Meeting was chaired by Sheelagh Pickles (The Chair). The meeting started with the Proclaim 15 prayer.
Apologies: from Patrick Bradley, Lisa Valentine-Jonson & Marion Waller.

Previous minutes from meeting of the 14th May:

• Were accepted as correct and true record of the meeting.

Matters arising from the minutes:

• Sheelagh Pickles confirmed the website continues to be updated. The parish now also has a Facebook page. Nobody can randomly add to this without referral to the website team. Facebook was agreed to be a good idea. Secure setting so nobody can just add to it.
• Raising funds on the previous minutes it was mentioned / suggested about selling a sanctuary lamp which burns for 1 week. This could be in memory of a deceased person or any other event / reason. This is a popular way of making funds. Various other ways of raising funds was discussed. It was agreed to go ahead with the sanctuary lamp idea.
• Correspondence - Letter received re the vestment fund. Funds received for the vestment fund have come in without appealing for funds and what has been received will now allow us to start to look at costings for new vestments. We also need new lectionaries in all our churches. Some are out of date and others very shabby.
  PF to respond to the letter.
• Email received: “Growing old gracefully” new website advertised on the bulletin weekend 5th July. www.growingoldgracefully.org.uk. Various workshops are happening over the coming months. All details on each church notice board also our own website. Suggested someone forms a group of interested people and then feed back to the PPC. We should try to have a Dementia Friendly Parish. Sheila Kennedy & Moira Wage has agreed to take this on as both have family experience with this. SK & MW to report back to next meeting.

Agenda items:

Proclaim 15.

• The recent conference in Birmingham meant an early start, but a privilege to be chosen to represent the parish. Sheelagh Pickles & Angela Des Rosiers were the parish representatives.
• There were many workshops - our representatives attended workshops on: Making prayer the foundation of your missionary parish; Building welcoming and family-friendly parishes and Forming a Parish Evangelisation team
• Many people spoke words of encouragement and the message - not to worry about what to say to people as the Holy Spirit will guide you - was a great consolation.
• Many people who come every week don’t feel the call to be involved.
• It may seem to some that each church has a clique of people who do things and this stops others from coming forward.
• The inspiration for the gathering Proclaim 15 was the Document 'Evangelii Gaudium' (The Joy of the Gospel) by Pope Francis. Joyful in our Christianity but not to our faces. New Evangelisation came about after Vacation 11. What is it about? Getting the message across that Jesus loves each person and wants to each person to share in the joy of His love.
• On the 20 th September all the literature will be available for distribution from the Proclaim 15 website.
• Discussion leaflet given to each PPC member and they have been asked to look at it and they have been asked to study this and also make it available to many other people.
• Sessions to discuss this have been arranged for 3 afternoon & 3 evening sessions in September.
• SP & AdR were asked to read “The Joy of the Gospel” booklet before the meeting and Angela was very impressed with what the Pope had written.
• SP & AdR should pass on this work from the pulpit over the weekend of the 25 th / 26th July. A different face and different voice often helps to get the message across. People often listen more.
• We should pray for the young people and encourage them to pray at home as well as church.

Next Steps:

• Make people aware of what Proclaim 15 is.
• Create a sub group for preparation.
• Don’t rush into anything.
• Speak with the parish and do an audit of what is going on then look on how we can go out to proclaim.
• Parish Evangelisation Team of people who are church going and committed and of mixed ages, people who are not over committed already. This is a long term thing but we need to start somewhere.
• Never a good time to start so we should start sooner rather than later.

Marriage & Family Life –

• Celebration at the Cathedral on the 3rd October for couples who are celebrating special wedding anniversary.
• Applications need to be in by 1 st September.
• We should encourage couples to attend this and other Diocesan events and meet others.
• Enthusiasm in the notices at the end of Mass.

Sacraments:

• Fr Paul advised the PPC he is meeting all the catechists who prepare the candidates for Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation and Marriage over the next few months.
• Suggestion that the first parents meeting for the FHC should be in September / October
• Music at FHC at Corpus Christi was not good. Break down in communications with school and choir. PF to speak with the catechists.
• Baptism preparation has a backlog. Meetings are arranged about every month. 3 Catechists
• Confirmation 2016 will be a deanery event in May 2016. Therefore Confirmation training will need to start early.
• FHC visiting should be started earlier in 2016. Also more numbers of visitors from the parish will be needed. Suggestion was made that parents who were visited this year should be encouraged to help next year.
• Confirmation is split between Corpus Christi College and here in the Newman Centre.
• Marriage preparation going well. 14 weddings in 2015 and with already 6 for 2016. Some who are getting married outside the parish are also attending our course.
• Anointing of the sick. One Saturday in June Fr Paul was approached to give this sacrament and he then offered this to those who wished to receive this after the 12.15pm Mass. There were about a dozen people who came forward. This will now be offered on a regular basis - perhaps monthly
  Could this be offered to the housebound on a regular basis? i.e. every 3 months with the person's agreement.

Music at Mass:

• All organs in our churches have been tuned.
• A meeting has been arranged for October to start to look at Music for Christmas.
• Fr. Paul to contacted Leeds College of Music who have a list of people who would help on a one off basis but we have been advised to speak with the Diocesan Director of Music before taking any action. Concern was expressed about expense which might be incurred.

Leeds Citizens – Update re parish commitment

• 750 people from across the city attended the meeting at Elland Road
• Many representatives from groups and companies present at the meeting.
• Many have agreed to accept the living wage.
• Credit union is hoping to have a mass signing to encourage people across the city to join a credit union.
• First bus working with Leeds Citizens to draw up covenant to expect a certain standard. Also to improve some bus services.
• Next event 29th July at the Leeds North Clinical Commissioning Group meeting which everyone is invited to take part. Leeds Citizens hope for a mass attendance to create an impact. People should meet at Moortown Baptist Church 204 King Lane LS17 6AA at 12.15 where transport has been arranged to attend the meeting which is in Wetherby
• People power. The Leeds Citizens has really taken off.

Youth & Family Ministry Update:

• FHC – Mass 4th July not attended by all (20/30 children) but a success along with the entertainment after. Brought the parents together and started them talking to one another.
• Torch – Wednesday 15 th July 20 attended for a fun evening of games and prayer at Temple Newsam followed with a picnic. This was to mark the end of this year.
• Children’s Liturgy – another workshop arranged for 19th September 11.00am – 12.30pm. Hoping the clergy could attend for their input on what and how they would like the liturgy to work for Sunday Masses.
• Youth & Family meeting to put a programme of activities around the meetings and the success of events this year.
• Meeting - Patrick to meet with Fr Paul late August to speak about the future.

Parish AGM

• The next PPC meeting on Wednesday 16th September will be an open meeting for all parishioners to attend.
  Usual time 7.00pm – 9.00pm. This will replace a separate AGM

Safeguarding Training

• A meeting has been arranged for Saturday 12th September at 1.30pm.
• It will be necessary to arrange a second meeting as we have a lot of people who should attend.

A.O.B.

Vestment Fund

• Awaiting costings for the new vestments.

Electrical work:

• Starts Monday 20th July at St Theresa’s then St Gregory’s and then Corpus Christi at cost of over £60,000

LIFE Shop

• Official opening in Halton
• Sheila Kennedy to represent the parish
• LIFE would like a clothes bank with the parish area. Reservations were expressed by the PPC - it was thought that siting a clothes bank in parish premises could attract vandalism to the bank and area.
• The parish is well represented with volunteers for the shop.

Future meetings

Wednesday 16th September - 7.00pm - AGM Open meeting.
12th November - 7.00pm
21st January 2016 - 7.00pm
Chair – Sheelagh Pickles
Prayers to be prepared by – Angela Des Rosiers