Stella Maris Sea Sunday

Seafarers and fishers play a vital role in all of our lives, but they often work in difficult, hazardous conditions. In the last year, more crews have been abandoned by their employers than ever before. Many are still being denied the right to leave their ships for even a short break away from the relentless noise and pressure onboard. Many are reporting more stress and poorer mental health. This Sunday is Sea Sunday when the Church prays for all those who live and work at sea. Your support will make a big difference to seafarers and fishers in need. You can donate in church (Gift Aid envelopes are available for tax payers), by visiting www.stellamaris.org.uk/donate, or by texting ‘SEA’ to 70460 to donate £5. This collection is vital to enable Stella Maris (formerly called Apostleship of the Sea) to continue its important work – so please give generously. Thank you.

Fr Paul’s 60^th Anniversary of Ordination to the Priesthood

Fr Paul commemorates the 60^th anniversary of his priestly ordination this Friday, 14 July. To celebrate this magnificent achievement and his many years of priestly service, we will be holding a Tea Party in the hall at St James next Sunday, 16 July, at 3.00pm. Come along and celebrate this great occasion with the parish community. Ad Multos Annos!

Dementia Awareness

C aritas Diocese of Plymouth, together with Age UK and Dementia Friends, will be holding an online lunchtime session on dementia awareness on Tuesday 1 August, 12noon-1.00pm. There are more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, with 81,000 in the Southwest. This number is predicted to double in the next 30 years and we will see this reflected in our congregations and communities.  All our parishes will know someone living with dementia or caring for someone.

This one-hour introductory session is aimed at parish priests, parish secretaries, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, pastoral workers and welcomers, members of the SVP and all those whose lives are touched by dementia. It will focus on understanding dementia and the practical aspects of how to respond but will also offer advice about resources to understand how to accompany those whose lives have been touched by dementia in their spiritual journey as a dementia-friendly parish.

People are welcome to bring their lunch and listen in. You can register here https://forms.office.com/e/1DijnZkMQk.

School Transport Grants

The Diocesan School Transport Fund aims to subsidise the cost to parents of children travelling to Catholic schools in our diocese. If you need assistance in covering the costs of sending your child to one of our Catholic schools, please have a word with Canon Kristian or contact the Parish Office for an application form, which must be returned to the Diocesan Offices by 31 July 2023.

Mid Devon Show Churches Tent Needs Cakes!

Plenty of people have offered to be volunteers at the Mid Devon Show Churches Tent on Saturday 22 July at Knightshayes, which is wonderful, and soup for many has been secured! However, the Tent is still very short of cakes, so Jo and the Team would love to hear from anyone who can offer to bake a cake to help the Team offer hospitality to those who come to visit the Tent. Please contact Joanna.friend@nhs.net if you can help with a donation.

Catholic Union of Great Britain

Do you want a strong Catholic voice in our society? The Catholic Union is a voluntary association, founded in 1870, open to practising members of the Catholic laity in Great Britain and includes people from all parts of the country and all walks of life. It is dedicated to the defence of Catholic values in Parliament and public life, and the promotion of the common good. It is also a consultative body of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and works with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland. Amongst other things, the CU carries out this work by:

• making representations to Parliament, to Government Departments or to other public authorities.

• taking action through members of either or both Houses of Parliament, the Scottish Parliament or the Welsh Assembly, to ensure that Catholic views on matters affecting Catholic principles or interests are known, understood and taken into account.

• writing letters or making representations to the Press.

• organising public or private meetings.

• publishing information on Catholic matters.

• co-operating with other societies or organisations in the promotion of Catholic principles

Find out more by visiting www.catholicunion.org.uk. The Catholic Union needs your help, so please consider becoming a member and receiving a regular newsletter. Membership is free for students and under 25s.

Sponsored Walk for CHAT

Ewelina Żychlinska, and her daughter, Zofia, are doing a 1000km walk over three months to raise funds to support the work of CHAT. If you would like to support them, you can do so online at Ewelina Żych is fundraising for Churches Housing Action Team (Mid Devon) Ltd (justgiving.com) or by giving your donation to them directly.

200 Club

Congratulations to Rosie Croker who won the £30 prize and to Maggie Pulford who won the £20 prize in the June draw. The 200 Club is an ongoing fund raiser for the Parish and new members can join for as little as £1 a month. Please speak to either Simon Coombs or Sheelagh Bourdon at St James or Teresa Cummings at St Boniface.