On Sunday 5 July we celebrated the gifts of all people with a special Mass at St Mary’s, East Finchley. The

Mass brought together the parish congregation, friends from theSaturday Clubs, and families from Caritas St Joseph’s.

In his homily, parish priest Fr Terry Tastard unveiled a new altar cloth made by both members of the parish youth group and of the Saturday Club in Arnos Grove. The participants decorated the cloth with their names and outlines of their hands.

Fr Terry reflected on these images of hands, noting that it is with our hands that we help each other to recognise our uniqueness, and how the greatest hand of all, that of Christ, is the greatest help we can receive. After his homily, Fr Terry invited people to spread the message with a handshake: ‘Jesus says to you today, be strong in me ’.

After the Mass, all parishioners were invited to add the outlines of their hands to the new altar cloth, so that everyone in the parish is included in the new artwork. And of course tea and cake was provided!