Street Homelessness and Catholic Theological Ethics by Rosanne Haggerty. This Monday, 27 January: 3.30pm drinks reception for 4pm-5pm talk in the Cassidy Quad at St Chad’s College, Durham. This event is free of charge and all are welcome. Details and registration available via https://centreforcatholicstudies.eventbrite.com or tel. 0191 334 1656.

The Reading Group will meet at Orchard House at 8pm on Tuesday 28 January to discuss Stephen Hough, Rough Ideas and on Tuesday 10 March to discuss Jodi Piccoult, Small Great Things.

When you arrive at the front entrance to Orchard House dial 47 to be admitted.

Our regular diocesan event for young people in school Year 9 upwards. This month: an evening with Lily Jo, a Christian praise and worship singer who will be sharing about good mental health and looking after ourselves. We will be travelling from Durham on the train and will eat in Newcastle before the event. Wednesday 12th February – 4pm – 9:30pm. The cost of the trip is £10 – if you have a railcard please bring this with you. For more information, contact Katie Flood on youth.durhammartyrs@rcdhn.org.uk

An invitation from the Association of Religious. Come and share tea and conversation with religious brothers and sisters, get to know them and meet other young adults from our Diocese. Saturday 1st February at St Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle – drop in between 2pm and 4pm. Contact: Sr Barbara Sweeney RSCJ on bswe915436@aol.com

Tuesday 28 January at 7.00pm at St. Mary’s School, Benton Park Road, Newcastle. Smajo Beso will tell of his parents’ experiences during the Bosnian Genocide in 1995, and Gerald Stern will recall his father’s experiences during the Holocaust.

Thursday 30 January at 7.00pm at St. Michael’s Catholic Academy, Beamish Road, Billingham. Guest speaker; Marta Josephs, who will recall her father’s experiences during the Holocaust.

A very big “Thank You” to those who donated so generously to the Christmas Flowers. Without the generosity of parishioners such displays would not be possible. At Christmas and Easter we are able to purchase the flowers from the wholesaler which means we can get different and higher quality flowers than from the supermarkets.

The Christmas flowers cost £236.22 and this was covered by your very generous donations. This was with a saving of £60 because we had planned early and were able to avail of the opportunity to pre-order the flowers at a fixed price. Apart from Easter and Christmas the flower arrangers pay for the flowers themselves for the rest of the year. We already know that when we exit the EU the cost of flowers will rise by 13%. Please remember the donation box in the Narthex.

Do we have any members of the congregation who would like to join the Flower Rota? Our number is decreasing and new members would be most welcome indeed. If you have any thoughts or comments please contact Cliona Kear on either 386 3400 or c.m.kear@dunelm.org.uk

Our Ignatian Retreat in Daily Life begins today. The retreat is open to students, parishioners and anyone who wants to deepen their relationship with God. If you want to meet with a prayer guide through the week, please come to the opening meeting after 6.30pm Mass. Everyone is welcome to the evening workshops:

• Monday 20th at 7.00pm: What is Prayer?
• Tuesday 21st at 7.00pm: Recognising and responding
• Wednesday 22nd at 7.30pm: Who are You God, and Who am I?

• Final meeting and soup lunch: Friday 24th at 1.00pm, after Mass.

Cost: £10 – but if this is a problem for you, please speak to Fr Andrew.

This Sunday is Peace Sunday. Pope Francis’ message for the day is entitled Peace as a Journey of Hope: Dialogue, Reconciliation and Ecological Conversion. Read it at http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en.html