New Year Newsletter

On behalf of us all at the Additional Curates Society can we extend to you all our best wishes for 2019 and thank you most sincerely for the amazing generous support that we have received, not only over the last 12 months, but since our foundation in 1837. Joshua Watson’s goal is still a primary goal of the Additional Curates Society, and that is to resource the Church’s ministry in the poor and populous parishes of England and Wales. Perhaps more than ever in the history of our society and of our movement there has never been a more critical time when we all need to focus our entire energies upon this task and therefore it is our hope that you will join us in making your resolution for 2019 the support of the ACS.

The Bishop of Richborough so beautifully recorded in his Ad Clerum for Christmas 2018 the following statement:
“For it is vital for our salvation to have a ready stream of well formed Catholic Clergy to minister in our parishes. Please give generously to ACS and pray regularly for them. There new offices in Birmingham City Centre are well worth a visit and a credit to one of our oldest Catholic Societies successfully reimagining the vital contribution to the health of a well balanced and credible Church of England”.

Bishop Tony Robinson, the Chairman of the Catholic Bishops, recently wrote to all our parishes:
“I would encourage every parish that aligns themselves with ‘The Society’ to support the Additional Curates Society this lent”.

Can I remind you all that supporting us is in fact supporting yourself for we are here to ensure that ministry continues in our parishes. Diocese upon Diocese are slashing clergy posts and so often the cuts are felt by the most vulnerable and poorest parishes which traditionally are Catholic in their theology. We are also facing the ‘double whammy’ of a high number of retiring clergy over the next few years, far more than are being replenished through new vocations and that is why we want to ask you to commit to the following three things.

1. Pray for vocations – and there is no better way than using the ACS prayer which you can find by clicking here

2. Please give generously to the ACS Lent Project as individuals and as a parish. Lent boxes can be ordered by clicking here

3. Consider attending our next vocations weekend, or suggesting that someone that you know of might do so.
The event is on Friday 30^th August to Sunday 1^st September and you can request further details by e mail : click here

There is also a Vocations Day for anyone who has already attended a weekend and this will be at our offices in Commercial Street, Birmingham
on Saturday 6^th July from 11.00am.
To request further details by e mail please click here.

The Bishops of the Society are making a united and concerted effort to focus our attention on vocations from this coming Advent, so be prepared for more information in the not too distant future, but the commitment of the ACS remains the same this year as it has always been and that is “Every penny donated will go towards providing priests for parishes”. So please do give generously and ensure Catholics have a future not only in 2019 but for the years ahead.

Almighty God, give us priests.