LiveSimply Launched at
St George's
In June a group of St. George’s parishioners came together to consider how we might use CAFOD’s Live Simply Award to help us live our faith, as a parish community. Using a template provided by CAFOD we formed a plan based on three themes: Living Simply, Sustainably and in Solidarity with poorer communities. We identified several current parish activities that matched these themes, including our Wednesday Craft Group, the St Killian Candle Stand in the Lady Chapel and our support for local and global charities. By building upon these foundations and embracing new ideas, we began to develop our plan. By July we had our plan, which Father Chris signed and CAFOD accepted. A copy of our plan, our Live Simply Registration Certificate and a letter of registration from Rt Rev Stephen Wright, Bishop of Hexham & Newcastle and Chair of CAFOD’s Board of Trustees, are available on the Live Simply section of our website and on our display board in church. To view please click HERE
St George's Livesimply Logo
Pledge Post Box
LiveSimply Display Boards In Church
On Sunday 7th September, during the Season of Creation, the parish of St. George’s gathered for a special LiveSimply Launch Mass, marking the beginning of a journey toward living more sustainably, compassionately, and faithfully. The Mass was not just a celebration—it was a call to action, inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’, which urges all people to care for our common home and stand in solidarity with the poor. The music, provided by the music group at the 9.00 am Mass, and organist Brenda Morrin accompanied by soloist Catherine Power at the 11.30 Mass, was chosen to reflect the Live Simply theme. The music group led the congregation in singing Psalm 34 ‘The Lord hears the cry of the poor’. Catherine provided a beautiful rendition of ‘The Benedictus’ and led us in a new hymn for St George’s ‘There is a world’. Likewise the bidding prayers were written supporting a Live Simply theme. After the final prayer the Live Simply team gave a short talk to parishioners to explain Live Simply and what we as a parish hoped to achieve. The talk is available to read on our website, please click HERE to view the talk. Parishioners were invited to take part by writing personal pledges on leaves and hanging them on the LiveSimply Pledge Tree in church. Some parishioners have promised to reduce plastic use, others committed to walking more rather than using the car, others to buying more Fairtrade products and others to supporting local and global charities.
Parish Pledge Tree
The LiveSimply Launch Mass is just the beginning. Over the coming months, St. George’s will host such things as workshops, creation walks, and charity drives—all aimed at deepening the parish’s commitment to living simply, sustainably, and in solidarity with the poor. Keep an eye on our parish website with its new Live Simply section, to view please click HERE , the weekly newsletter and our Live Simply notice board where all our initiatives will be advertised
CAFOD
Harvest Family Fast
Harvest Family Fast Day is on Friday 3rd October 2025. At Mass on 28th September we heard the story of Waré. Waré is a mother of five and a goat farmer living in southern Ethiopia, where four years of severe drought meant she had to get up at 5am every day and walk at least five hours to find water - even whilst pregnant. If she found the water source empty, she had to keep walking, even further. Waré spoke about feeling so weak, she was worried that her children would be left without a mother.
“We tried to plan, because we knew the dry season was coming, and I was going to give birth to my child, we tried to collect enough hay in storage for the livestock. But then the drought was so much more severe than we expected. We lost everything.”
But Waré had a plan – to build life-changing water tanks in her village - and, with support from CAFOD's local water engineer partners, that's exactly what she and her neighbours did.
When asked about the support from our local experts, Waré said: “They were always very close to us. They didn't just supervise us remotely, they came to our site and worked with us, practically. We shared everything together!”
Their new water tank stores water for use in the dry season, making Waré's community more resilient to drought, and holds enough water for 300 families. Now Waré has water just a 10minute walk from her home.
To learn more about Waré's story watch the following video 
For over 60 years, CAFOD has worked in partnership with communities around the world to support people like Waré facing the injustices of poverty, conflict and the climate crisis. No one should have their life limited by injustice. We can and must do better.
And we can all play our part.
A better world – the world God intended – is a world where each and every one of us has the opportunity to fulfil our God-given potential and flourish.
Together – powered by joy, love, peace and hope – we can make this better world a reality.
All it needs is all of us.
Watch ‘A better world needs all of us’ by clicking on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxzEJQ6ZKFI
With thanks to Noreen McGinnity for this article and for all the work she does as the Paroish Representative for CAFOD
All pictures courtesy of CAFOD
Care for Creation
Pilgrimage Walk
Following our recent commitment as a parish to ‘Live Simply’, some 14 ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ from St George’s joined a ‘Care for Creation’ Pilgrimage walk starting and finishing at our local ‘Shrine Church’, St Mary’s, Aughton. This was the third such ‘journey in faith’, organised by the Archdiocese in this Jubilee year; the others centred on ‘St. Anne and Blessed Dominic’ in Sutton, St. Helens, and St Oswald’s in Ashton-in-Makerfield where the ‘Holy Hand’ of St Edmund Arrowsmith is enshrined and venerated.
Pilgrims ready to set off
Our walk was arranged for Saturday 20th September, an Autumnal context – ‘the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’, as time for rejoicing in God’s Creation, and the work of man’s hands (women’s too of course!). A manageable 3.4-mile circular walk, with a Starting Prayer at the Grotto in front of St. Mary’s, and allowing for three ‘Station’ stops for prayer and reflection - the first led by the Justice and Peace Commission; the half way point with the ‘Live Simply’ Group from St George’s; and the third by the ‘Seeds of Hope’ Group from Our Lady’s/ Standish and St Bernadette/ Shevington.
Some 36 pilgrims took part, ranging in ages from 10 years to 88! The weather forecast’s dire predictions proved accurate with steady rain throughout. Nevertheless, cheerful resolve prevailed. There was some silence and private prayer, some of ‘ours’ quietly recited the Rosary, companionable ‘chat’, and our surroundings to thank God for. The prime agricultural land provided muddy challenge at times, but the overwhelming feeling was that we were celebrating, in faith, God’s good earth. Our own Fr. John was with us throughout, whilst Fr. Des was with us for a couple of miles.
Gallant Fr John
Andrew's New Friend
Holy Mass at
St Mary's
On our return we were greeted by a beaming Dean Maddock who led us in the Jubilee Prayer. Holy Mass in St. Mary’s with all its historical associations, supported by Our Lady’s Music Group, and quite full with about 80 worshippers. Our own Reeja and Andrew took up the gifts at the Offertory. Refreshments were laid on but some of us were ready for home, a bath and relaxation.
All in all, a worthy and worthwhile celebration of this ‘Year of Hope’. Thanks to Chris Higgins of Nugent Care who organised the Pilgrimage Walks in consummate fashion, encouraging, co-ordinating and keeping us safe. Gratitude, too, to ‘the faithful remnant’ at St Mary’s, (no longer an independent parish), who keep its shrine church as beautiful as ever, giving a warm welcome to our pilgrims despite wet coats and muddy boots!
Thanks to George Barnes for the article and Noreen McGinnity for the phtotographs
The Route
St George's Celebrates
CAFOD Family Fast Day
Family Fast Day
This year’s Family Fast Day - October 3rd - was marked in St George’s by a special liturgy prepared by members of the Parish CAFOD Live Simply Group , using resources provided by CAFOD.
The liturgy, attended by over 30 parishioners, focused on the theme of “Jubilee” and began with the midday Angelus, uniting us with Catholics worldwide, followed by the hymn, “This is the Year of Jubilee” , which set the theme for our gathering.
During the reflection that followed, it was pointed out that the word ‘Jubilee’ has its roots in the Old Testament, it was a period of renewal and celebration, where , among other things, debts were cancelled and slaves and prisoners were given their freedom. It was known as a year of the Lord’s favour.
Cath Woods
The church now celebrates a Jubilee year every 25 years, and Pope Francis proclaimed this Jubilee Year, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ - when each of us is invited to renew our hope, a hope that comes from the knowledge that God loves each of us unconditionally.
The Gospel reading was from St Luke, where Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah:
“The spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord”.
This was followed by the hymn, “Go tell everyone the news that the kingdom of God has come” to reinforce the Gospel message!
We then spent some time reflecting on the Jubilee icon (below) , an image depicting the scene from Luke’s Gospel, drawn by an Ethiopian artist, and we were invited to consider these questions:
· What do you notice ?
· What draws you in?
· Does the icon help you to see the Gospel story in a different way?
It was pointed out Hope is needed in today’s broken world more than ever and we are called to be “tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind.” (Spes non Confundit, #10)
Before the final prayer and hymn, “Our God Reigns “ we were invited, if we hadn’t already done so, to write out our personal pledge for the Jubilee year and attach it to the tree on the “Live Simply” display in church.
Fr Chris joined parishioners for the celebrations
After the reflection, we enjoyed a simple lunch at the Venue to show solidarity with our sisters and brothers around the world who go hungry every day. It was also an opportunity for parishioners to get together socially and enjoy each other’s company!
Thank you to members of the CAFOD Live Simply group for organising everything.
Thank you to Carol Cahill for preparing this article and providing the photographs
