Praying for Dead in November 

November is the traditional month of prayer for all those who have died. As has become the custom, areceptacle will be placed in front of the altar in both ofour churches to receive the names of your loved ones ,family, friends and acquaintances who have died and for whom you ask the prayers of the parish community. A sheet is attached to the Newsletter for your names. At the 12noon Mass on Friday 1 December these names will be read out and prayed for publicly, so please write the names clearly so that they can be transcribed.

Hands Across the Generations
Tony and Anne Doble invite those from 5 years of age to older teenagers to stay behind after 11.30am Mass at St Boniface next Sunday, 19 November, for between 30-40 minutes to start making Greeting Cards to send from our Parish to the patients in Tiverton Hospital. Older teenagers may wish to take a card and design it at home and then return it back to Canon Kristian. This type of service project, supported by the Parish Pastoral Council, though simple, is an effective way for our parish community, through its young members, of engaging with people in the wider community.

Music and Singing Afternoon
We will be holding one of our regular music and singing afternoons next Sunday 19 November at 2.30pm. It is the weekend of the World Day of the Poor, so there will be an attempt to focus on music with that theme in mind, as well as celebrating the end of the Church Year. Everyone is warmly welcomed to come along and play or sing. If you have any suggestions for hymns and music, please email bridgetmtosh@gmail.com.

Parish Laudato Si’ Group (LSG)
Last week the new Parish Laudato Si’ Group met up and looked at the Pope’s recent Apostolic Exhortation, Laudate Deum, in which he says that ‘our responses have not been adequate and the world in which we live is collapsing and maybe nearing breaking point.’ Fossil fuel emissions and biodiversity loss are the key areas that we urgently need to address. We all agreed there are many positive actions we could all make in our lives as individuals, as a Parish and as a community to support our common home. The LSG decided to produce a monthly newsletter of ideas and tips on a different topic each month to encourage everyone to be part of the solution. This month’s topic is FOOD and the newsletter is attached. Enjoy the challenge!

Homes for Ukraine Matching Service
Caritas Social Action Network, in partnership with St John of God Hospitaller Services, an international Catholic charity with many services for the vulnerable in the UK and Ireland, are matching Ukrainian people displaced by the brutal war with people in the Catholic community willing to host them in their homes for six months. If you have room in your home and in your heart to consider welcoming a stranger displaced by war, they would love to hear from you. Please visit https://sjog-homesforukraine.uk/ for information.

Switch On Support
This year’s parish winter project for CHAT – Switch On Support – is to purchase kettles, toasters and slow cookers to give to people moving into temporary or new accommodation, who are setting up home with a minimum of cooking appliances. Though these appliances are ordinary, they are vital in the process of creating a home. Items can be left at the entrance to church.

CHAT Reverse Advent Calendar
The annual Reverse Advent Calendar which is a good way to support the CHAT Foodbank by purchasing an item on each day of Advent are available at church.

Parish Christmas Draw
Tickets for the Christmas Draw are now on sale, £1 each. Contributions of chocolates and biscuits to add to the prizes would be very welcome. Please leave them at the entrance to church.

Advent Retreat Day
An Advent Retreat Day – “Prepare a Way for the Lord: Faith and Works” – will be held at St Rita’s Centre, Honiton on Saturday 9 December, led by Deacon Nick Johnson. The day begins at 9.30am and conclude with Mass at 3.15pm. There will be an opportunity for Adoration and Confession during the day. The cost for the day, including lunch, is £25.00. Booking can be made by phone, email or online (www.stritascentre.org/events). Payment can be made on the day.

Catholic Children’s Society Christmas Cards
Packs of Catholic Children’s Society Christmas Cards, based on drawings done by children of our diocesan schools, are available from today, £3.00 per pack.

Red Mission Boxes
If you have a Red Mission Box that needs to be emptied, please return them to church before the end of November so that Maggie Pulford can finalise the contributions for 2023 to support the work of Missio.

Shoeboxes for Christmas
If you are filling a shoebox as a Christmas Gift for a child in places of poverty and war, these need to be in the Hall by this Sunday. If you have any problems, please contact Sheelagh on 01884 256312.

CAFOD World Gifts
The CAFOD World Gifts Catalogue is available in church from this weekend. World Gifts – from providing a happy queen bee for £4.00 to funding a medical outreach team for £300.00 – are a wonderful way to share the hope and joy of Christmas with our global family. Please take a copy home.