14th Sunday of the Year
Dear Parishioners
Thanks to our volunteer stewards we are able to open St. Patrick’s Church for Mass on Tuesday at 10 am, when no booking will be needed, and on Sunday at 10.30 am when booking is advised to guarantee a place.
There are still places available for Mass this Sunday, 4th July, offered on a first come first served basis. Please bring Test and Trace details if you haven’t reserved a place. You will receive a warm and reassuring welcome.
To reserve a place for Mass next Sunday, 11th July, please telephone 07526 232124 on
Friday, 9th July between 5pm and 7pm.
Please note the booking facility is no longer available on Wednesdays.
This number will be unavailable outside of the above 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 encouraged 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. You should only sit with members of your own household or bubble. On arrival at the church you will be welcomed by a steward and your name will be checked against the booking list.
For Mass on Tuesday, where booking is not required, you are invited to bring your Test and Trace details in an envelope and place them in the box in church.
You may still be feeling a little hesitant about coming to Mass and that is perfectly understandable. The Sunday obligation is still suspended so you are under no obligation to attend Mass. You must not come to Church if you are experiencing any signs of Covid-19 or feeling unwell in any way.
The mandatory wearing of face coverings, sanitising your hands, 2 metre social distancing and cleaning the church after each celebration remain in place within our church and the maximum capacity for a parish Mass remains at 70. So the church is as safe as we can possibly make it for you and our volunteer stewards will continue to look after you.
We are still in need of your support
If we are going to be able to reopen St. Alban’s Church and fully reopen St. Patrick’s Church and parish centre once all the Covid restrictions have been removed, I need your help and support as outlined in our shared parish Roadmap which was circulated at the beginning of May. If you do not have a copy, please email felling.stpatrick@rcdhn.org.uk or telephone 0191 495 2277 and one will be sent to you.
Currently we do not have sufficient offers of help and support to be able to reopen St. Alban’s Church and will be struggling to fully reopen St. Patrick’s Church and parish centre when the Covid restrictions are lifted.
If you can commit yourself to help in either church when all the Covid Restrictions have been removed, whenever that may be, please contact me as soon as possible.
If you have helped in either church before the pandemic and no longer feel able to continue in your previous role; if you wish to continue helping as you have done in the past or if you would like to help in any of the ways outlined in our shared parish Roadmap please get in touch with me as soon as possible.
In the meantime, may God bless you all and keep us safe from harm.
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.
Alternatively, you may like to follow Mass from the Holy Name, Jesmond celebrated live at 10 am on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. These Masses may also be viewed later from the same website.
Mass Intentions for the coming week
With the exception of Sunday and Tuesday, Fr. Patterson will celebrate Mass privately during the week remembering the following Intentions:
- Monday – A speedy recovery
- Tuesday: 10am in St. Patrick’s Church – In Thanksgiving (MH)
- Wednesday – John, Joseph & Wilhelmena McCabe
- Thursday – The sick, their families, NHS staff & Care Workers
- Friday – In Thanksgiving (NF)
- Saturday – Fr “P’s” intentions
- Sunday: 10.30am in St. Patrick’s Church – For the intentions of all our parishioners – booking required
When you are unable to celebrate Mass with 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 and Fr. Kevin Daly who is seriously ill and,
- all those near and dear to us whose memories we cherish at this time
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 128,189 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 those who are afraid
God of all hope we call on you today.
We pray for those who are living in fear:
Fear of Covid-19, fear for loved ones, fear of what the future holds.
May your Spirit give us a sense of calmness and peace. Amen
Finding True Freedom
We continue the series of short videos by Fr. Stephen Wang.
This week Fr. Wang explores “Finding true freedom.”
Cleaning St. Patrick’s Church
St. Patrick’s Church is in need of a good dust and sweep, especially in those areas with restricted access. If you would be able to lend a hand, please come along this Friday evening, 9th July at 6:15 pm.
The Sacrament of Baptism
Covid restrictions and limited human resources to enable us to comply with these restrictions, prevent us being able to open St. Patrick’s Church for anything other than Mass on a Sunday and Tuesday and for funerals at present.
We are still unable to reopen the parish centre which prevents us offering the necessary baptismal preparation for parents who are considering presenting their child to the Church for Baptism.
As such, we are still unable to offer the Sacrament of Baptism in St. Patrick’s Church.
Returning your call
If you telephone the presbytery and there is no-one available to take your call, you may choose to leave a message on the answer machine. We will do all we can to return your call, but we are only able to do so, if you leave your telephone number!!
Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies
The Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies is managed and awarded by the Board of Religious Studies on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. The programme seeks to ensure that participants have a basic understanding of the central beliefs of the Catholic faith . This programme is available for catechists, lay leaders and other adults wishing to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith and Catholic education, serving teachers in Catholic and other schools, and teachers in training preparing to take up posts in Catholic schools. The CCRS course programme is now available for 2021-2022 and there is a short presentation shown on the Diocesan website.
If anyone would like further information, they can contact Eamonn Diffley at the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, Department for Education on 0191 243 3313 or email education@diocesehn.org.uk.
Community Counselling Service
Bheith Ann is a brand-new Community Counselling Service available to all residents of Felling and the wider Gateshead area and is taking referrals for those individuals with issues such as Bereavement and Grief, Loneliness, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Relationship Problems, Post-Trauma Experiences and Bullying.
This is a free confidential service. It is delivered by a team of dedicated, trained counsellors and strictly in line with national, professional Codes of Ethical Practice.
All referrals are treated with the utmost respect, confidentiality, compassion and care. To make a referral, please ring the Bheith Ann Referral Helpline on 07425 768 957. If you simply want more information about the Service and how it works, please ring Neil Campbell (Service Co-Ordinator) on 07903 239 983.
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 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.
St Vincent’s Centre – Blackfriars
St Vincent’s Centre is located next to St Dominic’s Church in Newcastle and provides help and support to anyone finding themselves in a time of need. The Centre supports people with food parcels, clothing, toiletries and essential children/baby items. It is open Monday – Friday 9am to 4pm. Donations of food, clothing, shoes and toiletries are always very welcome and can be dropped off at the centre.
If you or anyone you know are in need of support or you would simply like more information about the services offered or find out how you could help, please drop an email to Emma at emmab@svp.org.uk or contact 0191 261 6027.
Roadmap Step 3 (from 17 May)
These are the changes that came into effect on 17th May.
This information accompanies the changes. Whilst social distancing with close family and friends is now a matter of personal judgement, we are asked to remain cautious around close contact, like hugging. Remember too that you should always make space for other people to keep their distance if they want to.
In some settings, there will be specific guidance that we will need to follow even when we are with friends and family. This is important to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19 to other people such as staff and other members of the public. You should always follow guidance associated with the setting you are in (for example in a place of worship).
Covid-secure rules, including social distancing requirements, continue to apply in the workplace, and in businesses and public venues including places of worship. This guidance does not affect a site owner’s responsibility to calculate the number of people that can be accommodated with social distancing in place.
The rise in Covid cases and the new symptoms
In his weekly update, Professor Tim Spector, the lead scientist on the ZOE COVID Study and Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, comments on how rates are still high, but we are noticing a wave of increase moving from previous hotspots in the west of the UK like the North West and West Midlands, to the North East, East Midlands and London. Tim explains in his latest video that this may be to do with the fact that those susceptible to the virus have now already caught it, causing rates to level off in those areas. As the summer holidays approach and England progresses in the Euro 2020 football tournament, Tim advises that we must remain vigilant in social gatherings, and be aware of the new top symptoms for COVID.
The Zoe data shows that symptoms are more mild and similar to those of a bad cold, so cases are being missed and increasing the spread because people are unaware. It’s crucial that we all recognise cold-like symptoms as possible COVID and get tested to prevent further spreads and increases in rates.
