The Pastor is the shepherd caring for the needs of their flock and, in the Gospels, Jesus is described as the ‘Good Shepherd’. So we think of ‘pastoral care’ as seeing that the spiritual, physical and mental needs of those around us are met. In day-to-day life this means parents caring for children, children caring for parents, teachers caring for pupils, health professionals caring for patients, the police protecting us and so on….
For more than a century, but especially in the years following the Second Vatican Council, the Church has given us what has become known as its ‘social teaching’ expressing on our responsibilty towards the poor, the weak, the marginalised, the lonely and dispossessed. We are blessed in our parish with people who give their time freely to help others in the community.
Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary is a world-wide association of Catholics who have formed themselves into a body to be of service to the Church in the modern world.
The Legion of Mary has a weekly meeting with prayer to the Holy Spirit and the Rosary. A main feature of meetings are reports of the work performed by members – always in pairs. The work may be home visitation, census work, visits to sick, elderly, housebound or lapsed members of the parish community taking up no more than 2 hours of one’s free time.
Meetings take place on Sunday in the Parish Rooms at 3:30pm.
Parish Soup Run
We still need your donations which can be brought to the door of the Basement Parish Rooms between *1pm-4pm on Saturday afternoon*. Donations can be left at the back of church at other times.
We still need drivers, distributors and sandwich-makers! Contact Kit for more info on 07507 138582 or email kit.greveson@gmail.com.
Many thanks to our existing, wonderful, dedicated teams of sandwich makers, distributors and drivers!
How we came about and continue:
When a group of Confirmation candidates saw homeless people sleeping rough in doorways on the Strand late one evening over 30 years ago, they decided to do something to help and the Soup Run was born. So every Saturday since, volunteers have gathered to make tea, coffee and sandwiches which is then distributed to vulnerable beneficiaries in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Central London. Oddly enough, they don’t make soup! The project has been supported throughout by local bakers Dunns, and also more latterly by Gail’s in Crouch End, with bread donated every Friday evening. Parishioners and members of the local community have also been very generous, helping both financially and through donations in kind.
The Covid-19 pandemic meant a complete reorganisation was required to comply with guidelines and keep both guests and volunteers as safe as possible. Sandwich teams comprise a maximum of 4 ‘masked’ volunteers meeting each Saturday at 3pm who distance as far as is possible in the limited basement space at the Presbytery. Hygiene is paramount, with gloves and sanitizer readily available. All food is pre-wrapped in ‘goody bags’ to avoid physical contact between volunteers and guests. The soup run is a member of the borough-wide Haringey Food Hub where extra ambient items can be collected to supplement these bags and give our beneficiaries a wider choice.
The distribution teams are made up of 5 volunteers (3 drivers/2 ‘baggers’ who bag up any loose cakes/buns/savouries donated by Dunns at 6pm on Saturday evenings). Distribution takes about 2 hours or so depending on traffic conditions and numbers of guests, usually about 60.
Volunteers work flexibly and currently are helping about once every 3 weeks, the majority belonging to a WhatsApp group although this is not a prerequisite. We are always in need of volunteers, especially drivers, so if you’d like to find out more, please contact Kit Greveson on 07507138582 or email kit.greveson@gmail.com.
Food Banks
Recent years have seen more and more people needing to access food banks. We would ask anyone who is able to consider donating, when they can, to one of our local food banks.
Holy Trinity Foodbank is requesting, in particular:
– coffee
– long-life milk
– rice puddings
– tins of tomatoes
– jars of pasta sauce
– sugar.
Contributions can be made to Holy Trinity Foodbank on Sundays between 1pm and 3:30pm. Please come to Holy Trinity Church Hall on Stapleton Hall Road, next to St Aidan’s School, N4 4RR, near the junction with Albany Road. Please leave your donations by the gates – to ensure safe distancing do not go into the courtyard or put them in the volunteer’s car boot to ensure potential human interaction is minimised/avoided.
Hornsey Food Bank
Where: The Methodist Church, on the corner of Middle Lane and Lightfoot Road, Haringey, London, N8 7JN
Open: Thursdays, from 11am to 1pm.
Who: Anyone can come – no vouchers or referrals are needed.
Donation items: Thursdays between 10 – 11 am or 1 – 2 pm. Foods, personal care products, toiletries, cleaning supplies, nappies, baby wipes and sanitary products.
More information: https://hornseyfoodbank.com/
Gospel Centre Foodbank which is at the bottom of Wightman Road, just opposite the Mosque at the moment needs:
– small packets of rice,
– tinned vegetables,
– rice pudding,
– long life milk,
– coffee
– standard size bags of porridge
– bags of sugar.
– and all donations always gratefully received, particularly at the moment!
Donations may be delivered on:
– Sunday mornings 11:00 – 13:00; and
– Tuesday evenings 18:00 – 20:30.
https://www.gospelcentre.co.uk/get-involved.html or email gospelcfoodbank@gmail.com
The Hive foodbank – St Mary’s Church, Ashley Road, N19 3AD. https://thehivefoodbank.com/ Please come by on a Wednesday evening from 5.30pm or contact hivefoodbank@gmail.com if you’d like to donate at a different time.
Muswell Hill foodbank – 68 Pembroke Road, N10 2HT (in the front hall). Donations can be made on Wednesdays between 9-11am and 6-7pm. See urgently needed items here: https://muswellhill.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/
‘The measure of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing apart from their poverty.’ – [Pope Francis, March 2013]
Since 2012, Caritas has been supporting and enhancing social action in the Diocese of Westminster. We encourage Catholic parishes to use their gifts and passions to make a difference in their local communities. We do this by:
- Supporting parishes to run their own social action projects
- Running services for Deaf and hard of hearing people, people with learning disabilities, and women escaping human trafficking
- Developing partnerships with local and national NGOs
- Giving grants for parish projects and individuals in need
- Developing resources for parish priests and volunteers
For more information visit the Caritas website.