27th Sunday of the Year
Dear Parishioners
The readings in church this weekend, are all about faith, particularly the importance of being bold and never being ashamed of “witnessing to the Lord”.
Faith is a persistent reaching out to Jesus and trusting in God’s power and authority. Faith is responding with love to forgiveness received, not letting fear get the upper hand, and being willing to take risks. Faith is giving praise to God, having confidence in God’s desire for justice and being willing to ask Jesus for what we need.
Throughout St. Luke’s Gospel, the closest followers of Jesus reveal their own mixed levels of faith. They have left homes and jobs and families in order to follow Jesus. It was not easy as they encountered hostility from many who opposed him. But they stayed with him , even for his final journey towards Jerusalem.
In the turmoil and fear of todays world, we can perhaps identify with the disciples when our faith wavers. It is easy to lose sight of God’s Spirit at work in the world. Yet when we nurture faith we become aware of being part of something vast and well intentioned that gives purpose to life, that leads us to seek beyond the horizons of our smallness to the hope that tomorrow will be better. Faith in God is the only ground we have for faith in ourselves, in humanity, in life.
May God bless us all.
Fr Patterson
Celebrate safely and with consideration for others in our churches.
Bishop Robert has written to all the parishes in the Diocese advising us that he has now lifted all the mandatory Diocesan Covid restrictions with the exception of receiving Holy Communion from the chalice which is still not permitted.
As a result, the wearing of face coverings and the use of hand sanitiser is entirely optional, although we would encourage the sanitising of hands on entering the church.
However if you are displaying any symptoms of Covid-19, or any cold or flu like symptoms, you should stay at home.
The Government Document “Living with Covid-19” stresses the need to ventilate our buildings, which has the effect of diluting and dispersing viral particles
Whatever choices you make, please continue to be aware of others and remember we do not know who are deemed clinically vulnerable and who are not, so please respect those who may choose to continue to wear a face covering. Our “welcomers” will always be on hand to greet you and care for you.
What Catholics believe and why.
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 are taking place in St. Patrick’s parish centre on Tuesday evenings from 7pm. If you need more information please contact Alan on 07976402023.
Mass Intentions
Fr Patterson will celebrate Mass for the following Intentions during the coming week. With the exception of Wednesday and Friday all Masses and Services are open to everyone to attend.
- Monday – No Mass
- Tuesday: 10am in St. Patrick’s Church – George Owens
- Wednesday: (Private Mass) – Private Intention
- Thursday – No Mass
- Friday: (Private Mass) – Fr. Joe Park
- Saturday: 6pm in St. Alban’s Church – For the intentions of all our parishioners
- Sunday: 10am in St. Patrick’s Church – Brian Quigley
Please note there will be no Mass on Thursday. As one of the Diocesan Consultors, Fr Patterson will be attending a meeting of the Consultors with Bishop Robert.
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 and,
- all those near and dear to us whose memories we cherish at this time especially Brian Quigley
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
Family Fast Day Prayer
God of abundance, you entrust to our care your gift of creation, our common home. Open our ears to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. God of justice, you show us how to live in gratitude and solidarity. Open our mouths to speak out, challenging greed and inequality, and standing up for all among us in desperate need of food. God of hope, you share with us your vision of a world renewed. Open our hearts to compassion. As we hold before you the people of East Africa, may we reach out in love. Amen
Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons
Each week Bishop Barron offers a Sunday sermon.
Refreshments after Mass will be available every week from 2nd October
Thanks to a few more offers of help and the generosity of our existing volunteers, we will be able to offer refreshments in St Patrick’s parish centre after Mass every Sunday commencing this Sunday, 2nd October, 2022.
There is always scope for more help, so if you would like to join the rota to make tea and coffee, please contact Maureen Hodgson.
Family Fast day
Friday of this coming week, 4th October is Family Fast Day.
Fr. Patterson is very much aware of the demands made on your generosity during the past few months with recent appeals which raised :- for Afghanistan £200.00, for Ukraine £315.00 and Pakistan £45.00 from St Alban’s and St Patrick’s.
Should you wish to support the Family Fast Day Appeal you may place your donation in one of the collecting boxes at the entrance to our churches in an envelope marked Family Fast. Alternatively you may choose to give you time and come along to:
An Information Evening focused on Cafod’s campaign to “Fix the Food System which has been arranged by our Third World Group on Thursday, 13th October at 18.30 in St. Patrick’s parish centre when Mark Maughan, Cafod’s Community Participation Co-ordinator in the Diocese, will speak about Cafod’s current campaign to “Fix the Food system,” and share his experience of time he has recently spent in the Sudan.
All around the world, including here at home, families are finding it harder to put food on the table. In northern Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan, four years of drought has resulted in twenty million people fighting for survival. Schools are closed and people are forced to keep moving to find places where food is available. Pope Francis reminds us that as Catholics we are called to care for the world’s most vulnerable people; it is our commitment to them that is a mark of our faith.
Please note this is an awareness evening and not a fundraising event!
Hello and Goodbye!
We welcome to our Partnership Fr Paul Spellman who has arrived at St Peter’s, Low Fell replacing Fr. Keith Walker who has moved to St Gregory’s, South Shields. We wish them both God’s blessing in their new ministries.
Paper £20.00 and £50.00 notes
As of last Friday, 30th September, the paper £20.00 and £50.00 notes cease to be legal tender. It would be greatly appreciated if you would not use them for your offerings.
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, should you choose to do so, wear a face covering during the celebration of Mass. The choice is yours to make.
- 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.
News from our School
Hello again to all families, friends and parishioners at our parish churches of St Alban’s and St Patrick’s – it has certainly been a while since we published our news in the Parish Newsletter so it feels good to reach out and say hello.
School has settled into familiar rhythms this autumn term and we have welcomed new families into our Nursery and Reception classes as well as into our toddler group, “Little Saints.” We are keen to keep in touch throughout the year and get together whenever we can to pray and celebrate, so we’ll be in touch and hopefully see you soon.
St. Alban’s Church.
St Alban’s Church is open for a Vigil Mass on Saturdays at 6pm. 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, and now with the rising cost of gas and electricity, the churchwill remain closed during the week for all services. Bishop Robert has asked Fr Patterson to continue to review the situation and meet with him later in the year.
At the same time, Fr Patterson is exploring with our school the possibility of celebrating Mass on a Wednesday morning in St Alban’s Room in the school which will enable parishioners and some of our children to come together for prayer. Please keep an eye on the Newsletter for more information.
Parking in our church car parks
Please remember that the Trustees of the Diocese cannot accept responsibility for injury, loss or damage to third party property, vehicles and their contents whilst left in the church car parks.
ZOE Covid update and this weeks data from the Office of National Statistics
The Zoe update occurs once every two weeks.
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 continues to rise in England where the estimated number of people testing positive for COVID-19 was 857,400 , equating to 1.57% of the population, or around 1 in 65 people.
Please get vaccinated – Covid Autumn Booster and Flu Vaccinations are now being offered
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.
A seasonal Covid-19 booster (autumn booster) for people aged 65 years old and over, frontline health and social care workers, those at higher risk or who are pregnant, and people who have or live with someone who has a weakened immune system can now be booked online at book or manage a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination – NHS (www.nhs.uk) or by telephoning 119.
