ALTAR SERVERS

Our altar servers are boys and girls who have made their First Communion. They serve and assist the priest at mass under the guidance of a senior server. Any young people who have made their First Communion are welcome to become altar servers. Training and support is arranged for all the altar servers. The co-ordinator of pastoral activities organises the altar serving.

APF
Parish Supports the APF and contribute towards their work through the Red Boxes. If you would like to part of this great evangelising drive please contact Clive Townsend on 01842 81564.

CANDLES

Votive candles are available by the statue of Our Lady. Please deposit donations for candles in the wall box to the left of the door, as you leave the church.

CAFOD

Catholic Aid for Overseas Development is an organization increasingly called upon to assist victims of natural disasters, famine relief, flood and earthquake disasters. A box for donations is located to the left of the doors as you leave church.

CHILD PROTECTION and PARISH SAFEGUARDING

The Parish Safeguarding Representative helps all who are supporting our parish priest, either as catechists - working with children or young people – or other parish volunteers who may be visiting the housebound or the sick. The safeguarding representative helps parish volunteers to complete both Church and nationally required documents, including a Criminal Records Bureau check  Required references are also obtained – all of which is designed to ensure our parish volunteers are deemed suitable to work with children, young people and vulnerable adults. The arrangements and procedures also provide important safety measures for our volunteers. The Parish Safeguarding Representative can be contacted through the parish office if any parishioner has any concerns about child protection.

CHILDREN AT MASS

Parents are very welcome to bring children along, however noisy they are, for all the services in church. The Mass at 10.00am on Sunday takes into consideration the catechesis and education of children. If children become upset or noisy, parents are welcome to use the sacristy and the front office to settle or calm their children, feed them or talk to them. There are toilet facilities available in the presbytery.

There are three groups for the Children’s Liturgy of the Word. The older group are children who have made their first communion in the last three years. The intermediate group are primary school children who have not made their first communion. The junior group are smaller children who are able to understand. Parents are welcome to stay with their children in the class.

CATHOLICS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

As a truly international community Catholics from other countries play an important role in the life and liturgy of our parish. The Portuguese and the Polish choir provide music at the Sunday evening masses. Though the mass is in English the readings are in Polish and Portuguese for that mass and the gospel is proclaimed in English.

From May to October our Portuguese community organises a Marian procession on the 13th (or on a convenient date near to it) of every month. The Polish community has their blessing of the Baskets every Holy Saturday. With help of our Catholics from other countries St. Mary’s organises Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion and Marriage preparation for Catholics who do not speak English.  All the major celebrations at St. Mary’s have readings and hymns in different languages reflecting our unity in diversity. 

CONTACTING THE PRIEST

When out of the house, our priest will leave the ansaphone switched on to receive calls and will respond on his return. You can also contact him on his mobile or e-mail him through this website.

CONTACTS  -  OTHER HELPFUL DETAILS

COFFEE

Refreshments after mass: Tea and coffee are served in the parish hall after the 10.00am mass on Sundays and after mass on Tuesday mornings.  Proceeds from the coffee mornings are donated to the “Street Children of Bolivia” appeal fund.

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS

Parish Eucharistic Ministers assist the priest in the distribution of Holy Communion and may also take communion to the sick and the housebound. They are commissioned every year in their ministry.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

The Finance Committee is a small group of experts who support and advise our  priest in all areas relating to the sound administration of parish finances and assets. The Finance Committee draws up an annual budget, determining priorities and keeping an on-going watch for economies and improvements in the parish. The Parish Treasurer is  a member of the Finance Committee and maintains adequate financial records.

FLOWERS

Flower arrangements in the church are provided by a small group of  parishioners. Donations for flowers may be placed in the appropriate box at the back of the church. if you would like to donate flowers in memory of some one who is dear to you please contact Mary Patrick on 01842 761791.

GIFT AID SCHEME

The Gift Aid Scheme is a very effective way of supporting the parish financially. Through this scheme the Church is able to recover tax paid by the parishioners on any contributions they make to the church provided they have entered into the gift aid scheme. If you would like to join the scheme please contact the parish office.

MUSIC

St. Mary’s Music Group provides music for the mass at 10.00am every Sunday. They practise every Thursday at 7.30pm in the presbytery. The Polish and the Portuguese choir lead the music for the Sunday evening masses.  If you would like to join our music group please contact the parish office.

NEWSLETTER

A weekly newsletter is available each Sunday. This helps to keep the whole parish family in touch with mass and other service times, current events and matters of immediate interest and importance. If you have any items of pastoral interest please discuss them with our parish priest.  Routine items are directly sent to the newsletter editor.

NEWSPAPERS

Catholic papers are available at the back of the church each week. There is a free diocesan paper three or four times a year.

NOTICE BOARDS

The notice boards in the porch display details of mass times for the current week. There is also an assortment of posters advertising dates, times and venues of special events and other information that may be of interest.

OVER 60'S CLUB

A new group that meet on the third Wednesday of each month from 2.00pm - 4.00 pm. For further details please contact Mary Patrick on 01842-761791.

PARISH HOUSE – OUR PRESBYTERY

The Presbytery, originally two small cottages, serves as the Parish House. As well as living accommodation it also has a room which serves as a chapel for weekday masses during the colder parts of the winter. The parish office is also used for the children’s liturgy during the 10.00am mass on Sundays.

PARISH HALL

Originally built as a school in 1870, the parish hall provides a meeting place for the whole parish and for individual groups. Hall bookings are managed by Mrs. Patricia Cucuccio who can be contacted on 01842 750249.

PARISH FORUM

The Parish Forum enables lay participation, collaboration and consultation in parish pastoral life and planning. The Parish Forum usually meets four times a year. The forum is an open meeting which allows parishioners the opportunity to have their say about developments they would welcome and like to see in the life of the parish. The dates of the meetings are announced in the newsletter.

PARISH FUND RAISING GROUP

The Parish Fund Raising Group arranges a number of events to raise funds for the parish. Many of these are social events. There is a weekly Bonus ball competition. Avery Triggs organises the Fundraising events. She can be contacted on 0135929613.

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

The Parish Pastoral Council is small group which facilitates the active participation and collaboration of all parishioners in supporting and developing the life, worship and witness of the parish community. This is achieved by working with, supporting and advising the parish priest in his responsibilities. As the body that helps the Parish Forum in discussing and implementing the pastoral plan, the Parish Pastoral Council meets regularly to evaluate and direct the life of the parish.

PARISH WEBSITE

Please browse through these website pages and share your comments with us.

PROJECT FOR BOLIVIA

Supporting  the “Street Children of Bolivia” -  the proceeds from tea and coffee mornings following Tuesday mass,  support this important project.

READERS

The Ministry of Reading is very important part of celebrating our liturgy. The rota for readers will be found in the main menu section of our website.  Readers are trained and commissioned for their ministry every year on the Bible Sunday.

REPOSITORY

A variety of religious articles, gifts and cards may be purchased from our repository, which is situated at the back of the church. The repository is also open after each mass.

THETFORD CHRISTIANS TOGETHER  - TCT

We are active participants in the local organisation of Christians. Thetford Christians  Together organise different events in the town. The details can be found in the dedicated part of the notice board and in the parish website. There is also a fellowship of all Christian Ministers in the town -  Thetford Ministers Together (TMT).

YOUNG PEOPLE

We support our young people and help them to participate in parish events and those especially organised for them by the diocese. Our young people are warmly welcomed to become involved in the life of the parish as Readers and Eucharistic Ministers.  When sufficient interest is expressed, we will organise functions for our young people, reflecting their wishes to support particular occasions or events.

WELCOMING

We are supported by a number of people who welcome parishioners and visitors to Sunday masses. Our volunteers hand out mass books, hymn books and newsletters and hope to make everyone feel welcome on arrival. Importantly, our welcomers may be the first point of contact for newcomers to the parish.