PPC Minutes – 17th February 2015

PARISH OF THE SACRED HEART – PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting held on TUESDAY 17^th FEBRUARY 2015

PRESENT: Father James Walsh, Deacon Ron O’Toole, Terry McIlwee, Teresa Butler, Jayne Randall, John Bolger, Hilary Bolger, Adrian Rudman, Carol Shippey, Mary Edmonds, Chris Falla

1. APOLOGIES: Michael Haughton and Agnieszka Gabriel

Fr. James began the meeting with Prayer

2. It was agreed to finish the meeting by 8.30 p.m.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING of the 25^th November 2014 were approved with the addition of ‘hours’ in paragraph 2 of Item 9.

4. MATTERS ARISING

 St. John of the Cross Roof Repairs – The repairs to the roof have started and should be completed in the next 3-4 weeks.

New Organ for Sacred Heart, North Walsham – Fr. James had now received a full 11-page report from the organ consultant from Makins. He has recommended a digital organ with 40 stops and 2 manuals, which will be indistinguishable from a pipe organ. A pipe organ would be very expensive, would weigh over a ton and we have nowhere to put the pipes in the church.   Fr. James circulated pictures showing where the speakers would be placed. The total cost for the digital organ will be £24,995 Inc. VAT and fitting. Fr. James has already received a donation of £5000 and further fund raising events are planned including the St. Patricks Party in March and the Parish Fete in July. The costs will be discussed at the Finance Committee next week and Fr. James will also obtain Diocesan permission for the project.

Intra Parish Communications – Fr. James has revamped the Parish Newsletter but the format may have to be altered further to allow more room for notices and events. Suggestions were made about having a quarterly magazine like the Herald at the Cathedral; this could be funded with local advertising.

Parish Directory and Welcome Pack – The Parish Directory has been printed and distributed and updated on the Parish Website. Teresa and Adrian are still working on the trifold leaflet which they hope to have ready for printing very shortly. This leaflet is for the information of visitors and new parishioners and will have a separate insert to be completed to register their presence in the Parish. This will engender a ‘welcome to the Parish’ visit by a PPC member from their chosen Church.

5.  NEW EVANGELISATION

A leaflet with ideas for Lent would be distributed this Sunday. The Advent leaflet had been well received. There will be ‘Forty Hours of Devotion’ taking place in each Parish in the Diocese during the year. Our week should be during the week commencing the 19th April. Fr. James said Exposition would take place in each of our Churches on different days continuing after the morning Mass possibly until 8 p.m. and would finish with evening prayer. The final details need to be finalised and Fr. James is thinking of changing our week with another Parish as he is in fact away during our week. There are interesting Newman Lectures taking place at the Chaplaincy at the UEA for the next 5 Mondays from 6-7 p.m. These have been advertised in each of the Churches. Leaflets about this year’s Diocesan Learning Together Programme are also available in each church. A ‘Stations of the Cross’ devotion written by Tony Crouch, a recently deceased Parishioner from St. Helens, will be put on the Parish Website for people to use if they wish.

6. ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

The date of Monday 18^th May at 7 p.m. was agreed. Terry will ask Fr. Sean Connelly to come and speak about his role as part of the New Evangelisation Team. There will also be the usual reports from Fr. James as PP, Terry as Chair of the PPC and Nick Sutherland as Chair of the Finance Committee. This year it will be the turn of St. John of the Cross parishioners to provide the Main Course and for St. Helen’s parishioners to provide the Desserts

 7. PARISH PASTORAL ASSISTANT REPORT

John said that he felt his role should be reviewed as he had been in post now for four years and was uncertain about continuing in the post. He will continue with his work in the prison

8. PARISH PASTORAL COUNCILLORS REPORTS

Sacred Heart – Lenten Lunches will be held in St. Nicholas Church on Thursdays at 12.30 p.m. Deacon Ron will speak on “Prayer’ at the lunch on 12^th March. Women’s World Day of Prayer will be held in the Salvation Army Hall on Friday March 6^th at 2 p.m. The summer fete committee had had their first planning meeting. Fr. James will need to apply for a promoter’s licence from the district council for the parish raffle. The disabled parking area and ‘unloading’ space is still causing concern. Alex Coburn has been asked to discuss with the Finance Committee the provision of hard standing all along the side of the church in order to provide 5 disabled spaces. With the shingle removed it would be much easier for wheelchair users to access the church. The potholes in the car park also need to be repaired. Fr. James will ensure this is discussed at the Finance Committee and he will ask repeat offenders not to park in the ‘unloading’ space as it obstructs the car park access for other drivers. Teresa felt that the proper DBS procedures were not being followed with regard to Children’s Liturgy sessions at Sacred Heart. It was suggested that the people responsible for the DBS in the Parish should all meet together prior to the introduction of the new electronic DBS system. It was also suggested that we had one central representative rather than one for each community. Fr. James will ask for advice from the Diocesan team.

St. John of the Cross – Scaffolding for the roof repairs was in place and work was in progress. Some of the old plaster in the little chapel had been dislodged and fallen and damaged the old altar. This will be repaired but at present the little chapel and the toilets are out of commission. Lenten Lunch will be at St John of the Cross on Friday 27^th February at 12 noon and the Women’s World Day of Prayer on Friday 6^th March at 2.30 and 7.30 at St. John of the Cross

St. Helen’s – Terry brought up a suggestion requested by Michael Haughton that as well as remembering the long term sick and housebound with a card would it be a good idea to send an occasional gift to them from the parish. Deacon Ron raised the issue of people succumbing to illness at home and what help was available from the Parish particularly as there wasn’t an active SVP group to call upon. He and Inga had both been very unwell over the weekend and felt somewhat bereft. Teresa and Hilary explained that if he had contacted the Parish Support Group they might well have been able to help. Fr. James will ensure that the Parish Support Group telephone number is always in the bulletin. Details of the Parish Support Group are on the parish website.

9. A.O.B.

There was no other business.

10. DATE OF NEXT MEETINGS

 Annual Parish Meeting – Monday 18^th May 2015 – 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall

Tuesday 5^th May 2015 7.15 for 7.30 in the Parish Room

Tuesday 7^th July 2015 7.15 for 7.30 in the Parish Room

Deacon Ron then concluded the meeting with a prayer from Charles de Fourcauld and some thoughts from Pope Francis that ‘Miracles Happen’