Category Archives: Liturgy

24 March – 7 April 2024

Sunday 24 March – Palm Sunday
10:00am
Priest’s intention
6:30pm
Priest’s intention
Tuesday 26
12:15pm
Priest’s intention
Wednesday 27
7:00pm
Susan Laing (A)
Thursday 28 – Mass of the Lord's Supper
7:00pm
Priest’s intention
Friday 29 – Celebration of the Passion
3:00pm
Priest’s intention
Saturday 30 – Easter Vigil
8:00pm
Priest’s intention
Sunday 31 – Easter Sunday
10:00am
Priest’s intention
Tuesday 2
12:15pm
Fr John McElhone (NBF)
Wednesday 3
7:00pm
Priest’s intention
Thursday 4
12:15pm
Priest’s intention
Friday 5
9:15am
Priest’s intention
Saturday 6
9:15am
Priest’s intention
Sunday 7 – Easter II
10:00am
Priest’s intention
6:30pm
Priest’s intention

Carol Service

Carol Service: This year’s Carol Service has been recorded, and is now available to download from the ‘St Cuthbert’s Parish Community’ Facebook page, with Scripture readings and beautiful music from the choir. If you don’t have internet access, please contact the Parish Office to request a copy of the service on CD.

Church Stewarding

The church is open apart from service times from 10 to 3 on Fridays and 10 –noon on Saturdays. This allows people to pop in and pray and gives visitors to Durham a chance to see inside a building of considerable beauty.

To enable this to happen there is a small but dedicated band of stewards. There are proposals to extend the occasions when the church is open but for this to happen we need more stewards. It is not an onerous task. It usually means sitting in the narthex and saying ‘Hello’ to people, keeping an eye on the place and answering, as best you can, questions visitors might ask. There is a folder containing information on just about everything to do with the church. It is possible that no one visits on some days so it is a chance to read the paper do a few lines of knitting or whatever.

If you would like to join this group please let Fr Andrew, Ciara or David Crookes (davidcrookes@talktalk.net) know. Students are eligible too. It means studying in the narthex rather than the chaplaincy for a while.

Christmas Service Times

Wednesday 14th December

6:30pm          Carols by Candlelight for Parish and Chaplaincy                            followed by mulled wine and mince pies

Saturday 24th December:  Christmas Eve

9:15am           Mass

9:45am           Sacrament of Confession* (until 10:45am)

Midnight        Midnight Mass Doors open 11:15pm

 

Sunday 25th December:  Christmas Day

10:00am        Family Mass with Blessing of Crib

Please note there is NO evening Mass on Christmas Day

If only you knew what I was offering you

If only you knew what I was offering you is a day of reflection for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. It is led by Pat Kennedy and takes place at St Thomas Aquinas Parish Hall, North Road, Darlington, DL1 2PU on Saturday 1 October 2016, 10.30am – 3.30pm (refreshments from 10:00am). Cost: £7.50.

This day fulfils the undertaking made by Extraordinary Ministers to attend an annual day of recollection. To book a place contact Ciara in the Parish Office on office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk by Monday 19 September.

Visiting Friars

In advance of taking up his new role as Procurator General of the Order of Preachers, fr. Ben is away at the Order’s General Chapter in Bologna until 5 August. Please keep him and the members of the Chapter in your prayers.

While he is away, in addition to fr. Tony and fr. Becket, we welcome fr. Euan Marley of St Columba’s, Glasgow. Masses on Sunday 31 July by fr. Euan.

Ministries at Sunday 6:30pm Mass over the summer

During the long summer vacation (i.e. until Sunday 2 October) the Sunday 6:30pm Mass becomes a much quieter affair as many students leave Durham. We need people to take on those ministries normally looked after by students during term time: to welcome into the church, to read, to help with the collection and (if qualified) to act as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. You can voluteer whether you are a remaining student, or a longer-term resident; whether you are a “regular” at this Mass, or at another.

If you can help, please sign up on the list at the back of the church, or get in touch with Ciara (Parish Secretary) on office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk, noting how you can help and when you are available. Thank you for your generosity!

St Peter and St Paul

The Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul, 29 June, is a Holy Day of Obligation when the Church asks Catholics to participate in the celebration of Mass. At St Cuthbert’s a Vigil Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday 28 June at 6:30pm and Mass of the day on Wednesday 29 June at 12:15pm.

Please note that these will be the only Masses on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 June.

Last Holy Half Hour and mid-week Sung Mass

The last Holy Half Hour of the academic year will take place on Wednesday 22 June before the 7pm Mass – after the celebration of Vespers at 6:15pm, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and there is opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance (Confession). All are welcome to come along for this time of quiet prayer and reflection before a simple sung Mass.

Chaplaincy Mass of Thanksgiving, BBQ and Garden Party

The last Saturday of the University Term, 18 June 2016, sees a double celebration. At 12:15pm there will be a Mass of Thanksgiving for the academic year now ending. All are warmly invited.

The Mass will be followed by a barbecue and garden party for all members of the Chaplaincy past and present – current students and staff as well as alumni.

NB As a result of these celebrations, there will be no Mass at 9:15am on Saturday 18 June.

24-hour Vigil of Prayer

The Catholic Society is organising a 24-hour Vigil of Prayer starting with Mass at 12:15pm on Thursday 16 June and concluding with Mass at 12:15pm on Friday 17 June. The church will be open and the Blessed Sacrament exposed throughout the period, and the vigil will be punctuated by the celebration of the Divine Office and other prayers and devotions. The Vigil coincides with a “relay” vigil taking place around various churches of the Deanery and for which we are taking the “night shift!”.

While this is organised by the students, all from the Parish and Deanery (and beyond!) are warmly invited to join the vigil for as little or as long as possible. If you can commit to an hour (or more) before the blessed sacrament, please sign up on the list at the back of the church – we need to ensure that there are at least two people before the Blessed Sacrament throughout the vigil.

Thursday 16 June

12:15 Mass of Exposition
16:00-16:30 Taizé Prayer
17:00-18:00 Confession available
18:15-18:35 Vespers
20:00-20:30 Praise and Worship (quiet songs interspersed with silence)
22:00 Compline

Friday 17 June

07:30-07:50 Office of Readings
08:00-08:20 Lauds
12:00-12:10 Angelus and Benediction
12:15 Concluding Mass

For more details contact John Morris, CathSoc Prayer and Worship Secretary, on prayer@durhamcatholic.org.

College Mass – University College

The 7:00pm Mass on Wednesday 8 June will be celebrated in the Tunstall Chapel of University College. All are welcome and warmly invited to the Mass. A member of the CathSoc Exec will be at the lodge to direct you to to the chapel.

Because of the college Mass there will be no “holy half hour” of Vespers, exposition and confessions at St Cuthbert’s that Wednesday evening.

Celebration of Marriage

Bishop Séamus will celebrate Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday 14th May at 11.00am to give thanks for the Sacrament of Marriage. He has invited each parish community to be represented by two couples, young or old, newly married or celebrating a significant anniversary. This promises to be a wonderful celebration and will provide affirmation and support for Marriage across the diocese and to the wider North-East community.

If you would be interested in representing St Cuthbert’s Parish, please get in touch with fr. Ben: but the Mass is open to all.

Image Credit

Celebrating God’s Mercy

Year of Mercy LogoOn Thursday 28 April at 7:00pm St Joseph’s, Gilesgate, Durham will host our Deanery Service for the Year of Mercy entitled Celebrating God’s Mercy. The Sacrament of Penance (Confession) will be available with priests from across the Deanery.

In preparation for this initiative, Jeremy Cain from the Diocesan Evangelisation Team will be speaking briefly at the end of Masses on Sunday 17 April.

Bishop Séamus writes:

“God’s mercy is for all people and he wants everyone
to come to him with trust and confidence.
The mercy of Jesus is kind and understanding;
now is the time; it is never too late; he forgives all things.
Let his gentle healing put your worries to rest.”

Solemnities Transferred

The early Easter has meant we weren’t able to celebrate two great feasts on their usual days, and they have been transferred to Low Week – that is, the second week after Easter.

The Solemnity of the Annunciation, normally 25 March, fell this year on Good Friday; and so will be transferred to Monday 4 April. Mass will be celebrated at 9:15am.

And we would have celebrated our Patronal Solemnity of St Cuthbert on 20 March, had that not been Palm Sunday; instead we will be celebrating St Cuthbert on Tuesday 5 April with be a sung Mass at 12:15pm. It is not often that we get to celebrate our holy patron in the splendour of the Easter light – so do come along and join the feast.