Our Lady, Mother of the Church – Parish Pastoral Council
Minutes of Meeting held 21st October 2025 in the Church Hall
Present – Fr Francis, Val Lawrie, Norma Mitchell, Audrey Parfinowska, Blanca Nieto Angela Allan, George Kerr, Kevin Higgins, Gerry Higgins
No Apologies received.
Status of Matters Arising from previous meeting on 3rd June 2025
100 Club – £100 still outstanding. Gerry McCue will check again where this this item is held.
Action – Audrey to follow up
Card Reader – The Archdiocese does not recommend Card Readers for a parish our size. Audrey to check into how QR codes might be included on weekly bulletins to encourage non-cash donations, as this may be more appropriate for our Parish.
Action – Audrey
No other outstanding issues arising and the previous minutes accepted and seconded by Val and Kevin.
PPC 21st October 2025
Finance
Parish Accounts/Finance Committee – Audrey reported that she had prepared summary of income and expenditure for 2023 and 2024, and was in the process of gathering data for 2025. It was acknowledged that setting a budget for each year should be considered in the future. Kevin agreed to provide Audrey with details of annual and regular services and costs (relating to Fabric & Maintenance, and Health & Safety) for her records.
Action – Kevin
Gift Aid – George will create a summary of regular donations. He would be happy to encourage parishioners to Gift Aid their donations and proposes this to be delivered to the Parish in February 2026. Anthony, who is a member of the Finance Committee, oversees Gift Aid, so it was agreed that George and Audrey would seek his input on this issue.
Action – George and Audrey
It was suggested that the collections could be calculated and recorded on a monthly rather than a weekly basis, which might allow for total contributions, including Gift Aid, to be reflected in the parish weekly bulletin. Currently the information shown in the weekly bulletin only includes the cash contributions collected during Sunday masses, which is an incomplete record of total parishioner contributions.
Action – George and Audrey to research this issue and report back to the next PPC meeting.
Fabric and Maintenance
Proposed modifications to the Lady Chapel and the Hall – Chris Prentice of Adams Napier Partnership, has advised that the cost for Amended Drawings to be prepared on the design plans would be around £1200 plus VAT. This expenditure was approved. The hope would be to receive these amended drawings before Christmas, together with indicative costs for the whole project The next stage would be to seek Building Warrants, etc, after seeking approval for the funding from the Archdiocesan Trustees. It is anticipated that the Archdiocese might require the parish to provide up to 15% of the total funding for the project, which in turn would require fundraising activity to be initiated with parishioners.
If the parish were to go ahead with the proposed modifications it would likely progress to the next stage in the first quarter of next year.
Action – Kevin
Roof Repair – The parish has a Preventative Maintenance Contract (PMC) in place with Apex Roofing Ltd, who have been requested to check and repair any damage to the roof where water ingress has been noted earlier in the year. They will visit on 6 November, and have also been asked to repair a step leading up to the front of the church which has been reported as unstable.
Action – Kevin
Signage for Funerals – Apex Signs Ltd have been commissioned to prepare and deliver 2 signs. One will be for the entrance to the car park, and one for the side gate leading onto Curriehill Road.
Action – Kevin
Removal of old church Organ – Kevin reported that an old church organ has been stored in the church garage for many years, and Fr Francis has approved that it be removed as it is taking up space and is beyond repair. After researching options on what to do with the organ, Kevin recommended that it is collected and disposed of by a professional and environmentally responsible company. This action was approved.
Action – Kevin to arrange for disposal.
Sanctuary Lamp – This has been reported to be positioned too high for many Sacristans to comfortably reach and replace candles. It was agreed to research options to address this, recognising that, given other demands on church expenditure, it may not currently represent a priority issue.
Action – Kevin to research
Health and Safety
Remedial actions following Legionella Survey – Lothian Heating Ltd to attend on Thursday 23 October to do remedial work to the cold water piping system, based on remedial actions identified in the Legionella Survey conducted at the church recently.
Action – Tony Allen.
Health and Safety Booklet – the Gillis Centre has requested that all parish volunteers read and acknowledge receipt of the new Archdiocesan Health & Safety booklet. George (Parish Administrator) has been provided with names of the known parish volunteers, and has circulated the booklet to them, mainly by email. The deadline for responses is the end of October. A central database of volunteers was suggested, and George agreed to develop and maintain this database, and he requested that he was kept informed of the names and contact details of all current and new parish volunteers.
Action – George and all PPC members.
First Aid Box –
Kevin reported that there are now two First Aid Boxes in the church. One is on the wall opposite the Sacristy, and one is due to be hung on the wall in the church hall. Additionally, the high viz yellow vests, for use in emergency fire drills or any other special occasion, are now hung on hooks adjacent to each of the First Aid boxes. It was noted that the First Aid Adviser, Pat Gill, was responsible for monitoring the contents of the First Aid boxes, and replacing items as necessary. Therefore, anyone using the First Aid boxes is requested to inform Pat Gill of which items will need to be replaced.
Safeguarding
– Val stressed that all volunteers, regardless of whether or not they are working with vulnerable groups, must complete and sign the Volunteer Forms which are kept in the Sacristy.
Central Volunteer Database Discussion – Val noted that this would be a great and possibly essential requirement for the Parish. Work would be required to get this under way – with reference to current database Regulations.
New Our Lady’s Parish Website
Kevin, Angela and George will receive training on 6 November on how to upload documents to the new parish Website. Fr Francis agreed that the website launch will be communicated to parishioners after mass, before the start of Advent. Fr Francis also spoke about the possibility of using a projector to demonstrate the contents of the website, perhaps during a coffee morning after Sunday Mass.
Action – Fr Francis, Kevin, Angela, George
Parish 60th Anniversary – 2026
The Archbishop will say Mass at Our Lady’s church on the morning of Sunday 15th March 2026.
Angela has previously provided some suggestions for inclusion in the celebration. It was acknowledged that preparation for our 60th Anniversary year celebration will require considerable planning and organisation, to include hospitality and entertainment arrangements. Norma and Blanca kindly agreed to be project leads and to report back on progress at the next PPC meeting.
Action – Norma and Blanca
Preparation for Christmas Celebrations
Children’s Christmas Party – will be held on 21st December 2-5pm at St Cuthberts Hall. Under 8 years to be accompanied with a parent. Sandwiches, crisps etc. Sweets.
Action -Audrey to liaise with Janice
Gifts for Prisoners Children – all items must be brand new, and left unwrapped. All items must be received in the Church by Wednesday, 17th December. Items can be brought to the Church from the beginning of the second week in November.
Action – Angela
Food Bank – Val to organise
Homeless charity – this year we will be fundraising for a homeless charity by running a bacon roll and book sale after one of the Sunday Masses.
Action – Val
Dates and Times of Christmas Masses – Fr Francis will inform of this nearer the time as we are awaiting the arrival of an Assistant Priest, Fr Malachy, from Fr Francis’s Order, therefore the Masses will be shared.
Purchase of Christmas Candle Holder – approved by Fr Francis.
Action – Gerry
AOB
Insurance – George and Kevin reported that the Archdiocese has issued instructions on the type of safety inspections and insurance requirements necessary for all parishes. Whilst our parish satisfies all inspection and Insurance requirements, costs have increased. George to send Audrey the note of costs.
Action – George
Lourdes Pilgrimage – Angela’s recommendation was that we should extend the age range from 16-30, and this was accepted. Angela will initiate the process of applications in early January 2026.
Action – Angela
Poem for Remembrance Sunday – Fr Francis has approved that a poem will be read out from the front of the altar after Mass on Remembrance Sunday. Tony to let Fr Francis see the proposed poem beforehand.
Action – Gerry to let Tony know
Healing Mass – Will be held on Friday 28th November at 11am. The St Vincent de Paul will be organising this.
Action – Val and Norma to liaise with SVdP
Parish Engagement Session – several PPC members attended Parish Engagement Sessions held at the Gillis Centre during September this year. Amongst the headlines from those sessions;
– Parishes were encouraged to set annual budgets to monitor expenditure.
– Bank of Scotland business will be transferred to RBS – therefore Gift Aid needs to be tidied up/transferred
– each parish should ensure its Finance Committee meets regularly during the year. Also that the Finance Committee endorses any expenditure proposals before they are submitted to the Archdiocesan Trustees for approval of funding.
Date for the next meeting Tuesday 3rd February 2026
End
