Parish News

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HOSPITALS: If you know of anyone in hospital who would like a visit from a Chaplain please use one of the following telephone numbers to arrange it. Fr. Slavic - Roman Catholic Chaplain: 07773 366120. City Campus: 0115 969 1169 ext. 76187 QMC Campus: 0115 924 9924 ext. 83799.
Our Communities working together. APPRECIATION: Last week we were able to announce the result of Our Parish Christmas Bazaar of the amazing amount of £10300 +. Our sincere thanks to you all for your tremendous support of Sarah and her colleagues who brought such success. Thank you indeed. FURTHER APPRECIATION: We acknowledge the generous wish of the Community at St. Anthony's, who wish to offer 50% of the Parish Autumn Fair to the Pope John Paul II (Parish Foundation) for Youth. This foundation will offer bursaries for young people to travel and assist the sick with the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes and/or young people to travel to meet the Pope at the Annual World Youth Day which was begun by the late Holy Father, Pope, Saint, John Paul II. Thank you for your generosity of £325 to this Foundation. ADVENT BEGINS: This Sunday we welcome the children from the Good Shepherd Academy in their leadership of 9.45 am Family Mass celebration. The first of the Candles of the Advent Wreath will be lit, to remind us of the Second Coming of Jesus as we welcome Him into our lives. From the 17th December onwards we begin to look back at the moment of the Incarnation (from which our Civil Year is calculated with Anno Domini or "The Year of the Lord".) in preparation to celebrate it at the Christ Mass. Bambinelli Sunday (So called by Holy Father Francis from the Italian Bambino = baby) is the day the Holy Father invites us to bring our baby Jesus from our home nativity sets for a special blessing he has forwarded to us. Bambinelli Sunday always falls on "Gaudete (= Rejoice) Sunday, or the Third in Advent which this year falls on 17th December. We shall bless the bambino from the parish Nativity Set of Christmas on this day and hope that all families will bring their own bambino for this special blessing. ADVENT IS THE SHORTEST IT CAN BE THIS YEAR! Thus Christmas Eve falls on the 4th Sunday of Advent. Please note in our Christmas Card greeting, which you have all been so kindly distributing to as wider audience as possible, the times of Mass that weekend to fulfill our obligations to the Lord. Fourth Sunday of Advent. N.B. Vigil Masses are on Saturday: At. St. Anthony's Church at 4:00 pm - The First / Vigil Mass of Sunday. At the Good Shepherd Church at 6:00 pm. The First / Vigil Mass of Sunday. On the Fourth Sunday of Advent the Mass of the day is celebrated at 10:00 am only. Christmas Day Celebrations of Mass are as follows:- At St. Anthony's Church on Christmas Eve (i.e. 24 / 12 /2023 at 6:00 pm with Carols prior to the Mass at 5:30 pm. At the Good Shepherd Church Christmas Mass is celebrated on the Ever (i.e. 24 / 12 /2023) at 5:00 pm followed by Carols from 11:30 pm and traditional Midnight Mass. The Mass of the Day is on Christmas Day (25/12/2023) at 10:00 am. CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY: Another marvelous opportunity for our children to gather in enjoyment on Saturday, 9th December from 2:00 pm - 5:00pm. Accompanying parents can relax with mulled wine and mince pies, tea or coffee, as the children are entertained for a couple of hours by their favourite film characters furnished by "Absolutely Amazing Parties". The children will have full party tea boxes with drinks. Also there is side show entertainment of Children' (and adult) tombola and plenty more games. All in all a tremendous afternoon of pre-Christmas pleasure in a safe environment for all. Tickets now available in Church or via the Parish Administration Suite for families (2 adults + 2 children) at £20 or individual at £5.00. DECEMBER DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: This year we offer a series of various Carol Services for good causes beginning with:- Rainbows Hospice Benefit Carol Concert: On Friday 8th December at 7:00 pm. A charity benefit, tickets £7each available through Rainbows Hospice Website and on the door. Loughborough Hospice Benefit Carol Service: On Friday 8th December at 7:30 pm. A charity benefit to support the Hospice. Annual Parish Carol Service: This year the Annual Parish Carol Service will host Civic representatives as the Mayor Gedling is one of our Good Shepherd Parishioners, Councilor Julie Najuk and Canon Philipp is Mayor's Chaplain. We look forward to the leadership of our Parish Choir on Friday, 15th December at 7:30 pm, as they present this years Carol Service for the parish, with distinguished guests from Nottinghamshire County Council and Gedling Borough Council. Mulled Wine and mince pie refreshment in the Centre after the Carol Service. By tradition, the Mayors' Carol Service will have a collection for the Mayors' Charity, which this year is "The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust". Handel's "Messiah": Presented to us by a guest orchestra and Notting-ham Cathedral Choir, this popular Christmas Oratorio and given on 16th December will be accompanied by seasonal refreshments also. PERSONNEL APPRECIATION: Recently we have received the following retirements from Key Personnel who have so generously given of their time and talent over many years for the upbuilding of our parish community. We will have the opportunity of expressing our thanks to them in due course and offer our most sincere thanks for such extraordinary years of Service to us all; both past and present generations. Mr. Michael Bussey has been Parish Precentor and Organ Custodian ensuring each Sunday the appropriate hymnody is used and advertised as well as arranging the musicians schedules and seeking the Organ tuners when notes aren't sounding right. Our thanks to him, and to Mr. Graham Smith who has agreed to assume some of these duties. Mr. Robert O'Farrell who has been Kapellmeister recreating the parish choir after appeal from Fr. Philipp and bringing it forward to success. We still seek a successor in this important ministry. Mrs. Catherine Moore who has been Guide Leader and principle contact for the Uniformed Groups leadership of Parade Sunday once a month. Again we will need to try and find a successor to this important ministry. If there is anyone among the current leadership of the Beavers / Cubs & Scouts, or the Rainbows / Brownies & Guides who could take this on it would be much appreciated. There is a certain urgency to the fulfilment of Roles 2 &3 above. Thank you.
NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES: The Good Shepherd Office - goodshepherd@dioceseofnottingham.uk Baptism enquiry - gsbaptism@dioceseofnottingham.uk Hall Booking enquiry - gshallbookings@dioceseofnottingham.uk	CONTACT US! To assist a speedy response to your enquiry about the manifold activity of the our Community of North East Nottinghamshire (The Good Shepherd Church, Woodthorpe/Sherwood/Carrington/Arnold & Mapperley Plains with St. Anthony's Church, Calverton) please be confident to use one of the e mail addresses above. We recommend you visit the Parish Website - details on the previous page!
PARISH SAFEGUARDING: Representatives for the Good Shepherd: Julian Caesar 07513725471 (Good Shepherd) & Mr Christopher Forbes. For St. Anthony's, Calverton: contact Mrs Christine Thomas on christine.thomasPSR@dioceseofnottingham.uk tel: 07722 642429 Please note these numbers are not personal and exclusive for use by the Safeguarding reps.

From the Finance Committee of The Good Shepherd: Last Week: 29 Nov, ad 2023 Collection: £1288.43 Standing Orders: £920.00 Parish Future Debt: £507.74 PARISH FINANCE COMMITTEE: Secretary - Mr Philip Martin. Thank you for your generous and responsible giving. At the Good Shepherd Church donations can be received BY SMARTPHONE OR BY CARD: It is also possible to make one-off donations to the parish by smartphone. The code for you to scan with a smartphone camera is shown to the left. By scanning this code the smartphone will immediately open the parish's dedicated on-line donations page. To scan the code you will need to have installed a reputable QR and Barcode scanner app on your smartphone. Card Offerings or payments for Repository items can be made contactless by using the Digital collection plate in the welcome area of the Church. Legacies: Thank you for remembering the work of the Good Shepherd and St. Anthony's in Your Will.
Dear parishioners: PLEASE CONTINUE to offer courtesy to our neighbours when parking cars in the vicinity of the Church. Thanks!
Last updated 04.12.2023