St Catherine’s Church Census

Church Census Cover

The Spring edition of RG31 – Our Parish Magazine contains a church census form which we’d love you to fill in.

Here’s an explanation from Gill …

In the Old Testament book of Numbers, Chapter 1, we read that in the second year of wandering in the desert, God told Moses to undertake a census. After a whole year of Coronavirus, I thought it would be a good idea to do something similar so that we don’t make assumptions when planning how we “do church” as we come out of lockdown; and to give me a picture of how everyone is feeling about church right now.

Your voice counts, and I would really appreciate it if you would complete and return this form by Tuesday 6th April, either by posting through my letterbox at The Vicarage, or using the letterbox at St Catherine’s Church.

If you’d prefer to post it please use this address:

The Vicarage,
Wittenham Avenue,
Tilehurst,
Reading,
RG31 5LN.

It is important that everyone linked to the church completes a form – but your name is optional, so you are free to say exactly what you think.

Where more than one person in your family attends church, each family member should complete a form – please download additional copies from our website.

Rev Gill Rowell

Please download additional copies from here.

Easter Events (2021)

Click on the image for more details

ALL THROUGH HOLY WEEK (28th March – 4th April)

EASTER TRAIL from St Michael’s Church to St Catherine’s (more details here), all the family can discover the Easter story as they hunt for (pictures of) Easter eggs.

VISIT OUR EASTER GARDEN.  Pre-school and school children are making crafted flowers to add to the garden – and you are invited to do the same!

CAST YOUR BURDENS ON TO HIM, FOR HE CARES FOR YOU (1 Peter 5:7).  An opportunity for quiet reflection and prayer.  Bring a stone, or many stones, and lay them at the foot of the Cross.  The cross will be in a quiet place in the church grounds, behind the corner garden.  You are invited to sit before the cross on the bench for as long as you like (wrap up warm!) and use the opportunity to pray and give your concerns to God.  Do it once, or come daily.  Everyone is welcome.  Please respect social distancing.

ON LINE WORSHIP

10.00 am each week day morning – join us for MORNING WORSHIP.

7.00 pm – Listen to the EASTER STORY told by members of St Catherine’s church, with time to pause for prayer.

PALM SUNDAY : 28th March

10.00 am – CELEBRATION SERVICE WITH COMMUNION IN CHURCH Please book your place.  As part of the celebration, we are inviting you to gift and bring an indoor plant (rather than a palm branch!) to leave on the windowsills of the church permanently – to celebrate both Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and our entry into the church building once more!  (Please don’t feel you have to do this, though, it is just an idea!)  This will also mark our commitment to being eco-friendly; plant lifeforms growing within the church!

GOOD FRIDAY : 2nd April

10.00 am – ON-LINE WORSHIP for all ages to share the wonder of the cross, and the Easter story.

3.00-3.45 pm – REFLECTIONS ON THE CROSS IN CHURCH.  Gill will lead a guided meditation focussing on different aspects of the crucifixion.  Please book your place.

EASTER SUNDAY : 4th April

6.00 am – On-line SUNRISE SERVICE from Gill’s garden to celebrate the resurrection.

10.00 am – On-line EASTER CELEBRATION

10.00 am – EASTER CELEBRATION WITH COMMUNION IN CHURCH.  Please book your place.

All services in church will follow strict Covid-secure guidelines – thus numbers may be limited to keep social distancing. To book your place, email us on info@stcatherines-tilehurst.org.uk

Mothers’ Union Meeting – Wed 10th March

The St Catherine’s Branch of the Mothers Union are currently holding their programme of talks over Zoom. The next meeting is on Wednesday March 10th at 2.30 pm.  We look forward to a talk by Gill on Christianity, crime and punishment.

The Zoom link is

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88392263080?pwd=QU1FL0RxNmxSODBYL0l5VlN6alZYdz09

The meeting ID is 883 9226 3080, passcode 235277.

This meeting is open to any of our congregation, not just MU members, and we do hope as many of you who are able will join us.

Cat’s Cartoon Club – March 2021

We had always planned for our new venture ‘Cat’s Cartoon Club’ to take place in the Church Hall, but we can only meet on-line for now. If you didn’t manage to join us on-line for our latest edition of ‘Cat’s Cartoon Club’ – about Pixar’s Finding Nemo – you can watch it below …

All our other videos for the young or young at heart can be found here

All our videos can be found here

Electoral roll

An Electoral Roll is a list of those qualified to vote.  As we approach our Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) it is a requirement to update our own church’s Electoral Roll in preparation for that meeting.

What is the Electoral Roll and why might you want to join it ?  The cartoon below may help.

* The PCC of Tilehurst : St Catherine and Calcot : St Birinus regret that the above mentioned Electoral Rock is not available.

If you would like to be added to our Electoral Roll, please contact us.