We are currently facing a huge problem recruiting new altar servers. The situation will get a lot worse in the next few months unless urgent action is taken by members of all three churches.

Had it not been for Rebecca Dodd (from York University) Megan Shooter (who hopefully will be leaving in September for university) and sisters Ellie and Jodie Turner (St Gregory's) who have recently started serving mass, we would not have been able to fulfil our role during the Easter Celebrations.

Bernard Gomersal (Corpus Christi) is, as has been reported recently, leaving England to live in America. Therefore this leaves Corpus Christi with one young server only.

St Gregory’s has, I believe, only three or four regular servers who require additional training to assist them with their duties.

St Theresa's require additional servers to be able to continue having a workable rota. Currently we have only two servers for the 8.15 Mass, one server for the 6.00 Mass and for the main 10.15 Sunday Mass, we have approximately five or six servers who try to follow a rota. This number will reduce when Megan Shooter goes to university in September.

I do not understand why in a parish with over 50 first communicants last year, the three churches produced one new server. Your suggestions for turning this around would be very helpful. Would it be possible to train servers in school to serve in school masses and also in our churches?
Mr Collins is willing to train any server at a time to be agreed with each volunteer. We also intend to train all altar servers to be able to serve at any and all of our churches.

We would also like the names of any of our retired men or women who would be willing to serve or assist at any Masses in our three churches during the week.

For further information please contact Kevin Collins, Deacon Sean Quigley or any of the clergy