Angelic Work

There is so much bad news about and so I asked those involved in our Guardian Angel outreach service to explain briefly what they are doing to keep us all connected to each other.

First of all, Zsuzsanna writes: “I have been working as the Outreach Co-Ordinator at St. Joseph's since September 2018 and I'm responsible for the overarching coordination of the Guardian Angel Outreach Service. I keep in touch with local organisations and the City Council and I chair and participate in meetings with the City Council, the Skerton Community Network and the Guardian Angel coordinators. It is also my task to coordinate incoming requests and I keep in touch with the local Food Club”.

Our parish Guardian Angels Outreach Service has three parts: Natalie Horner co-ordinates those making phone calls, Robert Burrow co-ordinates prayer requests, and Emily & Neil Turbitt co-ordinate errands and food parcels for those who are self-isolating and need of help.

Natalie, on the right in this picture.

Natalie writes: “After a very emotional last Mass held at St Joseph’s in March, I was asked if I could help out the parish community during the lockdown period. I was honoured to be asked to help to co-ordinate the Guardian Angels. I co-ordinate a system of contact telephone calls, pass on prayer intentions and ask for help for those in need. It has been a real blessing and honour to be a part of this amazing initiative. I have spoken to some beautiful people, and I can’t wait to meet them face to face after this lockdown period ends. Not only has it kept me busy, but I have been able to get to know more people in our parish that I perhaps recognised by sight but never had talked to. It hasn’t been doom and gloom; it has been about being a friend in need, someone to talk to, someone you can have a chat with. It has been amazing and thank God I was chosen to do this!”

Natalie adds, “On Saturdays in the month of May, we have been holding weekly Rosary meetings via Zoom. This has been attended by many parishioners and people from across the Diocese, as far as West Cumbria to the Fylde coast. It has been a wonderful, calm and peaceful time during these strange days. It has been a time for focus, and to spend time with Our Lady. A truly blessed moment to come together with fellow Christians to pray to our Blessed Mother. Come along and join us for the Rosary on Saturdays, you will find the warmest of welcomes”.

Emily & Neil, with Dawn

Emily runs the Angels Wings part of the operation. Here she explains what the group has been doing: ‘We are a group of 8 individuals who are carrying out errands for members of our parish who are housebound and / or in need of some additional support at this time. So far we have: helped to send out Easter letters, delivered palms on Palm Sunday, collected prescriptions for people, and ordered emergency food parcels. We also have delivered food parcels from the Melbourne Pub Food Club and delivered plants to 20+ parishioners. If you need some support then please contact St Joseph's. We are here to help”.

Robert & Maureen, at the centre.

Robert coordinates the Angel Warriors. Here, Robert explains what has been happening: “Since the outreach work started, the Angel Warriors prayer group have had over 100 prayer requests. These have been from people, whose loved ones or friends are ill, have passed away or more general ones particularly related to the pandemic. The Angel Warriors prayer group are 10 parishioners who, once a prayer intention is received, will storm heaven and offer up prayers as soon possible. They all pray individually on a daily basis and meet up once a week on Zoom to say the Rosary, keeping in mind all the intentions received”.

The whole parish is immensely proud of all the hard work and dedication of all those who have been volunteering with this programme in reaching out to the whole parish and wider community in these difficult times.