Category: Latest updates

Open Heaven: This is an invitation and encouragement for Christians across Coventry to a prayer-walk on every Street in Coventry. This means getting out physically and praying on the streets for the people and activities that take place there. It will be tracked and monitored via an easy-to-use App that can be accessed via Smart gadgets. The App will cover CV1-CV6 and will go live on Sunday 30 May, and Open Heaven will run through to June (1-30). Details are on: http://www.openheavencoventry.org.

What you can do from 12th April
· community centres will be permitted to reopen,
· indoor children’s activities will be permitted
· indoor leisure will be permitted for use individually or
within household groups only (i.e. not for fitness classes
or group sports)
· parent and child groups can meet indoors, with a limit
of 15 people attending (children under 5 are not counted)
· wedding receptions or wakes for up to 15 people will be
permitted OUTDOORS ONLY
· outdoor consumption of food will be permitted but table
service will be required
· strict observance of social contact rules will be
required, i.e. between household groups or individuals.

We have been encouraged to dedicate the above day as a day of prayer and reflection.  The Church will be open most of that day. All are welcome.

Planning for Good Friday: Please book for the 3.00pm Exultation of the
Cross. Booking starts this 4th Sunday of Lent. Book through the stewards or by email, text, or phone call to the Sisters. Please share the information in your social media accounts as well as with your friends and neighbours, who normally attend this service with us! We shall have other two services in addition to the 3pm. We shall operate on First come, First Served bases.
Good Friday Services:
12:10PM: Stations of the Cross (Solemn)
3:00PM: Exultation of the Cross (Main Service)
6:30PM: Stations of the Cross (Solemn)
Please let us know which service you would like to attend before Palm Sunday.
Note: NO Booking for Easter Sunday.

School Programme for the Sacraments 2021
Monday 2th June: Reconciliation at 6pm for both schools.
Thursday 24th June: Confirmation at 7pm-St. Elizabeth’s.
Thursday 1st July: Confirmation at 7pm-Good Shepherd.
Sunday 4th July: Holy Communion at 11:ooam- St. Elizabeth’s.
Saturday 10th July: Holy Communion at 9:15am– Good Shepherd.

Covid-19 Vaccination: We have been encouraged to promote the Covid-19 Vaccination, particularly among the BAME Community. The Coventry City Council has asked for the churches help in doing this and the parishes of St Elizabeth’s and St Osburg’s, supported by the Zimbabwean Catholic Chaplaincy have kindly organised a Webinar which will help promote the vaccination and perhaps answer some questions and worries that people from our communities may have. Please complete this short survey which may last only for about 2 minutes. https://forms.gle/PzjvSr58UU3MTdKZ9.

Please join us by following this link: ZOOM MEETING

Meeting ID: 816 7924 0240 Passcode: 120509.

Parish Notices:

Friday Stations of the Cross and Mass from 6:30pm:
You are most welcome to join us on Friday in Church for the Station
and Mass.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: Our normal Holy Hour
of the week will resume next Saturday 13th March from 8:00am –9:00am
followed by Mass 9:15am. Please come to church early if you want to
have a quiet moment of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

Virtual Rosary Devotion: By the Sisters every Wednesday at 7:00pm.

Ash Wednesday on 17th February.
There will be two public Masses in Church morning
9:15am and evening 6:30pm.
More information to follow about Lenten Season and
Easter. Please if you still have blessed palm branches,
could you bring it when you come to Mass or drop it
anytime at doorstep of the Presbytery.
Friday: Satiations of the Cross.
This year Way of the Cross will be Virtual at 6:30pm
followed by Mass.

Friday Evening Mass 6:30pm: Please note, this will now be Virtual only
from next week 22nd January until the end of the LOCKDOWN.

Symptoms of Covid-19: You need a test if you have any of the following:
A high temperature: any new high temperature where the person feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature).
A new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours.
A loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal.
You DO NOT need a test if you have a runny nose, sneezing or feeling unwell
but do not have a temperature, cough or loss of taste, or change in sense of
smell. Why? because these are not normally symptoms of coronavirus.

Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (January 2021)

There are 2.2 million people in England classified as being at high-risk, including those who have received organ transplants or are on immunosuppressant drugs. On checking the NHS website this is the current list of conditions, which fall into this category they are:

• those who have had an organ transplant
• are having chemotherapy or antibody treatment for cancer, including immunotherapy
• are having an intense course of radiotherapy (radical radiotherapy) for lung cancer
• are having targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system (such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors)
• have blood or bone marrow cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma)
• have had a bone marrow or stem cell transplant in the past 6 months, or are still taking immunosuppressant medicine
• have been told by a doctor you have a severe lung condition (such as cystic fibrosis, severe asthma or severe COPD)
• have a condition that means you have a very high risk of getting infections (such as SCID or sickle cell)
• those who are taking medicine that makes them much more likely to get infections (such as high doses of steroids or immunosuppressant medicine)
• have a serious heart condition and are pregnant
• those who have a problem with their spleen or those who have had their spleen removed (splenectomy)
• an adult with Down’s syndrome
• any adult who is having dialysis or has severe (stage 5) long-term kidney disease; or
• who have been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs.

Update: New Lockdown January 2021

What can stay open/carry on:

• Garden centres
•  Nurseries
• Places of worship. You can go to Mass or visit the Church.
• Playgrounds
• Dentists + Opticians
• Funerals (up to 30)
• Moving house

Masses and prayers at St. Elizabeth’s will continue as before. 

Monday – 9:15am Mass (Virtual only)
Wednesday – 9:15am (Public), 7:00pm Holy Rosary.
Thursday –  9:15am Mass (Virtual only)
Friday  – 6:30pm (Public).
Saturday – 9:15am (Public).
Sunday – 9:15am  (Public)

The UK Government announced further restrictions to combat the on-going Covid-19.

Those living in England have been instructed to stay at home, expect for specific reasons (see list below). Individuals are expected to follow this guidance immediately.

Leaving home:

Individuals must not leave or be outside of their home except where necessary.

Individuals can leave their home to:

• shop for necessities, for themselves, their family or for a vulnerable person
• go to work, if they cannot reasonably do so remotely (from their home) or provide voluntary or charitable services
• exercise with their household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and they should not travel outside their local area.
• meet their support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if they are legally permitted to form one
• seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness, or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
• attend education or childcare – for those eligible
• [for] animal welfare reason – individuals can leave their homes for animal welfare reasons, such as to attend veterinary services for advice or treatment
• attend communal worship and life events – individuals can leave their homes to attend or visit a place of worship for communal worship, a funeral or events related to a death, a burial ground event related to a death, a burial ground, or a remembrance garden, or to attend a wedding ceremony. Places of worship and individuals must follow the guidance on the safe use of places of worship and must avoid mingling with anyone outside of their  household or support bubble when attending a place of worship. Weddings, funerals and religious, belief-based, or commemorative events linked to someone’s death are all subject to limits on the numbers that can attend, and weddings and civil ceremonies may only take place in exceptional circumstances.

Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early Years settings remain open.

Higher Education provision will remain online until mid-February for all except future critical worker courses.

If an individual does leave their home for a permitted reason, they should always stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where they live. They may leave your local area for a legally permitted reason, such as for work.

If an individual is designated as clinically extremely vulnerable (see attached for list of conditions) they should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. They should not attend work.

Meeting others

Individuals cannot leave their home to meet socially with anyone they do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if they are legally permitted to form one).

Individuals can continue to exercise on your own, with one other person, or with their household or support bubble.

Individuals should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.

There are further reasonable reasons, these include to fulfil legal obligations or to carry out activities related to buying, selling, letting, or renting a residential property, or where it is reasonably necessary for voting in an election or referendum.

It is expected that these new restrictions will remain for some time to come.

Thank you.
Fr Moses Pitya David, AJ
Father Moses, Parish Priest