Groups and Activities

As you can see from this list, there are many activities happening in our parish. If you would like to contact anyone listed below you can request their contact details using this link. Please let us know, also if there are any omissions or corrections required.

Altar Preparation

Preparation of the altar and equipment before each Mass is carried out by volunteers and the altar servers.

St Ann's Contact : Ann Hall, Mary Maloney

St Mary's Contact : Pat Townley, Pat Kitching

Bereavement Support Group

The aim of the group is to bring comfort and support to anyone who has suffered a bereavement and to give practical help with planning the funeral, such as helping chose suitable hymns and readings.

To find out more about the work of this group, click on this link.

Bridge Community Shop

The shop is run by Stocksbridge Churches Together and staffed entirely by volunteers, including several of our parishioners.

If you have items of unwanted clothing or bric a brac in saleable condition, don't throw them away but bring them along to the shop. All funds raised are donated to good causes and community groups.

Helpers urgently required - if you can spare a few hours per week, please call in and speak to one of the assistants

Opening Hours : Monday, Tuesday, Friday 10 am to 4 pm, Saturdays 10 am to 1 pm

CAFE (Catholic Faith Exploration)

Programmes are usually run during Advent and Lent and are aimed at exploring the issues surrounding our faith and building community. A video is shown which is followed by discussion in groups and light refreshments. Sessions are run at both churches.

St Ann's Contact : Paul Cotterill, Barbara Horsman

St Mary's Contact : Teresa O'Brien, Maxine Rooney

Collections

Regular gifts can be given using weekly envelopes or by standing order. Please consider creating a standing order because having a consistent, regular income is an enormous help in budgeting for parish expenditure. A sample letter to your bank to create a standing order can be obtained by clicking on this link.

If you are a taxpayer and haven't done so already, please complete a gift aid form, it doesn't cost you anything but the church can reclaim the tax you have paid on your donation. Last year this raised an additional income of several thousand pounds, money which would have otherwise gone to the taxman!

St Ann's Contact : Joe Maloney, Mick Ward

St Mary's Contact : Brendan Lally

Children's Liturgy

There is a special liturgy for younger children at the 9.15am Mass at St Ann's and at the 10.30 Mass at St Mary's each Sunday. The children spend the first part of the Mass having instruction from their catchists and return after the offertory.

St Ann's Contact : Maureen Aldous, Laura Twomey

St Mary's Contact : Elizabeth Bishop

Church Cleaning

The cleaning of both churches is carried out by a small band of volunteers. Offers of help always appreciated.

St Ann's Contact : Mary Maloney

St Mary's Contact : Pat Kitching

Church Maintenance

Volunteers needed to help with all types of maintenance jobs.

St Ann's Contact : Brian Tonner, Don Aitkin

St Mary's Contact : Peter O'Brien, Brendan Lally

Church Records

If you are interested in tracing anyone through our Parish records, Baptisms can be traced from 1875 and Marriages from 1897 or for any other information related to Parish history.

St Ann's Contact : Betty McKay

St Mary's Contact : John Wright

St Ann's Club

St Ann's Catholic Club is situated next to the presbytery behind the church. It is open every day except Tuesday.

Contact : St Ann's Club Haywood Lane, Deepcar.

Tel. 01142 884411 or (07901 590898 out of hours)

Eucharistic Ministers

Eucharistic Ministers have an ever increasing role in the Church's Liturgy as well as taking Holy Communion to the sick and new volunteers are always welcome.

Some Eucharistic Ministers have received training to lead services at Church

As a result of the work of this group, all sick and housebound parishioners are able to receive the Eucharist each week.

St Ann's Contact : Joe Maloney (am), Ann Hall(pm)

St Mary's Contact : Pat Townley

St Ann's Rota : Peter Ward (am), Cath Mansfield (pm)

St Mary's Rota : John O'Brien

Flowers for the Church

Donations always welcome towards the cost of flowers especially for special occasions. There is usually a box at the back of church where donations for flowers can be left.

St Ann's Contact : Dorothy Savage

St Mary's Contact : Pat Deakin, Pat Becket

Fundraising

A variety of fundraising events are organised throughout the year at both churches. These include jumble sales, table top sales, raffles, cake stalls and social events.

If you buy goods on the internet and you use the EasyFundraising Website, then the Parish will earn commission on your purchase.

St Ann's Contact : Betty McKay

St Mary's Contact : Teresa O'Brien, Edna Daly, Doug Carr

Easyfundraising Contact : Brendan Lally

Grounds Maintenance

Volunteers needed, contact Parish Office or Father Stan

St Ann's Contact : Brian Tonner

St Mary's Contact : John Wood

Journey in Faith

The ancient rite of reception into the full communion of the Church, re-introduced in 1974. It has taken place every alternate Wednesday from September to Easter from 7.30 - 9 pm in the Parish Hall.

St Ann's Contact : Barbara Horsman

St Ann's Contact : Teresa O'Brien

Liturgy Group

St Ann's Contact : Maureen Aitkin

St Mary's Contact : Christine Wood

Lourdes Fund

Various fundraising activities are organised to raise money, to enable the sick of the parish to participate in the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes .

Each year parishioners and carers from St Ann's and St Mary's take part in this event.

St Ann's Contact : Ann Hall, Don Aitkin

St Mary's Contact : Teresa O'Brien

Fundraising Contact : Margaret Glover

Magazines and Newspapers

The following newspapers/magazines are available at both churches.

If you would like to take one, just leave your money in the box provided.

St Ann's Contact : Mary Maloney

St Mary's Contact : Brendan Lally

Mission Boxes (AFP)

Keep a mission box at home to collect loose change. Just leave your box at the back of church and it will be collected and emptied. Thanks for your support.

St Ann's Contact : Marie Carter

St Mary's Contact : Maxine Rooney

Music at Mass

St Ann's Contact : Maureen Aitkin , John Cornell (am) or Felicity Fletcher (pm)

St Mary's Contact : Edna Daly

Offertory Procession at Sunday Mass

Often this is performed by members of the family for whom the mass is being offered. On other occasions members of the congregation are invited to take part.

Parish Hall (St Ann's)

The hall is a wonderful Parish amenity which is used for a wide variety of activities both regular and ad hoc. These include Age Well Keep Fit,Rainbows, Brownies and Guides, Scrabble Club, Parish Meetings and social gatherings after special events in the church

Policy on bookings

For parish activities the hall is free

The hall is also available for hire for events such as children's parties

Any parishioner wanting to hire it please contact Brian.

Contact : Brian Tonner

Piety Stall

For a selection of cards, baptismal, holy communion and confirmation gifts etc.

At St Ann's the stall is open before and after both Sunday Masses.

St Ann's Contact : Ann Hall

St Mary's Contact : Pat Deakin

Pilgrimages and Holidays

In recent years there have been parish organised pilgrimages to Lourdes, Rome, Ireland, Poland and Belgium. These are held every other year and we have a good link with St Peter in Chains Parish Doncaster, with some of their parishioners joining us. As a result of publicity in Hallam News several people from other parishes have also joined in. A more recent, and hopefully long lasting development is having pilgrims from our local Anglican community coming along, six of whom participated in the trip to Poland. In 2010 we went to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau. In 2011 we had a five day Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham and trips to the Holy Land (2012) and Ireland (2013) are arranged.

Contact : Brendan Lally

Prayer Meetings

If anyone is interested in taking part in prayer meetings, please contact Paul.

Contact : Paul Cotterill

Readers for Mass

New volunteers to read at Mass are always welcome. Anyone wishing to read the Liturgy of the Word at any Mass, please let us know.

St Ann's Contact : Marion Hutton (am) or Dorothy Savage (pm), Marianne Down

St Mary's Contact : John O'Brien

Rota - St Ann's Contact : ? (am) or Dorothy Savage (pm)

Rota - St Mary's Contact: John O'Brien, Pat Kitching

Refreshments after Mass

Tea and Coffee is served after all Sunday Masses, in the parish hall at St Ann's and in the church at St Mary's. All welcome.

Proceeds from the sale of refreshments are used for a variety of good causes

St Ann's Contact : Barbara Horsman (am) or Tammy Neal (pm)

St Mary's Contact : Joan Barry, Pat Kitching, Edna Daly, Phyl Lally, Alicia, Sally and Sylvia

There is also a cake stall at St Mary's on the first Sunday of each month, with proceeds going to the "Good Causes" fund (money to call on in case of crisis/emergency appeals).

Contact : Edna Daly

Scrabble Club

The scrabble club meets alternate Wednesday evenings at 7 pm (alternate to Journey in Faith). We are a small, friendly group desperately seeking additional parishioners to join us. Scrabble sets and refreshments are provided. A charge of £1 for adults and 50p for a younger folks helps cover costs. Why not come along and give it a try ?

Contact : Liz Barber

Social Planning Group

Planning of Social and Fundraising events. The most recent of these was an Italian night at St Mary's arranged by Paul and Nicola Moorhead which was a great success.St Ann's hope to arrange something along similar lines in 2011.

St Ann's Contact : Mick Ward, Betty McKay

St Mary's Contact : Paul and Nicola Moorhead, Brendan Lally

Traidcraft

There are regular Traidcraft stalls after Mass at both churches.

St Ann's Contact : Maureen Dunlop, Ann Whitfield

St Mary's Contact : Pat Deakin

Weekly Parish Bulletins

A combined weekly newsletter is produced for both churches, if you want to include an item in the bulletin contact Geraldine at St Ann's school by noon on Thursday using the contact details below.

Geraldine Bebb (St Ann's School) : 0114 288 4281

email : enquiries@st-anns.sheffield.sch.uk

Welcoming Ministry

Volunteers who welcome parishioners old and new to our Sunday celebrations.

St Ann's : Cath Hanwell/Betty McKay (am) and Ann Hall (pm)

St Mary's : Brendan Lally, Doug Carr, John Wright