THE P RTAL
February 2014
District Organisers
We’ve helped the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A
Parish whose Priest-in-Charge is a convert Clergyman
decided that we would be their Lent project and asked
that the money would go to the Sisters. I talked about
this at Sunday Mass and they collected about £3,000
from quite a small Parish. I think Mother Winsome
was more than happy. She knows that if she has a crisis
I’m at the other end of the phone.
different circumstances
“We try to find out
what people have and
what they need, because
everyone’s circumstances
are different. If we’re
lucky they’ve got a few
thousand pounds in the
bank but sometimes they
have debts. We often need
to rent homes for families
and this can be expensive.
Our cash flow is better
now but at one stage we
were paying out more
than £3,000 a week more
than we were getting in.
tailoring the help
to that particular
family
“One of the things I
think we are good at
is tailoring the help to
each family. I try to meet
people as early as possible,
and that includes wives.”
30 to 35 appeals
a year
or forty years ago there was no prospect of ordination
for former Anglican Clergy who were married and for
some of them life was very difficult.
a safety net
“There are many people for whom quite a small
monthly sum can tip them over from not quite enough
to enough. We are a safety net and if something goes
wrong they can give me a ring. The people we help
generally don’t own their own house, the car maybe
about to fall to pieces, they have just given up their
income and a lot of them
have not much in the
bank. Even £10,000 in
The St Barnabas
the bank doesn’t make
Society prayer
you a rich person and we
wouldn’t expect such a
Father in heaven,
person to run that down.
we thank you for the life and work
of your servant St Barnabas.
Fr Robin told me that
Through his intercession may all
the Society covers the area
who work for the St Barnabas Society
covered by the Bishops’
be strengthened to follow his example
Conferences of England
of joyful encouragement.
and Wales, Scotland and
Help them to extend a warm and
Ireland “but we’re not
generous welcome to those who have
precluded from helping
left home and livelihood to be
someone beyond that.”
united with Christ’s One, Holy,
ten Trustees
Catholic and Apostolic Church.
“Most of our ten
This we ask through Jesus
Trustees are lay people;
Christ our Lord.
one is a convert cleric
AMEN
who is a Priest and one is
THE ST BARNABAS SOCIETY
the wife of a Priest who
4 FIRST TURN, WOLVERCOTE
is a convert cleric. She
OXFORD OX2 8AH
and her husband became
Icon from original by
Catholics more than
Sr Petra Clare Benedictine Skete, Beauly, U