A very warm welcome to our Parish Family

We hope the information here will be helpful and give you some general information about this community.

Our Parish, which is part of the Diocese of Clifton, was opened in 1929 by Benedictine Monks, becoming a Diocesan Parish in 1932.  The Church is dedicated to Our Blessed Lady and to St Alphege, who had been a monk in Gloucestershire, the Abbot of Bath, and later Archbishop of Canterbury.

One of the documents in preparation for the recent Synod described the parish as

“the community of the faithful which incarnates the mystery of the Church in a visible, immediate and everyday form. ….. where we learn to live as disciples of the Lord …. and experience communion in the variety of vocations where everyone jointly lives out his or her mission and service, harmonising the specific contributions of them all”.

The people of this parish are diverse, prayerful, and generous disciples of the Lord, who give of their time and talents to serve Christ and proclaim the presence of the Kingdom of God. We look forward to this mission being enriched by your presence and gifts.

Above all else we know that we must first seek to hear the voice of the Lord.  As St Benedict wrote we must all “listen with the ear of the heart” in our daily prayer and when we gather together as God’s Holy People in our wonderful Church of Our Lady & St Alphege to celebrate the mystery of faith together.

Our first Parish Pastoral Meeting and conversation Council took place on on Thursday the 15th of January.  Below is a summary of our discussions

We began with a reading from St Paul’s letter to the Church at Ephesus which reminded us that we are all being “built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit”. Our discussion then asked how we can share more effectively in that work of God by becoming a community which is more visibly “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” by deepening our life of prayer, enabling communion, & strengthening our mission to the others.

We recognised that there was much to give thanks for and to celebrate – the many and varied ministries in the Parish are very much alive and active. Yet we also recognised that a small number of people undertake a lot of the work which sustains the life of the parish. This is partly due to the pressures of life which people experience in our society today.

It was felt that, while maybe the age of long-term service on a committee was no longer possible, that people could be invited to come together to support a project or initiative, making a commitment to enable one event could be much more feasible.

This could enable bigger social events to enable the parish to grow in communion. Ideas included a summer event, a quiz evening, an international food event, and a Christmas party. There will of course be other ideas!

We also agreed that communion is deepened by the life of prayer we share, especially on Sundays when we gather as community to pray. It has been good to welcome new people on Sundays, at the recent celebration of Christmas, and also to support families at more difficult times such as funerals. The two Sunday Masses are prayerful celebrations of the presence of Christ, though it was felt that time for silent prayer together is particularly powerful. One practical suggestion was that, during Lent, we would not have a communion hymn but instead make this a time for quiet and prayer. There was a feeling that a yearly rhythm of prayer could be helpful with different devotions and styles of prayer being celebrated during the different seasons of the liturgical life of the Church.
Prayer outside Mass was also discussed.

It was strongly felt that there is a need for the Church to be open much more. Fr Robert was able to share that the Finance and Fabric Committee are taking forward a plan to install a system in the Church to ensure proper security – this is being finalised now before the necessary permissions are then requested for it to be installed. This will mean that the doors can be open and people would be able come in to pray and spend time with the Lord in our beautiful house of prayer.

Other types of prayer were also discussed; the Prayer of the Church such as Evening Prayer which was celebrated on Sunday afternoons during Advent, Lectio Divina when we could reflect prayerfully on the Word of God, Silent Meditation, as well as Prayer and Intercession groups. Of course it was recognised that these can also take place in peoples homes, though having the Church more available was felt to be essential, though this might mean making part of the Church seating more flexible and responsive to the needs of different groups.

As well as prayer we discussed how our understanding of the faith might be deepened. We talked about the need for adult catechesis and faith formation, both through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults as well as preparation for the Sacraments, and the need for ongoing catechesis to deepen our understanding of faith. Developing links and cooperation with the local Bath parishes was also mentioned in relation to this.

The new Parish website was warmly welcomed and recognised as being a good method for evangelisation – the possible further phase of its development to enable a proper survey of the parish was discussed. Other forms of social media were also talked about.

But while all forms of modern communication can be helpful, the importance of personal contact was recognised as being central to our community. The role of our Welcomers was recognised as important when they greet people at the door, but we recognised that this ministry as something in which all of us share and that we need to grow in confidence but also awareness of the power of a welcome and an invitation to come and see as well.

Looking forward we recognised the need to be aware of and to be ready to respond to diverse social and economic make-up of the wider community in our local and parish area. We also recognised that short term quick fixes rarely produce changes which bear fruit in the long term. It was always worth taking time to be guided by the Lord and to build foundations of rock rather than sand.

As the meeting came to an end Fr Robert said he would type up a summary of the meeting and then we could see how this could be taken forward. A date to continue conversation not long after Easter was felt important, and also to take forward now some of the practical ideas to lay foundations for the future.

The time ended again with thanksgiving for the life of this community. The kingdom of God is, as the closing reading said “like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches”.  We give thanks for the home we have found here and pray that God will develop our life of prayer, communion, and mission so that more people will here find their home.

This Committee meets at least four times a year to support and advise the Parish Priest about the practical management of the Parish.  If you have expertise in finance or building then please do speak to Fr Robert about supporting the work of this group.

Our team of parishioners are at the door on Sundays and Feast Days to greet familiar faces as well as visitors and people who are new to the parish.  They are happy to help with general enquiries and offer any other assistance needed. New members to undertake this ministry are always welcome.

Young people who have made their 1st Holy Communion serve at both Sunday Masses and training is provided.

Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) takes place during Holy Mass on Sunday at 11.a.m.

At the beginning of Mass, children gather in church with their families for the Introductory Rites of the Mass. Children and leaders are then called forward to be presented with a book of scripture and we process to the parish hall.

During the session, children are able to celebrate a separate Liturgy of the Word appropriate to their level of understanding. The leader will introduce the scriptures of the day which are explored through discussion and reflection of the readings and involve children’s own experience. We end with a time of prayer. The prayer may arise from the children’s reflection but is always concerned for the needs of the whole church and the world.  If time allows, there may also be opportunity for a creative activity.  We return to the church for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  Parents and carers of very young children are very welcome to join us.

‘Liturgy is the praise and worship of God’ ‘In liturgy we discover the riches of prayer, through word and gesture, silence and stillness.’ ‘The purpose of adapting liturgy for children is to lead them to a full conscious and active part in liturgy of the parish’ 

Extracts from ‘Liturgy of the Word with Children’ Liturgy Office Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

The Choir meets weekly and sings at the 11am Sunday Mass. New singers and musicians are always welcome

Our parish is committed to the Safeguarding policies of the Catholic Church in England & Wales: to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from any form of harm, abuse, neglect or ill treatment and to promote a safe environment for them.

Our parish Safeguarding rep is Barbara Molloy e mail: PSR.bath.stalphege@cliftondiocese.com

Our Diocesan Safeguarding Coordinator’s number is 0117 954 0993

The St Vincent de Paul (SVP) conference at Our Lady and St Alphege has been running for over 50 years and currently we have 15 members.

Our conference is part of the SVP in England and Wales which is an anti-poverty charity and part of an international Christian voluntary network dedicated to tackling poverty in all its forms by providing practical assistance to people in need. We visit vulnerable or isolated people and offer them friendship and practical support. The essence of our work is person-to-person contact and spending time with people is our greatest gift.

We are available to anyone in the parish or local community who is in any kind of need, irrespective of race, religion, age or personal circumstance. If we can’t provide help ourselves, we will try and find someone who can. Most of the time in this conference is spent visiting people in their homes, residential homes and in hospitals alongside other practical support.

If you or anyone you know may need help from the SVP please contact the parish office, with your name and contact details and they can pass on your request to the group.

And if you think you have any time or skills you may be able to share with our SVP group and would like to consider joining our friendly group please either contact the parish office speak to any member of our group  to find out more.  There are photos of the SVP members on the noticeboard as you come into the church if you would like to approach any of them in person.

Beacons is a well established community gathering linked to the work of the SVP in the parish which is open to all in and around Bath. We meet monthly, usually on the 3rd Monday of the month from 2 to 4 pm in the hall.

Our aim is to strengthen our community spirit by creating a friendly, inclusive and welcoming space for all where you can relax, chat, make new friends and meet old ones while enjoying free delicious home made cakes and hot drinks with soft live music in the background.

We also have a very popular raffle (£1 a ticket) in support of a different charity each month, mostly a local one but occasionally a national one. In 2025 alone we raised £1308 thanks to your amazing generosity. Here are just a few of the charities we have supported:
Julian House for the homeless;
Guide Dogs for the Blind when we had the pleasure to welcome Rosslyn an excited puppy in training and her enthusiastic lady trainer;
The Oasis Food Pantry providing food at very low cost for people in need (see the poster on the hall notice board);
Dorothy house, our well known local hospice;
Time is Precious whose aim is to create a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for sick children and their families in hospital and at home;
The Bath Life House providing essential items to new mothers and babies in need;
Annie’s Modern Pilgrimage in support of vulnerable elderly people in Ukraine as well as the Almshouses in Wells;
SSAFA and Help for Heroes,
…..not forgetting our Parish Funds.

Sometimes we can get a speaker from our chosen charity, other times we have a quiz or a chair exercise session or a band…. In the future we are hoping to hold a line dancing session led by talented parishioners which you could join in or just watch! We would welcome your suggestions in choosing a charity close to your heart and also your offers of entertainments.

We cannot stress enough that all of you are most welcome to join us. Watch for Beacons in the Newsletters and on posters on the church and hall notice boards.

This organises coffee after the 1100 Sunday Mass as well as various events during the year

New flower arrangers are always welcome especially around Christmas and Easter.  The garden team are working to grow our own flowers to use in the Church. More help would be most welcome, no experience needed!

Next door to the Church is St John’s Catholic Primary School which is dedicated to ensuring that all our children have the best possible education and are supported to grow academically, emotionally and spiritually.  The School shares close links with St Alphege’s Parish and cherish the prayer life they share with parishioners during year.  Members of our Parish also attend St Gregory’s Catholic College for their Secondary education.