Parish council meeting, November 15, 2021


Minutes of parish council meeting on Monday, November 15, 1900 parish hall

Present Fr Joseph, Stephen Griggs, Lisamaria De Pasquale, Sue Devlin, Sue Manley, Mim MacMahon, Stephen Donaghy

Apologies for absence were received from Kathleen Vidal and Judy Fell.

Kathleen Vidal is resigning from the council because of health issues. The council instructed the secretary to write to thank her for all her service to the parish over the years.


1 Minutes of previous meeting were accepted

2 Matters arising

Statue, two donations of £5,000 each had been offered for statues of St Pancras and Our Lady of Grace of Ipswich. Fr Joseph will follow up on these offers, aware that one was made by someone who no longer attends St Pancras regularly but may still like to make a contribution. The Bishop had expressed surprise on a recent visit that none of the Ipswich churches had a statue to Our Lady of Grace. Any statue was not intended to compete with the ecumenical shrine in Saint Mary of the Elms

There was some concern about the Facebook page representing St Pancras. It is not an official parish page but membership is restricted and posts are monitored.

Fire alarm checks are to be reinstated

3 Financial report

Finance committee is being established with four parishioners asked if they are willing to sit on it.

Some bills may be outstanding but the only other major expenditure for the house is installing en suite facilities.

It is hoped that the priest’s private sitting room will be finished by Christmas

4 Building works

Organ work progressing. Frame has been built, swell box put on top and wind system is working. Mechanical linkages have to be remade. Organ had been due for repairs, could not do maintenance/retuning because of health and safety. Now with organ turned round that will be safer. Millennium window will be uncovered. Electrics had to be moved and recabled.

In the presbytery the brief was to make house habitable for next priest, be that in six months or ten years.

Hall decoration has been scheduled starting on Monday December 6 for a week

Future building work might involve moving the fire exit.

Alarm system for hall/house etc is to be updated possibly to include external doors – for night security in church and hall, and sacristry and sanctuary. Might reduce insurance premium


5 Synod. Letter had been received from diocese with guidelines on how parish should respond. Parish representative. Secretary to speak to Bill Newman-Sanders to ensure one of them takes on role.


6 Rotas Surveys of demand for better coffee had not taken place but Fr Joseph said some people had told him that they did not socialise in hall because of the quality of the coffee. The stewarding rota had been revived. Moves to re-establish the counting rota were in hand and it was hoped to revive Thursday lunches. An over-60s coffee morning had been launched and attracted about a dozen participants.

The laundry rota was being revived Readers’ rotas are being revived – pretty much just two for each Sunday Mass. Two girls have said they want to read and Fr Joseph wants to continue Fr Leeder’s work, encouraging young readers.

Lot of young families appeared to be staying away because of Covid-19 fears. Some people have got into a habit of livestreaming Masses. Fr Joseph said our attendances were just over half what they had been before the pandemic and were creeping up. Parishioners were to be asked on the feast of Christ the King to each contact someone they knew who used to attend Mass but had not returned after pandemic to encourage and help them to come back.


7 Christmas decorations and crib. The crib is to be positioned to avoid blocking the Lady Chapel.

Carols Sunday, December 19 – hope to have tea afterwards. Consideration given to Benediction.

In previous years carols had attracted more than 100 people.


8 Standing item: Health & Safety report. Quotes are to be requested for marking out car park. Food hygiene certificates need updating. Pat testing is to be arranged for kitchen appliances.

9 Standing item: Safeguarding report LdP paperwork being done.

10 Any other business

Christmas service details are to be passed on to Christ Church for inclusion on card.

Secretary expressed concern about appearance of St Pius X society card in Church. Fr Joseph, with permission of bishop, celebrates a Tridentine Mass at 8am on Sunday and on Tuesday (his day off) to cater for parishioners who want it. He is not trying to make St Pancras a centre for Tridentine enthusiasts from other parishes.

11 Next meeting January 10 2022