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You’ll have seen our shop, known as ‘Gifted,’ on the way into Mass this weekend. We thank you for the lovely support that you always show for it on the first weekend of each month. Have a look at the items on offer and if ever you need something that is not on the table, just mention it and we’ll try to get it in stock.

A reminder that our other monthly activity, the Bereavement Support Group, will not be meeting on Wednesday as the hall is undergoing refurbishment. This group will be back in action again, please God, on the first Wednesday of September, 1030am to noon, in the hall. If you ever need to speak to someone sooner, just contact us as below.

Your SVP team reflects the mission of the global SVP family in its various workstreams. Poverty is addressed through the food bank, for example, and tackling illness and loneliness is the goal of our home and care home visits, as well as the Bereavement Support Group. Visiting the imprisoned is addressed by detention centre visits. This work is powered by the Holy Spirit, acting through the team members and also acting through the parishioners who support us in such prayerful and material ways.

Many of us are interested in current affairs and you won’t need to search hard to read, or hear, about refugees crossing the channel in small boats. It is always well to inform yourself, though, before coming to your own conclusion on such issues. For example, did you know that net migration to the UK in 2024 is provisionally estimated to be 431,000, according to the Office for National Statistics. The total who crossed the channel in small boats was approximately 36,816 – only 8.5 percent of the total!

The school holidays are almost upon us now, so young readers might be wondering how to spend all their free time! Why not think about some voluntary work, to help those less fortunate than you? As Jesus tells us, you are now His eyes, His ears, His hands and you need to use your gifts to help do His work on Earth.

Think about where you live, and who lives near you. Become actively aware of what is around you and how you might help fix things! Start with small things, like helping an elderly person pack their groceries while you’re standing in the queue watching! Say ‘Hello’ to your neighbours! Say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’ more often! All these little things can really change the day for the person on the receiving end. And, when you return to school, why not then join, or start, Mini-Vinnies in Primary School or join B-Attitudes here at church if you’re in Secondary School. We have recently welcomed, for example, three new 14-year-old volunteers to Saturday foodbank and they are doing a tremendous job for us! Have a think, and spend your free time wisely this summer!!

‘Hope Springs Eternal’ is a poem, and phrase, that many will remember from schoolday studies of the works of Alexander Pope. Hope is not to be underestimated and, as such, the UN has declared July 12 as the International Day of Hope.

Hope is part of the DNA of the SVP. It is that special ripple that emanates, almost invisibly, from every little act of kindness. Once that ripple has started, no one can be sure where it will end and what lovely effects it may cause along the way. We see this every Saturday in food bank, for example. And we see it, very much so, at the detention centre. I guess you could call it an unintended consequence of your good deed. Never underestimate the effect it can have on the person on the receiving end.