St Andrew’s Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Meeting 7th December 2023

St Andrew’s PPC Meeting Thursday 7th December 2023

Attending : Father Mackle, Deacon Tommy, George Allan, Mary Teresa Coyle, Catherine Dunipace, Jenny McGahan, Caroline Hanlon, Moira English, Robert Paterson, Marysia Paterson, Ricky Jackson, John Heath and Veronica McLaughlin.

Apologies Sadie Traynor, Jim Hendrie, Chris Sanders and Donal McDermott.

1. Opening Prayer

2. Agree previous minutes or any further changes
No changes, minutes agreed.

3. Pastoral Area Update

• Productive meeting held recently and agreement reached on a proposed summer Mass schedule, which was discussed and agreed. The possibility of a pilgrimage to Rome for older school age children and young adults was discussed. Next pastoral area meeting is in January 2024

4. Any questions or arising from latest Parish Group Reports

• Liturgy
• Halls
• J&P
• Messengers
• Fabric & Finance
• Further Halls update – New gutters and downpipes fitted to hut and house and LED lighting now complete. Upper hall window fitted but work not complete. Halls Committee in need of further volunteers. Thanks offered for the significant help by various volunteers on the Parish halls, house, grounds etc. We are very blessed as a Parish to have the volunteers we do. Discussed action needed to assess risk of aerated concrete. Possibility discussed of arranging an inspection by a surveyor or structural engineer. Highlighted items arising on recent fire risk assessment with new report requireddue to errors.

Action

• Item for bulletin to be drafted asking for people to give their names to be called on to set up tables and chairs for events on occasion particularly during months - Robert.

5. Visiting teams

• Following appeal made to form cross-parish visiting team, this is now up and running with meetings held. Visits are carried out in pairs and some additional visits carried out. It is hoped that visits may continue under evangelisation initiative.

6. Summer 2024 Mass schedule – covered under item 3.

7. AOB

• Work will commence in January on parish directory.
• There are no RCIA candidates this year. Programme for this is currently being revamped.
• The Children Liturgy, St Andrew’s squad and Catechists team have amalgamated into one new group. They will look at how best to inform, guide, educate and prepare the children of St Andrew’s for the Sacraments from a parish perspective.
• Touched on possibility of establishing an oratory in St Nicholas. EDC were approached but advised they would not support this request with no reason given.
• Lunch club urgently need a volunteer to help set up and clear away tables.
• Carpet in porch discussed and how to refresh. Possibility of changing external doors to the church as well as 2 internal double doors.

Actions

• Include appeal for volunteers in bulletin item and social media – Robert.
• Make an appeal at Mass for volunteers to help set up hall on occasion - Father Mackle.
• Look into replacing carpet in porch - George.
• Consider whether replacing external and internal doors is feasible and issues involved – George and Robert.
• Contact school with request they contact EDC re Oratory request

8. Date of next meeting – Thursday 21st March 2024

9. Closing Prayer