On Monday 19th July,  the country moved into Step 4 of the Government’s Covid-19 Response Roadmap. It is still our responsibility to make sure that our churches and other buildings are safe for all those who attend. In the light of the current high rates of infection in the Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle, and the elderly demographic of our Diocese, Bishop Robert has concluded that  it would present a very serious situation if we were to abandon our existing COVID controls. Instead, the Bishop has asked us to retain all of the COVID control measures and cleaning protocols that are currently in force in all our churches and church halls until at least the end of August 2021. The situation will be reviewed after that.

Please help us to keep everyone safe at St Cuthbert’s:

• Book a place to attend Sunday Mass, by emailing office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk or by telephoning 0191 384 3442. You do not need to book for weekday Masses or Sunday evening Mass.
• Wear a face covering in church, unless you are exempt.
• Sanitise your hands on entering and leaving church.
• Maintain social distancing in church.
• Follow the procedure for receiving Holy Communion.

The obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains suspended. The Bishops of England & Wales have issued a statement about the current situation, which you can read here.

Thank you to the volunteer cleaners, who have enabled us to continue celebrating public Mass each day.

Tuesday 29th June is the Solemnity of Ss Peter & Paul, one of the great feasts of the Church’s year. Mass will be celebrated at St Cuthbert’s at 12.15pm. The obligation to attend Mass on Holydays is still suspended, but in order to make sure that we comply with Covid safety procedures, please book a place at Mass by contacting office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk or 0191 384 3442.

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. Usually, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion would be asked to renew their commitment to service at Mass this Sunday, but this has been postponed due to the continuing Covid restrictions.

Click here to read a reflection for the Feast of Corpus Christi from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales.

In October of this year, the UK government plans to open an Immigration Removal Centre at Hassockfield on the site of the former Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett, County Durham.

This centre will be for 80 women seeking asylum in the UK. The proposal is inhumane, unjust and incompatible with our faith which calls us to recognise the intrinsic dignity of each person. These women are not criminals to be locked up but people like ourselves who have the right to a place of safety and to be treated with respect and compassion. An interfaith prayer service will take place on Sunday 23rd May at 3.00pm in as many churches and places of worship as possible as part of a united faith response against Hassockfield. The Diocesan Youth Ministry Team will join with the Faith Witness and will go live at the same time on YMT’s Facebook page.

Bishop Robert has written a Pastoral Letter for the 5th Sunday of Lent. You can read it here.

A new lockdown has been announced by the Government. However, churches can continue to celebrate Mass publicly, while maintaining the usual Covid-19 safety practices. The schedule for Masses at St Cuthbert’s remains as announced. Thank you to the volunteer stewards and cleaners, who have made it possible for us to continue celebrating Mass as a community.

Please do not come to church if you have been advised to shield, if you are showing any of the symptoms of Covid-19, or if you have any concerns about your safety. All obligations to attend Mass have been suspended by the Bishops of England and Wales, until further notice.

Please keep in touch. If you are in need of practical help, or if you just want to chat, contact Fr Andrew on parish.priest@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk or 0191 384 3442.

You can see a live stream of Mass from St Cuthbert’s on the parish YouTube channel.

For updates on the Church’s response to the pandemic, see the Catholic Bishops’ Conference website.

Bishop Robert has written a Pastoral Message for the Feast of the Holy Family. Read it here.

The Government has introduced lockdown restrictions from Thursday 5th November. Public acts of worship are forbidden from that date, and all Masses from this Thursday onwards will be celebrated privately.

Churches can still open for private prayer. This week, St Cuthbert’s will be open at the following times:

Thursday 5-6pm; Friday 12-1pm; Saturday 9.30-10.30am.

Watch the website and the parish and chaplaincy Facebook pages for details of future opening.

We are delighted to have received an invitation from the Columbans in Britain to join a virtual encounter with Marjorie Engcoy, a Columban Lay Missionary from the Philippines assigned to Fiji.

This event will happen on Zoom on WEDNESDAY 16th SEPTEMBER 2020 at 19:00, and is open to everyone.

Before joining the Missionary Society of St. Columban, Marjorie was an English teacher for five years. Growing up she met a number of Columban missionaries; priests, nuns, and lay. Their presence in her community helped to ignite her desire to become a lay missionary and establish her personal relationship with God. In mission, she has been involved in various different ministries such as youth, children, women, liturgy, evangelisation, leadership and JPIC. Marjorie looks forward to explaining some of these ministries in more detail and how through her mission work overseas she has experienced God’s love and His promise; “I will be with you, always.”

The webinar will include prayer, a short introduction and then time for questions. You will need a laptop, tablet or phone and a good internet connection. To take part, please register your interest here: http://tiny.cc/MeetaColumbanMissionary

Please pray for the repose of the soul of James McAloon, who died recently, and for his family. His funeral service will be celebrated at St Cuthbert’s on Saturday 15th August at 10.00am. Please note that due to Government regulations, attendance at the funeral service is limited to family members and invited guests. Please join with us in prayer at the time of the service, rather than attempting to attend.

BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship will broadcast Mass, celebrated by Cardinal Nichols in Westminster Cathedral, on Sunday 14 June at 8.10am. As an accessible radio broadcast, this is good news for the Catholic community. Please share news of this broadcast with any isolated parishioners who may not have access to the internet and therefore have been unable to attend online Mass services. For more information click here.

CAFOD launched its coronavirus emergency appeal on 30 April. The effects of coronavirus on developing countries where CAFOD works are likely to be devastating. Families without enough to eat and without access to clean water and healthcare are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. The poorest and most marginalised communities will be pushed further into poverty. Your prayers and gifts are needed now more than ever to help protect the lives of those in poor communities.

You can find out more about CAFOD’s response to the coronavirus emergency, and donate online, here.

The Archbishops of England and Wales have written to all Catholics on behalf of their brother Bishops. The Archbishops encourage us to continue observing the lockdown restrictions in solidarity for the common good, and to pray and prepare for the moment when our churches can safely be reopened. You can read the full text of the Archbishops’ letter here.

Recognising that the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting everyone, special Masses will be celebrated for the sick, their families, care workers and NHS staff. These Masses will be celebrated each Thursday at 7pm, by a different Catholic Bishop in his cathedral. This Thursday, 7th May, Mass will be celebrated by Rt Rev Marcus Stock in Leeds Cathedral. You can watch the Mass on the cathedral’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-xVdN6rMCG0sSgxk8Rulow  

You can find out more, including how to watch the live stream of the Masses, on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference website, here.

Following the latest announcement from the Prime Minister on the measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, we are no longer able to open the church for people to call in and pray. This is a necessary measure to protect us all.

Please keep in touch as we find other ways to support each other and to pray together over the next weeks and months.

St. Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle are live streaming Mass, and this can be found on the Cathedral’s YouTube Channel and The Tablet has put together a useful summary of resources you can use.