A CLOSING DOWN SALE
- Written by: Joseph O’Hanlon
My first appointment after my ordination in 1966 was to a wealthy Nottingham parish, wealthy that is, except for an enclave that was hurriedly created to house people making bombs and bullets for the war that followed the War To End All Wars. The main parish had just built a beautiful new church to serve the exciting inclusive liturgy given us by Pope John’s Vatican Council. The poor of the parish had to trudge a good mile or more: there were no buses on their route to the splendid new church. I was blessed in that regard: I had a bicycle.
The curate was commissioned to look after the poor end. Due to illness, I lasted only two months in that bit of a parish. But I kept in touch. I was astonished by the determination to have their own church, their own parish, their own priest. Fifty-six years later I still remember the two women who led the campaign: Sadie Goode and Mary Sullivan. They organized raffles, jumble sales, bazaars, knitting circles and dances. They got their church, small in size, beautiful beyond words, and eventually became a parish, with their own priest. I loved those people, their church, and, above all, their faith. The FOR SALE sign is now on the front door. It breaks your heart.
Ongoing international Synod Document
- Written by: Alex Walker
A newly released Vatican document for the next phase of Pope Francis' ongoing consultation process for the world's Catholics reckons with a number of topics once considered taboo in the Catholic Church, including women's ordination, LGBTQ relationships, children of priests, sexism and clergy sexual abuse.
The 45-page document, released on Oct. 27, distills a number of the major themes from listening sessions held with millions of Catholics across the globe over the last year. While the document is careful to note that it is not magisterial church teaching, it is arguably the most comprehensive and candid expression of the Catholic Church's relationship with the modern world yet released by a Vatican office.
The document will serve as the framework for the continental phase of the church's ongoing synod process, which will involve ecclessial gatherings on every continent over the next six months, ahead of two assemblies that will be held in Rome in Oct. 2023 and Oct. 2024.
Synod National Synthesis for England & Wales
- Written by: Alex Walker
Download: Synod National Synthesis England & Wales
This synthesis describes the diocesan phase of the synod on synodality between November 2021 and March 2022, seeking to capture the essence of what emerged from the unprecedented participation by the People of God in England and Wales in a world-wide synod process. It is drawn from over 700 pages of reports from the dioceses and other church organisations, associations and movements that were sent to the national synthesis team
Bruce Kent Funeral
- Written by: Alex Walker
Bruce Kent's funeral took place on 4 July at 11.00am.
Notice of Annual General Meeting 2022
- Written by: Alex Walker
Notice of Annual General Meeting
DOWNLOAD: ACTA constitution January 2020 v4
DOWNLOAD: ACTA 2021 Final Accounts & IE Report
The Annual General Meeting of ACTA - A Call to Action is to be held on Wednesday 6th July 2022 at 7.00pm via Zoom
The Agenda is established by the Board of Trustees and will be sent to all members no later than Wednesday 29th June 2022
All members have the right to stand for Election as an officer and will become ex officio a member of the Board of Trustees. Notes from the Constitution are attached.
The current officers may stand for re-election
Any member wishing to stand for election should inform the Secretary no later than Monday 27th June 2022 by email to : acta@acalltoaction.org.uk
Agenda – Draft
- Report on activities 2021-2022 [ Chair]
- Election of Officers [ K Bamber to oversee this element until a Chair is elected. New Chair resumes chairing the meeting]
- Financial Report – Treasurer
- Annual Conference 22nd October 2022
- Any Other Business
13. Appointment of charity trustees
13.1 At every annual general meeting of the members of the CIO, except the first,
one-third of the charity trustees shall retire from office. If the number of charity
trustees is not three or a multiple of three, then the number nearest to one-
third shall retire from office, but if there is only one charity trustee, he or she shall retire.
13.2 The charity trustees to retire by rotation shall be those who have been longest in
office since their last appointment or reappointment. If any trustees were last
appointed or reappointed on the same day those to retire shall (unless they
otherwise agree among themselves) be determined by lot;
13.3 The vacancies so arising may be filled by the decision of the members at the
annual general meeting; any vacancies not filled at the annual general meeting
may be filled as provided in clause 13.4;
13.4 The members or the charity trustees may at any time decide to appoint a new
charity trustee, whether in place of a charity trustee who has retired or been
removed in accordance with clause 14(b)(Retirement and removal of charity
trustees), or as an additional charity trustee, provided that the limit specified in
clause 12.3 on the number of charity trustees would not as a result be exceeded;
13.5 A person so appointed by the members of the CIO shall retire in accordance with
the provisions of clauses 13.1 and 13.3. A person so appointed by the charity
trustees shall retire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting after
the date of his or her appointment, and shall not be counted for the purpose of
determining which of the charity trustees is to retire by rotation at that meeting.
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