Faith in Action
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The community Support Team of the SVP is well and truly launched and is undertaking the traditional work of the Society through person to person home visits to the elderly, housebound, disadvantaged and marginalised across our three parishes. We all understand the many challenges that the profile of our inner city presents when offering practical help and support to those in need, not only to members of the Catholic community but of all faiths and none – everyone is our neighbour.
We can meet these challenges by living our faith and that means there is an open invitation to join our friendly team and enjoy together the chance make a difference to others. The SVPPORT TEAM meet on the first and third Mondays in the Ellis Room.
Justice and Peace
This group is dedicated to raising awareness within the parish of issues of social justice and peace concerning Nottingham and the wider world. We work with other churches in central Nottingham and other groups involved in justice, peace and the integrity of creation.
The group is a member of the diocesan Justice & Peace Commission (www.justiceandpeacenottingham.org.uk). Current campaigns include Fair Trade, support for asylum seekers and refugees, homelessness and increasing interfaith understanding.
On the first weekend of each month, we collect food, socks and toiletries for Emmanuel House Day Centre. Each Shrove Tuesday, we hold a 'Pancakes for Justice' party with a visiting speaker, Fair Trade wine and, of course, pancakes, to which all are welcome.
We make a pilgrimage every summer to Mount St Bernard Abbey to honour Blessed Cyprian Tansi, to witness our commitment as a community to equality, harmony and respect. The group also acts as the Cathedral's CAFOD support group.
We meet at 7.30pm in the McGuiness Room on the first Tuesday of every month except August. Details of speakers and topics, are on the notice board. There are currently around 15 members and more are always welcome, so please do come along if you can.
Knights of St Columba
Here at the Cathedral we have a branch of the Knights of St.Columba, an Order of Catholic laymen dedicated to the service of the Church and fellow men. The organisation is non-political and essentially democratic. It exists to support the mission of the Catholic Church and to work for the spiritual and material good of its members and their families.
The Knights actively support organisations which promote respect for human life, e.g. they have recently been in a three year partnership with SCIAF and CAFOD, which support poor countries in their needs and now they are actively supporting the training of volunteers for the Samaritans. They also work to help social problems such as poverty, unemployment and homelessness, and are extending their work to include hospital ward visiting. They organise Youth Seminars.
Members are actively involved with other pro-life organizations in lobbying politicians about abortion, euthanasia and the Human Tissue and Embryology Bill.
The Knights assist local priests and the Bishops of England and Wales in the organisation of Diocesan and national events and are pleased to have Bishop Malcolm as member and Ecclesiastical Adviser. Locally the Knights actively and financially support the Nottingham SVP and assist with the book stall at the autumn bazaar.
Meetings of the Nottingham Branch are held on a regular basis in the Cathedral Hall, with a full Council Meeting on the 1st Tuesday of each month and a shorter, more informal, Committee Meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of the month.
There are only two requirements for membership: that the candidate is a practicing Catholic as understood by the Church and the he is aged 16 years or over.
The Knights of St Columba website is at www.ksc.org.uk
Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary is the largest apostolic organization of lay people of the Catholic Church, with well over 3 million active members in almost every country of the world. It has been approved by the last 6 Popes, and was endorsed by the Second Vatican Council. The main purpose of the Legion of Mary is to give glory to God through the sanctification of its members.
Members strive to become instruments of the Holy Spirit, through a balanced programme of prayer and service. Apostolic works of mercy, such as door-to-door evangelization, visiting of the sick and aged and similar, are undertaken with the guidance of a spiritual director named by the parish priest. The Legion’s intention is to support the work of the parish priest and his ministerial, religious and pastoral team.
Members meet once a week for prayer, planning and discussion. Then they do two hours of defined work each week in pairs and under the guidance of their spiritual director.
