Category Archives: Announcements

If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it yields a rich harvest

As we come closer to the feast of Easter, today’s reading from John’s Gospel shows Jesus calmly preparing to face his death. He tells his disciples that ‘the hour has come.’ He will give his life on the Cross and his death and resurrection will open the way to eternal life for us.

Jesus says that in his death, he will be glorified and he will glorify his Father. It may seem a strange saying. How can such a brutal and shameful death be glorious? On the Cross, God’s love for us is fully revealed. God gives his only Son for us. Jesus does not try to escape the Cross, but gives his life freely, in obedience to his Father. As he says, ‘it was for this very reason that I have come to this hour.’ Both Father and Son are glorified in Jesus’ sacrifice of himself – the wheat grain that falls to the ground and dies, yielding a rich harvest.

Jesus makes it clear to his disciples that anyone who follows him must also be prepared to sacrifice themselves; ‘Wherever I am, my servant will be there too.’ Jesus gives himself, freely and completely, to save us. He challenges us to follow his example and give ourselves for him.

CAFOD Big Walk 2024



Cafod Big Walk 2024 – starting 2pm-meet outside church on Saturday 23rd March – In partnership with parishioners from other local churches a walk of about 5km to raise money for Charity. Participants are requested to make a donation. For anyone wishing to get sponsors for Cafod the form can be downloaded from the link below. Scroll down to ‘Resources’. https://cafod.org.uk/fundraise/sponsored-challenge-events/community-big-lent-walk.

Lent – Donation of craft materials for Family Days, Low Newton

Nepacs is a local charity supporting prisoners and their families in the North East. For children attending Family Days at Low Newton activities are provided by Nepacs staff and volunteers to make them as happy and relaxed as possible. Supporting family contact helps during difficult times and is important in reducing the risk of reoffending. During Lent please put any of the following items in the labelled box in the Narthex. All donations will be very gratefully received. 

Canvases – medium sized (to do handprints of mother and child), Assorted buttons – for button art, Sharpie Pens / Biro pens / Sellotape / Double sided Sellotape, Ready mixed paints (child friendly), Coloured Card – A4 / Various stickers/ Tissue paper – all colours, Plastic sur cissors – no metal at all, Glue Sticks / glue spreaders / Colouring books / Tracing books, Blank trinket boxes – decorate their own, Plain white cheap t-shirts– age 5 – 10 years (they design their own t-shirts), Plain White baseball caps – (they design their own)

Church Reopening

Additional stewards would be welcome to help resume opening to the public on Fridays and Saturday mornings. The new rota will start after Easter. Stewards are DBS screened and serve with a partner; sharing conversation and coffee means the two hour shifts  (10.00-12.00 or 13.00 -15.00) every two or three weeks are not very onerous. If you could help, please contact Ciara (office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk) or Susan Penswick (scpenswick@hotmail.co.uk)

Holy Week Volunteers

If you can help with welcoming, reading or administering Holy Communion at our Holy Week and Easter services, please sign up on the rota on the noticeboard as soon as you can. We need lots of volunteers to avoid overloading just a few people and to ensure that our liturgies are celebrated with dignity, reverence and joy. Members of both the parish and chaplaincy communities are invited to volunteer, so please do sign up.

Foot Washing

If any member of the parish or chaplaincy communities are willing to take part in the foot-washing at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday Evening (28th March, 7pm), then please sign up on the list on the noticeboard or let Fr Andrew or Andy Doyle know. Remember that even St Peter was reluctant to have his feet washed (John 13:8) – but relented!

Parish visit to Auckland Castle, Gardens and the Faith Museum

The parish is planning a visit to Auckland Castle, gardens and the Faith Museum on Thursday 11th April. The group admission fee is £17.10 per person, although anyone who already has an Unlimited Pass would be able to use that to enter free of charge. Anyone who is interested should give their name to Helen Schofield after Mass or get in touch via the parish office office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk or 0191 3843442, before Monday 25th March.

An important notice for existing Gift Aid Donors

As the parish’s financial year is drawing to a close, we will soon be compiling our Gift Aid return. If donors have signed up for Gift Aid but now believe that they will not have paid sufficient income tax to cover the Gift Aid on their donations (e.g. if you have donated £400 over the year, then you must have paid Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax of at least £100 over the same year) then please let Fr Andrew or Andy Doyle know as soon as possible. Also, if any donors have changed address in the last year and have not already informed the parish or the Gift Aid team at the Diocesan Offices then, again, please let Fr Andrew or Andy Doyle know.

Please Pray For ….

Those who are sick:

Stuart Button, Phil Bawden (Australia), Francis Mangion, Andrew S, Christopher Browne, Hugh McElhennon, Mary Skelton, Clare Humphrey and David Moore.

Those whose anniversaries occur at this time:

Samuel Traynor, Betty Brown, William Rolland Smith, Anthony Gavaghan, Mary Blenkinsop, Ryoko Shinoda, John Jack. May they rest in peace.

Online Gospel Reflections

Every week we meet on Zoom to reflect together on Sunday’s Gospel. The reflection lasts 45-50 minutes and everyone is welcome. The Zoom call currently takes place on a Saturday morning, but we are considering changing the time to a weekday in the early evening. If you are interested in taking part, and have suggestions about a suitable time, please contact Fr Andrew on parish.priest@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk 

The Source

The Source is back! Our diocesan event for young people in school Year 9 and upwards. Thursday 21st March at 7.00pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle. With music, speakers, prayer and food, including Catholic artists Adenike Adewale and Ela Kalicka. See ‘Youth Ministry Team’ on social media for details.

God loved the world so much that he sent his only Son

In today’s Gospel Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, a leader of the Jewish people, who comes to him at night to talk in secret. Jesus’ message is good news. He tells Nicodemus that God has sent his Son into the world to save the world and not to condemn it. Jesus is the Light of the World who promises us eternal life. But we have a choice to make; to accept or reject the Good News. Nicodemus, who came to Jesus in the darkness, has to decide whether he will come out into the light.
St Paul says, ‘We are God’s work of art.’ God created us and he takes delight in us. We are saved by the gift of God’s grace, given to us freely. But we have to choose to accept God’s gift.
Nicodemus did become a disciple; he helped to bury Jesus’ body after his death. He chose to come into the light of faith. As we reach the halfway point in the season of Lent, it’s time to reflect on whether we are choosing the light of Christ and living the truth. Are we ready to receive God’s gift?