Supporting parishioners:

internet access

We know that there are people in the parish who don’t use email or FaceBook and who cannot livestream Mass.  Many of you are already looking out for them by keeping them close to the parish in other ways.

We deliver print copies of The Portico to some, but if you know of anyone else who might like one too, please let us know. We thought they might like to get a letter as well, so if you know someone in that position who would like a letter, or if you would like to write to someone yourself, please contact us at The Portico.

The SVP Truro group is trialling how user-friendly IT equipment can help people keep in touch. So if you know of anyone who might benefit, or if you have any spare ipads or smart devices, please contact the SVP as follows svp.truro@gmail.com or 07474-941099

Truro and the World?

Pope Francis, in his “Urbi et Orbi” address (“The City and the World”) at Christmas,  delivered a message to all people of goodwill, that we would do well to remember through this new year:

“At this moment in history, marked by the ecological crisis and grave economic and social imbalances only worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, it is all the more important for us to acknowledge one another as brothers and sisters. God has made this fraternal unity possible, by giving us his Son Jesus. … a fraternity grounded in genuine love, making it possible for me to encounter others different from myself, feeling compassion for their sufferings, drawing near to them and caring for them even though they do not belong to my family, my ethnic group or my religion. For all their differences, they are still my brothers and sisters.”

Annual Parish Fair

Older parishioners will remember with nostalgia the efforts we put into to running our Annual  Autumn Fair.  When we moved into the “new” Church we inherited a large debt which we paid off largely through the profits from the Fair.  For months beforehand we made and collected goods for sale. We hired the City Hall, as it then was, for two days.  The first day was for preparation when we dressed and stocked our stalls.  Each year we chose a different theme: Olde Tyme, Arctic, Maritime, Romany, Wild West etc.  Our picture shows a typical stall.  On Saturday there would be a long queue of buyers hoping to pick a bargain.   

One cannot help wondering what enterprise today would inspire the parish to come together with such enthusiasm.

(Tony Barber)

Men’s Retreat Session

Truro Men’s Retreat group held another session last Thursday via ZOOM, instead of the cancelled 2020 Buckfast Retreat.

The talk and discussion was on the topic “Discernment” and included a short, experimental interactive workshop on communal discernment, in which participants tried out tools and processes to help groups of people to discern a best way forward as a community. 

The men also enthusiastically made good use of various facilities for online interaction, including polling and whiteboards. For more information, contact The Portico.

Christmas Greetings!

  • Greetings for A Happy Christmas and Healthy  2021  Jill and Jurek
  • Best wishes for a very Happy Christmas  Sue A
  • Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. From Sam
  • My very best wishes to all readers of the Portico.  Hopes also for a much better 2021! Jean
  • May the Peace & Joy of Christmas be with all my church family. Pamela
  • Sending every good wish and Christmas Blessings to all in the parish, and may the New Year bring good health to all. from Barbara Bramford.
  • Good wishes to all in the parish from Ben and Emily Dytor – who are expecting their 3rd baby in March.
  • “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us’.”  (Matt. 1:23.) Wishing you a very happy Christmas & peaceful New Year. Love from Deacon Andrew & Margaret
  • Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Christmas despite the difficulties and hoping that it won’t be too long before we are all able to meet and greet each other again. Here’s to a better 2021. Love, Nan xx
  • Hope you enjoy the festive season with all its restrictions! from Kay Money
  • A Joyful Christmas to everyone, and thanks for all your support. Peter and Jenny

You are invited to add your own Christmas Greeting, by leaving a ‘reply’ below.

“Let us Dream”: a recommendation

If you are looking for a last minute stocking filler for the thinking person in your life, can I recommend  Let us Dream: a Path to a Better Future by Pope Francis. This is a very readable discussion of some of the problems facing us today: Covid, refugees, climate change, arms race, women in the church and others.  As you can tell from the title, it not only analyses the present crisis but offers guidance and hope for the future following themes from two recent papal documents Fratelli Tutti and Laudato Si’.  The book came out of a discussion between the Pope and Austen Ivereigh.

Parishioners may remember Austen’s visit to the parish some years ago to promote his earlier biography of the Pope. A slim book, but it has many profound thoughts. 

(Tony Barber)

A Parish Self-Audit

Looking back, the better to move forward!

Fr John assembled a small group of parishioners earlier this week week, to test how best to engage the parish in the self-audit to be carried out here in Truro, as requested in Bishop Mark’s “A Precious Place”. The aim is for our community to assess realistically our ability “to fulfil and develop the fundamental aspects of parish life and mission.” and to provide feedback to the Bishop by end of January 2021.

Reflection: “A Precious Place”

Bishop Mark’s recent document on re organisation within the Diocese, makes regular reference to ‘The Pastoral Conversion of the Parish Community’, which was issued from the Vatican during the summer. 

On Christian initiation it says ‘It is a journey that is ongoing’  ‘not as a duty to fulfil, a rite of passage’ as ‘an ongoing proclamation of the Mystery of Christ.’  (para 23) This seems especially relevant to the preparation of young people for 1st Holy Communion, and for Confirmation, and for the reception of adults into the Church.  We have so many sessions of preparation, then the big day comes, and that’s it, and then we complain that so many don’t come back to Mass afterwards.  And we need ongoing adult formation as well. To give an illustration, many of us will have learned our prayers from our mothers and stick with that formula for the rest of our adult lives. 

A little further, (para 25) we read ‘The ‘culture of encounter’ is conducive to dialogue, solidarity and openness to others, ‘a Parish must be a place that brings people together and fosters long term personal relationships, thereby giving people a sense of belonging and being wanted.’ And isn’t this encounter at least a partial answer to our ongoing formation, something which we can do with and for each other?

‘Pastoral Conversion’ and ‘A Precious Place’ also discuss grouping of Parishes working together, and this seems especially helpful in the preparation of children and young adults who may be few in one parish and feel such a tiny and isolated minority without the friendship of others, and where their catechists or leader could share too.

From Frances McWilliams

Editorial Note: thanks to all who have commented on A Precious Place. We wait for parish arrangements to discuss and feed back to the Bishop – see article on A parish self-audit. Meanwhile, here are just one reader’s thoughts