The Suggestion Box Strikes Again #2.
Dear Parishioners,
We (members of the Parish Team) have received another 13 suggestions over
this last while.
Thank you very much indeed.
They were all read and discussed at the Parish Pastoral Council meeting. A
couple of these regarding safety have been dealt with immediately. Others
can be dealt with immediately while most require time and planning. Some
other suggestions are personal in nature and we cannot facilitate an answer
as no contact details were submitted. Indeed some suggestions require more
work on behalf of the volunteers who basically run the parish and it would
be improper to impose upon them more time commitments.
Several of the suggestions rightly point to shortcomings in lighting and
heating issues in the parish. These are very important aspects and we have
begun a process to address them on a long term basis.
When the church was built there was no insulation put into the walls. The
windows and the side doors are not double glazed. These factors contribute
to the immediate dispersion of the heat. The heating system itself is
requiring a lot of attention and is making a lot of noise. The fixing of
these inter-related problems is going to require hefty financial commitment
and planning. We are trying to formulate an overall plan that would address
all these problems at once (including parking, the fixing of the Bell
etc.). Please continue to highlight aspects such as these with the
knowledge that your input is an important asset to our Parish.
Another group of suggestions focused on the Liturgy: A change of hymns,
more silence around the Church and at certain times of Mass. There were
also petitions for more explanations of the Mass, the inclusion of
intermittent prayers in Latin. These suggestions have been noted and will
be spoken about at a future Liturgy Committee meeting.
However, as some require more work from our over-worked volunteers we can
only ask them to consider these suggestions. Two suggestions have been made
recently that cannot be facilitated (one regarding the restoration of the
Higher Cross on the Altar and another about the microphone). The camera
which broadcasts the Mass to the housebound needs a clear view so that
people can see better. For that reason one of the microphones was changed
and a lower cross placed on the Altar.
