12th Sunday of the Year
Dear Parishioner
Many of you will be aware that from Monday, 15th June, some Places of Worship in England were able to open for private and individual prayer only so long as the building has been certified as Covid-19 secure.
The celebration of Mass along with the celebration of all other Sacraments is still suspended in all of our churches throughout the country.
Bishop Robert has announced that initially five of our churches, one from each Vicariate, will open for private prayer only as soon as is practical and once all the necessary guidelines, risk assessments and health and safety requirements have been satisfied. Only two of the five churches were ready to open last Monday. The remaining three were unable to meet the necessary requirements for a Covid-19 safe church. Two more will reopen this weekend as safety requirements are now in place.
Bishop Robert’s utmost priority in allowing a church to reopen is the health and safety of the priests, deacons and parishioners. As such, a church will only be able to open if it can provide sufficient volunteers to comply with the protocols laid down especially relating to sanitising and stewarding.
Despite appeals for volunteers over the last four or five weeks, we still do not have sufficient volunteers to meet the necessary requirements to be able to reopen our own churches.
Could you volunteer as a Steward or to help sanitise the Church?
If you can help, or wish to know what is involved, please send me an email. Volunteers should not be in any of the Government’s vulnerable or at risk categories.
Please be aware things will not be the same when churches reopen. Social distancing will considerably reduce the seating capacity in our churches and, when the time comes when we are able to open for public worship, those priests who are in the “shielded” category, or are self-isolating, would not be available to celebrate Mass. As a result, it may not be possible to open all churches at the same time.
We must be patient, continue with our prayers at home and not allow ourselves to be misled by “Fake news!”
Please take care of yourselves too. Pray for each other and please pray for me.
May God bless you all.
Fr. Patterson
Mass to view on line
Mass is live streamed from our Cathedral on Sunday at 11.30 and on weekdays at 12.00. These services may be viewed live or anytime later.
Alternatively, you may like to follow daily Mass from the Holy Name, Jesmond celebrated live at 10.00 or which may also be viewed any time later.
Mass Intentions
I continue to celebrate Mass privately every day. The following Intentions will be remembered this week.
- Monday – A Friend who is ill
- Tuesday – Shaun McCarthy
- Wednesday – Billy Knowles
- Thursday – The sick, NHS & Care Workers
- Friday – Vincent Blackwood
- Saturday – Fr “P’s” Intentions
- Sunday – For the intentions of all our parishioners
As you are unable to celebrate Mass with me, 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
Mass Offerings
As you are aware, throughout the lockdown, the priests of the Diocese have been continuing to celebrate Mass each day in private without a congregation.
If you would like to have Mass offered for any particular intention, Fr. Patterson would be happy to celebrate it for you.
You may drop your intention and offering through the letterbox of St. Patrick’s Presbytery, so long as you follow Government guidelines about leaving your home or place it in the post with a cheque. For security reasons, please do not put any intentions or offerings through the letterbox of St. Alban’s Presbytery.
Alternatively you may email your intention to Fr. Patterson and send your offering by bank transfer.
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 and,
- Shaun McCarthy and Kathleen Malley who have died. “Receive Lord into tranquillity and peace the souls of your servants whom you have called from this life. May they be taken up into glory with your Son in whose great mystery of love we are all united. Amen.”
Masses for the Sick and their Families, NHS Front-Line workers and those working in Social Care
Every Thursday one of our Bishops celebrates a special evening Mass for the sick, their families, NHS staff, and those working in Social Care.
Mass this coming Thursday, 25th June, will be celebrated by Bishop Alan Hopes from Norwich Cathedral at 19.00.
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 Diocesan Day of Scripture
Last Friday, the Diocese offered a Virtual Day of Scripture, as part of the 2020 Year of the Word celebrations.
If you were unable to take advantage of it, all the content of the Day is now available to watch through the Diocesan YouTube channel.
Alone [Together]
If you are finding life difficult at the moment, living alone or shielded, you might find the thoughts of Fr Christopher Jamison helpful through the website Alone [Together] which can be found here:
This website is frequently updated, so if you have visited it before, it may be worth returning for another look.
Reopening our Churches
The Diocesan Handbook for the Reopening of our churches which was sent to you last weekend together with other information, may also be found on the Diocesan website.
Your generous Offerings are appreciated and some of your questions are answered here
In what are difficult times financially for us all, Fr. Patterson wishes to express his gratitude to those parishioners who are contributing their weekly offering by bank transfer directly into the parish accounts. This helps us meet our day to day financial commitments.
If you Gift Aid your offertory contributions, the parish can still reclaim the tax on your offering should you wish to make a bank transfer at this present time. It would be helpful to enter your name and Gift Aid envelope number as the reference when making the transfer.
Alternatively, you may wish to send a cheque made payable to the appropriate Account name below or you might wish to continue to put aside your envelopes each week and bring them along to church once we can reopen our doors.
The details for bank transfers
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
Several parishioners have been in contact to ask if they can put their weekly offering envelopes, which they have been saving week by week, through the presbytery letter box. Those parishioners who wish to do so would be more than welcome so long as you follow Government guidelines about leaving your home.
However, for security reasons, please do not put any envelopes through St. Alban’s Presbytery door. Envelopes for St. Alban’s parish should be posted through St. Patrick’s Presbytery door only.
Diocesan Website
More information and support may be found on our Diocesan website.
