As Christians, we witness to Christ in our daily life, in our families, at work, and in our experiences in the world. We all have a vocation to make Christ visible. To help support our primary vocation to holiness, we gather as Christians, called by God’s grace, to worship him, to teach the truth by our way of life, and to serve others in love.
Obviously, as Christians we gather together spiritually and socially also under our own steam. By recognising our own talents and gifts, and recognising the needs of others around us, we respond individually to those needs lovingly, and usually in hidden ways.
Here are listed a number of prayerful, charitable and social groups in our parish community which help underpin that life of worship, truth and love to which all Christian persons are called.
If you are interested in any of these, then please get in touch with the Cathedral Office 01603 624615 or parish@sjbcathedral.org.uk.
If you would like to volunteer your own time, arrange social gatherings, seek support for a work of charity, or undertake a new venture in our common life of faith, or even if you want to do something but do not know what, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Cathedral Office 01603 624615 or parish@sjbcathedral.org.uk or any of the priests. We might discover together a new vocation.
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Worship of God
- Stewards & Welcomers: help provide the first welcome for those who attend Mass on Sundays, and at other times. You may also wish to help with counting the collection on a weekly basis. Please ask any of the stewards at the end of Sunday Mass if you are interested, or contact the Cathedral Office, or speak to any of the priests.
- Cleaners: help take care of the Cathedral with cleaning on Tuesday mornings, to help keep our church beautiful. Please get in touch with the Cathedral Office.
- Sacristy team: help prepare for the daily liturgy and great Cathedral events by volunteering time in the sacristy with the care of vestments and books, cleaning brasses, or other preparatory work either on your own or part of a team. This may be a small weekly commitment, or even something more major and daily, for which training can be provided, if appropriate. Please contact the Cathedral Office, or speak to any of the priests.
- Service at the Altar: help with the priest’s celebration of the Mass in a very specific way in service at the altar, both visible, and work behind the scenes. This is a regular commitment and regular training is provided. Please speak to any of the priests if you are interested.
- Reading at Mass: proclaim the scriptural readings at Mass on Sundays and weekdays. Annual training will be required, and help provided with public speaking skills, as well as spiritual familiarity with the sacred scriptures that are proclaimed. Please speak to any of the priests if you are interested in this ministry.
- Flower Arrangers: beautify the Cathedral for weekends and great occasions. Some prior experience is usually required, but learning on the job is good too. Please contact the Cathedral Office, or speak to any of the priests.
- Prayer groups and fellowships:
- Daytime Prayer Group: meet on Monday morning in term-time at 133 West Pottergate, praying with the psalms, the rosary, interceding for the real needs of our local community and the needs of the Church. Please contact Helen at 01603 623858 or email daytimeprayergroup@hotmail.co.uk.
- Charismatic Prayer Group: lively and informal, we meet together to praise and worship God, share and discuss the Word of God, pray for each other and pray for peoples intentions. All are welcome. Please contact Rob at 01603 460764 or email robsmith01@hotmail.com.
- Mothers’ Prayer Group: meet on the first Tuesday of the month after the 10am Mass. Open to all women with a mother’s spirit, the Mothers’ Prayer Group gathers together to pray for our families, and then socialise over coffee and cake in the Narthex. If you are interested email Joan MacInnes at jpmacinnes@gmail.com.
- Rosary: meet after 10am Mass Monday – Friday for the Rosary in the Lady Chapel.
- First Friday Adoration: every First Friday of the Month, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the High Altar for adoration after the 10am Mass, and concludes with Benediction at 4pm. We pray especially for the Bishop, our priests, vocations, and the special needs of our community. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is prayed together at 3pm, before Benediction. All are welcome, even for a short time.
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Teaching the Truth
- Adult Catechesis: if you are interested in learning about the faith yourself in order to share it with others in a teaching and faith-sharing context, please contact the Cathedral Office, or speak to any of the priests. If desired, and with a degree of commitment, formal diploma-level training and formation is provided for catechists.
- Children’s Catechesis: support children’s catechesis with teaching or auxiliary support. Please contact the Cathedral Office, or speak to any of the priests.
- Children’s Liturgy: you may wish to help the children’s liturgy – praying and learning through play – at the 9am Sunday Mass. This could augment sacramental preparation children’s catechesis. Please contact the Cathedral Office, or speak to any of the priests.
- Cathedral Shop: volunteers in the shop help to keep our gift shop open and well-staffed with a loving welcome. Please contact the Cathedral Office, or pop into the shop during opening hours and register your interest.
- Duckett Library: our parish library is well-stocked and always in need of volunteer librarians. Please contact the library directly duckettlibrary@sjbcathedral.org.uk or pop in during opening hours [the library is located off St Joseph’s Chapel].
- Garden volunteers: our beautiful garden is a highlight, and popular with local residents, as well as parishioners. A hidden gem such as this requires a lot of maintenance. Even a little bit of volunteered time is welcomed. You don’t need to know much about gardening! It’s also a good way to meet new people. Please contact the Cathedral Office, or speak to the team in the Narthex.
- Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites: meets at St John’s Cathedral on the last Saturday of the month. To find out about the Carmelite vocation, please contact Joan MacInnes at jpmacinnes@gmail.com For information of the Order nationally, please visit: secularcarmel.org.uk.
- Secular Franciscan Order: the Third Order Franciscans is a public association of the faithful, committed to walking towards Jesus in the footsteps of St Francis. The Norwich Fraternity meets St George’s Catholic Church [223 Sprowston Road, NR3 4HZ]. Everyone is always most welcome to come along and join us. Please contact any of the priests if you are interested.
- Tour Guides: volunteer time welcoming tourist visitors, and with Ground Floor or Tower Tours in the peak months, as well as supporting the annual Heritage Open days in the autumn. Please contact the Heritage Officer for more details and opportunities heritage@sjbcathedral.org.uk.
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Service of Love
- Young Adults’ Group of Bl. Chiara: meet on the last Wednesday in the month in the Cathedral for prayer and fellowship, and at other times. A great way to make friends of your own age. Open to young people aged 18-30, parishioners as well as students. Please contact yag.sjbnorwich@gmail.com or speak to any of the priests.
- Careers, CV & Welfare Support: Graham Petruckevitch is a Careers Advisor, who can offer Advice and Guidance on Employment Education and Training for all ages. CV support, welfare benefits advice and information, and advice and guidance interviews. Fully qualified. Cost for this service is means tested. Contact Graham at g.petruckevitch@gmail.com or 07743 862137.
- CAFOD [Catholic Fund for Overseas Development]: is the official Catholic aid agency for England and Wales. It responds to emergencies worldwide and also sponsors self-help development projects in 75 countries. There is an active CAFOD group at the Cathedral working to raise awareness of CAFOD and to raise funds for its work. Please contact the Cathedral Office or speak to any of the priests if you are interested in supporting this practical charity.
- Prison Fellowship Norwich: meets in the Narthex on the last Friday of the month to pray for our local prison and to provide practical help. Prison Fellowship is a national ecumenical organisation – you can find out about it at: prisonfellowship.org.uk. If you would like to hear about what we do in Norwich, please contact Joan MacInnes at jpmacinnes@gmail.com.
- Justice and Peace Group: covers the whole Catholic community in Norwich, all our city parishes. Its primary aim is to promote greater understanding of the issues in development, peace and the environment. It has close links with CAFOD and Traidcraft as well as other local organisations. Please contact the Cathedral Office or speak to any of the priests if you are interested in supporting this practical charity.
- Network for a Better World [N4BW]: is a ‘sending’ charity affiliated to the Catholic Missionary Union (CMU). Their trustees, members and friends come from parishes all over the UK. They are presently working with a parish in Southern Malawi run by the Montfort Order (Company of Mary). N4BW recruit lay people as volunteers who wish to share their experience, knowledge and skills with others. They have sent volunteers with backgrounds in health, education, business, social work and sport! They also have volunteers who work and support them here in the UK, whether as administrators, promoters, or fundraisers. If you are interested in Network for a Better World, even just to learn more about their aims and objectives, please contact Andrew at 01603 250 649 or aclark182@hotmail.com.
- St Vincent de Paul Society [SVP]: part of a wider Catholic organisation, our local SVP is actively involved in the practical needs of the poor and deprived in our city, meeting weekly in the Narthex. Please contact the Cathedral Office or speak to any of the priests if you are interested in joining this group, which also has at its heart the spiritual welfare of its members, as well as those it supports in practical and loving ways.
- Hospital volunteers: our NNUH is a busy place, and there are always many Catholics in need of pastoral care. Hospital volunteers really do help the work of the Catholic Chaplain, with pastoral care of those in hospital, with sacramental triage, helping determine who specifically needs a priest, as well as the joy of working together as a team and with people of other faiths to support the sick in their time of need. Please contact the Cathedral Office or speak to any of the priests if you are interested.
- Catenians: local Catholic businessmen meeting socially on a regular basis, also helping to provide some practical support for Catholic purposes. Please speak to any of the priests if you are interested.
There may be many other ways you would like to volunteer, or you may have your own ideas for initiatives or social events. There is always room. Just speak to any of the priests at any time if you have a particular need, and we can help you find what you are looking for, and help explore your Christian vocation ever more deeply.