For the 3rd week running we have recorded an episode of Lockdown Diaries which is your chance to see how people in the parish have fared under lockdown. This week we have brought together some young people and teacher Jennie Gough to talk about their experiences. We are sure that you will find it as interesting as our previous conversations.
Thanks to Maeve for presenting and Melanie and Jenany, Kieran, Clare, Aoife, Emma and Jennie for taking part.
📽️ Hi folks. We are super excited to let you know that the 2nd instalment of our Lockdown Diaries is now available on YouTube. This week we have invited Simon, Rory, Maeve, Margaret, Claire, Brett and Canon John to give you some idea about what they have been up to over the past few months.
We do hope you take as much enjoyment from watching it as we did in making it.
➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YE00q3rUn4
Please feel free to comment or like it either on YouTube or below. AND make sure you Subscribe to our YouTube Channel so you can find out about our latest videos.
Hi Everyone
How do you fancy joining us for Launch of the St Helen’s Book Club? Here’s how it will work:
📗 We will select one book a month to read.
📕 Read it (obviously!)
📙 Then meet as a book club to discuss it
Initially, everything will be done through Zoom.
If you’re interested, please let us know through this Facebook Events Page or email Canon John at caerphilly@rcadc.org.
Got any plans this Thursday? If not, you may want to join Father John and other parishioners for Bible Study. We’re going to be doing it on Zoom and all are welcome.
Message us on Facebook or send Father John an email at caerphilly@rcadc.org and we’ll send you an invite. And we will even give you some tips for using Zoom.
Hopefully, we’ll see you on Thursday.
CAFOD is running a taster session open to anyone who wants to find out more about CAFOD’s volunteer work in schools and parishes. The session will be held at Saint David’s Cathedral in Cardiff on Monday 17 September, 11-4pm. A great way to find out more about CAFOD’s educational work, meet other volunteers, unpack resources and see first-hand what this vital role entails. It’s an ideal opportunity for those who are interested in becoming a volunteer, but want to find out more first. Please contact CAFOD at southwales@cafod.org.uk or 029 20 344 882 to find out more and book your place.
Listening to the poor, reflecting on the Scriptures and engaging with political realities transformed Oscar Romero into one of the Church’s most respected and inspirational figures. His legacy of radical love lives on 100 years after his birth.
At this CAFOD ‘Journey to Justice’ retreat, you are invited to explore how Romero’s life and faith can inspire and challenge us and transform our world. Take time to reflect on your own journey of transformation, and be inspired and enriched by stories of those who continue to speak out for justice today.
All are welcome to join us on Saturday 18 November, 10am-4pm, at the peaceful surroundings of the Tŷ Croeso Centre, Llantarnam Abbey, Cwmbran, Torfaen, NP44 3YJ. You don’t have to be a CAFOD campaigner or volunteer already to take part.
The retreat is free of charge, but donations accepted. A simple lunch will be provided. Advance booking needed.
Book your place on this retreat
There are similar retreats taking place across England and Wales in November. All retreats are open to people from any diocese. See the full list of retreats.
We also have an opportunity to learn more about Romero closer to home this Friday, November 10th at 7.00 pm when the film of his life and ministry will be shown in St Helen’s Community Hall.
This week sees the launch of our new St Helen’s Twitter account. Our Twitter username is @StHelensTweets and you can follow us at: twitter.com/sthelenstweets. We plan to regularly update it with the latest news about what’s going on in the Parish, news from the Parish groups, updates from the Parish Mission, thoughts from Father John and ‘retweets’ (or updates!) from other Catholic Twitter accounts. If there’s anything you’d like us to tweet about, please get in touch.
And help us reach our target of a 100 followers by the Mission (16th-20th October)!
Last week we had a wonderful service to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of St Helen’s Church, followed by a lovely drinks reception in the hall. Thank you to all who helped out and to all who attended. We look forward to the next 50 years! Cliff Bray took some excellent photos which captured the evening well and we thought we would share them with you. And please feel free to leave a comment below.
All Family Group members and their families are welcome. More details will follow prior to each event.
Transport can be arranged if necessary. Please contact leaders for more information.
| Date & Time | Event Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 29th 12.00 pm | Picnic and Walk | Tredegar House, Newport |
| Aug 16th 12.00pm | Picnic and Paddler | Caswell Beach, Swansea |
| Sep 20th 10.00 am | Day Out | Margam Park, Neath |
| Oct 17th 6.00 pm | Friday Night BBQ | Hoy Family Home, Caerphilly |
| Nov 8th 6.00 pm | Bonfire Night | St Helen’s, Caerphilly |
| Dec 5th TBA | Christmas Night Out | Adults Only |
| Dec 19th 6.00 pm | Christmas Party | St Helen’s, Caerphilly |
Adults who wish to explore becoming a Catholic, or who simply wish to find out more about the Catholic faith, are welcome to ‘come and see’, as Jesus invited his first followers. The Looking Into The Faith group is aimed at those who would like to become Catholics or who would just like to know more about the faith. We should hasten to add that the group is also made up of people from the parish who come along to learn and to support those who may enter into the church. Our meetings are very informal and take place every Thursday – we’ll even make you a cup of tea and offer you some biscuits! Father John is always there (except when he attends meetings) as we explore the faith through a course called Evangelium, which offers an excellent grounding in the full panorama of Catholic beliefs. This course is delivered through a PowerPoint presentation and covers many of the questions you have about the Catholic faith.
If you’d like to know more, visit our Looking Into the Faith page on this website. And please let your friends and family know about this group.
