Category: Parish council minutes

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.

10 September 2024, 7:30pm

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

Apologies: Lindsay Reynolds, Maria Levesley, Deacon Stephen Parker, Richard McQuinn, Sam Caldwell.

Mike led the group in a 2 minute silent meditation.

Matters Arising

Lindsay would like to resign from the Parish Council due to her other commitments. The Parish Council thanked Lindsay for all her hard work and support over the past years. Mike will put a note in the Franciscan for new Parish Council members

Action: Mike to put a note in the Franciscan about new members.

St John’s Ambulance. Mike has found someone who will do a 1½ hour session for us on resuscitation. Mike will ask this person for a few options for dates and then do a doodle poll with Parish Council to find the best date. The session will be offered to the whole Parish.

Silence before Mass. It was suggested that a bell could be rung 5 minutes before Mass starts so that the congregation knows it is time for silence.

Action: Mike to discuss bell ringing with Jonathan.

It was determined that about 150 Mass books will be ordered.

Card Reader

David went through information on card readers (4 firms) and suggested that DONA would be a good option for us. Costs are expected to be £495 for hardware, £80 for the stand, £480 for a digital collection plate, £15/monthly fee and 1.69% interest per transaction. The card reader is able to do gift aid. It was decided that we will start with one card reader and reassess after 3 months.

Liturgy and Spirituality

The year of the Jubilee is next year (2025). Father Kevin said that everyone in the diocese will receive a Pilgrim Passport at the end of September. Stephen Parker is making plans for preparation for the Jubilee and will discuss these at the next meeting. Fr Kevin also suggested we revert to the pre COVID practice of the altar servers receiving Communion at the step of the sanctuary with everyone else.

LiveSimply Campaign

Progress on the campaign was discussed. This included:

Monthly topics to provide information and ask people to make pledges. August’s topic was Nature and September’s is recycling.

The wildlife garden is doing well.

The purchasing policy is operational. Fairtrade tea and coffee is being purchased from the Good Taste Fairtrade Shop. David asked who is responsible for purchasing cleaning products and toilet rolls and asked how they would like to be reimbursed.

Action: Eva to discuss with Susanne the purchasing of cleaning products and toilet roll and ask her to liaise directly with David for reimbursement.

The Covenant with the Poor will be discussed at the AGM.

Our first Recycling Sunday will be held on 22 September.

Plans for twinning with another Parish are underway but there hasn’t been too much progress over the summer on this. It is ongoing.

The Toilet Twinning project will probably start during Lent.

Youth Ministry

The Youth Group will start up again soon. Some youths from our Parish are engaged with Diocesan youth events. Richard is discussing with the Diocesan Youth Lead, Sue MacDonald as to how they can best work together.

Finance Committee

Sam, David and Father Kevin are due to meet to discuss finances. They will set out a budget as requested by the Diocese. Edmund will join them due to his involvement with Gift Aid.

Other Matters

All downstairs windows have been painted and the Lychgate Velux windows are working. The two windows in the upper room are not yet connected. It was not clear what is happening with this.

Action: Mike to contact Ed to chase this with the Diocese.

The Parish Day will be held on 6 October 2024 with a shared lunch and CAFOD talk by Thom Flynn.

The AGM will be held on 22 October 2024. Reports will be needed from the groups and cheese and wine will be served. The finance report has already been prepared.

Action: Mike to put a note in the Franciscan about the Parish Day and the AGM.

Social Events

A Ceilidh was proposed and it was thought that this could be held in November.

Action: Mike to contact Mel about the Ceilidh.

Mike and Sian are organising a Parish Walk. They will advertise this in the Franciscan.

Mike will ask Mel about preparations for the creche area.

Father Kevin read the closing prayer.

Date of next meeting 12 November 2024 at 7:30pm.

22 October 2024, 7:30pm

Attendees

Mike Campbell (chair)	Stephen Spooner
Llindsay Reynolds	Anne Shepherd
Jacinta Campbell	Bernie Shepherd
Father Kevin	Ben Ryan
Sam Caldwell	Maria Levesley
Jenny King	Richard McQuinn
Edmund King	Liz Dingle
Alex Krzyz	Richard Bushell
Sian Price	David Bellamy
Clare Byrne	Eva Kaltenthaler (minutes)

Apologies: Michelle Nuttall, Deacon Stephen Parker

Father Kevin led the Opening Prayer.

Reports

1. Chair’s Report

The chair’s report is presented in full in the Annual Report. A brief summary is presented here:

• The church has a new notice board outside
• Work has been done outside the church, including removal of tree branches and installation of a bike rack.
• Work has been done on the velux windows and the roof. The velux windows are still not functioning and Sam Caldwell will chase this. Chairs in the Hall have been cleaned. A new defibrillator has been installed.
• Six editions of the Chronicle have been produced so far.
• David Bellamy is now helping with the Parish IT tasks.
• Richard McQuinn has sorted out the new gas contract for the Parish.
• Lots of money has been raised by the Dance Club and Panto, including for CAFOD.
• Synod responses were coordinated by Stephen Parker.
• Social events and events for the Jubilee are being planned for next year.
• A debit card reader has been installed.

The chair thanked everyone who has contributed to the parish work in so many ways over the past year.

• Finance Committee

The chair thanked Derick Hemmingfield who has done the finances for many years. Sam Caldwell presented this year’s financial report. He said that the finances for the parish were healthy. Two new computers have been purchased and the new Mass books with more to be purchased over the next year. There have been a number of repairs to the building over the past year.

Parishioners were encouraged to use standing orders for financial contributions. Those who have had a standing order for a number of years might consider increasing the amount. Gift aid contributions are a very useful source of income so anyone who hasn’t already completed the gift aid declaration form was encouraged to do so.

The financial record was approved by the Parish.

• Liturgy and Spirituality Group

Deacon Stephen was unable to attend and present the report. This group still needs someone to help with planning Liturgy and Spirituality events. The possibility of a pilgrimage next year for the Jubilee was discussed.

• Youth Ministry

Richard Bushell presented the Youth Ministry report. He mentioned that the youth in the parish are very active as altar servers and as part of the music group. They also contribute to the Youth Mass. Younger members of our Parish contribute to the annual panto and dance shows and pursue individual initiatives such as attending World Youth Day and Pilgrim Cross.

Children’s liturgy is thriving and thanks were made to Clare Byrne for running this. The Youth Group has about six members and new members (years 10-13) are always welcome.  

We have an annual First Communion programme and thanks were made to Debora Ruvinski for running this. The Confirmation programme runs every two years. Two older youth who are not members of the Parish have come forward to be received in the Catholic faith and they are receiving instruction. A relationship is being developed with the Diocesan Youth Team.

A query was raised as to whether or not members of our youth community could read at Mass. It was acknowledged that some training in reading in Public would be helpful.

• Justice and Peace Group

Sian has submitted the group’s report highlighting activities that have taken place throughout the year.  At the Parish Day Thom Flint from CAFOD gave a presentation on the work they do in the Democratic Republic of Conga (DRC).

Maria described the LiveSimply Campaign which the group is involved in and said the launch event in April was well attended. The LiveSimply Campaign has three themes.

To live simply

Parishioners have been invited to make pledges for things they can do to help the environment. Each month a new theme is presented with the opportunity to present pledges.

To live sustainably

A parish purchasing policy has been developed. We now use eco friendly cleaning products and faire trade tea and coffee. We now have a wildlife garden and a had a recent recycling Sunday.

To live in solidarity with the poor

Eva presented some of the work for this theme including the continued support of the parish for CAFOD and S2 Foodbank. She discussed plans for next year including a showing of the film “The Letter” about climate change and plans to raise funds for toilet twinning in Lent next year.

The new parish Covenant with the Poor was presented. The Parish Council had previously agreed to 5% of the annual offertory contributions to be distributed among a number of chosen charities working to alleviate poverty. It was agreed that at least in the first year the emphasis will be on local charities. The chosen charities are:

• ASSIST
• S2 Foodbank
• Sheffield SVP
• Sheffield City of Sanctuary
• St Wilfrid’s Centre
• Buzz contact centre
• Baby Basics
• Roundabout
• Care in Crosspool

Father Kevin led the closing prayer.

9 July 2024, 7:30pm

Present: Mike Campbell (chair), Eva Kaltenthaler (minutes), Father Kevin, Maria Levesley, Sian Price, David Bellamy, Deacon Stephen Parker, Richard McQuinn, Stephen Spooner, Sam Caldwell, Mel de Maio (for part of the meeting).

Apologies: Richard Bushell, Lindsay Reynolds

Matters Arising

• Thom Flynn, who is the CAFOD photographer will be speaking at our Parish Day about CAFOD.
• It was suggested that the LiveSimply Campaign should be a standing agenda item going forward and all matters pertaining to the campaign could be discussed together.
• David B will report back on progress with training from St John’s Ambulance at the next meeting.
• Work is beginning soon on the repainting of ground floor window frames and the Lychgate. Mike will check on progress. Richard McQuinn said he had some equipment that Leo (the painter) could use and would contact Leo about this. If equipment needs to be purchased, the parish would reimburse.

Parish Mass Books

New books are needed for this Advent. The new Lexionary and Gospels have been paid for already from Parish funds (£825). There was some discussion of the purchase of new Mass books. There are a total of six books needed (two per year cycle). We currently have 200 books for each but this was felt to be too many as numbers of Mass attendees have decreased and many people don’t use them. It was decided that we should determine how many are needed before these are purchased.

Action: Mike to put a note in the Franciscan to about this. The reader after Mass could ask for a show of hands to see how many people used the books during the readings.

Parish Social Events

Mel discussed some options for social events to consider.

• Film night (Mike is interested in helping with this). Ideas for films include Into the Great Silence, Of Gods and Men and The :Letter.
• Nature walk in August (Sian is interested in helping with this).
• Shared vegetarian meal in January (Stephen Spooner is interested in helping with this).
• Summer BBQ
• Fish and Chips or Pizza night
• Harvest Supper
• Ceilidh or barn dance
• Burns night

Other ideas included

• Revamping the notice boards in the Narthex to make them more welcoming and inclusive.
• Creche area for small children. The screen at the back of the Church would be partially opened up and a small area set aside for children. This would be trialled in the autumn.

LiveSimply Campaign

The Covenant with the Poor was presented and approved by the Parish Council with the annual financial commitment to be 5% of the offertory collection. It was agreed that this would be presented at the AGM in October and charities chosen by the Parish at the meeting.

Action: Eva to update the Covenant with the Poor and share final version with the Parish.

There will be a Recycling Sunday every three months to recycle named items, such as old pens or ink cartridges. These will be advertised well in advance. These will be taken to the appropriate recycling point by a member of the Parish.

The Wildlife Garden has been planted and seeds are now sprouting.

Liturgy and Spirituality

2025 is the Year of the Jubilee. Stephen Parker said we need to start considering how we will approach this and what events should be planned. He will work with Lyndsay and the musicians on this and present some suggestions at the next meeting.

Youth Ministry

There was nothing to report currently.

Other matters

There have been some concerns about the noise level in church before Mass. It was suggested that after the musicians finish practice, one of the readers will make an announcement welcoming everyone, stating what Sunday it is and asking for silence before the start of Mass. There will be a note in the Franciscan about this.

Action: Mike to put a note in the Franciscan about silence before Mass.

There was discussion about the need for a card reader. There are various options available and these will be discussed at the next meeting.

Action: David to present card reader options at the next meeting.

Father Kevin had some concerns as the new velux windows are leaking. This was thought to be because they had not been closed properly. The roofing company will be called back to sort this out. The windows in the church will need to have a new system to open them remotely. This will cost £895.

There have been concerns raised in the Crosspool Forum about caress car parking and St Francis has been named as being partly responsible.

Action: Mike to put a note in the Franciscan asking that people take care when parking.

Top priority agenda item for the next meeting will be reformation of the Parish Finance Committee.

Mike read the closing prayer.

Date of next meeting 10 September 2024 at 7:30pm.