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September is SVP awareness month. The SVP was founded in 1833 by a group of students in Paris. Inspired by the example of St Vincent de Paul, they set about serving the poor of the city. In 1844, the first group in Britain was started in London. Here at St Gregory the Great, we continue in the spirit of those students to serve those in need in our community.

We would like to thank all of those who get involved in any way at all. Without our volunteers, and the generosity of the parish, we would not be able to continue to serve those in need in the way that we do.

Our first ever SVP Festival Mass at St. Gregory the Great Parish will be held at 7pm on Friday, Sept. 10. Please join us as we give thanks to all those who have aided the SVP’s many activities over the past five years, and pray for all those we help.

Also, the SVP shop will be open this weekend before and after mass on Saturday Evening and all masses on Sunday. We have a selection of religious items and greeting cards.

Our B-Attitude group were very busy this past weekend, washing cars on Sunday while you were at mass. We would like to thank you enormously for your continued support. We raised in excess of £450, which will be used to purchase Christmas gifts for residents of Brackenbridge House care home.

Before lockdown, a group of teenagers from our parish would visit the care home each week, chatting to residents and playing cards and dominoes. The care home is currently only allowing family to visit, so the gifts are our way of letting them know we still care. We also deliver DVDs of the mass each week, so they have a connection to St Gregory the Great.

The B-Attitude group has been busy! The B-Attitudes held a gardening day on Wednesday and did a great job clearing the area next to the parish office. The B-Attitudes are also having a car wash this weekend, Aug. 22, during the 10am and 12 noon masses. You are invited to bring your car for us to wash while you are at Mass, with a suggested donation of £5. All funds raised will be used to fund projects to help those in the community. Currently we are fundraising to buy Christmas gifts for residents of a local care home.

The past year and a half have been hard for many. We’ve lost family and friends and our finances have been squeezed as never before. The SVP is here to help, not just “out there” in the community, but also among our neighbours and fellow parishioners.

Over the past few weeks we have become aware of parishioners who have needed a little help and we have been able to assist. It takes courage to ask for help. Rest assured that this will always be handled in a non-judgemental, confidential and respectful manner.