Following a recent legacy to the parish, we are now able formally to declare that the fundraising for the recent project to restore the church stonework and Harry Clarke window is complete. Many congratulations to those who worked hard to raise nearly £300,000 for this work. We will have the opportunity to give thanks and celebrate this achievement at a Garden Party and Barbecue after the 10:00am Mass on Sunday 28 June – more details to follow.

Ahead of the forthcoming Ordinary
Synod on the Family to be held in October 2015, Pope Francis has
asked us to reflect with ‘true spiritual discernment’ on the themes
relating to marriage and family life that emerged from the
Extraordinary meeting of Bishops held in Rome in October 2014.

The Bishops of England
and Wales have published a document to help the faithful reflect and
discern on this crucial aspect of Catholic life. This 5-page
document, entitled The Call, The Journey and The Mission, is
available from the front page of our diocesan website
www.rcdhn.org.uk or
www.catholicnews.org.uk/reflect-on-marriage-and-family-2015.

It is recommended that
we join together in our parishes to pray together and discuss the
issues that face the family today. Consequently we are all invited to
a meeting in the Parish Room
at 7:30pm on Friday 1st May 2015.

Feedback from this
meeting will be submitted to the Curia so that our Diocesan Summary
can be given by Bishop Séamus to Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Bishop
Peter Doyle who will attend the Synod.

Durham Churches Together (DCT) is organising hustings for the Parliamentary Election for the City of Durham Constituency. These will be held at Durham Town Hall on Monday 27 April at 7:30 pm. The Dean of Durham Cathedral, Very Rev. Michael Sadgrove, will chair proceedings.

You are encouraged to send in questions for all candidates to the DCT Secretary, Kirsty Thomas, at thomas.kirsty@gmail.com.

Candidates present will be: Roberta Blackman Woods (Labour), Rebecca Coulson (Conservative), Jonathan Elmer (Green Party), Craig Martin (Lib-Dem), John Marshall (Independent)

If you haven’t already done so, please take a copy of the Bishops’ letter to Catholics for the General Election (available at the back of the church), or view information from the Bishops’ Conference on-line at www.catholicnews.org.uk/election15. This may well raise some questions which you would like to put to candidates!

Until 13 April, Durham Cathedral is hosting an Exhibition of Icons of twelve of our local Saints. These icons were “written” by amateurs – in prayer and fasting at the Centre for Prayer and Mission, Seaham, part of the Evangelisation Team of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. The icons are part of our evangelising outreach, for just as these saints carried the Gospel to all around them and even gave their lives in times of persecution, so we are encouraged to go out to live the Gospel in our times and circumstances. Many visitors praying with the icons would be a great witness to the strength of our faith.

See the Diocesan website for more information, including a “prayer walk” along the Wear.

The church is open for prayer and
visiting on Thursdays and Fridays after Lauds until 3.30pm and
Saturdays after the 9.15am Mass until 12:00pm. We are looking for
more volunteers to be stewards whilst the church is open. There will
be a new rota starting from 16^th March if you have any
mornings or afternoons spare to help out then please contact David
Crookes davidcrookes@talktalk.net
or Ciara in the parish office on 0191 3843442
office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk.