Llandudno -
Our Lady Star of
the Sea
Parish
Priest: Fr Antony Jones STL - Telephone: 01492 860546 [Email]
Sunday October
15th 2006
Dear Parishioner,
Feed My Lambs raised
£203 last week! A record! Enough to feed 303 starving
Sudanese babies for a week. Congratulations – a fabulous response.
As I write this, I have just
come back from the School, where we had a delightful class Mass with
Year 4. This is the class that made its First Holy Communion last
June. It was good to see so many parents and grandparents there
sharing the Mass with the children. Year 4 is Mrs McNamara’s
Class – please keep her in your prayers as she comes to terms with the
death of her daughter Helen. We look forward to her return to
School, a teacher of the highest quality.
In an effort to keep the
Parish fully informed and involved with what is going on in the School,
Mrs Fleur Williams
and Mrs Julie Chmara have taken on the role of Liaison Officers between
School and Parish. The School is very much part of the parish and
we need to keep mutually informed and eagerly supportive of each
other. Our Liaison Officers have already left a box at the back
of the church for people to leave their Tesco Computer for School
Vouchers in as well as a pile of Yellow Moon Gift Catalogues, purchases
from which will create commission for the school. We look forward to
many further initiates from Fleur and Julie.
The School has its Half Term
holiday during the first week of November, with the children returning
to School on 6 November. That is also the day when we will resume
our catechism lessons for the children in Years 7 and 8. And here we
say a sad Goodbye to Mrs Sheila Johnson who has been part of this
scheme since the day I started it and has contributed very
substantially to it ever since. Many of our Catholic children
have much to thank her for.
We are now left with only two
catechists, Mrs Dorothy Oakes and Mrs Margaret Hunt. These are
very <>generous
with their time and energy and we, as a Parish, are deeply indebted to
them. If anyone in the parish would like to help out, I would be
overjoyed to hear from you. Any expertise you feel you lack can
be supplied. Just come to me and talk about it.
The work is of vital
importance. The majority of our young people go from the primary
school to John Bright. At this point, their formal Catholic
education would come to an abrupt halt, were it not for the fact that
the parish provides a further two years of Catholic instruction.
These instructions take place on a Monday evening at 4pm at Stella
Maris for Year 7, and at the same time on Tuesday evening for Year
8. At the end of the summer term, the children in Year 8 receive
their Confirmation.
If you are the parent or
grandparent of a child in Year 7 or 8, please make sure that this
message gets through to them – the lessons begin on Monday/Tuesday, 6/7
November. And, more importantly, give them all the encouragement
they need to attend regularly. The children naturally don’t feel
like an extra lesson at the end of a hard day at School, but what is on
offer is of such importance that they should be led to recognise the
benefit they will derive from their efforts. Please, parents and
grandparents, do co-operate with this scheme – it is purely for the
good of your children.
The preparation for First Holy
Communion for the Catholic Children not attending Blessed William
Davies School will begin in January, with the children from the
Catholic School meeting up with them later in the course.
And finally – that cuppa at
Stella Maris after the Sunday morning Mass. It is a great
opportunity for parishioners to get to know one another and for
visitors to be able to meet the locals. But while lots of people
avail themselves of this, there are perhaps not enough children going
over there. They are very welcome. And to prove how welcome
they really are, there will be special refreshments provided for them
in future, together with other things they may find very enticing.
And talking about Stella
Maris, may I remind you that it is now essential for all groups who
meet at Stella Maris to make sure that John and Sara Dennison know that
your meeting is taking place, or that it has been cancelled if it is a
regular meeting. We are getting quite busy over there now, with not
only the Parish and the Diocese using it, but also Conwy Council, who
often book our premises for their meetings. Occasionally all
three rooms are booked simultaneously. Now that the weather is
getting colder, it is important that John and Sarah know about your
meeting so that they can make sure the heating is on in good time to
give you a warm welcome.
God bless you,
Fr Antony Jones