Words of Faith: finding the best words to witness to our Faith and answer tough questions

Six-session online course starting Tuesday 9 April, 7.30pm-9pm

Clifton Diocese in partnership with ‘Light of Truth’ are offering a short course to find the best words to give an account of our faith and answer the hard questions Catholics can be asked about God, Jesus, the Church, morality and Catholic practices. 

The six sessions begin at 7.30pm on a Tuesday evening:

1. God – Creator and Revealer – 9 April

2. Jesus Christ – God in History – 16 April

3. The Church – Service and Authority – 23 April

4. The Human Person – Body and Soul – 30 April

5. Christian Morality – Grace and Happiness – 7 May

6. Catholic Practices – Weird and Wonderful – 14 May

There will be opportunities for you to ask your own questions as well.

To sign up for the series, please click on the Zoom link below: 

Meeting Registration – Zoom

We are starting a new formation course in Stroud on a Wednesday evening called ‘Invited’. These formation sessions are for anyone who is interested in learning more about their faith and passing it onto others. The course will take place April to July this year at The Immaculate Conception parish hall in Stroud. 

Invited – God offers us a radical invitation but what does it mean to say yes? What does it mean to be a Catholic? What do we believe and how do we grow deeper in our Faith? This twelve-week course will enable us to explore a variety of questions relating to Catholic Teaching.

Who is Invited? This is a course for anyone who is interested in learning more about their faith and passing it onto others, so very useful for new and experienced catechists. The course will take place from April to July 2024 at The Immaculate Conception, Stroud. The Wednesday evening dates are:  17^th April, 24^th April;  1^st May, 15^th May, 22^th May;  5^th June, 12^th June, 19^th June, 26^th June;  3^rd July, 10^th July, 17^th July.

For the full outline of the course and to express your interest please complete the booking form on the diocesan website and send to catechists@cliftondiocese.com or post to the Department of Adult Education & Evangelisation, Alexander House, 160 Pennywell Road, Bristol, BS5 0TX.

Cost of Full Course £50 or £6 per session (bacs details are on the booking form). Although it is not necessary to attend every session (they are stand-alone) we hope that the group will grow together as a community. As we do not want anyone to feel excluded on the grounds of finance, please contact us at: catechists@cliftondiocese.com if you feel unable to afford this, there is a place for everyone. 

Journals – participants are encouraged to bring a book for journalling – help will be given with how to do this.

The sessions will be 7pm to 9pm including time for refreshments.

Catechists booklet

Booking form

Stroud poster

 

On the first Saturday of Lent, as at the start of every Lent, our diocesan family gathered at the cathedral together with our bishop to celebrate the Rite of Election, where those who are journeying towards becoming part of our Catholic community are presented to Bishop Declan. Here family and friends, sponsors and godparents, joined with those preparing for Baptism (catechumens) and those preparing to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church (candidates) as they came to this stage of their journey towards reception of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

As always, the catechumens and candidates were supported by their own communities and the wider diocesan family for this celebration of their faith and their commitment to live out the gospel which they are now embracing, forming a loving friendship with God whom they are called to know and make known. The witness that these candidates and catechumens give in taking this courageous step is always an inspiration to those who come to pray for them and to support them in their journey. It is also a reminder of our own call to continual conversion of our hearts and our lives.

In his homily Bishop Declan spoke of what we had heard in the gospel: Jesus noticed Levi and called him. He went on to ask if we had noticed a change in the lives of those he was now calling, in a deepening of prayer, a sense of joy in the Word and an openness to the presence of God in their lives. The same change should also be reflected in the lives each one of us, as the grace of the season of Lent helps us to draw closer to God.

This year, as always, it was good to see that joy on the faces of the 29 catechumens and 36 candidates, as they were each greeted by our bishop. These numbers, of course, do not include those who are continuing their journey towards baptism or full communion at Easter but were unable to be present at the cathedral. We keep these too in our prayers, along with their sponsors and godparents, as we continue our Lenten journey to Easter.

Reading:   Isaiah 58: 9-14

Gospel:   Luke 5: 27-32

Family Fast Day 23^rd February 2024

Our Catholic community here, the People of Hope, are dedicated to love their neighbours around Our Common Home. Through our very own Catholic humanitarian charity, CAFOD, we help some of the most vulnerable of our sisters and brothers in need around the world.  This Lent Fast Day focuses upon our work with one of Liberia’s marginalised areas, New Kru Town, West Point, a fishing community and Liberia’s largest shanty town where people experience very significant poverty.

Every fishing family on that busy shoreline had struggled at some point. James Pyne, is a local fisherman from New Kru Town. James told us that when his family had no food, he faced a terrible choice: stay home and stay hungry or put everything on the line to go out onto the water in his small canoe. Five fishermen a month – husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, friends… – were dying in storms at sea. Just like him, they couldn’t afford the life jackets, compasses and other equipment they needed to stay safe at sea and get a good catch.

When he came back home, to his wife and son, 16 hours later, aching, exhausted, hungry, he would be empty handed.

Even for a skilled fisherman like James, making that journey to sea and back alive without the right tools or safety equipment was difficult enough, getting a catch was almost impossible.

Hearing from James and other fishermen, CAFOD and our local partners Caritas Monrovia, worked with them to develop a programme to support the fishing community with new equipment or advanced training needed to stay safe at sea. Since then, there have been no major incident at sea.

The fishermen in the community now have a very successful training programme, safety equipment and GPS fish finders to help them fish successfully, sustainably and safely as well as solar powered freezers to help them ensure their families keep the food and income they need. Watch this inspirational video James and his community.

When we met James he said: “I want to say thanks to CAFOD for the project. This is the first time an NGO has come here to help us since New Kru was founded. To make sure we’re safe and to help us catch more fish. I want to say thanks for this. The changes really helped.”

Watch James’ prayer and pray with him.

This is a great example of how our Catholic community here are able to support our sisters and brothers around the world to transform their communities even in the face of great challenges.

This Lent join others from across the diocese to help hardworking people like James get the tools and training they need to feed their families so they can thrive and live life to the full.

To support CAFOD’s vital work around the world with communities like James’ please donate today or to set up a regular gift.

 

St Gregory’s Catholic College has once again been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of its repeated success to bring the world into the classroom through its links with schools around the globe.

The International School Award recognises the remarkable efforts of the school to carry out exceptional work in international education, enabling young people to gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life work in today’s world.

Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council, said:

“The school has earned this prestigious award through its inspirational international work and links with schools abroad.

“The International School Award is a chance for schools to be recognised for their important work in bringing the world into their classrooms. This is especially commendable when schools have been deeply affected by the global pandemic. The desire to build on their international work shines through and it is with utmost pride that we celebrate their achievements.”

Internationalism is embedded throughout St Gregory’s, providing opportunities for students to prepare themselves as global citizens, and to become more aware of social, economic and political issues that affect people worldwide.

The school has well established educational partnerships across many European countries as well as partner schools further afield in countries such as China, India and Japan. Each year St Gregory’s host many visiting students and teachers from schools around the world, offering insights into the English education system and the cultural richness of Bath.

In addition to hosting international guests, St Gregory’s also participates in the British Council’s Mandarin Excellence Programme. This intensive language and cultural programme empower students to gain fluency in Mandarin, a key global language. The programme is a popular language pathway for Year 7 students, who can visit China at the end of Year 9.

Headteacher, Melissa George, was honoured to collect the award at a special ceremony at the Houses of Parliament in January.

“St Gregory’s have now held this prestigious award since 2014, recognising the outstanding international dimension of our curriculum; a remarkable achievement. We are delighted to have strong relationships and global partnerships with schools around the world and we are always seeking ways to provide our students with opportunities and experiences to look outwards and learn about other languages, people and cultures.

“We were thrilled to be joined at the ceremony by Wera Hobbhouse, our local Member of Parliament, to help celebrate the award.

“Study visits abroad, coupled with language placements and overseas adventures, provide St Gregory’s students with life-changing experiences which they will remember as highlights of their time at school. This award is testimony to the team, who have all worked so hard to develop these partnerships and opportunities for our young people, creating a lasting legacy of internationalism at our school.”