Trinity Sunday
Dear Parishioners
We read in the Book of Genesis that we were created in God’s image and likeness. In each human person lies an imprint, a shadow, of the God who created us. This means that we share in the unique relationship we celebrate this weekend on the Feast of the Blessed Trinity.
We grow up being told that the Trinity is a mystery and we cannot understand it. The temptation is therefore to dismiss it and not reflect upon it.
The truth is that every time we enter into a relationship with another, every time we love another or experience the love of another, every time we share a meal or a chat or a drink with a friend, we are experiencing what God’s life is like – God’s Trinitarian life of perfect love, infinite harmonious relationship and never ending, respectful friendship.
So even though the Trinity may be a mystery for some, it can be a living realty for others.
Let our lives give glory to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Fr Patterson
Mass sheets
For a trial period, we shall offer you a Mass sheet when you enter church which provides the text of the prayers and readings for Mass. This sheet will replace the Parish Mass Books which we have used in the past.
Refreshments after Mass
Thanks to everyone who helped to create a wonderful party spirit over refreshments served in St Patrick’s parish centre last Sunday after Mass. Refreshments will next be served on Sunday 19th June.
All are welcome
Everyone is welcome to join us for the celebration of Mass in St Patrick’s church. In recent times, it is 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 immediately consume 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: 10am in St. Patrick’s Church – Rachel and Craig Berry
- Wednesday: (Private Mass) – Fr. Bill O’Gorman
- Thursday: 10am in St. Patrick’s Church – In Thanksgiving (BH)
- Friday: (Private Mass) – Fr. Wilfrid Elkin
- Saturday: 6pm in St. Alban’s Church – For the intentions of all our parishioners
- Sunday: 10am in St. Patrick’s Church – Carol Belton
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 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.
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 especially Carol Belton and John Donald and,
- Fr Michael Keoghan who has died. May he rest in peace.
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 155,977 people who have died in our country from the coronavirus. (Figures of 10th June)
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
A Prayer for Trinity Sunday
One God, three Persons, be near to the people of the world you formed in your image, close to the world which your love brings to life. Let your will for the world be accomplished through the decisions we make, give us a vision of peace and reconciliation and let us be to others as we would wish them to be to us.
Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons
Each week Bishop Barron offers a Sunday sermon.
It was recently announced that Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Barron as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (Minnesota).
St. Patrick’s Church needs more support from you
Fr Patterson wishes to thank those parishioners who have offered their support in various aspects of parish life, but it is insufficient to be able to rebuild our future.
A limited amount of help now enables us to offer two public weekday Masses on a Tuesday and Thursday, but we need more volunteers for the following:-
- preparing light refreshments in the parish centre after Sunday Mass
- joining the music ministry, whether as an instrumentalist or singer
- assisting with the children’s liturgy when we are in a position to restart it
- offering to help with the opening of the church for Mass and tidying up afterwards on weekdays
- reading at Mass on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays
The more support you give will make it less demanding on any individual or group/team. It is important that we should all play our part in helping to rebuild our shared parish family.
Please indicate your offer of support by emailing the parish office at felling.stpatrick@rcdhn.org.uk.
Vigil Mass on Saturdays in St. Alban’s Church.
In his meeting with Fr Patterson, Bishop Robert expressed his concern that the current level of support offered by parishioners is not what was hoped for, but agreed with Fr. Patterson, that we could proceed with the reopening of the church, initially for a Saturday Vigil Mass only, to assess the level of need and support. The church will remain closed during the week for all services. Bishop Robert has asked Fr. Patterson to review the situation after the summer.
We are now in a position to reopen St. Alban’s Church for a Vigil Mass at 6pm from Saturday, 11th June.
Please note the following:-
- Parishioners are asked to enter and leave the church by the main doors only.
- The side door should only be used as an emergency exit.
- You are invited to sanitise your hands as you enter the church
- You may wear a face covering during Mass
- Due to the low ceilings over the congregation, Bishop Robert advises that the church is adequately ventilated to help dilute and disperse viral particles. As such, both inner doors at the rear of the church will remain open throughout Mass (the outer doors will be closed) and the side windows will be open. Please dress accordingly as there may be a draught in some areas of the church.
- No collection will be taken during Mass, by way of passing baskets along the benches, but we do hope you will support our parish financially by placing your offering in the basket as you enter the church. Alternatively you may consider contributing by standing order, the details for which are:
Account name: DHN Pelaw St Alban, Sort code: 40-34-18, Account No: 92010984
Current Diocesan COVID Controls
In keeping with the National Guidelines for Churches issued by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales the following arrangements for St. Patrick’s Church 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, for the time being, continue to 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. At the end of Mass, you may leave at your leisure.
- It is still important to ventilate our buildings. This has the effect of diluting and dispersing viral particles.
- Welcomers will be on hand to greet you and care for you.
The Past Two Years – Moving On – 23rd June, 2002 at 18.30
We have all been affected one way or another by the Covid pandemic and life will never be quite the same.
If you would value an opportunity to pause, reflect on your experiences, thoughts, feelings and memories of the past two years we invite you to join together in St. Patrick’s parish centre on Thursday, 23rd June at 6.30pm.
In a gentle and non threatening way, we will try to link our feelings to the “Road to Emmaus” where the two disciples walked and talked with Jesus sharing their joys, their challenges, their fears and then their grief. Then there was Thomas who, from a place of fear and vulnerability, discovered Jesus inviting him to touch his wounds.
Maybe we need to be more accepting of our own vulnerability and, like Thomas, to share our woundedness with Jesus.
We offer this opportunity where you can feel safe, can be heard and also be a listener for others in sharing our stories from the past two years.
Like the disciples hiding in the upper room at Pentecost maybe now is the time to lay our fears aside so that like the disciples walking to Emmaus, we might recognise that Jesus was and is walking alongside us
You may like to bring a friend, relative or neighbour.
St. Patrick’s Church Cleaning
Volunteers are needed to clean the church on Friday evening, 17th June from 18.00. Entry by the Church Street door.
Congratulations
Our prayerful good wishes go to Alesandra and Denise and to their families on the occasion of their celebration of the Holy Eucharist for the first time last Sunday and for sharing some delicious food with us afterwards in St. Patrick’s parish centre.
A Day of Prayer for Human Life
This is the day in the Church’s year dedicated to raising awareness about the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition. The Church teaches that life is to be nurtured from conception to natural death. Day for Life will be celebrated next Sunday, 19th June, 2022. For further information, please visit the Day for Life website www.dayforlife.org
Should you wish to support the work of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre (www.bioethics.org.uk) and other life-related activities supported by the Church you may put your donation in an envelope marked “Day for Life” and place it in the offering boxes in both churches. Those of you with boxes of envelopes should find an envelope in your box.
An Invitation
Bishop Robert Byrne cordially invites you to a Mass to mark the 80th birthday of Bishop Seamus Cunningham which will be held on Thursday, 30th June at 12.05 pm in St Mary’s Cathedral. All are most welcome to attend.
Eucharistic Festival at Ushaw.
This event will take place at Ushaw next Sunday, 19th June from 15.00 – 16.30. Free entry into Ushaw from 2.30pm.
As there are limited places available, booking is required. It appears that this event may be fully booked as it is no longer possible to register on line.
It has been organised by the Vicariate for Faith and Mission. If you haven’t registered but would still like to attend you could try telephoning the Vicariate on 0191 243 3316 or 07375 934713 for further information.
Photographs will be taken at this event for use in Diocesan promotional materials.
Anyone showing Covid symptoms within 10 days of the festival is advised not to attend the event.
Fr. Mark Carroll
Fr. Carroll, who came to celebrate Mass for us before the pandemic to enable Fr. Patterson to take a holiday, celebrated his Diamond Jubilee of Ordination to the Priesthood on 3rd June, 2022. Fr. Patterson assured him of the prayers and good wishes of us all.
Fr Paddy Kennedy
Fr Kennedy, who served as an assistant priest at St. Patrick’s from August, 1962 to May, 1966, will be celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of his Ordination to the Priesthood this year and the parishioners of St. Gregory’s, South Shields, where he is living in retirement, invite you to join him for a Mass of Thanksgiving on Thursday, 16th June at 10am in St Gregory’s Church, South Shields followed by refreshments in the Church Hall after Mass.
Are you able to support the Diocesan Refugee Project?
Your ongoing support of this project would be welcomed. It supports over 400 asylum seekers. The project tries to provide them all with a bag of food and those who are destitute also receive a supermarket voucher. Donations of sugar, biscuits, tinned fish in oil, tins of tomatoes and chick peas may be left on the table to your right as you enter the front of St. Patrick’s Church or on any table if you enter by the rear door. A basket is also available in the porch at St. Alban’s. They are particularly in need of toiletries and shampoo. Please note: baked beans and tinned meat are not required.
Certificate in Pastoral Ministry
Are you currently involved in Church ministry but wish you knew more about your faith? Do you sometimes lack confidence and feel you could benefit from further training and formation? Do you want to grow in your faith and ministry and perhaps find new ways to share your gifts with others? We have a course designed just for you. The Certificate in Pastoral Ministry is an online, two-year learning experience created with the busy person in mind. It will take you on a journey of discovery about key aspects of the Catholic faith while helping you to reflect upon your own ministry and the ministry of others. To find out more, join us online for one of our information evenings: Tuesday 14th June, 2022 or Wednesday 22nd June, 2022 from 19.30 – 21.00. To register your interest for one of the information evenings, or for further information please email adminfaith.mission@diocesehn.org.uk.
The Parish Newsletter on the Parish Website
Some of you were unable to find the Newsletter on the parish website last weekend as the “button” you have been used to clicking had changed back to how it was pre-pandemic time. As our parishes are slowly getting back to normal, this change was necessary and that button now takes you to all Mass times. You can, as always, access the Newsletter from the menu at the top of every page or by the ‘quick link’ to News towards the bottom of the page.
The Parish Newsletter by email
Could you help to offset the cost of printing paper copies of the Newsletter by having it sent to you by email? Many of you have been receiving it electronically throughout the pandemic and continue to do so. If you do not already receive it in this way and would like to receive the Newsletter and other news from the parish by email, please send your request to felling.stpatrick@rcdhn.org.uk and you will be added to our contact list. The Newsletter may also be found on our parish website.
A few printed copies will still be available from St. Patrick’s and St. Alban’s churches, on the days they are open for Mass, for those of you who do not have access to email.
Taking the collection during Mass
Although no collection is taken during Mass, by way of passing baskets along the benches, we do hope you will support our church financially by placing your offering in the boxes at the entrances to the church. Alternatively you may consider contributing by standing order the details for which are found below.
Your Offertory contributions
To reduce the demands on parish administration, we invite those of you who feel able, to consider making your weekly offering by Standing Order. The bank details are:
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 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.
The Universal Synod
The Diocesan Submission to the Universal Synod has been completed and published.
Thanksgiving Mass
A Mass of Thanksgiving for NHS Staff, chaplains and Carers will be celebrated by Bishop Robert on Thursday, 14th July, 2022 at 7pm in St. Mary’s Cathedral. This Celebration will be the opportunity to express the gratitude of the Diocese to medical, nursing and healthcare staff and chaplains as we continue to emerge from the COVID Pandemic.
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.
ZOE Covid fortnightly update.
This week Professor Tim Spector shares some research on Long COVID by his colleagues at Kings College London using ZOE Health Study data, as well as the initial results of the menopause and food survey. He also shares the latest COVID updates, as well as news on monkeypox.
In a separate blog, the updated symptoms of Omicron are discussed.
Data from the Office of National statistics may also be of interest to you with 1 in 70 people having Covid in England.
