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Minuutes of Parish Meeting 
8th February 2025 

  1. Meeting opened with prayer

  2. Web site update – Paul Symes

    • Paul thanked everyone for their support of the web site a special thanks to Joel, for his continued support

    • Analytics

    • Praying Through Advent

    • A very successful response to Praying in Advent. The pages hit an average of 153 sessions a week.

    • It is a stronger response than the summer retreat, people are getting used to using the web site and the resources on it.

Headline Statistics

  • Number of site session in the past 12 months  7,418

  • Total number of pages viewed in the last 12 months 27,672

  • Average session time 5 minutes and 50 seconds.

 

  • Live stream Statistics

    • Saturday 1st February  6:30pm - 10 Viewers

    • Sunday 2nd February  11:30am  - 13 Views

    • Over the past two weeks daily mass has varied between 6 – 16 viewers

Updates

  • Safeguarding page has now been updated – thanks was given to Anna and Stuart for their help with this. Group leaders/ catechists were asked if they could check their pages to see if all information was correct and let Paul know if any changes were needed

  • Jubilee Year – Over the coming months there will be a series of articles about the recommended places of Pilgrimage throughout the Archdiocese. The web site will also keep parishioners updated on the celebrations throughout the Archdiocese

  • New series of features – Saint of the Month – time to reflect on historical figures within the Church who we celebrate on their feast days

  • Praying through Lent. – Throughout the season of Lent prayer resources will be provided through the website..

  • Coming to the end of ‘Behind the Scenes’ in St Georges. This series is coming to an end and the new series will examine, ‘Ministries in St Georges’

  • Most important to the web site are the stories of what is going on in the Parish, to keep all people updated of events and activities they can be involved in. Please get in touch, with Paul, if you are organising anything or are involved in anything that you may think may be of interest to the parish.

3. Finance   

George Aldridge gave a report on the last financial year, compared with the two previous years:

  • The deficit for year 2024 was £28k compared to £45k in 20223 and £126k in 2022, with exceptional repair costs of £`13k, compared to £35k in 2023 and £103k in 2022. The cumulative effect of these deficits is that our reserves have declined significantly.

  • Offertory income rose from £50k in 2023 to £56k in 2024, with overall income of £75k, but running costs have also risen, from £82k in 2023 to £86k in 2024.

  • Fr Chris thanked George and the other members of the Finance Committee for their work in monitoring our finances. He commended the progress that has been made in reducing the annual deficit and hoped out that, if we can generate income by leasing part of the parish centre, which would also reduce our expenditure on its running costs, we would be in surplus rather than in deficit.

4.Safeguarding – Fr Chris and Stuart Burke

 

  • Notice informing people of live streaming now in place in porches and on web site

  • The procedure for renewal of DBS has been streamlined: volunteers who have registered online will receive an annual email from the archdiocese asking them to confirm they are still in role and their DBS will be renewed automatically. If any volunteers stop ministering, please inform Stuart or Anna: they can then inform the Archdiocese and names can be removed from records. 
    5. Parish Centre Update

    • Fr Chris explained  that the proposal from a nursery company to lease the main hall, leaving the lounge, with a new kitchen, for parish use, is on hold at the moment while the company waits on a decision from Ofsted as to whether the proposal will meet safeguarding requirements

    • Fr Chris has been contacted by Maghull Parish Council regarding potential use of the Parish Hall since the fire has closed ‘The Venue’ at Maghull Town Hall. The Town Hall looks like it is going to be out of use for considerable time and The Venue Managers and Council will meet with Fr Chris and the estate agent acting for the archdiocese in the coming week.

  1. 6. Lent Services

    • Stations of the Cross  - presented by lay volunteers on Friday afternoons

    • Praying through Lent – Prayer resources on the web site

    • Reconciliation Service – Tuesday of Holy Week (15th April) 7:00pm

    • Discovering and Deepening: Preparation Programme for those waiting to be welcomed into the Church consisting of 6 sessions after 9:00am Mass on Sundays during Lent. Sessions 2-6 will be open to any parishioners wanting to deepen their understanding and commitment.

      • Session 1  – Enquirers only – Fr Lister

      • Session 2 – Word of God – Deacon Keith

      • Session 3 - Sacrament of Initiation – Fr Chris

      • Session 4 - Prayer - Fr Lister

      • Session 5 - Sacraments of Healing and Service – Fr Chris

      • Session 6 – Discipleship – Fr Lister


  1. 7. Mass Times

    • Fr Chris introduced the discussion on Mass times, reminding parishioners of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan and the Mission Development Plan: a strategic plan looking at how the three Sefton Deaneries can work together, bearing in mind financial security, administration coverage, musical and liturgical resources, number of Churches, times of Masses and number of priests. Significant changes will be needed in the light of current and foreseeable circumstances.

    • The principles for the current arrangement of Mass times were:

      • 1 weekend mass in each Church unless numbers attending the Church mean two Masses are needed.

      • Mass times must be organised to allow priests time to travel between Churches to allow clergy to cover for one another if needed

    • Consultation Results

      • Option A  (Sat 6:30pm  Sun 11:30am)    71 votes

      • Option B   (Sun 9:00am,  Sun 11:30am )  71 votes

      • Option C    5 returns received – suggestions didn’t fit with principles set above

    • A discussion followed covering many points, some of which are captured below

      • Consideration needs to be given to those who volunteer for ministries at Mass – fewer volunteers at 6:30pm Mass and difficult to recruit more from existing volunteer group.

      • 6:30pm Mass was originally introduced for those who work on Sunday - there are three other evening Masses in close proximity to St Georges

      • Fr Chris suggested that we need to work in a synodal way and consider what will best serve our Worshipping Community. He reminded the meeting of the process to be used:

      • Conversation in the Spirit

        1. What is the Spirit Saying to you ?

        2. What did you just hear?

        3. Can we find a communion?

  • A key part of our Mission is to reach out to young families and youth, so there should be some consultation with these groups. We need to consult with our Sacramental Programme candidates and gauge opinions on Mass times. It was voiced from the floor that while consultation is a positive approach, the final decision should rest with the whole parish community

  • Fr Lister spoke on being open to the Spirit guiding us and being able to let go of our own thoughts and opinions, listening at a deeper level, hearing what the Spirit might be leading us to.

  • Deacon Keith proposed that we do need to listen to all involved in sacramental preparation and take their views into consideration, it should be part of our decision but shouldn’t steer it. He said the enquirers are here not due to the Mass times but due to the people they meet and experiences they have had in St Georges

  • Fr Chris concluded that if a strong view had been expressed either way, it would have dictated the direction of travel. However, with no clear way expressed it was necessary to make a decision for the immediate future so the parish can plan and move forward.

  • Fr Chris proposed beginning a trial of Option B on the 1st Sunday of Lent, i.e. Mass times will be Sunday morning 9:00am and 11:30am. We have been trialling Option A the last 4 weeks and there are three weeks until the start of Lent. This was accepted by the vast majority of those present.

 

  • The meeting closed with a prayer

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