Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of 24/11/2016

Since the last meeting our Vincentians undertook a total of 16 visits to people in the local community and care homes, providing support and companionship to the housebound and visiting the sick, helping with shopping and problems. 

Opening prayers for our meeting included a reading from the Advent Walk With Me booklet “The promise of love”.   Members then discussed visits, correspondence and the plans for wrapping and delivering the Christmas parcels.

The meeting concluded by praying for the people of Mosul that Our Lady, Queen of Peace should help bring peace to them and to other regions affected by war.

Mary Queen of Peace, we pray for the Christian communities in Mosul and in other parts of the Middle East, where they have lived with their fellow citizens from the very beginning of Christianity. 

Through your intercession bring light out of this present darkness and hope from despair so that guided by the Holy Spirit, all God’s children may find a new way forward together based love.

Amen

If anyone would like to join us as a visiting member or to support us in any other way they would be most welcome.  For further information, contact Our Lady of Grace presbytery on 0161-773 2324.

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of 10/11/2016

Since the last meeting our Vincentians undertook a total of 15 visits to people in the local community and care homes, providing support and companionship to the housebound and visiting the sick, helping with shopping and paying bills. 

Opening prayers for our meeting included a reading of the Year of Mercy prayer.   Members then discussed visits, correspondence and the arrangements for Christmas parcels.

The meeting concluded by praying for those of our families who are unwell.

Father,

Your love is as wide as the oceans
As deep as the sea
And as tall as the heavens.
May your spirit rise like a mighty wave

And come and restore those who are ill.

We ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Amen

If anyone would like to join us as a visiting member or to support us in any other way they would be most welcome.  For further information, contact Our Lady of Grace presbytery on 0161-773 2324.

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of 27/10/2016

In October our Vincentians undertook a total of 19 visits to people in the local community and care homes, providing support and companionship to the housebound and visiting the sick, helped with shopping and paid bills.  Members also helped with clothing grants and took a present and card to an elderly person to celebrate their 90^th birthday

Opening prayers for our meeting included a reading of a CAFOD prayer.   Members then discussed visits, correspondence and the central council meeting and made initial plans for the Christmas parcels.

The meeting concluded by praying for our families and refugee children.

Using a prayer issued by the Children’s Society we pray:

God of compassion, 

We have seen the harrowing images, of children fleeing danger and desperately seeking safety; of families risking everything without the assurance of anything in return; of young people whose only hope depends on finding refuge in an unknown country.

Lord, may we offer a welcome as warm as the one we would offer the Child who once fled to Egypt.

AMEN.

If anyone would like to join us either as a visiting member or would like to support us in any other way you would be most welcome.  For further information, contact Our Lady of Grace presbytery on 0161-773 2324.

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of 06/10/2016

In September our Vincentians organised a mass and party for the elderly, sick and housebound and undertook a total of 22 visits to people in the local community and care homes, comforting the bereaved, providing support and companionship to the housebound and visiting the sick, helped with shopping and paid bills.  Members also attended the district council meeting.

Opening prayers for our October meeting included a reading of the CAFOD harvest prayer.   Members then discussed visits, the mass for the elderly, sick and housebound and the district council meeting.

The meeting concluded by praying for three people who had died recently.

God of mercy, look kindly on Your servants.

As they served You faithfully throughout their lives,

may You give them the fullness of Your peace and joy.

We give thanks for their lives, now caught up in Your eternal love.

We make our prayer through Jesus Christ,

Who is our risen Lord now and forever.

AMEN.

New members are always welcome and can become involved in many different ways.  For further information, contact Our Lady of Grace presbytery on 0161-773 2324.

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of 08/09/2016

Our Vincentians did not hold any meetings in August, but during the short summer break members undertook a total of 19 visits to people in the local community and care homes and they provided support housebound and companionship to the and visiting the sick.  They also took people to church, supported the bereaved, provided transport, helped with shopping and paid bills, distributed grants and delivered clothes that had been kindly donated for those in need.

Opening prayers included a reading “God loves a cheerful visitor” taken from the SVP Spiritual Reading manual.   A new member was then welcomed and members discussed visits made, grants issued, donations and correspondence received.  Arrangements were also made to attend the district council meeting later in the September before the meeting ended with prayers.

New members are always welcome and anyone interested should contact Our Lady of Grace presbytery on 0161-773 2324.

We now adapt one of the Minnie Vinnie prayers as we pray:

Dear Jesus, 

As Christians we are asked to listen to what you told us and to try to understand & show this in the way we live and how we treat others. Help us to be the best we can be.

Help us to show others, by the way we see, think & do that we are following your example, so that they too will want to join us doing your work.

Inspire us and all who join us to follow the example of Blessed Frédéric Ozanam who was motivated to alleviate poverty and injustice and endowed with untiring generosity in the service of all who were suffering.                                                                                                                     Amen.

Mass Party for the Elderly, Sick and Housebound

On Saturday 17 September at 11.30 am the SVP have arranged a Mass with Anointing (the Sacrament of the Sick) in church for the elderly, sick and housebound. The SVP has also arranged a reception and buffet in the parish hall after the Mass.

 If you need a lift or would like to help either by giving lifts to those in need or in some other way please ring 0161 773 2690.

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 21/07/2016 

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 12 visits to people in the local community, providing support and companionship to the housebound.  Members have also taken people to appointments, provided transport, helped with shopping and paid bills.

Opening prayers included a reading taken from the SVP Spiritual Reading manual “Welcome at any time”.   The members then discussed visits made, holiday grants and the minutes and other documents received from Manchester Central Council.

The meeting ended with prayers for peace in our time after the tragic events in Nice, Turkey, Syria and other parts of the world.

Adapting the prayer for world peace by Sister Joan Chittister of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie we pray:

Great God, give us the strength it takes to listen rather than to judge,

to trust rather than to fear, to try again and again to make peace even when peace eludes us.

We ask, O God, for the grace to be our best selves.
We ask for the vision to be builders of the human community rather than its destroyers.
We ask for the humility as a people to understand the fears and hopes of other peoples.

We ask for the love it takes to bequeath to the children of the world to come more than the failures of our own making.
We ask for the heart it takes to care for all the peoples of the world as well as for ourselves.

Give us the depth of soul, O God, to constrain our might, to resist the temptations of power to refuse to attack the attackable, to understand that vengeance begets violence,
and to bring peace--not war--wherever we go.

For You, O God, have been merciful to us.
For You, O God, have been patient with us.
For You, O God, have been gracious to us.

And so may we be merciful and patient and gracious and trusting with these others whom you also love.
This we ask through Jesus, the one without vengeance in his heart.
This we ask forever and ever. Amen

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 07/07/2016 

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 8 visits to people in the local community, providing support and companionship to the housebound and those in care homes.  Members have also provided transport, helped with shopping and paid bills for the sick and housebound.

Opening prayers included a reading taken from “Be Happy” a book on the Beatitudes produced by the Augustinian Sisters.   Members then discussed visits made and holiday grants for distribution to families in need.

The meeting ended with prayers for a person who had recently died and for our country, especially those in charge.

God of power and might, wisdom and justice we ask for blessings on our leaders.

May those who are in positions of authority take their responsibility seriously and do their very best each day.

May they realise their need for you and for your direction, may they hear your voice as they make their decisions, and may they follow your guidance.

We ask all these things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 23/06/2016 

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 17 visits to people in the local community, providing support and companionship to the housebound and those in care homes.  Members have also provided transport, helped with shopping, paid bills and issued a grant to a family in need.

Opening prayers included a reading taken from the Columban Missionaries’ newsletter.   The members then discussed visits made, the results of the SVP collection and the District Council meeting before moving onto a discussion regarding holiday grants to families in need.

The meeting ended with prayers for the sick and housebound and all who had asked for members to pray for them. 

Lord Jesus,

We thank you for the good things we share with our friends and families – for love and friendship, food and shelter, happiness and laughter.

With your help make us ready to extend our love and friendship to others especially the sick and housebound, the lonely and those who need a friend’s helping hand. 

Show us what we can do to help them, and teach us to be good neighbours.

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 26/05/2016 

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 8 visits to people in the local community, providing support and companionship to the housebound and helping with shopping.

Opening prayers included a reading of prayer ‘Open my eyes’ supplied by a member who was been unable to attend the meeting.   The members then discussed visits made and arrangements for the SVP collection taking place after all masses on 4^th and 5^th June before making plans to attend the District meeting on 9^th June.

The meeting ended with prayers for one of our members and their family, the sick and troubled and all those who had asked for members to pray for them. 

As St Ignatius of Loyola prayed:

“O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.”

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 12/05/2016 

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 12 visits to people in the local community, providing support and companionship to the housebound, helping with shopping and supporting those in need by giving out grants and clothes.

Opening prayers included a reading of the Year of Mercy prayer.   Members then discussed visits made and correspondence received.

The meeting ended with prayers for two parishioners who had just died, for their families and all those who are sick in our parish.  We pray for them and all those who are elderly or alone:

“Lord Jesus.
You called us to serve you and one another in
love.
Bless our sick so that they may bear their illness
in union with Jesus' sufferings and restore them quickly
to health.

Bless their families and all those who have grown old in your service.

Give them courage and strength in their faith

and lead us all to eternal glory.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever

Amen.”

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 28/04/2016

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 16 visits to people in the local community, providing support and companionship to the housebound, helping with shopping and supporting those in need by giving out grants or other help.

Opening prayers included a reading from the SVP manual “God loves a cheerful giver”.   Members then discussed visits made, correspondence received and various other matters including the dates of the next SVP collection and for the mass for the sick and housebound in the autumn.  The next SVP collection will take place on 05/06/2016 at all masses and the mass for the sick and housebound will take place at 11.30am on 17/09/2016.

The meeting ended with prayers for the special intentions of the members, those who had asked for prayers and for a baby critically ill in hospital.

“O God, in our hearts, we name those who are facing illness and pain. We join our prayers with the prayers of all who love them. Give them renewed comfort and courage. Strengthen in them the healing powers You have placed within us all. Guide the hands and heart of those who are entrusted with their care.

May the knowledge of your love and ours give added hope to them and to their dear ones. May they find even greater strength because our prayers are linked with theirs.

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 14/04/2016 

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 14 visits to people in the local community, providing support and companionship to the housebound, helping with shopping and supporting those in need by giving out grants or other help.

Opening prayers included a reading from the SVP manual “What is simplicity?”.   Members then discussed visits made, correspondence received and various other matters including initial plans for the mass for the sick and housebound in the autumn.

The meeting ended with prayers for the special intentions of the members, those who had asked for prayers and for a baby critically ill in hospital.

“Father we ask for Your healing touch on the lives of all babies who are critically ill.   Comfort them and ease their suffering and discomfort.
Give the doctors the wisdom to treat their illnesses correctly and quickly.

Strengthen and help their parents and all who are involved in the nursing care.

Give them all they may need to continue to look after such sick children, knowing that You care for little children and are the One who heals.”

 

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 31/03/2016   

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 22 visits to people in the local community, providing support and companionship to the housebound, helping with shopping and giving out Easter grants to those in need.       

After the opening prayers members discussed various matters including travel arrangements for the Festival at Thornleigh.  The funds available, initial plans for the Holiday grants and various other matters were also discussed.

The meeting ended with prayers for the repose of the souls of two parishioners who had sadly died and for the people of Belgium following the recent tragedies there and for an end to strife.

Using the second Eucharistic prayer for reconciliation we pray:

“Gracious God, in the midst of conflict and division we know it is you who turn our minds to thoughts of peace.

Your spirit changes our hearts: enemies speak to one another, those who were estranged join hands in friendship, and nations seek the way of peace together.

Your spirit is at work when understanding puts an end to strife, when hatred is quenched by mercy, and vengeance gives way to forgiveness.

For this we should never cease to thank and praise you.”

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 10/03/2016

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 26 visits to people in the local community, providing support and companionship to the housebound, helping with shopping and giving flowers and a card to a lady who celebrated her 91^st birthday.  Members also supplied transport, kept in touch with people by phone, gave clothes to families and distributed small grants to those in need. 

After the opening prayers members discussed various matters including the district meeting, which members had attended.  A phone call was also received during the meeting informing members of the sad death of a parishioner.

The meeting ended with prayers for the repose of the soul of the parishioner who had died that day and for God to provide support and comfort for all those in the parish visited by the SVP.

Using the prayer of Saint Ignatius of Antioch we pray:

Receive in tranquillity and peace, O Lord,

The soul of your servant

Who has departed this present life to come to you.

Grant her rest and place her in the habitation of light,

The abode of blessed spirits.

Give her the life that will not age,

Good things that will not pass away,

Delights that have no end,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 11/02/2016

                                                                                                                           

In the past two weeks our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 22 visits to people in the local community and care homes, providing support and companionship to the housebound, helping with shopping and undertaking with other tasks.  They also supplied transport so elderly parishioners could attend a funeral at Our Lady of Grace church and so they could go shopping, kept in touch with people by phone  and distributed small grants to those in need.

                                                       

After the opening prayers members discussed the various matters including the documents that were to be donated to the new archive, the vacant post of president for the District Council and what would happen to the district if the post remained unfilled.

The meeting ended with prayers for comfort for those in the parish who are bereaved and all who had asked for prayers.

Oh God,

Comfort those who are bereaved and all who need your help and support, strengthen them with hope and breathe peace into their troubled hearts.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 28/01/2016

                                                                                                                           

In the past two weeks our Vincentians undertook a total of 18 visits to people in the local community, providing support and companionship to the housebound and helping with other tasks.  They also kept in touch with people by phone and distributed small grants to those in need.

                                                       

After opening with prayers members discussed the Salford Diocese archive for the Central Council, with one older member talking about some of the work done in the past.  The importance of ensuring safe disposal of confidential material was also emphasised

The meeting ended with prayers for our own intentions and for a parishioner whose funeral was due to take place shortly.

“Stay with us Lord on our journey.”

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 14/01/2016

                                                                                                                           

Over the Christmas and New Year period our Vincentians undertook a total of 112 visits to people in the local community.  They delivered Christmas cards and presents to the elderly and families, provided support and companionship to the housebound, helped with shopping, and paying bills and distributed grants to those in need.

                                                       

At the meeting the outcome of the collection at all masses before Christmas and the District Council minutes were discussed.   Correspondence had also been received from OLOG Conference’s twin in Andhra Pradesh, India and arrangements were made for a response.

Prayers at the end of the meeting were offered for three parishioners who had sadly died.

Using the prayer of St Ignatius of Antioch for those who have died we pray:

"Receive in tranquillity and peace, O Lord, the souls of your servants who have departed this present life to come to you. Grant them rest and place them in the habitations of light, the abodes of blessed spirits. Give them the life that will not age, good things that will not pass away, delights that have no end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 19/11/2015

                                                                                                                         

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 12 visits to people in the local community.  They have provided support and companionship to the housebound, helping with shopping, and distributing grants to those in need.   

                                                       

A short discussion took place regarding the Christmas parcels for the elderly and needy families.  The Central Council minutes were also discussed and plans made for the next District Council meeting, which OLOG Conference was due to host.  Arrangements were also made for a collection to take place at all masses on 06/12/2015.

Prayers at the end of the meeting were offered for the people of France and those who had committed the atrocities in Paris.

We pray with Pope Francis, who offered his own prayers for Paris at mass and said:

, "We pray for the victims of Paris - so many of them - and we pray also for the perpetrators of such cruelty, that the Lord might change their heart."

Our Lady of Grace Conference

Meeting of Thursday 05/11/2015

                                                                                                                           

Since our last meeting our Vincentians have undertaken a total of 10 visits to people in the local community.  They have provided support and companionship to the housebound, helping with shopping, and distributing clothes, bedding and money to those in need.   

                                          

On Saturday 31/10/2015 the annual mass for the sick and housebound was held, followed by lunch for all those attending.  Transport and refreshments were arranged by members of the SVP, children from St Monicas assisted at the mass and helped serve refreshments and the music was supplied by OLOG band.  Everyone enjoyed the occasion and a number of donations were also gratefully received.

Prayers at the end of the meeting were offered for the intentions of those present and two parishioners who had just died.

As Saint Francis de Sales says:

Be at Peace
Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life;
rather look to them with full hope as they arise.
God, whose very own you are, will deliver you from out of them.
He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things;
and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in his arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
the same everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you then and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering, or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination.