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.

We are working towards a meeting of a new Parish Pastoral Council which will help encourage our Parish life and both develop and discover pastoral priorities for us to take forward. Our first meeting to take this forward will be on Thursday the 15th of January in the Parish Hall after the 1800 Mass.

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

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

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.

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!

Linked with the SVP this group meets monthly on a Monday afternoon for a social get together combined with a raffle, tea, and refreshments. Everyone is welcome

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.