this was last done.

A decision was required regarding the PA System. As noted at the last meeting, a number of enhancements had been made. As a further refinement, it would be possible to acquire – for £700 or so – a new mixer-amplifier. This would have the effect of boosting the quieter readers at the lectern and moderating the louder ones and would also assist with the clip-on mike. A parishioner has given some advice on the question of the sound system in the church and may be willing to assist further if necessary. It was agreed this purchase should proceed.

Maintenance:

No discussion took place on this topic on this occasion.

Visit from Franciscan Friar

This is a Diocesan event rather than a parish one, but there is clearly an expectation that the parish, if it agrees to host this, will be significantly involved in the organising. The email we received from the Diocese was as follows: “We are inviting a team of Franciscan Friars who are visiting the UK from USA, to add Sheffield to their itinerary and they are very happy to do so. The date they are offering is April 17th 2026. St Francis parish seems an appropriate venue, with the support of yourself and your Parish team/PPC? One of the team, Fr Casey Cole, is known for his use of social media platforms to evangelise; (Fr Patrick Harrigan has heard him speak and was very enthusiastic and complimentary about him). If you would be willing to host these visitors, and can identify a team from your parish to steer the enterprise, please let us know. We did mention it to David Bellamy who is part of the Emerging Pastoral Ministries group who have been undertaking Formation in the past few years, and there may be some other of St Francis parishioners who may also be part of that group and would like to be involved?”

Given time pressures on the meeting, it was agreed Deacon Stephen and DB would consider this further outside the meeting.

Parish Survey – preliminary results

BR advised there have so far been 76 responses, giving us a lot of information about what parishioners want and what we may therefore need to deliver.

The question for us now is which of these can be covered by existing parish groups and which need new groups. There will need to be discussion at a future meeting on these topics, to work out how we respond to the parish as to what we are going to be done, then how we take things forward. MC will put something in the Franciscan soon just to confirm to people that we have started discussing the results, that we have a few areas where we can give quick answers but most will need more time.

Matters raised by Fr Kevin

Fr Kevin had not passed on any matters he wished to have addressed.

Closing prayer: led by Deacon Stephen.

Next meeting: 27^th January at 7:30 pm in the parish room.

9 September 2025, 7:30pm

Present: Mike Campbell (chair), Father Kevin, Deacon Stephen Parker, Sam Caldwell, David Bellamy, Jen Benzies, Eva Kaltenthaler, Maria Levesley, Sarah Lynch (minutes), Richard McQuinn, Stephen Spooner, Ben Ryan

Apologies: Richard Bushell, Sian Price.

Opening meditation: led by MC

Minutes of the last meeting: passed without debate

Matters arising:

• Jubilee pilgrimage to Padley Chapel was successful, with twenty-five people being present at the mass said by Fr Kevin.
• Boundary wall: quotes were obtained and a meeting held with Hallam FC. A builder was agreed and work has begun on dealing with the tree/vegetation, ahead of the wall being rebuilt. The parish is to pay for the tree surgeon, as the tree is our responsibility, and then the rebuilding costs will be shared equally with Hallam FC. The parish’s share will be paid from our reserves held by the Dioceses.
• Buzzing speaker: an upgrade of the system has taken place and all agreed it was a significant improvement. There is further upgrading which could be done, by way of a new mixer/amplifier, depending on whether it is felt that more still needs to be done.
• St Wilfred’s Tour de Hallam: MC has asked Alan Wenham if he would write an article for the Chronicle about their visit to our Parish. The event was very successful and raised £10,000 for St Wilfred’s.
• Communications: it was agreed the WhatsApp groups set up by BR have been a great addition to our parish communications.

Spirituality & Liturgy:

Deacon Stephen, EK and SS have had their first meeting. A retreat is planned on 1 November on the topic of Lectio Divina. A further possible retreat is being considered for January on the topic of Healing and SS is going to talk to Sr Helen. Likewise, a CAFE course regarding the Eucharist is a possibility.

Returning to having Stations of the Cross in Lent is being considered (we were reminded that the Stations in the church are the spiritual stations rather than the conventional ones, so different prayers would be needed). SC would be happy to be involved with planning for the Stations if that is pursued.

There is a desire to assist those organising Taizé events, particularly in Advent and Lent, in any way needed.

The group emphasised that we should consult with members of the parish as to the type of things they would like to enrich their spirituality.

Deacon Stephen advised that he conducted a baptism recently and are four or five booked in.

Justice & Peace:

ML updated us regarding Live Simply. The toilet twinning fundraising was very successful and all six of the toilets in the church have been twinned, and additionally some parishioners have twinned theirs. The J&P group are waiting to hear about how we can evidence what we have done as part of the Live Simply campaign, to move towards accreditation with CAFOD. They hope more will be heard in the autumn.

The information that was prepared for the monthly activities is available on the parish website, but it was acknowledged that work would need to be done to make it more accessible to those wishing to search through it.

The garden has been a great success and the rescheduled treasure hunt is this coming Sunday.

A brief article about the campaign could go into The Chronicle at some point.

The Covenant with the Poor : monies have gone out and many thank yous have been received. DB will do an update on this to go in The Chronicle.

Youth Ministry:

RB had been unable to attend the meeting but had let us know ahead of time that the youth group has been suspended as all but two members have left for university. He had also confirmed that we have eleven candidates for confirmation, which will take place on 16 November, and members of the PPC expressed that hope that this cohort might provide more members for the youth group in time. It was noted that RB hadn’t asked for any assistance with the confirmation preparation.

Finance:

DB advised the meeting that overall finances healthy and a draft forward budget has been done by DB and SC. Some standing orders have been increased as a consequence of the recent plea in The Franciscan.

Anticipated major expenditures are the repair of the boundary wall (see above) and the required roof repairs. The roof is on the verge of being repaired, quotes having been obtained from new builders as the previous one is no longer available. Views have differed as to the best way to fix the problems. A choice as to the preferred roofer will be made shortly. There is a separate but related question as to whether the issue with one of the Velux windows in the Upper Room not opening should be fixed. SC advised his view was it would depend on the complexity and cost when the roof work is being done.

The sound system in church has been upgraded by a firm who have not yet invoiced us and possibly do not intend to do so. Consideration will need to be given as to whether further improvements can be made, and any cost justified, by way of a new mixer/amplifier.

Maintenance:

See above (Finance).

Reforming the PPC and Re-energising the Parish:

There was a wide-ranging discussion about the role of the PPC, its structure, and how it relates to the Parish. There was also discussion about how the Parish can be re-energised, to the extent that individuals want to be. Retirements of priests within the Deanery/Diocese bring this sharply into focus.

BR had presented his thoughts ahead of the meeting in an email and reiterated that regarding the PPC we need to be clear as to its remit, who is on it and what skills members need. There is also a need to be clear about what we want to achieve as a parish. There needs to be a focus on a long-term vision for the parish, and that requires parishioners to be involved, either through a Parish Day or ‘synodal conversations’ over a longer period of time.

It was agreed that, in principle, there is no need for every decision to be made by the PPC, that decisions could be devolved to sub-groups. SS drew the group’s attention to the constitution for the PPC which can be found on the website, which does not really now reflect how the PPC operates.

There was much discussion about how we start this process, whether the PPC should have a retreat, whether there should be a wider parish retreat. MC suggested we as a PPC needed to gather first to inform an approach to the Parish.

From looking around church, it was felt current numbers were healthy, although have dropped inevitably from the time when we had three Sunday masses and again since Covid. MC stated there were maybe 230 people on the Parish Register.

It was recognised that not everyone in the Parish would want it to change or to be challenged themselves to change. SS pointed out in some ways the Parish is thriving, it is not immediately clear to us what is needed, and a lot of work could be put in to impact only on a small sector of the Parish. Some people are satisfied simply with attending mass on a Sunday, others seek more. The question to be asked was why people come to mass, how we can enthuse them to embrace Christian discipleship in a meaningful way.

Discussion became focused on how we move forward, what the next stage should be. DB offered a template for a parish audit, which could be introduced on 4 October (see below), then draw together a representative group to meet and discuss what might be needed. Queries were raised about whether people would want to get involved, whether it would result in the same core parishioners giving views rather than a wider approach. EK observed it was important people felt “seen”, that they were enabled to be part of the community. MC suggested he pull together a questionnaire/survey, to be given out at the Parish Day on 4 October but also sent out by email, maybe a Google document, which could lead to discussions on the Parish Day. That approach was agreed by all. He will draft a questionnaire/survey and share it with the PPC for input.

It was agreed that the next PPC meeting could be focused on this subject, with members with matters to report on the usual topics providing an update by way of email ahead of the meeting. Between the Parish Day and the next PPC meeting, a small group would be needed to pull together thoughts from the responses we have had. Those who can are asked to volunteer (some PPC members are away on holiday).

Matters raised by Father Kevin:

Nothing was raised, although he rightly pointed out that, given the discussion about moving the Parish/PPC forwards, many people do not like meetings!

Any other business:

• 5 October is the nearest Sunday to the feast of St Francis, and it was agreed we should again have a bring and share lunch after mass. Parishioners should also be asked to bring something for the food bank. MC will put a note in The Franciscan about this.
• There is a Zoom gathering held by The School for Synodality on Saturday 18 October from 11am to 1.30pm, to explore moving on from the final document of the Synod Assembly. The link to register can be found at www.schoolforsynodality.org.uk/news/18th-october-event-exploring-pathways-of-the-synod-journey.

Closing prayer: led by Father Kevin

Next meeting: 11^th November at 7:30 pm in the parish room.

8 July 2025, 7:30pm

Present: Mike Campbell (chair), Father Kevin, Deacon Stephen Parker, David Bellamy (minutes), Jen Benzies, Maria Levesley, Stephen Spooner, Sian Price, Ben Ryan, Sue MacDonald (Youth leader for the diocese) and her guest Ben.

Apologies: Sarah Lynch, Eva Kaltenthaler, Richard McQuinn, Sam Caldwell, Richard Bushell.

Opening prayer: led by MC

Minutes of the last meeting: passed without debate

Matters arising:

• Jubilee pilgrimage to Padley Chapel: Choices: 1. 30^th August, 2. 6^th September. Hopefully Fr Kevin will say Mass. Fallback is Fr Patrick Harrigan
• Confirmation Programme in September: no returns yet
• Draft Budget: see below
• Boundary wall: the diocese has a quote, Hallam FC’s quote is pending. Once in, there will be a meeting of all interested parties.
• Buzzing speaker: DB invited a technician from a local AV company to inspect the current system. All components are 30+ years old. The radio mic was bought before changes in radio frequency regulations and is now operating on illegal frequencies including wifi and emergency services. A replacement will be trialled in the forthcoming weeks. The mixer is a potential fire hazard. The speakers have no complaints, but could be improved with new directional ones. The elements to be replaced has not been decided yet.
• Tour de Hallam: Ruth Sheldon, dressed as a bee arrived and was greeted by around ten parishioners.

Action: would Alan Wenham write an article for the Chronicle?

• Welcome sheet/committee: BR has submitted suggestions to renew our mission statement, our synodal processes, communication around the parish and parish council structure.
• There will be a new group formed of SP, SS, BR, JB, DB and Father Kevin to consider welcome group training and future planning of parish activities.
• There was much discussion about Synodality. There was dismay at the lack of diocesan response to our (all) parish submissions. We need more training in the process as we have only seen a small part of its implications. We favour a parish retreat day with training. Possible resources from the diocese and above could include School for Synodality. www.schoolforsynodality.org.uk/
• Communications will be experimented with by BR with WhatsApp groups initially.
• The new group will discuss reorganisation of subgroups of the council and BR wishes to make meetings more fluid with online discussions and less formal timings.

Spirituality & Liturgy:

No report

Justice & Peace:

There is an upcoming treasure hunt in the garden. It is hoped that this with create more friendships particularly in the younger youth.

SP updated us on Live Simply including details on the Toilet Twinning initiative.

The Covenant with the Poor was noted. DB will compute the parish offertory income and start distributing to the nominated charities.

Youth Ministry: as RB was not present a report could not be presented.

There was a discussion about making the parish more welcoming for youth and children, particularly spaces mixing inclusion in Mass and age appropriate play. A creche was discussed. Some wanted more children involved in the music group. We can open the Assisi Hall for youth activities around Mass.

Finance Committee:

DB updated the meeting on the debate at PFC where it had been decided NOT to make a detailed budget. We are in a relatively sound financial footing and drafting a budget would be more work than necessary. Upcoming expenditures outside normal are for the rebuilding of the wall, repairs to the roof and replacing parts of the PA system.

Maintenance:

Wall: see above

Roof leaks: we are no further on, but DB has written to John Clarke (diocesan property manager) for an update.

Father Kevin’s concerns:

Fr Kevin suggested a group to assist with the weekly Bidding Prayers/ Prayers of the faithful.

Any other business:

Sue MacDonald thought we had a well organised meeting.

Closing prayer: led by Father Kevin

Next meeting: 9^th September 7:30 pm in the parish room

13 May 2025, 7:30pm

Present: Mike Campbell (Chair), Father Kevin, Richard Bushell, Sam Caldwell, Maria Levesley, Sian Price, Ben Ryan, Jen Benzies, Richard McQuinn (minutes).

Apologies: Deacon Stephen Parker, Sarah Lynch, David Bellamy, Stephen Spooner, Eva Kaltenthaler.

Before the meeting the new visitors, Ben and Jen were welcomed. The Council members introduced themselves to the two. They in turn introduced themselves. They both have young children in the Parish. Mike expressed a hope that they would feel that they would be able to serve of Council in a capacity that matched their talents.

Opening Meditation

Mike led the group in a 2-minute silent meditation.

Matters Arising

Wendy Allbutt: Wendy had now been presented with a thank you card and chocolates from the Parish for her service as organist over many years, with the music group making their own gift.

Parish Ceilidh: Richard Bushell had identified 2 potential bands. It was agreed a ticket price could be set to cover their fee. A date for the event was to be set, possibly before the school summer holidays but more likely during September/October. Attendees could be asked to provide appropriate refreshment.

Liturgy and Spirituality

Lourdes Diocesan Pilgrimage: Two candidates had been identified to receive the financial support that was to be offered by the Parish.

Jubilee Pilgrimages: 13 members of the Parish had already undertaken a walking pilgrimage to St Marie’s Cathedral to attend Mass stopping on route at the Royal Hallamshire and War Memorial for short prayers. We were welcomed before Mass and after Mass gathered at the front of the church and Father Kevin was presented with a candle. Some of the attendees went for a meal afterwards. It was agreed a future walking pilgrimage to Padley would be organised from St Francis with an option for people to join at Grindleford railway station. Access to Padley chapel for a short service may be possible.

Action: Mike Campbell/ Stephen Parker/Sian Price to propose date

Justice & Peace

Live Simply Campaign: Progress on the ongoing campaign was discussed. This included:

• Recycling Sundays, Support for the F2 Foodbank and the 10 nominated charities was to continue.
• Borrow Not Buy – this project was moving more slowly and may pivot towards a matching of direct owners and potential borrowers to eliminate the parish being seen as a direct agent in the matching of ability to support/needs requirements, that could incur a liability.
• Future projects – parishioners would be offered suggestions on how carbon offsets could be achieved for travel.

Other Areas:

• The film, “The Letter” was shown on 8 May with 23 attendees, followed by refreshments and discussion groups. The evening was considered a success.
• Toilet twinning will be the focus in June/July.
• Wildflower Seeds – a number of young children from the parish had enjoyed planting seeds and receiving extra seeds for planting at home.

Youth Ministry

Parish Group: Richard Bushell reported that 2 meetings were to be held before the end of the school year, the second probably being a BBQ. He was unsure about the numbers of members the group would have for the upcoming year, and the size of the group may fall.

Diocesan’s Youth Group: The group had visited St Francis the previous Sunday for Adoration of the Eucharist with a couple of other youngsters from the parish joining them.

First Communion: Preparation classes were coming to an end ahead of the chosen date of Corpus Christi 22 June 2025. The parish had 4 candidates. It was recognised that this number was low compared to previous years (see minute below on welcoming new parishioners also).

Confirmation: A preparation group would be advertised shortly in the Franciscan to start in September.

Action: Richard Bushell and Father Kevin to liaise to secure Bishop’s attendance.

Finance Committee

Parish Annual Accounts: These had been prepared albeit slightly late. Sam would check with David Bellamy if they had now been successfully submitted to the Diocese. Parishioners had received notice via the Franciscan that the parish’s finances were healthy, but they should also consider increasing individual donations, especially via gift aid, to ensure that remained the case in the face of rising costs.

Budget: Efforts were underway to draft a budget for the upcoming year. The Parish Council was asked to notify the Committee of any significant expenditure they thought likely in the coming year.

Action: Sam Caldwell/David Bellamy

Maintenance

Boundary Wall: A relatively large section of the boundary wall between the car park and Sandygate Football Club had collapsed. The responsibility to repair the same had not been identified with absolute certainty. The diocese was saying this looked like it may fall to the parish given tree roots on the parish grounds may have adversely affected the walls foundations. The repair cost was not yet known, but it was looking likely this would be substantial, and, that, the parish may have to contribute , possibly on a 50/50 basis.

Action: Sam Caldwell/David Bellamy to liaise further with PPC as details emerge.

Upper Room Windows: An additional part was now awaiting delivery in June to complete full installation of the second of the 2 Velux windows delivered a year ago.

Redecoration: A schedule of potential redecoration requirements would be drawn up covering the presbytery, church and other areas.

Action: Sam Coldwell to prepare a schedule.

Roof: It was noted that another area of the roof was perhaps leaking and would be investigated. It was also noted that the area of the roof that had already been repaired not yet been fully tested given the dry weather since the work was undertaken.

Action: Await Rain or do Rain Dance!

Buzzing Speaker:A speaker close to the music group had started buzzing. It was agreed this would be monitored and investigated if appropriate.

Action: Everyone to keep their ears peeled!

Parish Sign Near Lychgate: It was recognised the original stone parish sign required some minor “TLC” but no expenditure was felt appropriate.

Other Matters

Tour de Hallam: 2^nd June 2025, Ruth Sheldon, Director of the St Wilfred’s Centre would be calling at the parish to coincide with the end of daily Mass at 10.30. This was part of her sponsored cycle undertaken over a week to 50 churches across the whole Diocese of Hallam. The cycle was aimed at further increasing the profile of the St Wilfrid’s Centre and raising much needed funds. It was hoped the regular attendees at Mass and perhaps some other parishioners could be a small welcoming party for her. Alan Wenham would be there. A sponsorship form had been received, and an appropriate notice would be placed in the Franciscan drawing parishioners’ attention to the form on the Narthex noticeboard.

Welcoming New Parishioners: This was requested by David Bellamy. A general discussion of potential initiatives to better welcome new parishioners ensued in particular how this could relate to families with children, especially young children, and how the parish might reach out to any potential parishioners who would like or prefer to attend St Francis. One idea, amongst many, was to develop a reasonably detailed Welcome Sheet to be given to any potential new parishioners. It was recognised that time did not permit full discussion of this topic at the evening’s meeting as this was an area that merited more serious and detailed consideration by a subcommittee and wider group of parishioners who may have skills and expertise in this area.

Action: PC to Constitute Sub Committee

Father Kevin recited the Closing prayer.

Date of next meeting at 7.30 pm on Tuesday 8^th July 2025.

22 April 2025, 7:30pm

Present: Mike Campbell (chair), Stephen Spooner, Deacon Stephen Parker, David Bellamy, Sam Caldwell, Edmund King, Jenny King, Alex Krzyz, Sian Price, Richard Mcquinn, Sarah Lynch, Richard Bushell, Clare Byrne, Ben Ryan, Father Kevin, Eva Kaltenthaler (minutes).

Apologies: Jacinta Campbell

Father Kevin led the opening prayer

Minutes of the last AGM

The minutes of the last AGM were approved and there were no matters arising.

Chair’s report

Mike went through some of the activities of the past year and thanked all those who have helped in the parish over the past year. A new lectionary has been purchased and there is now a card reader in the narthex. Two parishioners are being funded by the parish to go to Lourdes. The parking lines in the car park will be repainted. The parish library has been updated. More details of the past year can be found in the annual report.

Finance

The parish income remains basically unchanged this year. However, there has been more expenditure over the past year. We have reserves that can be drawn on when needed. Parishioners are encouraged to use the card reader, offertory envelopes or standing orders to make donations so that we can claim gift aid. The parish will be encouraged to increase their standing orders as income has remained unchanged for years but costs are increasing.

Mike thanked all those who have helped with the finances. Sian proposed the financial report and Mike seconded it. The Parish council thanked David Kay and Paul Doherty who have counted money for the parish for a number of years.

Justice and Peace

Sian said that the group had mainly focussed on the CAFOD LiveSimply campaign over the past year. There has been a monthly topic with requests for pledges. The group has been involved with many activities as described in their annual report.

Eva presented the Covenant with the Poor. It was agreed that Foodworks would be added to the list of organisations to receive a donation. Sam will provide the bank details for Foodworks. The Covenant with the Poor will be rededicated at a Mass, the timings will be determined after discussions with the Finance Committee and Father Kevin.

Youth Ministry

Richard Bushell said that the youth are very active in our parish, in performing music, serving on the altar, participating in the dance show and the panto. There is an active children’s liturgy. Fewer younger children are coming to Mass and there are only four this year for holy Communion instruction. Richard is trying to encourage young people to read at Mass more regularly. Richard was thanked for working with the youth of the parish.

Other matters

Deacon Stephen said that there are a number of people who can not come to Mass any more and would appreciate a visit from someone in the parish. He will collect the names of those who would like a visit and co-ordinate a few volunteers to visit them. He will put a note about this into the Franciscan.

The closing prayer was led by Stephen Parker

11 March 2025, 7:30pm

Present: Mike Campbell (chair), Eva Kaltenthaler (minutes), Father Kevin, David Bellamy, Stephen Spooner, Richard Bushell, Kevan Grady, Sam Caldwell, Richard McQuinn.

Apologies: Maria Levesley, Deacon Stephen Parker, Sian Price

Opening meditation

Mike led the group in a 2 minute silent meditation.

Matters Arising

• The upper room window has still not been repaired. Sam has rung the Diocese and is still chasing the part needed.

Action: Sam to continue to chase the relevant people in the Diocese to get the window fixed.

• Father Kevin’s new washing machine has been installed in is working well. Many thanks to David Bellamy for facilitating this.
• Car parking lines need renewing- the football club will pay for this and organise the work. Lines will be adjusted to fit today’s larger cars David and Mike will liaise with the football club to ensure that this is completed to the correct specifications sometime over the summer.

Action: David and Mike to liaise with football club to ensure car park lines are repainted.

• A card of thanks for Wendy.

Action: Mike to ensure card of thanks is given to Wendy.

• Ceilidh – Mike is still trying to find a band to do this for us. Richard has some ideas.

Action: Mike and Richard B to explore options for Ceilidh band.

Diocesan visit

Kevan Grady from the Diocese of Hallam came to meet the Parish Council as part of the School of Synodality work. He wanted to see how we work and feed back to the Bishop. This work may link into the newly formed Diocesan Committee. Mike gave a brief description of how the Parish Council works and the different groups within it. Stephen S acknowledged Fr Kevin, in that he gives full support to the PPC.

Lourdes Trip

We now have two people within the parish who are interested in receiving funds to go to Lourdes and one person from outside the parish through Angela Powell. One person required a supplement of £250 for a single room. It was agreed that we can fund both people from within our parish but not the supplement or the person from another parish.

Action: Mike to tell Angela and speak to the other person at Mass.

A contribution has also been requested to fund someone from St Oswald’s parish to go to the World Youth Day. It was agreed that we will donate the £250 which would have been the supplement..

Liturgy and Spirituality

Pilgrimages are being planned to the Cathedral and to Padley Gorge as part of the Jubilee year.

Action: Sian and Mike to plan the pilgrimages.

LiveSimply Campaign

Progress on the campaign was discussed. This included:

• Someone from S2 Foodbank came to speak after Mass in February. The talk was well received although it was difficult to hear at times due to people chatting over tea and coffee.
• Monthly topics continue and will last at least until August and possible beyond. This month’s topic is “Eating less meat”
• Recycling Sundays will continue.
• The film, “The Letter” will be shown on 8 May.
• Toilet twinning will be the focus in July.

Youth Ministry

The Youth Group continues on as usual. Confirmation preparation will be explored soon. The First Communion classes will start soon. There are four children interested. There was some discussion as to whether we should have First Communion classes every other year due to the low numbers but the decision was left to Deborah who is running the class.

As part of Lent, St Marie’s students walked from St Francis to St John’s, Ranmoor. This worked well.

Action: Mike to thank Jonathan for his help with the event.

There may soon be a reader’s workshop for young people.

Finance Committee

David is preparing the annual accounts for the AGM. The finance committee (David and Sam) will draw up an inventory of all that is in the church for insurance purposes.

Social events

Dance club show is this weekend. As stated, other events include the proposed Ceilidh and the screening of The Letter.

AGM

The AGM will be held on 22 April 2025. Reports will be needed from the groups and cheese and wine will be served. The finance report is being prepared. A note will be put in the Franciscan about this. There needs to be recruitment of new members. It was noted that the Parish Council has few women members.

Action: Mike to put notes about the AGM and recruitment of new members in the Franciscan.

Other matters

Father Kevin mentioned that we have had a letter of thanks from IFM to us for using them for our gas and electricity.

The annual appeal for the Spiritans (Holy Spirit Fathers) will be on 25 May 2025.

Father Kevin recited the Closing prayer.

Date of next meeting at 13 May 2025, 7:30pm.

15 January 2025, 7:30pm

Present: Mike Campbell (chair), Eva Kaltenthaler (minutes), Father Kevin, Sian Price, David Bellamy, Richard McQuinn, Stephen Spooner, Sam Caldwell.

Apologies: Richard Bushell, Maria Levesley, Deacon Stephen Parker.

Mike led the opening prayer.

Matters Arising

Mike has not had a response from the Bishop about the process for choosing who will be on the Diocesan Pastoral Council. He may write again.

All payments have been made to the chosen charities as part of the Parish commitment to their Covenant with the Poor.

Mike has sent webpage updates to Paul Middlemas.

Liturgy and Spirituality

No report was received. Mike will contact Stephen Parker about recruiting new members for this group as well as plans for the Jubilee and any events for Lent or Easter.

Action: Mike to contact Stephen Parker.

LiveSimply Campaign

The monthly topics continue and seem to be going well. Another recycling Sunday will be held on 26 January. There will be a talk from someone from S2 Foodbank after Mass on 16 Feb so we can look at ways we might work together and find out more about their work.

Action: Stephen Spooner to put note in the Franciscan about the S2 Foodbank visit.

Youth Ministry

No report received.

Other Matters

The Bishop has requested that each parish funds a pilgrim to go to Lourdes. The focus should be on someone who would not be able to go otherwise. Mike will put a note in the Franciscan and discuss with Kevin Exell, who has a list of those who receive communion at home.

Action: Mike to put note in Franciscan and contact Kevin E.

Maintenance

The roof tiles have been repaired as well as the chapel skyline. The upper room windows still need finishing. Sam will contact Johnny at the Diocese to get this moving.

Action: Sam to contact Johnny.

Father Kevin needs a new washing machine.

Action: David will sort out getting a new washing machine.

The lines in the car park need to be repainted.

Action: Mike to find out how to go about the repainting.

Action: David to contact the secretary of the football club about financial assistance with this.

Wendy, the organist will be stepping down soon. It was agreed that she should receive a token of appreciation and card of thanks for her support to the parish over many years.

Action: Mike to discuss gift and card with Maria.

Social events were discussed and there was a suggestion of a Ceiledh.

Action: Mike to contact Petra and Mel about holding this on the Saturday after Easter.

Finance Committee

All financial commitments to the Diocese have been paid. As agreed, the Diocese have moved some of our money into investment accounts. The card reader is working well and about £25-30 is added to the offertory each week through the card reader, so costs are being covered.

Father Kevin read the closing prayer.

Date of next meeting 11 March 2025 at 7:30pm.

AGM will be held on 22 April 2025.

12 November 2024, 7:30pm

Present: Mike Campbell (chair), Eva Kaltenthaler (minutes) Stephen Spooner, Father Kevin, Sian Price, Richard Bushell, Deacon Stephen Parker, Richard McQuinn, David Bellamy.

Apologies: Maria Levesley

The opening prayer was led by Mike.

Matters Arising

The bell ringing five minutes before Mass begins to signal silence seems to be working well. Mike will discuss with the readers whether or not they are happy to announce what Sunday it is before the first reading at the meeting on the 24th.

The person who originally installed the Velux windows will come to sort out them out in December. An appointment has been booked for this.

Liturgy and Spirituality

Geraldine Houlton and Margaret Neal may be interested in helping with this and planning a course for the Parish.

For the Jubilee it was suggested that our main action should be a couple of pilgrimages, probably to be held next summer. One could be to Padley. Sian and Mike will plan this one. The other to the Cathedral. Stephen P will plan this one.

Action: Sian and Mike to plan pilgrimage to Padley for next summer.

Action: Stephen P to plan pilgrimage to the Cathedral for next summer.

Justice and Peace

Sian presented a brief summary of the work being done on LiveSimply. A full report was presented at the AGM. We discussed the charities being supported this year as part of our commitment to living in solidarity with the poor. It was agreed at the AGM that Care in Crosspool would be included as one of the charities for this year. However, going forward, any support for this charity should come directly from parish funds. There also does not appear to have been a collection for Palestinian Christians this year.

Action: David to pay agreed amount to the nine charities for 2024.

Youth Ministry

The youth group continues to meet every month. A first holy communion course will start after Christmas. A call for confirmands will go out around Pentecost and start next September.

Finance

The card reader machine is working and we expect to break even with this by Christmas. The stand is broken but David hopes he will be able to fix this. There have been a couple of meetings of the Finance Committee and all accounting systems seem to be in order thanks to help from Liz.

There was some discussion that Leo should be paid for all the painting he has done. Richard M will contact him to ensure he submits an invoice.

Social Events

The panto will be taking place again this year. It is hoped that Maria, Mel and Petra will organise a Celidh for next year.

We still need someone to help organise the children’s nativity service.

Safeguarding

Stephen P said that this should be a topic for discussion at parish council meetings from now on. There is guidance for going into people’s houses and this will be shared with Eucharistic ministers.

New Lectionary

All the new Mass books have arrived. David will arrange a meeting of readers to discuss the changes on 24 November at 10am. Mike to put a note in the Franciscan about this and send an e-mail to the readers.

Action: Mike to put a note in Franciscan and David to arrange meeting for readers.

Other Matters

Father Kevin said that we have not had a volunteer to put forward for the Diocesan Pastoral Council. David said he would be happy to put his name forward. Mike to write to the Bishop to ask how the person will be chosen to represent Sheffield

Action: Mike to write to the Bishop.

Some parts of the webpage are out of date. Mike will contact Paul M with some suggested updates.

Action: Mike to send webpage updates to Paul M.

David said the wifi is now working reasonably well throughout the church building.

Father Kevin said the closing prayer.

Date of next meeting 14 January 2025 at 7:30pm.