SOCIAL action current events
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Our social mission
Our task as a parish community is ‘to make the Kingdom of God present in our world’ (Pope Francis). We are called to embody Christ-like love for all, and especially to those who are poor or excluded or face injustice. Our concern is both for those in our own community and for our wider society and our global community.
Across the Catholic Parish of Guildford, there are many groups and activities that take forward this aspect of living our Catholic faith. All groups welcome new members. Some are shared with other Christians and neighbours locally.
Across the Catholic Parish of Guildford, there are many groups and activities that take forward this aspect of living our Catholic faith. All groups welcome new members. Some are shared with other Christians and neighbours locally.
The parish justice and peace group
TThe Parish Justice and Peace Group works to encourage the Parish to take part in activities that express the Catholic commitment to working for a more just, equal and peaceful world. We link up with the campaigns and programmes of Catholic organisations and bring opportunities to the Parish to take simple actions that can make a difference. We also raise awareness about the social teachings that are part of our Catholic faith.
We support Pax Christi, the Catholic organisation that works for peace (see further below). We encourage our churches to celebrate Peace Sunday in January each year. We also organise prayer vigils for peace in situations such as Syria and Yemen. When opportunities arise to make a public stand for peace, we add our voice.
We have a continuing commitment to care for creation and to environmental concern. When Pope Francis issued his letter, Laudato Si, or On Care for our Common Home, we organised some evening talks with discussion to read the text together. You can find this text here. In September each year, we propose a Car-Free Sunday to the Parish, encouraging people to walk to church if they can or share lifts.
We also promote Racial Justice Sunday and encourage our churches to include this theme in their liturgy. Racial Justice Sunday falls in January each year. You can read about the 2018 theme here. In common with many other Justice and Peace groups we draw attention to the continuing abuse of human rights in Palestine and the flouting of international law by the illegal occupation.
The Justice and Peace Group is concerned with the abuse of human rights of those unjustly imprisoned and of prisoners of conscience. Accordingly it organises two campaigns each year – before Christmas and Easter – asking parishioners to send greetings to encourage those in prison with messages of hope and love. The details of those to whom greetings may be sent are provided by ACTION BY CHRISTIANS AGAINST TORTURE (UK) and they issue recommendations for the content and manner of sending the greeting. .The Christmas Campaign in 2018 resulted in over 50 messages and the Easter Campaign exceeded 90 messages. It is hoped that this number will be further increased in the future and that the campaigning action will be undertaken in all the churches of the Parish.
The Justice and Peace Group also organises – or promotes – pre-election meetings so that when elections happen, we can question the candidates about their priorities and ensure they listen to our views. This helps people make better decisions with their votes.
There is also a diocesan justice and peace network, and an annual diocesan conference, in which Group members participate. We also link up with the National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) which brings together people from parishes all around England and Wales. For more information about NJPN, go here.
The Justice and Peace Group meets monthly, usually on the first Tuesday, in the Quiet Room at St Pius Church. We would be delighted to welcome new members. For more information, contact Kevin Burr at kevin@cpg.church.
We support Pax Christi, the Catholic organisation that works for peace (see further below). We encourage our churches to celebrate Peace Sunday in January each year. We also organise prayer vigils for peace in situations such as Syria and Yemen. When opportunities arise to make a public stand for peace, we add our voice.
We have a continuing commitment to care for creation and to environmental concern. When Pope Francis issued his letter, Laudato Si, or On Care for our Common Home, we organised some evening talks with discussion to read the text together. You can find this text here. In September each year, we propose a Car-Free Sunday to the Parish, encouraging people to walk to church if they can or share lifts.
We also promote Racial Justice Sunday and encourage our churches to include this theme in their liturgy. Racial Justice Sunday falls in January each year. You can read about the 2018 theme here. In common with many other Justice and Peace groups we draw attention to the continuing abuse of human rights in Palestine and the flouting of international law by the illegal occupation.
The Justice and Peace Group is concerned with the abuse of human rights of those unjustly imprisoned and of prisoners of conscience. Accordingly it organises two campaigns each year – before Christmas and Easter – asking parishioners to send greetings to encourage those in prison with messages of hope and love. The details of those to whom greetings may be sent are provided by ACTION BY CHRISTIANS AGAINST TORTURE (UK) and they issue recommendations for the content and manner of sending the greeting. .The Christmas Campaign in 2018 resulted in over 50 messages and the Easter Campaign exceeded 90 messages. It is hoped that this number will be further increased in the future and that the campaigning action will be undertaken in all the churches of the Parish.
The Justice and Peace Group also organises – or promotes – pre-election meetings so that when elections happen, we can question the candidates about their priorities and ensure they listen to our views. This helps people make better decisions with their votes.
There is also a diocesan justice and peace network, and an annual diocesan conference, in which Group members participate. We also link up with the National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) which brings together people from parishes all around England and Wales. For more information about NJPN, go here.
The Justice and Peace Group meets monthly, usually on the first Tuesday, in the Quiet Room at St Pius Church. We would be delighted to welcome new members. For more information, contact Kevin Burr at kevin@cpg.church.
Pax Christi, (The Catholic International Movement for Peace)
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Vision:
The work of Pax Christi – the Peace of Christ – is based on the gospel and inspired by faith. Our vision is of a world where people can live in peace, without fear of violence in any form. Pax Christi is rooted in Catholic Christianity but is open to all who share its values and work. Working for:
The main source of income for Pax Christi comes from the retiring collection on Peace Sunday in January each year. Pax Christi is a non-profit, unincorporated membership organisation. As a membership and campaigning organisation, it chooses not to be a charity so do not benefit from government schemes such as Gift Aid. This makes donations all the more important. Education: Education for peace is of paramount importance. Pax Christi has a full-time Schools and Youth Education Officer. The Christian Peace Education Fund now has its own website where you can find out about the CPEF, how you can support their work, and applying for grants. www.paxchristi.org.uk, Tel: +44 (0)20 8203 4884, E-mail: info@paxchristi.org.uk |
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REFUGEE SUPPORT FUND
Project Francis was established last year with the aim of finding a home in Guildford for another Syrian Refugee Family to be resettled under the Government Resettlement scheme. Guildford Borough Council administers the scheme locally and provides certain financial and other support.
With the funds raised at the Refugee Dinner held in October last year, the Parish set up a fund for the purpose of assisting such a family in its new home. Having had detailed discussions with a number of people already engaged in the scheme and thereby gaining a working knowledge of the resettlement requirements and the practicalities of volunteering, the Project Francis Team intended to pursue vigorously the identification of a property as the new home for such a family.
In January, with some regret, the Council advised that, in the current financial circumstances, it was unable to take on any more families in addition to the eight who have already arrived in the Borough. Clearly this was a considerable setback for the furtherance of Project Francis and the Project Team has had to consider an alternative approach for the time being.
After due consideration, it has been decided to establish a Refugee Support Fund with the objective of supporting the eight families currently settled in the Borough, many of whom are finding it difficult to cope for a number of reasons. The funds available in the Fund currently amount to £3,000 arising from the generosity of those who attended last year’s Refugee Dinner. If it becomes possible in the future to pursue the original intention of assisting the resettlement of another family then due consideration will be given to that possibility at the appropriate time.
It is likely that further funds will be required if the financial position of the existing families does not improve and another fundraising dinner will be held on October 19th this year with a view to increasing the sum available for support.
Further announcements will be made during the year as the grants are made to those in need.
With the funds raised at the Refugee Dinner held in October last year, the Parish set up a fund for the purpose of assisting such a family in its new home. Having had detailed discussions with a number of people already engaged in the scheme and thereby gaining a working knowledge of the resettlement requirements and the practicalities of volunteering, the Project Francis Team intended to pursue vigorously the identification of a property as the new home for such a family.
In January, with some regret, the Council advised that, in the current financial circumstances, it was unable to take on any more families in addition to the eight who have already arrived in the Borough. Clearly this was a considerable setback for the furtherance of Project Francis and the Project Team has had to consider an alternative approach for the time being.
After due consideration, it has been decided to establish a Refugee Support Fund with the objective of supporting the eight families currently settled in the Borough, many of whom are finding it difficult to cope for a number of reasons. The funds available in the Fund currently amount to £3,000 arising from the generosity of those who attended last year’s Refugee Dinner. If it becomes possible in the future to pursue the original intention of assisting the resettlement of another family then due consideration will be given to that possibility at the appropriate time.
It is likely that further funds will be required if the financial position of the existing families does not improve and another fundraising dinner will be held on October 19th this year with a view to increasing the sum available for support.
Further announcements will be made during the year as the grants are made to those in need.
CAFOD
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The Parish is a strong supporter of CAFOD, the official Catholic aid agency. You can find out more about CAFOD’s work here. There are CAFOD representatives in our Parish community who help to organise the Family Fast Days in each church at Lent and at Harvest time. We also participate in their campaigns and use their resources for prayer and reflection.
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Support for Fair Trade
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Volunteers in the Parish work hard to encourage people to buy fairly traded goods, because fair trade helps people in poverty to earn their way to a better life, and reduces the need for aid. There is a shop in St Joseph’s Church that sells Fair Trade goods every week, and a Fair Trade stall in St Pius and in St Mary’s every month. All of these are organised and run by volunteers. There are some celebration events organised each year, usually in Fairtrade Fortnight and in Advent. You can find out more about Traidcraft goods here and about the Fair Trade Foundation which we also support here. If you are interested in finding out more about getting involved with Fair Trade, please contact us at the form at the bottom of this web page. Members of the Parish are also involved at the Fair Trade stall on the monthly Farmers Market in Guildford High Street which is run by volunteers from a number of Guildford churches.
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Number Five
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Number Five is a night shelter for homeless people that was started by the local churches in Guildford. It provides beds every night for 14 men and 2 women and works with local social services to get the help homeless people need to find a way out of their
situation.. It is a charity (Reg 1015474), with most of its funds coming from statutory grants and housing benefit, but these sources don’t provide all that is needed, and local churches are generous supporters as well. Several parishioners are trustees. To find out more, click here |
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Footsteps
Footsteps is a completely voluntary project helping homeless and vulnerable people in Guildford by providing a drop-in centre every Sunday evening, offering a hot meal and company. Several volunteers from the Parish are involved, together with other people from local churches and the community. Footsteps operates in Beverley hall Community Centre, next to Waitrose in the town centre. Footsteps is also a registered charity (Reg 1085472). Find out more here
Support for other charities
The Catholic Parish of Guildford provides generous support through fundraising for many other charities.
- There is a continuing relationship and regular events in support of Project Peru, a locally based charity that links Guildford with poor communities in Peru. See www.projectperu.org.uk
- There are parish quiz evenings, film nights, shared meals and other event to support other charities. In recent years these have included Life, Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, Jesuit Refugee Service, the Cardinal Hume Centre, Headway Surrey, Oakleaf Enterprise, a mental health charity in Guildford, and others.
- Before Christmas each year, in St Pius Church, there is a 10% collection, in which parish members are invited to donate 10% (or whatever they can afford) of the amount they spend on Christmas and to choose which three charities, local, national and international, should benefit. The amount raised is usually around £3000-£5000. The charities helped include Housing Justice, Women at the Well, and the Medaille Trust.
Other ways that parish members serve the local community
There are many other ways that members of the Parish get involved in local community activities and respond to people who need our help. Some of these are supported or organised by other churches and some are community based.
- The Merrow Lunch Club offers a meal to people who are isolated or in need of company, and provides a sociable meal and transport help. Volunteers from three local churches including St Pius X organise this in Merrow Methodist Church each Tuesday in term-time.
- Guildford Street Angels www.gtcc.org.uk/street-angels
- The North Guildford Food Bank www.northguildfordfoodbank.co.uk