Bath
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Services, Events & News
We welcome you to our services
Details of services and events at the Parish Church of Our Lady & St Alphege, and at St Joseph's, during the current week are
shown in the copy of the Parish Bulletin below.
Details of weekday masses at other Catholic churches in the Bath area can be found
Here
BATH DEANERY NEWSLETTER
THe Latest Edition of the Deanery Newsletter is now out, and it's packed full of interesting news and articles.
You can read it by clicking HERE Also, why not have a look at the latest Clifton Diocese news
Bath Foodbank
You may have heard of Foodbank in the national media recently. Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. 13 million people live below the poverty line in the UK.
Bath Foodbank opened in September. If you would like to get involved or know more about this new project in Bath please contact Paul Solly on paul@genesistrust.org.uk or 07793 726105.
Click on The Trussell Trust for more information about Foodbank in general.
Foodbank is currently feeding around 15 households a week and growing fast. We are feeding single people and families from all over Bath. The most common reasons for needing emergency food aid (3 days of nutritionally balanced food) are problems and delays with benefits, debt and crisis. Vouchers are being distributed to those in need by over 30 agencies and charities.
We have had a huge amount of food generously donated over the harvest season and now we are trying to fill in the gaps by appealing only for the foods we are running low on. We are currently completely out of: Longlife juice; UHT milk; tinned rice pudding; chocolate; Sponge pudding; instant mash and would appreciate any donations to fill in until the Waitrose collection.
Food is given out according to a Trussell Trust set packing list appropriate to the family size. Some of the food items we appeal for might sound odd or less obviously nutritious but are there in order to cover the food groups, give variety and boost morale. Because of food safety regulations we are unable to give out food that is past its use-by date, homemade or already open.
Helen D'Souza is happy to pick up items from the church and take to the foodbank.
GIFT AID and PARISH ACCOUNTS, by Tony O'Sullivan
The gift aid scheme is one where a person donates money to a charity and the tax which they have paid on that money is returned by the government to that charity. The logic is that we have paid tax on money which we have given away to a charity. So the government returns that tax, not to us, but to the charity. For every £1 we donate, the government returns 25 pence. Hence the Gift Aid scheme costs donors like myself nothing at all but the parish gets back the tax I’ve paid on that money. In the financial year 2011 – 12, the parish received just under £21,500 from parishioners who were willing to gift aid their weekly donation to the church. Since parishioners had already paid tax on this money, the government returned a further £5,500 as a tax rebate to the parish. So, all in all, the gift aid scheme produced nearly £27,000 for the parish last year.
You can donate either by a monthly standing order through your bank or by putting the money in a special envelope which I can give you once you sign up to the scheme. To participate you must, of course, be a taxpayer. In April’s budget, the income tax allowance for the current tax year was raised by £630 to £8,105. In the next tax year 2013–14, it will be raised by a further £1,100 to £9,205. So only someone with an income above £8,105 this year or £9,205 next year is eligible to join the scheme.
The reason that gift aid is so important is that it is money which is there for the parish. All it needs is for us to take advantage of the scheme. And we all know just how badly we as a parish need additional revenue. An abbreviated copy of the parish accounts are on display and are available at the back of the church. In a typical year our expenditure is about £70,000 whist our revenue is closer to £66,000. We rely on fund-raising efforts like the Christmas Fayre and summer fete to bring in enough to avoid making an overall loss. Financially, the parish lives constantly on the edge and a year like the present one, where we have faced a huge bill for the repair of the roof, necessitates borrowing on a large scale, borrowing which of course has to be repaid in the future.
We have about 100 church-going families in the parish. If each family increased their contribution by just £1 a week, we would cover the deficit in a normal year. If that £1 was gift-aided, we could breathe even more easily. If anyone is interested in gift aid, either to start one or to increase an existing one, please speak to me, Tony O'Sullivan.
Thank you.
Springboard Bath
Encouraging change through active Christian networking
Springboard is a communications hub for Bath’s Christians, with news about shared projects, events and ideas for Christians across the city, helping us all to actively engage with our communities. Have a look at Springboard’s website and keep up to date with what’s happening. News, coming events, projects, ideas and how to get involved.
Our SVP Group. Latest Report
Click on the logo above to go to our SVP page and read about the Report to The Parish
St Alphege's Fete 2013
Fr P.J. KEVIN KNOX-LECKY, BA
OUR NEW PARISH PRIEST
The parish welcomes Fr Kevin at the start of his ministry with us.
Fr Roche's headstone is now in place at Haycombe.
Have a look at our Album of Photo Memories.
FAREWELL TO Fr RICHARD
Go to a Report and Pictures of the
Presentation on 2nd September
NEW PARISH DIRECTORY
The new Parish Directory is now on line.
Click HERE to see it.
If you have any proposed revisions would you please pass them to Fr Kevin.
FREDDIE BAKER, RIP
Go to our Tribute to Freddie page
Caroline Shaw's fine book about St Alphege's. 120 pages, 200 photos, plans and drawings in a stylish format for just £9.99. If you love St Alphege's you will love this book.
The eminent architectural historian Gavin Stamp has written the Foreward and he described the church as "This glorious, subtle masterpiece ..." It draws upon previously unpublished documents, most notably Giles Gilbert Scott's documents and letters, and reveals his involvement in even the tiniest details. Proceeds go towards the preservation of the fabric of the church. You must have this book!
More details and how to buy.
Photos of the book signing. Were you there?
Our New Icon of St Alphege
Click on the image to enlarge.
The icon was given in memory of Graham Griffiths and as a devotional focus during 2012, the millennium of the martyrdom of St Alphege at Greenwich. Read all about it
St Alphege's Social Justice Group
St Alphege's Social Justice Group has been raising awareness of the plight of 1000s of women and children in Zimbabwe. Sr Pontiana (centre) was a parishioner at St Alphege's and is now the spiritual leader at Bethany House in Zimbabwe. Her sister, Immaculate, (right) is an active member of the parish. The photo shows them with Fiona Coram (left) at Sr Pontiana's leaving event in 2010.
Click on the pictures to enlarge.
The Containers arrived in Zimbabwe!
The containers containing the items donated by members of the parish, organised by the Social Justice Group, arrived in Zimbabwe and were unpacked.
Click
to read Sr Pontiana's letter
about how the money was spent.
In her last letter she says "Thank you for all the assistance I got from the efforts of the parishioners. It has been a big help. Right now we are busy looking for irrigation materials and this will be a source of of strength for many . Once more thank you; we keep united in Him. Pontiana Mangwende.
Father Leo's Fight for Justice in Brazil
See our page on Father Leo.
Always keep up to date with the latest news on Father Leo's fight for justice.
Have you noticed the new header on the parish bulletin? It features a cross in a circle. You could call it St Alphege’s Cross because you can find it throughout St Alphege’s church - on the sunburst light fittings above the nave, above the entrance door, on the baldacchino and on the Lady Chapel altar . Sir Giles Gilbert Scott designed it and its first appearance was on the foundation stone which was laid in October 1927. That is the one we show, slightly chipped from 84 years of witness, including a world war.
When the church was finally completed in 1954 twelve more examples were carved around the walls as consecration points, for anointing with holy oil.
Click on the image above for an enlarged version.
For the new parish hall, started in 2009, the same cross was carved on its foundation stone too. Click HERE to see the stone laying ceremony.
Rob Oldfield's photo of St Alphege's portico at night. Click on the photo to enlarge.
OUR WEB ARCHIVE
ST ALPHEGE MILLENNIUM CELEBRATIONS 2012
Click here to see reports and photos of all the events during 2012.
St Alphege's under Scaffolding, Autumn 2011
Pictures
Autumn Glory, St Alphege's 2010
Click on the picture to enlarge
Fr Richard Barton & Servers 2010. Click on image to enlarge
The New Parish Hall
The building of the new hall: turf cutting ceremony, laying of the Foundation Stone, masons working, keys handover, blessing of the building, and completion. Click here
The Year 2009
Our Methodist Friends Share St Joseph's.
St Joseph's 40th Anniversary Open Day.
Crowning of the Statue of Our Lady.
The Blessing of the Herbs.
Altar servers enrolled. Freddy Baker's medal
Story & pictures
Janet & Ray Ricketts Golden Wedding, 2009
Story and pictures
Organist Josie steps down, 2008
Story & pictures
Father Michael's Jubilee, 2008
Pictures