Autumn 2023

T he Mass Centre, based at St. John Fisher School, Hazelmere Road, is part of the Catholic Parish of Ss Alban and Stephen. Parishioners have met there every Sunday since 1965 (except during the pandemic) to celebrate Mass so there is a strong sense of intergenerational community. With such a strong sense of cohesion, the congregation is well placed to support parish initiatives such as a national church scheme called Live Simply. Parishes seek to: • Live Simply; • Live Sustainably; • Live in solidarity with the poor. Ideas It is the responsibility of each parish community to identify what those aims might mean for them in their local community. In our parish we have had lots of ideas, some of which we have been able to implement; others are still to be tackled. We have become more mindful of recycling and waste disposal. We want to tackle the use of plastic – could we become a plastic free parish? We support the local food banks. We are supporting local migrants by, for example, introducing them to a football team, providing clothing, o!ering friendship. Support We have recently collected over 900 signatures to support a campaign to press the World Bank to support small farmers’ use of their own seeds rather than commercial organisations. There is an excellent video at www.cafod.org.uk/food where you can support the campaign. Clearly there is far more to do and we have lots of ideas for projects. We hope that individuals, working together, will be able to make a di!erence and will be able to amplify better attitudes and practices. Proud to display the letters signed to support Fix the Food System 37