H.C.P.T. -The Pilgrimage Trust
The purpose of the Trust is to take `Special needs` children, in family groups, on a spiritual holiday to meet Our Lady in Lourdes.

The activities of the Trust include recruitment of helpers, identifying children who can go to Lourdes, and fundraising to finance the trip, pocket money, and any day-trips that we might make. There is also of course the planning and organisation of each trip. You can help us by fund-raising, or by coming along to support our fund-raising events. We are happy to give a talk on our activities to any group interested. Finally, you can help by praying for the success of our activities, especially our trips to Lourdes. This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady. If you want to find out more, please contact Deacon Peter Hinchey


JUSTICE & PEACE GROUP
The aim of the group is to fund-raise and educate ourselves about important issues and campaigns, and to raise these issues before the church community.

We meet monthly, and also for some one-off events like the Traidcraft fashion show. We lobby M.P.`s as appropriate. E-mail contacts are planned, with a monthly theme presented alongside Traidcraft after Sunday Mass.

To keep in touch with our activities, give us your e-mail address, or look at the notice board in the Narthex. For more information contact Bella Harding


LEGION OF MARY
The Legion offers us an opportunity through Jesus and Mary to advance in holiness, and in so doing foster the desire to be Christ’s representative in the community. It does not advocate the fulfilment of extraordinary things, but only the doing of ordinary things, extraordinarily well. Frank Duff is quoted as saying: “The Legion is Our Lady’s Spirit come to life in people”. This Spirit in-turn is made manifest in the undertaking of apostolic works.

We visit the sick and lonely, people often forgotten in a busy world. We offer them a listening ear, in what might otherwise be a silent day, and reassure them that their suffering is not in vain, but which in union with Jesus can be of infinite value.

We visit lapsed Catholics, to let them know that Jesus has not for one moment forgotten them, but yearns for their return to the Mass and Sacraments. We also visit Non-Catholics, and if the opportunity arises, they are humbly told of a treasure, based not on the luck of today’s lottery, but on the coming of Christ.

You can help us by becoming a member. The Legion offers two types of membership, Active and Auxiliary. The former is open to all from 18 onwards, and involves members attending a weekly meeting for prayer, planning and discussion in a friendly setting on how we can best serve the community. The visits are undertaken later in the week, in pairs, and would be of a nature comfortable to that of each of the member’s ability. Auxiliary membership is confined to the saying of the Rosary, and the Legion prayers on a daily basis for Our Lady’s Intentions. Auxiliary membership is considered an indispensable part of the Legion family.

We meet Tuesday evenings in the Sacristy, after the 7.30 p.m .Mass. For further information contact John Jordan




PARISH PROJECT
Each year the parish selects a charity (or two: one local and one abroad)as the `Parish Project`. Five percent of parish offertory income is donated to this project, in addition to the proceeds of various fund raising events. The projects for 2010 are soon to be voted on.
Previous projects include 'The Medaille Trust', the Haven Home project in India and Bishop Moses Costa's Diocese in Bangladesh.

You can help not only by supporting fund raising events, but by prayer.

For further details contact Bella Harding.


PRAYER GROUP
The purpose of Prayer Group is to meet together with Christians of other denominations to praise, worship and adore God through singing, bible reflection, and sharing and giving witness to what God is doing in our lives. We also support each other through prayer, and to stand together in intercession for any thing that the Lord inspires in our hearts.

In addition to our regular meetings, Prayer Group links up with other organisations within St Augustine’s and other Christian communities to help to run days of renewal (often with outside speakers) and to run `Life in the Spirit` seminars and other courses etc. We pray for unity, ut unum sint - that all may be one.

Prayer group is open to all, and meets on Monday evenings, at 8.00pm in the Parish Hall. If you cannot come but would like prayers, there is a book in the church Narthex where you can write down prayer requests so that prayer group or other parishioners can prayer on your behalf.

For further details, or for prayer requests, contact Peter Taylor, Moira Martin or Sue Stricker


SOUP RUN
The soup run meets a need to support rough sleepers who are not covered by other agencies. Bristol Soup Run Trust is a registered charity approved by the City Council.
All workers are voluntary, not even receiving expenses.

Every night of the year, plus Saturday and Sunday morning, the Trust's volunteers go out with food, hot drinks, clothes, blankets, and other essential needs. We meet rough sleepers at designated drop-off points, and at other places they are known to frequent.

The St Augustine’s rota is for alternate Saturdays. Contrary to what some might expect, the people we meet are friendly, polite, and share a noticeable sense of community and support for each other.

You can help us in a number of ways. Firstly by praying for the homeless and the work of the trust. People with a genuine interest in helping the homeless can help for one evening, to see if the work suits them. We also need the following items: Toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, disposable razors, candles, matches, wrapped chocolate snack bars, and deodorant. (There is a box in the Narthex labelled `Soup Run`) Also tinned sandwich fillings. (Separate box in Narthex.) Also items of clothing, and blankets –any condition)

Note. Underwear and socks are especially needed, as these cannot be purchased in Charity shops. To find out more, contact Martyn Poole


STEWARDS
The Stewards assist the Priest and Deacons in the practical aspects of ensuring that the Mass and other Services runs smoothly.

We operate on a rota basis, turning up about 15 minutes before the start of the Mass. Initial duties include turning on the heating, obtaining bulletins, leaflets, collection baskets, attendance book, first aid box, and glasses and water from the Sacristy. We ensure that at least 3 people are available for the offertory procession. We assist people to find seats if the church is crowded, and ensure church ventilation is adequate, depending on the weather.
During Mass, we undertake the collection(s) from upstairs and downstairs. We also count the congregation as we take the collection. Congregation numbers are recorded in the attendance book. We ensure that the offertory procession takes place in the correct order, manner and time.

At the end of Mass we open all interior and exterior doors, collect and stack hymn books, tidy the Narthex, and return those items that are kept in the Sacristy. Finally we turn off lights and heating and close all doors.
You can help by becoming a Steward. Contact Deacon Peter Hinchey


ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY (S.V.P.)
The S.V.P. is part of an international lay Christian voluntary organisation actively working in over 130 countries with the poor, disadvantaged and marginalised. Inspired by our principal founder, the Blessed Frederic Ozanam we strive to bring the love of Christ to those we serve, in the spirit of the Gospel message “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat”.

The S.V.P. encourages its members to put their Christian faith into action by working at local level to help those in need. Accordingly we engage in a variety of works, primarily helping those who have material needs, visiting the sick and housebound, and supporting the elderly. Other special works are: Prison Visiting, Youth Work, Arranging Holidays, Welfare of Seamen, Fund-Raising and Maintaining Furniture. Many conferences are twinned with conferences in the third world, i.e. India, Sudan. The aim of this is to support those who are helping in their own communities.

You can help us in St Augustine’s by joining us, by responding to our occasional appeals for items of furniture etc., and by supporting our fund-raising. (Box in Narthex). In St Augustine’s we currently have six members, including our spiritual director, and need more members. Our basic work is in the Parish.

The Downend Conference meets every Thursday at 8.00pm, currently in the Sacristy.

If you would like to find out more, please contact any of the following Chris Cottrell, Renee Farmer, Kath McBraida , or Frank Cully.