At the moment there are about fifteen girls and boys who serve, the Saturday evening Mass and the Sunday morning Mass are well attended but we need volunteers for Sunday evening as there is only one regular server for this Mass at the moment.

Is it just serving?

No, we do have fun and try to arrange get-togethers especially around Christmas and Easter when there is a lot of hard work and sharing to be done.

What do I do if I am interested?

Have a word with your parents and the Parish Priest and he will get you sorted.

RING THOSE BELLS!

The bell is rung before Sunday morning Mass by one of a team of four bell ringers.
For ten minutes the bell is tolled in triplets (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
Then follows five minutes of continuous ringing (Hurry up, hurry up)
The bell is also rung after funerals.
More ringers are needed for all Sunday Masses.

Bidding Prayers

Members of the parish prepare the bidding prayers for each Saturday/Sunday Mass. There are several people involved at present, and so each one's turn comes around every seven weeks.

The people who write the bidding prayers are not necessarily involved in reading at Mass.

We pray for the Church, especially the hierarchy and priests, and we pray for our own people at St Augustine's and in our sister parish in Tanzania. We pray for the world, especially any urgent matters in our own country or abroad. We pray for the sick and for our dead.

Anyone prepared to compose bidding prayers and join the team, would be most welcome.
Specimen bidding prayers can be provided as models, until people feel confident enough to develop their own style of prayers.

If anyone is willing to take part in writing our bidding prayers, please contact Fr Michael.

PASTORAL CARE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

MISSION STATEMENT
Our youth is part of our present and the hope of our future Church created in God's image. We have a responsibility to nurture and support all individuals on their journey of faith, having regard for the uniqueness and value of each person.

Therefore we aim to:-

Counters

Each week a team of two people count the Saturday and Sunday collection and any second collection, which has taken place.

There are at present four such teams and each is called upon every four weeks.

The teams count the loose money and open the envelopes, count the money inside and enter on the envelopes the amount donated.

Each envelope has a number on it and the counter has no knowledge of the relationship of the number to the giver. No counter has any way of knowing the identity of the giver.

The amounts collected are entered on to an official form for the scrutiny of the diocesan treasurer.

ECUMENISM and INTERFAITH

Representatives from St. Augustine's attend the regular meetings of the "Chapeltown and Harehills Churches Together", where the different Christian denominations in the locality meet and share and discuss local issues.

The C.H.C.T. organises regular ecumenical gatherings including monthly prayer meetings , Lenten activities and a silent walk carrying a cross through the streets on Good Friday culminating with an open air ecumenical service in the local park. At Christmas time representatives also take part in an open air Carol Service at Oakwood.

Contact has been made with one of the local Mosques and regular meetings are held to enable the communities to discus ways of promoting friendship and understanding.
Women's Interfaith Group "Women Together"

FLOWERS

There are currently only two of us involved in this Ministry and we work together as a team. We buy fresh flowers from the wholesale market each fortnight and mix them with artificial flowers (to save money) when we make up the arrangements each week. We also decorate the church and do the flowers for weddings, in the bride’s colour scheme, and also for other special occasions.

We not only try to reflect the seasons of the year but also the Liturgical seasons and special feasts such as Christmas and Easter. We do not have flowers in church during Advent and Lent but we make an Advent wreath and make an arrangement with Palms for Palm Sunday. For Remembrance day at the beginning of November we make up an arrangement using poppies.

During Our Lady’s months of May and October, we make up a special display in front of her statue, and during the month of June we do likewise in front of the statue of the Sacred Heart.

We find it both enjoyable and rewarding and would welcome more parishioners to join us.

LITURGY COMMITTEE

Our mission is to bring alive the liturgical life of the parish.

The liturgy committee was set up by the Parish Assembly to bring colour and life into the worship in our parish community.
There are those who are there because they co-ordinate or fulfil a particular ministry within the liturgical life of the parish but the meetings which are held four or five times a year and last about one hour, are open to everyone.
Please come and have your say in the way we give glory and praise to God.

THE MUSIC MINISTRY

Our mission is to sing praise to God, lead the singing and enhance the liturgy.

Music is an essential part of the liturgy
In our Parish we have several groups who help to enhance the liturgy.

Barry and Judith play the organ.

A group of young people play musical instruments and lead the singing on Sunday evenings at the 6.30pm. Mass.

The 10.00am singers and musicians lead the singing every other Sunday in the morning.

There is the St. Augustine’s Choir for Festive occasions who lead the singing on the big feasts such as Christmas and Holy Week.

The role of all the musicians is to help the congregation praise God and give Him glory.
The words of the preface tell us what to do;

"With all the choirs of angels in heaven, we proclaim your glory and join in their unending hymn of praise."

All groups are looking for new musicians and singers to join them,
The choir for Special Occasions needs sopranos, altos, tenors and basses.
Please come and join.