Easter Sunday
Dear Parishioners
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Easter.
With the slight easing of restrictions last Monday, I hope you will be able to enjoy a little time with others in keeping with the present restrictions of the rule of six or two households and observing social distancing. It is still so important whether we have been vaccinated or not.
It was uplifting to see so many of you who felt able to come along to St. Patrick’s Church to celebrate Maundy Thursday and Good Friday together. I am also grateful for your comments as to how safe you feel inside the Church and for your appreciation of the welcome and assistance you receive from our volunteer stewards. As you are aware, we are keeping to the 2 metre social distancing requirement as laid down in the Government guidelines.
I would also like to express my gratitude to our volunteer stewards for their support and for making it possible to open our Church for some parish Masses and Funerals and to our “telephone operator” for taking your calls ensuring our booking system runs smoothly. Thank you.
Following the removal of the restriction to “Stay at Home” on 29th March, and thanks to the generosity of our volunteers, we will now be able to open St. Patrick’s Church for Mass on Tuesdays at 10.00 (no booking will be needed) as well as on a Sunday, at 10.30 when booking will be required. The Tuesday Mass will commence on 13th April due to private funeral services in the Church this coming week.
To reserve a place for Sunday, 11th April please telephone:
07526 232124
on Wednesday, 7th April between 10am – 12pm or
Friday, 9th April between 5.30pm – 7pm
I am afraid Mass on Easter Sunday is fully booked.
This number will be unavailable outside of the above booking times.
Bookings cannot be made via the presbytery telephone number nor by email and can only be made for the approaching Sunday and not for any other dates. Text messages cannot be accepted as a method of booking.
You will be asked to provide your name and telephone number to comply with the NHS Test and Trace system and also the number in your family if you are attending as a household. Under the current restrictions you must only sit with members of your own household or bubble and not mix with people from other households.
On arrival at the church you will be welcomed by a steward and your name will be checked against the booking list.
Please remember you are under no obligation to attend Mass. The Sunday obligation is still suspended. You should not come to Church if you are experiencing any signs of Covid-19 or feeling unwell in any way.
In the weeks and months ahead it is still important to look after one another and to pray that the Lord will continue to watch over us and keep us safe.
Lord God, keep us under the shadow of your protection
during this time of pandemic. Sustain and support the anxious
and fearful and lift up all who are brought low
so that we may rejoice in your comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Risen Lord.
God bless you all
Fr. Patterson
Mass to view on line
Mass is live streamed from our Cathedral on Sunday at 11.30 am and on weekdays at 12.05 pm. These Masses may be viewed live or anytime later.
Mass Intentions for the coming week
With the exception of Sunday, I will celebrate Mass privately during the week remembering the following Intentions
- Monday – Pat Donald
- Tuesday -Private Memorial Mass
- Wednesday – Knock, Hughes and Kelly Families
- Thursday – Private Funeral Mass
- Friday – The sick, their families, NHS staff & Care Workers
- Saturday – Fr “P’s” intentions
- Sunday: 10.30am in St. Patrick’s Church – for the intentions of all our parishioners – booking is necessary
When you are unable to celebrate Mass with me 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 Pat Donald and Elizabeth Knock and,
- Kevin Crinnion who has died. “Receive Lord into tranquillity and peace the soul of your servant whom you have called from this life. May she be taken up into glory with your Son in whose great mystery of love we are all united. 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 time to pray
Please join me in prayer for the 126,816 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.
Roadmap Step 1b:
These are the changes that came into effect on 29th March.
On 31st March, Public Health England medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle has warned in terms of the pandemic “we’re not quite out of the woods yet”.
“It is encouraging that the death rate is falling, but there are still as many people in hospital now as there were at the start of the second wave, and tens of thousands of us are getting infected every week and could become seriously ill,” she says.
“As restrictions lift and the weather improves, we cannot drop our guard. We’re not out of the woods quite yet.
“Until all of us are protected it remains essential to follow the steps we know stop the virus from spreading. Kill it by washing your hands, block it by wearing your mask, and maintain a safe social distance in the open air.
“Case numbers are still high in certain places and looking forward they are certainly not predictable. So your actions are still saving lives.
New Offertory Envelopes
The new boxed sets of Offertory envelopes, beginning Sunday, 4th April, 2021, are now available and may be collected from St. Patrick’s Church after Mass on Sundays.
Thanks to an offer of help, new Gift Aid envelopes will shortly be delivered to those parishioners who have been returning their envelopes during the pandemic and live in the Bill Quay, Wardley and Pelaw areas of our parish.
During the course of the pandemic several parishioners have chosen to contribute by Bank Transfer or Standing Order and it is hoped they will continue to do so in the long term rather than use envelopes. This facilitates the financial administration of the parish. Please consider contributing by Standing Order. The details needed are provided below.
Your ongoing financial support is welcomed and needed
Fr. Patterson renews his thanks to you for your offerings during these difficult times especially to those parishioners who regularly contribute to parish funds by bank transfer helping to meet the regular financial commitments of our churches.
Should you wish, you may drop your envelopes 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 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
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. The Newsletter may also be found on our parish website.
