2nd Sunday of Lent
Dear Parishioners
The plight of the Ukrainian people is still of grave concern to all people of good will.
Pope Francis has made a heartfelt appeal for peace in Ukraine, and prays that “all the parties involved refrain from any action that would cause even more suffering to the people, destabilizing coexistence between nations and bringing international law into disrepute.” (Vatican News)
Prayer is of the essence and Bishop Robert Barron helps us understand why, assuring us of the power of prayer. He writes:-
“When people pray in a spirit of trust, really believing that what they are asking for will happen, it happens. Just as Jesus says in the Gospel, “Everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
(Matthew 7: 7-12)
The power of prayer is having the confidence that we are being guided and cared for, even when that guidance and care are not immediately apparent. It is what allows someone to live in detachment from all of the ups and downs of life.
St. Ignatius of Loyola said: “We should not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honour to dishonour, a long life to a short life. . . . Our one desire and choice should be what is more conducive to the end for which we are created . . . to praise, reverence and serve God our Lord.”
Someone that lives in that kind of detachment is free, and because they are free, they are powerful.”
Cafod have launched a Humanitarian Appeal with their sister organization “Caritas Ukraine” who are already helping people afflicted by this conflict. Should you wish to support this Appeal, donations may be left in the boxes at both entrances to St. Patrick’s Church or put through the letterbox of St. Patrick’s presbytery – please mark your envelope Ukrainian Appeal. Alternatively you may choose to donate directly to Cafod online. For security reasons, envelopes should not be put through the letterbox of St. Alban’s Presbytery
A further £180.00 has been sent to Cafod from your donations received this week.
Closer to home, the Diocesan Refugee Project, which we have been supporting for many months, renew their thanks and seek our continuing help to enable them to support over 400 asylum seekers. They try to provide them all with a bag of food and those who are destitute also receive a supermarket voucher.
If you are able to bring donations of sugar, biscuits, tinned fish in oil and tins of tomatoes and chick peas to St. Patrick’s Church before Mass, they may be left on the table to your right as you enter the front of Church or on any table if you enter by the rear door. They are particularly in need of toiletries and shampoo. Please note: baked beans and tinned meat are not required.
Covid-19 is still very much on our doorstep too, sadly cases are on the rise in our region once again. We probably all know of someone who has the virus or is self isolating, you may even be one of them. Please pray that everyone suffering from the virus will make a full recovery. This is particularly important, as more cases of “long Covid” are beginning to emerge. The Public Health message is still to act cautiously and to consider wearing a face covering especially in an indoor environment when we are in the company of people we do not usually mix with. Please respond in a positive way for the sake of each other’s well-being, remembering that not everyone is “ready to be hugged!”
St. Patrick’s Day falls on Thursday of the coming week and, thanks to our volunteer stewards, we are able to offer a public Mass in St. Patrick’s Church at 10am.
May God bless us and continue to watch over us, keeping us safe from harm.
Fr. Patterson
Mass to view on line
Mass is live streamed from our Cathedral. Visit the Cathedral website for times this week.
Alternatively, you may like to follow Mass from the Holy Name, Jesmond. Visit the website for Mass times this week.
Mass Intentions
With the exception of Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Fr. Patterson will celebrate Mass privately during the week for the following Intentions. Face coverings should be worn when attending Church, unless you are medically exempt.
- Monday – Maurice Brown
- Tuesday: 10.00 in St. Patrick’s Church -John Lenehan and Elizabeth Lenehan
- Wednesday – Connie Stout
- Thursday: (St. Patrick’s Day): 10.00 in St. Patrick’s Church – Brida and Ken Clay
- Friday – The sick, their families, NHS staff & Care Workers
- Saturday – Fr. Patterson’s intentions
- Sunday: 10.00 in St. Patrick’s Church – For the intentions of all our parishioners
When you are unable to celebrate Mass with us 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.
In case you are not aware, a parish priest is obliged to celebrate Mass for the “Intentions of the Parishioners” every Sunday or Holyday, which prevents him from fulfilling personal intentions on those occasions.
Please keep in your prayers this week:
- all our parishioners who are sick, housebound or in hospital
- all those near and dear to us whose memories we cherish at this time especially Ken Clay and John Lenehan and,
- Fr. Harry Ryan (retired) who has died. Receive Lord into tranquillity and peace the soul of your servant whom you have called from this life. May he be taken up into glory with your Son in whose mystery of love we are all united
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 time to pray
Please join together in prayer for the 162,738 people who have died in our country from the coronavirus. (Friday’s figure)
Gracious God, as we remember before you the thousands 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 the Ukraine
Lord God, hold the people of Ukraine deep in your heart. Protect them from violence, from political gamesmanship, from being used and abused. Give the nations of the world the courage and the 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 how to live in love and dignity and respect, following your ways. We ask this in your name and for your sake. Amen
The Lenten Journey
Starting this Sunday, 6th March, 2022, Father Denis McBride C.Ss.R. will be leading a free online retreat.
Each video will be added to the Redemptorist website every Sunday, but they will be available throughout the Lenten season, so you can re-watch them at your leisure.
Lenten Reflections
The Diocesan Vicariate for Faith and Mission has produced the first part of a booklet of Lenten reflections which you may find of value during Lent.
Bishop Robert Barron asks, “Do you want to grow in your faith this Lent?”
It is almost two years since we were faced with the first total lockdown in our country due to the Coronavirus. You may remember for several months we were able to offer those of you who have access to the internet the opportunity to engage in a variety of talks and video presentations given by Bishop Robert Barron and the Word on Fire team.
During Lent this year, Word on Fire offer the opportunity to engage in more talks and videos with the ability to access those videos you have watched in the past and it is free of charge.
Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermon
Each week Bishop Barron offers a Sunday sermon.
Cafod’s Humanitarian Appeal for the Ukraine
Fr. Patterson is grateful for donations received for this appeal during the course of the week totalling £180.00. Further donations may be left in the boxes at both entrances to St. Patrick’s Church – please mark your envelope Ukrainian Appeal. Alternatively you may choose to donate directly via the Cafod website.
Your Offertory contributions from 1st April, 2022
For the past two years, as a result of the pandemic, we have been left with a large number of unclaimed sets of weekly offering envelopes which came at a considerable cost to our parishes.
With the uncertainties of the year ahead, we will only be issuing envelopes for the coming financial year to those of you who are in the parish gift aid scheme and are not already contributing by standing order or bankers order.
As non gift aid envelopes no longer need to be individually recorded, we ask that those of you who are not in the gift aid scheme, might bring your offering in an envelope of your own or simply place your offering in the box provided in the church as “loose plate.” We will review the situation during the course of the year.
Many of you during the past two years have chosen to make your offering by standing order or by bank transfer and we are most grateful to you for doing so. It is hoped that you will continue to make your offering in this way, which saves on administration costs. For those of you who gift aid your offering, tax can still be reclaimed from the standing order method of contributing.
We invite more of you to consider making your offering in this way whether you are in the gift aid scheme or not. The bank details you require are printed below.
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. 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 St. Patrick’s Gift Aid organiser at stpatrick.giftaid@outlook.com.
For the time being, enquiries concerning the Gift Aid scheme for St. Albans Church should be directed to Fr. Patterson at felling.stpatrick@rcdhn.org.uk.
Your ongoing financial support is welcomed and needed
Fr. Patterson continues to be grateful for your offerings during these difficult times and is especially grateful to those parishioners who regularly contribute to parish funds by standing order helping us meet the regular financial commitments of our churches.
You may bring your envelopes to Mass on Tuesdays or Sundays or drop them through the presbytery letterbox. For security reason, envelopes should not be put through the letterbox of St. Alban’s Presbytery.
The parish is still able to reclaim the tax from Gift Aided offertory contributions made by bank transfer. It would be helpful to enter your name and Gift Aid envelope number as the reference when making the transfer.
The details for bank transfers/standing orders and cheques are as follows:
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
Diocesan Covid Protocols are still in place in our churches.
As we await an update from Bishop Robert relating to our Diocesan protocols, we request that you maintain the “status quo” when it comes to attending St. Patrick’s Church. So we ask that face coverings continue to be worn in the Church unless you are medically exempt. You are also asked to maintain social distancing from others in your bench, unless you are from the same household or bubble. Sanitising your hands is also good practice.
With the ongoing support of our volunteer stewards, we continue to do what we can to ensure St. Patrick’s Church is both welcoming and as Covid-19 safe as we can make it for you. At this present time, Mass will continue to be celebrated on Tuesdays at 10am and on a Sunday at 10am.
There is no longer a need to provide Test and Trace details, nor to “log in” using a QR code.
If you are still hesitant about attending Church, you are under no obligation to do so.
If you have Covid symptoms or feel unwell, please stay at home until you feel better.
St. Alban’s Church – feedback.
Fr. Patterson would like to thank those parishioners who were able to attend the Gathering in the parish room last Saturday during which he spoke of the level of help and support that would be needed if we are to be able to reopen St. Alban’s Church. He explained the nature of the various roles which must be filled and the commitment that would be necessary to fulfil them. Those present were invited to go away and reflect on whether or not they could make the necessary commitment involved and to discuss our needs with others in the hope of being able to establish a sufficient bank of volunteers to enable the reopening of the Church.
Fr. Patterson looks forward to receiving your offers of help and support by 31st March. Please contact him at felling.stpatrick@rcdhn.org.uk or telephone 0191 495 2277. Alternatively you may contact Terry and Christine Harbron by telephoning 0191 469 8697.
Please avoid telephoning after 6pm or at weekends. Emails are welcome anytime.
Please get vaccinated
Cardinal Vincent Nichols has echoed the call encouraging people to take up Covid vaccinations and boosters when offered by the NHS. “The call ‘Get vaccinated! Get boosted!’ is more and more pressing.”
Pope Francis also urges us to do so.
ZOE Covid weekly update – Cases rise by 20%
This week, Professor Tim Spector shares some disappointing news about the ZOE COVID Study funding which the Government are withdrawing and expresses gratitude to their parent company ZOE for agreeing to continue supporting their work with both COVID surveillance and exploring other health conditions like cancer, heart disease and dementia. He also explores some research linking COVID to some of these conditions.
In a separate blog, the updated symptoms of Omicron are discussed.
Parish News by Email
If you are aware of parishioners who would like to receive the Newsletter and other news from the parish by email, please ask them to email Fr. Patterson at felling.stpatrick@rcdhn.org.uk and they will be added to our contact list.
