LET THE CHILDREN LIVE !
Last Spring the parish was visited by Father Peter who had founded a charity in 1994 to help the street children of the city of Medellin in Colombia.He called the charity Let The Children Live! because he wanted to provide practical assistance by feeding the street children and offering an alternative to a life that would otherwise be based on crime, drugs and prostitution. So far thousands of street children have been helped but there is still so much to do.
Father Peter gave an inspirational talk at each Mass that weekend and the second collection raised over £3000. As a result a few of us decided to set up a Parish Support Group to raise money for the charity and pray for their important work.We have around 12 members of the Group and since June we have been meeting on the first Saturday each month in the Parish Centre to discuss and arrange fund raising activities.Not only are we collecting money but we are also putting on a number of social events which will contribute to the aims of the Synodal Pathway. To date we have already raised £2500 through a combination of donations and monthly standing orders.
Our activities will always be advertised in the Parish Newsletter and we hope you will support them as much as possible. Please feel free to attend our meetings and if you would like to know more you can email me at Polychronakis.j@gmail.com
PARISH HCPT GROUP – Help Us Launch Group 196 representing Our Lady and All Saints parish. With your help, we aim to fundraise throughout 2025 and take our first pilgrimage to Lourdes in Easter 2026. This initiative will require the dedication and support of many hands and hearts. Here’s how you can get involved:
· Nursing: To enable us to make a difference for disabled children or those with medical needs our group would need a nurse to work with us in the planning stages and to travel with us on pilgrimage.
· Helpers and Volunteers: Adults and young people who can accompany children and assist them throughout the pilgrimage, no previous experience is needed.
· Fundraisers: Individuals and families who can organize events, campaigns, and activities to raise the necessary funds. It costs over £1,000 per child to travel!
· Supporters: Those willing to donate or provide resources to help cover the costs of travel and accommodation for children in need.
· Prayer: This endeavour will not be possible without prayer; more is always better!
Creating a new group is a significant undertaking, but with the spirit of service that defines our parish, we are confident that Group 196 will flourish. Together, we can give children the opportunity to experience the love, hope, and healing of Lourdes.
Join Us on This Journey – If you feel called to support this mission, we invite you to express your interest. Whether as a helper, fundraiser, or supporter, there is a role for everyone in Group 196. Please contact group196@hcpt.org.uk for more information. We will also be hosting some in person information evenings where you can learn more about HCPT, the Lourdes pilgrimage, and the steps we’ll take together. With Our Lady’s guidance and your support, we can make a difference in the lives of children and families right here in Stourbridge, sharing the joy and love of Lourdes with our community.
SVP link
The St Vincent de Paul Society (“SVP”) is an international Christian voluntary organisation dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. Active in England & Wales since 1844, today it continues to address social and material need in all its many forms.
The aim of the Stourbridge ‘S.V.P’ is to follow the example of Saint Vincent de Paul and our founder Blessed Frederick Osanam, through prayer, by helping the needy in our parish and visiting those who are elderly or housebound. Three times a year we also organise a Mass and tea where transport to church is provided and old friends can enjoy a get together after Mass. To fund our work we rely on donations from people in the parish and from fund raising events. We also need help from people to let us know where there are families or elderly people who would like our help or a visit. We are very grateful for all the support we receive.
Further information can be obtained from Ken Baker at kenjbaker77@yahoo.com or by visiting the national website at www.svp.org.uk.
Association for the Propagation of the Faith link
The APF is the principal mission support organisation of the Catholic Church. It’s objective is to ensure that young churches have the necessary funds to build churches and schools, to lead people to learn about Christ and build a better world. In England and Wales funds for the Missions are collected through the famous Red collection Boxes. These can be found in 200,000 homes and they have helped raise millions of pounds for the missions. The collections from the Red Boxes and World Mission Sunday enable the Church in England and Wales to share in spreading the Gospel in each of the 1,062 mission dioceses in the world.
The Stourbridge branch of the AFP is looking for help with its Mission. For more information contact Diana Bloore at: dianabloore46@hotmail.com.
Catenian Association
The Catenian Association is an international brotherhood of Catholic laymen. We meet socially, reflecting the mutual support and sharing of common values that is found within the Association. The Association derives it’s name from the Latin word ‘catena’ or ‘chain’ and each local branch of the association is described as a ‘circle’ signifying the links in the chain. Our emblem consists of a continuous chain of links surrounding a cross, reflecting the mutually supporting and Christian nature of our organisation.
The 230th Circle of the Catenian Association was founded in 1966 as the Stourbridge Circle and we are located in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom. We are actively seeking new members and we would be happy to speak to anyone who is interested in our Association. For more information about us and our Circle, please click here.
Life
LIFE is the leading pro-life charity in the UK, helping thousands of women, men and children. For 38 years LIFE has been the leading pro-life charity in the UK, helping thousands of women, men and children by providing help and support to some of society’s most vulnerable people. LIFE Care offers pre- and post-abortion counselling as well as practical support to women and men facing unintended pregnancy or who are suffering after abortion. LIFE Housing offers accommodation and support for pregnant women and young mothers. LIFE’s Education Programme engages with young people in schools, colleges and universities, encouraging them to consider a range of issues, from abortion and embryo research, to sex and relationships. LIFE’s Fertility Care Programme offers natural, effective treatment to married couples trying to conceive.
We are always looking for new members to join our friendly, informal group. If you would like any further information please contact Helen Bryan on 0121 602 8715 or see the national website at www.lifecharity.org.uk
Music Group and Choir
Our Lady and All Saints is blessed with a vibrant musical community. There are two regular music groups that support the liturgy; the Choir and the Music Group. The two groups take weekly turns to support the liturgy at the Sunday 11am Mass.
Music Group. The Music Group has a contemporary style and includes wind, brass, strings and percussion instruments with guitars. Singers are always welcome and if you want to sing with us, please make yourself known to the group. If you are interested in joining, come and have a chat with us after the 11am Mass.
Choir. Choir rehearsals are held on Friday 7-30pm – 8-30pm and on Sunday at 10:00 am to make final preparations for mass. The choir meets socially for celebratory parties and barbecues. We are always looking for new voices and so if you enjoy singing please come and talk to us.
Street Pastors link
Street Pastors are out in Stourbridge on Saturday nights engaging with people on the street to care, help, listen and chat, to build trust and create a safer community. Stourbridge Street Pastors is an initiative of the ‘Churches Together’ in Stourbridge, and has drawn volunteers from many of the local churches. It’s an exciting way to put our faith into action and make Jesus present in the streets of our community. Street Pastors are trained for the role and can be identified by their distinctive blue uniforms. The project operates in partnership with the police, the local authority and other key agencies to reduce crime and improve community safety. Is God calling you? Stourbridge Street Pastors are recruiting new Street Pastors so that our presence in the community can be extended. The current group of Street Pastors is a great, supportive and cohesive group that you will enjoy being a part of. We urge you to give this ministry prayerful consideration.
Find out more at www.streetpastors.org.uk or contact us at stourbridge@streetpastors.org.uk