Category: Services

On-Line Service only – Sunday 3rd January

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In Church Services cancelled

St Catherine's Church

Following advice from the Diocese urging us to be “extremely cautious” regarding any decisions about offering worship within our church buildings, even though it is currently permitted, Gill, together with the church wardens, have taken the decision to suspend our physical services in the church building.

We will worship entirely online for at least the next three Sundays, beginning this weekend, 3rd January. This is not a decision we came to lightly. The main reasons are:

  1. The reportedly more contagious strain;
  2. More cases around us locally. (There are now 454 cases per 100,000 in Reading, with 735 cases reported in the last week. This is a much higher rate than the rest of the country for which the average rate is 296 per 100,000.
  3. The likelihood of even more contagion following New Year’s Eve revelries. Things are certainly going to get better, but in the meantime we need to be wise and limit the spread by staying at home.

Thank you for your understanding.

Church Activities and Coronavirus

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St Catherine's ChurchThis page is regularly updated.  Please return regularly to read the latest situation.

The Coronavirus Pandemic has changed all our lives.  As our level of restriction is continually under review, so our pattern of Sunday services and other midweek gatherings are affected again.  

During these difficult times, we continue to explore how to be a different kind of church, and how to both keep in contact and provide practical help.

We encourage you to :-

  • Join our live-streamed video services via our Facebook page .  We have a Sunday morning service video as well as a weekday live streamed ‘At Home’ Morning Prayer  service.  All start at 10am.  Please download a Morning Prayer service booklet from here.
  • Keep in contact via email, social media or telephone with each other.  If you are not already in one of our ‘Virtual Groups’ and wish to be included, please email us.

Please refer to this page for Practical Help if you are ill or isolated.

Please refer to this page for Spiritual Help during this time.

Church Activities

While we are under Tier 2 restrictions (or higher), most of our Church Activities remain closed.

This includes, but is not limited to the following

      • Mid-Week Services in church
      • Café Siena
      • Tuesday get Together
      • Friday Friends
      • York House communion
      • Calcot Cuppa
      • Mothers Union
      • Tots Praise
      • Cornwell 0-5s Play Group

At this time it is not known which activities will re-start at what time.  Please check back on this web site or our Facebook page for further details.

Other Hall & Church Users

Some groups, such as St Catherine’s Pre-school, have a specification exemption from lockdown.  They may continue to meet,  in a strict Covid-secure environment.

We have contacted the people booking the Hall or Church to discuss the additional requirements that the latest government guidance puts upon them and the practicality of whether their groups may continue to meet.

At this time we do not know when any particular church centre users will restart their groups.  Please check with them for further details.

Also note:
To reduce the chance of cross contamination, the centre is being operated in two halves – Church and Hall.  Please use the north, car park entrance for the Church, and the south, road side entrance for the Hall.

 

Last updated 1st January 16:00 pm.
Originally published 16th March 2020 9:00 am.

On-line resources during Coronavirus

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We are aware that many seek spiritual nourishment during this time of Coronavirus when we are unable to attend Church services together.  This may be especially important for those self isolating.

We continue to meet together on-line in a variety of ways, primarily through Facebook and Zoom.

Immediately below are our most recent videos. Please scroll to the bottom for more resources.

Morning Prayer – Friday 15th January

 

Morning Prayer – Thursday 14th January

 

Morning Prayer – Wednesday 13th January

 

Morning Prayer – Tuesday 12th January

 

Morning Prayer – Monday 11th January

 

Sunday Service – 10th January

 

Morning Prayer – Friday 8th January

 

Morning Prayer – Thursday 7th January

 

Videos

All our Morning Prayer & Sunday Service videos can be found here

Our Advent Course videos can be found here

Our videos for the young or young at heart can be found here

All our Afternoon Reflection videos can be found here

Our Thy Kingdom Come Evening Prayer videos can be found here

All our Bible Reading videos can be found here

All our Daily Office videos can be found here

All our Soul Music videos can be found here

Other Resources

All our downloadable resources, including our ‘At Home’ service booklet, can be found here

In addition to videos, further study material has been emailed or delivered. If you want this and haven’t already received it, please contact us at info@stcatherines-tilehurst.org.uk .  If you have a friend who’d like this, but does not have access to the Internet, please contact us.

If you wish to join us for our Zoom Coffee meetings, please find the details at the end of our Sunday services, or email us at info@stcatherines-tilehurst.org.uk

A lot of announcements and links to additional material can be found on our Facebook page.

Last updated 1st January 09:00 am.

Originally published Monday 16th March 9:00 am