Parish Support Group Meeting (Interim Parish Council) – 20/04/26:5pm
Minutes of the meeting held at St Thomas More church hall on Monday 20 April 2026
In attendance: Fr Damian Nwankwo, Charles King Sean, Calnan Margaret King (Chair), Julie Murphy, Cathy Morrison, Louis Borucki (Acting Secretary), Sandra Lenagan, John Bellasis (arr 6:50), Julieann Exley (Headteacher), Rania Naser, Mary Laina, Maggie Borucki, Mary Gilgunn-Jones, Kathleen Kelly, Anne Garrett (arr 6:50)
- Margaret King continued as Chair and opened the meeting at 6pm.
- Fr Damian started with a prayer and thanked his predecessor, Fr Prem Fernando for all he had done for the parish. He commented on the warm community that is multi-national, organised, has the right spirit and gets things done. He said he was here to serve and help out. He thanked the parishioners for giving him a sense of happiness and inclusiveness. Whilst the diocese legislates as to what happens, he promised to do his best for the parish.
- RN thanked Fr Damian for attending the school governors’ meeting and for meeting the children.
- The interim period:
- RN was grateful for how everyone had been working together.
- SC thanked Canon Mervyn Tower for his work in finding priests to cover.
- List of parish Services and Ministries:
- CK and MK had reviewed the old list of Parish ministries and those taking a lead in them and drafted an updated one but this needs further discussion and review.
- FrD proposed that volunteers from the list talk after Mass about what the ministries do and call for more volunteers and this should happen in both churches.
- JE called for there to be a person to contact for each group.
- JE/RN suggested that their older children could read at the parish Masses and they would approach Richard Pye about this. RN pointed out that she already trains the pupils to perform this task for the school Masses in the church.
- The school will bring children to clean the church before the First Communion and Confirmation ceremonies. JE said this could continue generally at other times (always under school supervision). She added that parents find it difficult to accompany the children due to work commitments and extra-curricular activities and events.
- SL mentioned that Bob Wright had arranged for the school children to help at the Soup Lunches, and this experience could be extended.
- RN said she will talk with Pablo Callejo, a parent at the school, about youth activities (Youth Lead).
- JE and RN said they could run one Children’s Liturgy once a month in each of the churches.
- Creation of additional support groups:
- CK described how a Pastoral Care Group had evolved from the work of the SVP but it had not met since before the Covid lockdown. He said that pastoral group members would become aware of where visits to the sick were needed, but Fr Prem took responsibility during lockdown. CK asked FrD if he could help restore the former role, and pointed out the need to include a DBS system.
- FrD suggested having a pastoral and befriending group and SL said she would talk to a former pastoral group member who had trained as a bereavement counsellor. CK said that she had been trained by Cruse Bereavement Support.
- JB mentioned that there are roles in the school for parishioners to help out such as reading and attending in-class Masses. JE said that older parishioners were welcome to attend meals with the children as guests of the school; but no more than ten.
- Fundraising:
- MGJ described various activities that had taken place through the year: bingo, quiz nights, silent auction, Christmas raffle, Christmas wreath-making and lunches for the elderly, about 60 people.
- SL mentioned lecture evenings at St Hugh’s before Covid and this needed reviving. It needs new ideas and new people.
- CK said the church used to have a family friendly New Year’s Eve party that was very well attended.
- CM mentioned international food and national days for events.
- JE said the school hall was available for parish use, especially when extra space was needed; using the school grounds in summer for example. She said she would be happy to come to fundraising meetings and do joint events. She would then communicate events to parents.
- The school would like to raise money again to take children to Lourdes with the diocese. Last year a second collection was allowed for a donation to the school for this purpose and it is hope this could happen this year (quite soon).
- Churches Together in Kidlington issued grants for schools and churches in Kidlington. £2,500 is available.
- FrD stressed the need for St Thomas More and St Hugh’s to work together to form a joint parish programme of events.
- Review of current Mass times and Services:
- Adoration and Benediction were discussed. FrD explained that the order of Adoration, Benediction and Mass is a process of building up to the main event. They will be re-introduced concurrently before Mass on the first Friday of the month in St Thomas More, and on the following Wednesday in St Hugh of Lincoln.
- KK asked about the annual Family Eucharistic Adoration. RN offered to discuss this with Yaminah Pupek.
- RN offered to lead the saying of the rosary at 5:40pm before the Saturday evening Mass during the months of May and October. FrD proposed to say either a decade of the rosary or the Angelus before the final blessing after each Mass during the month of May.
- FrD requested the resumption of bringing the gifts to the altar at the Offertory. This will involve two acolytes with candles followed by the water and wine and offertory collection being carried by a family or selection of parishioners chosen on the day.
- The annual Healing Mass in November was missed last year. CK mentioned that Fr Prem sometimes got another priest to help out and the pastoral group used to help with transport.
- Any Other Business:
- JB suggested that Pablo Callejo be given as a point of contact in the parish newsletter for enquiries from young people.
- JB recommended an audit of the parish website, which does not reflect adequately the handover of parish priest. JE offered to use the schools services for updates.
- FrD proposed that there be tea and coffee available at the Parish support meetings.
- Date for the 2026 Parish Assembly is 14 June in the STM church hall. Other dates are: First Holy Communion 7 June; Confirmation 21 June; Parish sacramental celebration 5 July. Celebrations will follow in the school hall,
- MK closed the meeting at 8:30pm and FrD led with a closing prayer.