A short walk to reflect on Gods Glory in Nature at Easter, visiting some of our parks and gardens in Cheltenham.

Meet at https://goo.gl/maps/RSDmmNK98qtA8tMm9

A number of our Parishioners, and others around the world, depend upon our Sunday Mass streams as their access to Mass - mainly due to being house bound or otherwise unable to come to church on Sundays. This service has been maintained by a small but enthusiastic team, who now need a few more willing to take on this work. Some basic IT skills are needed, and the ability to use a camera well. You do need to be able to safely use a spiral staircase. The task is open to anyone of any age above 14. If you are on the Rota with someone under 18 you would need to have a DBS which can be easily arranged through the Parish.

Training will be provided, and you would be invited to join a rota with the opportunity to stream one or two Sundays a month.

Please contact John Andrews, or, meet us at the bottom of the spire stairs at the end of a Sunday 09:30 Mass.

Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees have a new newsletter - please click their logo to access this. Bill Flynn and others operate an informal lift share to enable some of the refugees to attend Mass on Sundays - you might have met them in Coffee. There is a need for a couple more drivers willing to pick people up from near Staverton Airport and return them on Sunday mornings, to share out the driving. You will need to have (or get) a safeguarding for this - it is not difficult or onerous to do. Please contact Bill for details.

John Huntriss leads three Scripture based Lenten sessions at St Gregory the Great, Cheltenham. John has been leading Scripture sessions around the diocese for many years and is a superb scriptural scholar and communicator.

Why did Jesus Die? – a familiar story, John will put the pieces together to tell the Passion/Easter story. He will also look at the details we hear read each year but may have never stopped to consider. A good preparation for Holy Week and Easter.

The Wednesday evening sessions at St Gregory the Great, Cheltenham, take place on 15, 22 & 29 March. Each session starts at 7pm.

Donations were dropped off at St. Thomas More Church during the afternoon of Sunday 12th. February.

Volunteer supporters from Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees, St. Gregory's Church, St. Thomas More Church, Sacred Hearts Church and other local churches helped the Syrian families to sort and pack the donations, which were about 4 times the amount anticipated.

Donations comprised the requested items of:

• Sleeping bags
• Woolly hats
• Nappies for children
• Baby food
• Tinned foods such as Tuna, Sardines, Chickpeas, Beans,
• Medicines such as Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Cough Medicine, Plasters and bandages 

A large truck collected the donations on Monday 13th. February. All transport and distribution arrangements are being managed by an organisation who have established a secure supply route for sending essential supplies to Northern Syria for the last 8 years.

The organisation is named 'Muslims In Need'.

They have a facility in London that takes donations from around the country, sorts the items and loads them into very large containers, which are then taken by ship to Turkey and from there by land to Northern Syria. This process takes 4-6weeks. The local distributors in Northern Syria know the areas that have been affected and can direct the essential supplies to those areas. They advise that the latest information shows there are over 5000 people who have been killed, and 6000 people injured. 550 Buildings that have been completely destroyed and 6000 houses partially destroyed. This is of course in addition to the devastation that already exists, due to the civil war that has destroyed so many places in Northern Syria.

During the week following the earthquake there was confusion at the border crossings that caused delays to those supplies already waiting at the Turkey/ Syrian borders but that situation was quickly resolved and no delays are now being reported.

The items collected and supplied from Cheltenham are likely to be arriving in about a week's time and will then be distributed to those areas affected as speedily as possible. We will keep in touch with our contact at Muslims In Need for future updates.

The Syrian families are very grateful for the support they were given and would like to thank everyone for their help in raising these donations for those who have been affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Northern Syria.

Thank you.

Newman Association:  There will be a talk on Tuesday 7 February at 2.30pm, in the lounge of Sacred Hearts' Hall, Moorend Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, GL53 9AU.

Fr Aelred Baker, the resident priest at Nazareth House and the Archivist at Prinknash Abbey, will speak to us on:

Newman and Stories in the Bible.

All are welcome.                                                      Admission: £3 (members & students free)

Enquires to Stephanie Jamison, tel: 01242 539810.