Co-ordinator: Val Ward
Pastoral care includes the following ministries:
Holy Communion for the Sick and Housebound:
Contact – Deacon Jim
Anyone who is sick and housebound and unable to attend Mass can receive Holy Communion at home. This can be on a long-term or a temporary basis, eg after an operation. Paula Wherly and Pat Stewart work together to organise this ministry, with Paula making the first visit, allocating ministers, training them where necessary, and Pat keeping the records up-to-date.
There are several Ministers of Communion who make regular weekly visits and others who will cover illnesses or holidays of regular ministers
Food bank:
Contact – Jill McNamee
The Wirral Food Bank provides emergency food to those in a period of financial crisis. Non-perishable food is collected from private donors, church and community groups and from supermarkets. It is delivered to the warehouse, where it is sorted by product type; it is then delivered to the distribution centres around Wirral, where claimants may then exchange their vouchers for emergency food. Several of our parishioners are currently working at the warehouse.
The photograph below shows a typical collection during Lent. This was all donated by our parishioners between the 8th and 14th March 2021. A massive thanks to you all for your continued support!
Hospitality:
Refreshments after Mass and on special occasions:
Contact – Val Ward
Tea, coffee and biscuits, etc. are offered at the back of church on Sundays after the 11am Mass, except during the school holidays. All are welcome to take this opportunity to have a chat with fellow parishioners over a ‘cuppa’. This very important service to the parish community is provided by small teams of volunteers working to a rota.
Lifts to church:
Contact – Fr Phil
If you need a lift to and from Mass, please let Bert know which Mass you usually attend.
Newspapers:
Contact – Kay O’Rourke
St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP):
Contact – Terri Gallagher
In 1833, Frederic Ozanam, a devout nineteen-year-old French student, was challenged to prove the practical value of his Christian beliefs. He formed a small group and set out to help the disadvantaged, the sick and the isolated in his local neighbourhood. Our parish SVP group continues this work: our aim is to seek and find those in our community who need assistance. This may mean helping a family, visiting someone who feels lonely, providing furniture, liaising with debt advisers, giving one-off help in a crisis, taking an elderly person out for the afternoon, in fact, anything which comes our way. In addition, we support parishes in India and the Sudan baby feeding programme. We do not attempt to preach or convert and we help anyone who asks us, regardless of creed, colour, age or political belief. We take care to preserve the dignity and confidentiality of the person helped.
Union of Catholic Mothers (UCM):
The Union of Catholic Mothers (UCM) has been active in the parish for over fifty years and presently has two groups. Our aim is to follow the Christian ideal of marriage and family life, offering practical help, prayer and support to those in need.
As a national / international organisation we are able to exert influence on public affairs that affect faith, marriage and the family. We constantly pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. We support each other, the parish and the wider community e.g. by visiting sick and housebound members, providing transport to meetings, knitting and filling shoe boxes for the Third World and through charitable fund raising events. Our programme is varied: invited speakers, discussions, quizzes, short retreats and fun outings.
You do not have to be a Catholic or a mother or married to join us, just support our aims. The ethos of the UCM can be simply summed up: Faith, Family, Friendship and Fun.
The afternoon group meet on Wednesday afternoons at 2pm.
Contact Anne Penny / Rita Fraser
The evening group meet on Tuesday evenings at 7.15pm
Contact Sheila Morrison
Welcomers:
This is a very important ministry. Welcomers greet people with a smile and make everyone feel welcome. They make sure that parishioners have a hymn book, a Mass card and a newsletter and they sort and put away hymn books and Mass cards after Mass.
There are large print versions of the Mass card available. There are also also wheelchairs available.
If you attend the Saturday 6pm Mass, please contact Peter O’Brien.
If you attend the Sunday 9.30am Mass, please contact Mike Fortune.
If you attend the Sunday 11am Mass, please contact Val Ward.
Social events:
Contact – Bernie Brown
A group of parishioners organise and run various social events throughout the year. Our main event being our annual Summer barbecue on the first Sunday of July.
More recently, our social committee have been involved in helping to organise film nights, concert and musical evenings, race nights, as well as holding regular fundraisers for various charities.
Please see the events calendar for more information about upcoming events.