Newsletter 19th September 2021

Dear Parishioners

It has been another very busy week of getting accustomed to life in the parish and the wider community, with house calls to the sick and dying, a chance to meet with the other clergy of the deanery, meetings in Nottingham, and a many practical things to sort and organise within the parish and in my new home. This week has also given me the chance to get to know many of you a little better too!

Support for the Afghans in the Urban Hotel: The Chairman of the Churches Together in Grantham, John Duncan, has been working very hard in the past few weeks to establish a relationship with services supporting the Afghan refugee’s resident here in Grantham. He now has a targeted response to their needs. I have copied John’s message to all the local churches below:

“The needs at the Urban Hotel are different to Stoke Rochford as the hotel are supplying personal items including baby milk, nappies etc. What is needed are volunteers to help sort the donated items a couple of mornings a week. Because of cultural restrictions we are looking specifically for female volunteers. Monetary donations can be made through CTIG and as families are rehoused, they will need to be able to furnish their homes. Specific items now required are as follows” – John Duncan:

General items needed are as follows:

  • Hairbrushes
  • Hair removal cream
  • Colouring books etc (for children)
  • Shoes of all types and for both sexes
  • Winter Jackets
  • Adult coats
  • Children’s bags
  • Rucksacks
  • Pre-school toys

Specific Items:

  • Coat for a 13 year old girl
  • Coat for a 10 year old Girl
  • Coat for an 8 year old Boy
  • Clothing for a 14 year old teen

If you would like to volunteer your services to help the Afghan refugees in our local community please do get in touch in the first instance directly with Liz Woods: email: ctgrantham@hotmail.com or mobile: 07739794591, she will be able to put you in touch with the appropriate person you may need to contact. Donations of clothes items as above can be dropped off at the Urban Hotel.

Envy and jealousy are the subjects of our readings at Mass this weekend. Sometimes we can use envy and jealousy to mean the same thing. At other times we tend to separate them into two separate attitudes. Envy is about wanting what someone else has. Envy has been called the vice of counting someone else’s blessings rather than our own. Jealousy is about what we have and our worry that a rival will take it from us. Jealousy always needs a rival. Both envy and jealousy can create storms within our spiritual and personal lives and within our souls. But when we begin to examine the blessings in our lives, however small these may be,  and to focus more on one another’s needs and living out our Christian discipleship in the world in which we live and in everything we seek to be and do in life, then I believe we can discover a new found peace in our hearts and in our lives, which comes over us like the calm after a storm subsides. It is the peace of Christ, and it is His love working in us and through us. 

With my prayers for you and for your families during the coming week,

Your friend and Parish Priest,

Fr. Jonathan

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