Present
Fr Tom Egan, Gerard Barden, Patrick Bolger, Edoardo Albert, Libby Biberian, Felicity Brown, Ray Landi, Michael McGowan, Greg Howard (minutes)
Apologies
No apologies were received
Minutes of last Parish Council Meeting
Further to the minutes of the meeting of Monday 3 March 2014, under the heading Ecumenism, Felicity stated that she is still the parish’s ecumenical coordinator, and that she has found it hard to contact Robin Soobrayen.
Further to a point raised at the recent annual general meeting, Michael raised the matter of the taps in the men’s toilets in the parish hall, from which he says the flow of water is slow.
Felicity mentioned in addition, that one of the hand-driers in the ladies’ toilet is not working.
Felicity also enquired about the availability of an up to date list of organisations in the parish, with contact details of the people who run them. Such a list is maintained by Mill Hill, and they have found it very useful. Edoardo said that he would send a list to Fr Tom for updating, and it was suggested that it could be displayed on the parish noticeboard, with contact details removed.
Gerard said that the minutes of the March meeting could be signed off with the few small suggested amendments.
Finance/Fundraising
Pat told the council that a regular meeting of the finance committee was held on 12 May, and that another is scheduled for 8 September.
He referred to the planned giving appeal, which took place at masses over the week-end of 22/23 March. The appeal encouraged parishioners who currently make their offerings in loose plate, to use envelopes and standing orders instead, and to gift aid their offerings.
The appeal seems to have been successful. Pat presented figures showing that the sum of money offered in envelopes rose from just over £5,700 in June 2013 to nearly £8,500 in June 2014. Loose plate and standing orders are also up over the same period, but offertory envelopes are the main source of the increase in the parish’s income over the last year.
The parish’s tax claim has recently been sent to the diocese, from which we can expect to receive about £18,000.
Pat explained that all finance committee meetings get in-depth figures on the parish’s financial position from our treasurer, Brian Hunt. The committee also looks at proposed items of parish expenditure, including, for example, the recent installation of CCTV, the purchase of a new door for the back of the church and the new signs and gates that have been put up in the car park. He concluded by thanking all those who had helped with the March planned giving appeal.
Prayer and Evangelisation
Fr Tom said that the recent First Holy Communions and Confirmations have gone well. He added that Bishop John Arnold had suggested that confirmations could be simplified. For example, he suggested that rather than having a full mass for confirmation, it might only be necessary to say the liturgy of the Word. In addition, the bishop currently lays hands on each of the individual candidates for confirmation, and thinks that he might in future give a blessing to the candidates as a group. He said that the real sign of confirmation was the anointing of candidates with the oil of chrism.
Fr Tom also said that he had been struck by the lack of respect shown for the church building by some people attending First Holy Communion and Confirmation masses in support of candidates. This is a trend which has also been noticed in other parishes. He had the impression that the majority of candidates for confirmation were not really interested, but had been persuaded to go ahead with it by their parents. He suggested that it might be better to confirm young people at an earlier age, before they develop other interests. There was some discussion of the most appropriate age at which young people should receive confirmation. The age is set by the diocese.
Ecumenism
Felicity told the meeting about the activities of various local churches, including:
A Walsingham cell which has been set up at St Paul’s, New Southgate
A day nursery, which has been set up at St Mary Magdalen in Whetstone
A fundraising scheme, based on the parable of the talents, which is being run at St John the Apostle, Whetstone.
Felicity added that the next meeting of Churches Together will be at 7.45 for 8, at St Peter’s Bourne on Oakleigh Park South, on Wednesday 17 September. The meeting is open to all.
Felicity also mentioned that she has not seen Compass magazine, which would normally have been received at the end of June, and would look into this.
It was mentioned that meetings of clergy attached to local churches seem to be a thing of the past. Fr Tom suggested that on recent occasions such meetings have been held on deanery days, making it hard for clergy from Our Lady of Lourdes to attend.
Parish Hall
It was reported that some people have been putting chewing gum down the urinals in the men’s toilets. The resultant leak has been repaired, and a notice put up asking people not to dispose of their chewing gum in this way. This is something we need to keep an eye on.
In addition, some loose slates around the building have been replaced.
IT and security
The CCTV has been fully installed, and is working effectively. Ten Ten Theatre’s van was recently broken into, and the offender was caught with the help of CCTV footage.
Any other business and dates for subsequent meetings
There was some discussion of the recent Ten Ten production on human trafficking This is my body. Fr Tom said that trafficking goes on, and most people are completely unaware of it. He referred to two recent cases in the parish.
Further to a suggestion by Michael, it was agreed that current readers rotas, and Eucharistic ministers rotas should be posted on the noticeboard outside the church, with names and contact details of the individuals concerned not shown.
Parish councillors were asked to send photographs of themselves – ‘selfies’ – to Gerard for posting on the parish website.
Michael referred to the incorrect use of apostrophes in the orders of service used for the Christmas and Easter liturgies, in particular, the unnecessary use of an apostrophe in the possessive ‘its’. He said that he would show a copy to Fr Tom so that errors could be corrected.
It was agreed that the next parish council meeting will be held on 22 September, starting at 815pm in the small hall. The next finance committee meetings will be on 8 September and 9 December, also at 815pm in the small hall.