17th Sunday of the Year
Dear Parishioners
This weekend, the readings read in our churches speak of the power of prayer. But what do you understand prayer to be? The illustration below may set you thinking:-
“Dear God, you don’t usually hear from me, but there’s something I’d like you to take care of.”
If a character in a film or TV drama is shown praying, it often indicates one of two things: either they’re a religious fanatic and possibly dangerous; or they’re in the middle of a devastating crisis in their lives, so overwhelming, that they need to make an emergency call to a distant God. The inference is either that God is absent and that only someone deluded would think otherwise, or, at the very best, that God is far away and only to be called on in the most extreme of human circumstances.
The readings for Mass this Sunday reveal a very different picture of what we do when we pray. Prayer is not about somehow getting hold of God, to put God to work for us, but being drawn beyond ourselves, into friendship with God.
May the Lord open your minds and hearts to his presence.
Fr Patterson
Cases of Covid-19 continue to rise
Covid cases in our country are still rising with an estimated 1 in 17 people in England with Covid. There is an increase in the number of people being admitted to hospital too.
We also have a number of our parishioners who are poorly with Covid-19 and are self isolating. As a result, wearing a face covering in church at the moment would be greatly appreciated out of consideration for our more vulnerable parishioners. We do still encourage everyone to use the hand gel on entering the church and to be sensitive to sitting too close to someone who is already in the bench you enter. They may not be comfortable if you “snuggle up to them.”
All are welcome
Everyone is welcome to join us for the celebration of Mass in St. Patrick’s and St. Alban’s churches. In recent times, it has been a joy to welcome those people of other faiths or none who have come to join us in worship.
Currently, only baptised Catholic people are able to receive Holy Communion and we ask that when you approach the altar you extend your hands towards the minister who will place the sacred host in your hand which you should then consume immediately before returning to your place.
If you are not a Catholic or are indisposed to receive Holy Communion, you are invited to come forward at the appropriate time and receive a blessing, indicating your desire by folding an arm across your chest.
Mass Intentions
Fr. Patterson will celebrate Mass for the following Intentions during the coming week. You may wish to wear a face covering when attending Church.
- Monday – No Mass
- Tuesday: 10 am in St. Patrick’s Church – Fr Tom Burke
- Wednesday: (Private Mass) – Pat Donald
- Thursday: 10 am in St. Patrick’s Church – Margaret Rodley (nee McAloon)
- Friday: (Private Mass) – Fr Tom Cunningham
- Saturday: 6 pm in St. Alban’s Church – For the intentions of all our parishioners
- Sunday: 10 am in St. Patrick’s Church – Kathleen Falconer
Mass to view on line
Mass is live streamed from our Cathedral on a Sunday. Visit the Cathedral website.
Alternatively, you may like to follow Mass from the Holy Name, Jesmond. Visit the website for Mass times this week.
When you are unable to celebrate Mass in Church, you may wish to make this act of spiritual communion:-
Lord Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.
Please keep in your prayers:
- all our parishioners who are sick, housebound or in hospital
- all those near and dear to us whose memories we cherish at this time and,
- Louise Anne Synott who has died. May she rest in peace.
A Prayer for those who have died from Covid
Gracious God, as we remember before you all those people who have died from the coronavirus, surround us and all who mourn with your compassion. Be gentle with us in our grief, protect us from despair and give us grace to persevere and face the future with hope. We make this prayer in Jesus Christ our risen Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Carers, Nurses and Doctors
Lord Jesus, who healed the sick and gave them new life, be with doctors, nurses and carers, as they act as agents of your healing touch. In desperate times, keep them strong yet loving; and when their work is done, be with them in their weariness and in their tears. Amen.
A Prayer for Ukraine
Father, hold the people of Ukraine deep in your heart. Protect them from violence, political gamesmanship and from being used and abused. Give the nations of the world the courage and wisdom to stand up for justice and the courage to care generously. Take from us those traits that see us pursuing our own needs and wants before those of others. Teach us to live in love, dignity and respect, following your ways. We ask this in your name and for your sake. Amen
World day of Prayer for Grand Parents and the Elderly
Pope Francis has asked us to make this Sunday, 24th July, a World Day of Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly. His hope for this day is that we celebrate and recognise the central role that grandparents and the elderly play in our communities, and how in their closeness and consolation they are a tangible sign of the Church’s mission to the world.
A Prayer for Grand Parents and the Elderly
I give thanks to you, Lord, For the blessing of a long life. For, to those who take refuge in You, grant always to bear fruit. Forgive, O Lord, resignation and disillusionment, but forsake me not when my strength declines. Teach me to look with hope to the future you give me, to the mission you entrust to me and to sing your praises without end. Guard with love my grandchildren and all the little ones who seek shelter in you. Protect, O Lord, Pope Francis and grant thy Church to deliver the world from loneliness. Direct our steps in the way of peace. Amen.
Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons
Each week Bishop Barron offers a Sunday sermon.
John Ingram Walk
The Annual Blessed John Ingram Walk will take place next Sunday 24th July, starting at 2 pm from St Andrew’s Anglican Church, Newgate Street in Newcastle. The route drops down to the river, crossing the Swing Bridge, then up “Bottle Bank” to Gateshead High Street, to St Edmund’s Anglican church, where a prayer service will be held, followed by refreshments.
Visit of Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski
Bishop Kenneth is the Bishop of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Great Britain. He will be visiting the Diocese on the weekend of 23rd -24th July and will speak at all the Masses at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Everyone will be very welcome to attend as a sign of our solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
St. Alban’s Church Cleaning
We would value your help to clean St. Alban’s Church on Friday, 5th August at 10 am Simply come to the church where all cleaning materials will be provided for you.
Refreshments after Mass
Refreshments will next be served in St. Patrick’s parish centre after Mass on Sunday, 7th August.
Could you join the rota to help make tea and coffee?
An opportunity to celebrate – with thanks for your support
A big thank you to everyone who made our “Celebration Mass” last Thursday a most worthy and prayerful occasion. It provided an opportunity to show our unity and solidarity as a shared parish and school community, resolving to work ever more closely together in the months and years ahead.
The end of another academic year
Fr Patterson wishes to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Bridon for her valuable contribution to the life of the school over the past seventeen years as deputy headteacher and more recently as our headteacher as she moves to a new appointment at St. Godric’s School, Durham. Thanks must also go to all the staff of our school for their dedication during the course of the past year having to live with the presence of Covid in our midst.
What do Catholics believe?
If you would like to know more about what Catholics believe, perhaps with a view to considering becoming a member of the Catholic Church, you may be interested in a series of talks which will take place in St. Patrick’s parish centre. An information evening will be held on Tuesday, 6th September at 7pm in St. Patrick’s parish centre. Please keep an eye on the Newsletter for more information.
These gatherings are open to everyone. Wherever you live you will be most welcome.
Do you want to help? Please consider making your weekly offering by Standing Order
To relieve the pressure on our “Counting Teams” in both St. Alban’s and St. Patrick’s, it would be greatly appreciated if parishioners would consider making their offering to either St. Alban’s or St. Patrick’s by Standing Order. The details you require to set up a standing order can be found below. If you would like to help by join a counting team, please contact Terry or Christine Harbron for St. Alban’s or Maureen Hodgson for St. Patrick’s.
St Alban’s HSBC bank account name: DHN Pelaw St Alban, Sort code: 40-34-18, Account No: 92010984
St Patrick’s HSBC bank account name: DHN Felling St Patrick, Sort code: 40-34-18, Account No: 52010453
If you are a tax payer and are not a member of the parish gift aid scheme, please consider joining the scheme, it costs you nothing and the parish benefits by being able to reclaim the tax you have already paid on your offering. The parish receives 25p of every £1.00 you give from HMRC. All that is required, is for you to complete a simple form which does not involve you disclosing any personal financial information and is held securely by the Diocesan Finance Office. To obtain a form, or for more information, please email John, our Gift Aid organiser for both St. Alban’s and St. Patrick’s at stpatrick.giftaid@outlook.com
Celebrate safely in our churches.
Both St. Alban’s and St. Patrick’s churches continue to follow the National Guidelines for Churches issued by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales which are as follows:
- If you are displaying any symptoms of Covid-19 you should stay at home.
- Hand sanitiser will continue to be offered as you enter and leave church.
- You may wear a face covering during the celebration of Mass.
- Indoor congregational singing can take place with a general encouragement that face coverings are worn.
- Although there is no formal social distancing by way of seating, we ask that when you take your seat, you are sensitive to the needs of other people who are already in a bench and may not be comfortable if you “snuggle up” to them. We have plenty of seating space.
- We will invite you to come forward for Holy Communion, row by row from the front. Holy Communion will continue to be distributed under one kind only.
- It is still important to ventilate our buildings. This has the effect of diluting and dispersing viral particles
- Our “welcomers” will be on hand to greet you and care for you.
St. Alban’s Church.
St. Alban’s Church is now open for a Vigil Mass on Saturdays at 18.00. Parishioners are asked to enter and leave the church by the main doors only. Following advice from the Diocesan Health and Safety Officer, the side door should only be used as an emergency exit.
Following Bishop Robert’s advice with the current level of help we have available to us, we are only able to open the church on a Saturday evening. For the time being, it will remain closed during the week for all services. Bishop Robert has asked Fr. Patterson to review the situation after the summer to assess the level of need and support.
ZOE Covid update and this weeks data from the Office of National Statistics
The Zoe update occurs once every two weeks.
The updated symptoms of Omicron.
This weeks data from the Office of National statistics may also be of interest to you, showing the percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus continues to increase in England where the estimated number of people testing positive for COVID-19 was 3,147,700, equating to 5.77% of the population, or around 1 in 17 people.
Please get vaccinated
The Catholic Church continues to promote the participation of everyone in the Covid vaccination programme as part of its mitigation of virus transmission in church and ancillary buildings.
Pope Francis also urges us to do so.
