Raise funds to secure and protect our church and presbytery

In my role as the Parish Safeguarding Representative, I need to draw your attention to a very important issue, which is the safety of Fr. Srinu and the security of our Parish buildings.

Many of you will remember that last year we had 5 windows down the side of the church broken by a gang of youths. These windows have been made safe but not yet replaced for a number of reasons but mainly because the same is likely to happen again. Some of you will also be aware that a couple of months ago at 2:30am on a Saturday morning a group of 6 lads walked through Fathers driveway with one of them violently kicking his front door and snatching the ring doorbell. Both incidents were obviously logged with the police, but it seems that little can be done, despite the fact that they were caught on CCTV. Since then, stones have been thrown at the windows in Fathers house on numerous occasions. Historically many of you will know that two previous Parish Priests have been viciously attacked and robbed in the Presbytery.

Father Srinu has a duty of care for all his parishioners which he exercises to the fullest extent. Equally as a parish and school family we have a duty of care for him. It is the responsibility of each one of us to try and ensure his safety. With this in mind, it has now been decided to erect gates at the front of Father’s house and also at the bottom of the side steps that lead from the road down to the car park. This will hopefully prevent groups of young people congregating in the porch of the side door of the church, where in the past they have been using drugs and defacing the door. It should also help protect the windows down the side of the church from further damage, allowing us to replace them.

The cost of the gates will be in excess of £4000; we hope that in the future, when funds allow, to have the gates leading into Father’s house electrified to make it even more secure for him.

As I said, each one of us have a responsibility to do what we can to ensure Father Srinu's safety. We are so fortunate and grateful to have such a wonderful priest who gives so much to the parish and school children of St. Columba’s Catholic Primary, St James Catholic Primary and St John Fisher Catholic Primary. I ask you to please consider how you would feel if your son or your brother was living in the Presbytery under these circumstances.

Please be as generous as you are able to be in order to help us pay without putting the parish into further debt.

By the time you read this the gates will have been erected so please feel free to have a look at them.

Thank you so much.