Category Archives: Diocese

Diocesan Advent Collection

We’re appealing for even greater support for our Diocesan Refugee Project during Advent this year as we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. This is in the spirit of the comparison of the Holy Family to a modern-day refugee family made by Pope Francis. The Project relies on donations from schools and parishes throughout the diocese. There has recently been a reduction in donations from some areas thought to be the effect of the cost of living crisis on the faithful. Items for the project include toilet rolls, biscuits, sugar, rice, tea, coffee, olive oil and tinned food – specifically fish, chick peas and tomatoes. Please leave your donations in the labelled box in the narthex. Your generosity is very greatly appreciated.

The Clergy Training Fund

The Clergy Training Fund meets the cost of training for priests and deacons for our diocese, and also of ongoing formation for our clergy. The annual appeal for the Clergy Training fund runs throughout the month of November. Please pray for vocations to the priesthood and diaconate, and support the appeal as generously as you can. You can read a letter from Fr John Bagnall, the Diocesan Director of Priestly Vocations, here.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Consultation 

This year Bishop Robert and the Diocesan Board of Trustees commissioned research to provide recommendations on improving Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the Diocese, led by expert consultant Ngozi Lyn Cole. As part of this process, three EDI ‘learning and development’ sessions are planned to take place over Zoom, with the theme ‘Being the kind of Christians God wants us to be.’ Everyone is invited to take part; details at https://diocesehn.org.uk/news/equity-diversity-and-inclusion-consultation/

Diocesan Advent Sycamore Course

Sycamore is an informal course about the Christian faith and its relevance for life today. It gives you space to meet other people, share ideas, explore your beliefs, and think about questions that really matter. Each session involves a short film and time for discussion.  Everyone is welcome. 

The first of these courses will take place on the four Sundays during Advent at 4 pm, starting on Sunday 28th November. The sessions will be:

First Sunday of Advent – The Search for Happiness

Second Sunday of Advent – A God who speaks

Third Sunday of Advent – The Bible

Fourth Sunday of Advent – The Power of Prayer To book please email: adminfaith.mission@dioceshn.org.uk

What do you believe? An Evening with Fr. Stephen Wang (Sycamore)

Fr. Stephen Wang is the author of Sycamore, a programme that has grown into a resource being used throughout the world. In the bible, Jesus comes to the town of Jericho. A man called Zacchaeus is so curious about Jesus that he climbs a Sycamore tree to get a better view. When he finally meets him, they begin a conversation, and his life is changed forever. The Sycamore tree seemed to be the perfect image of something that helps others to get a wider perspective on life and faith. 

The Diocese’s Vicariate for Faith & Mission is pleased to welcome Fr. Stephen to our diocese on Wednesday 21st April 7-8pm for a virtual conversation about how we can make genuine human connections, share our Catholic faith and reach out for a real sense of community with a spirit of friendship. Booking is essential; please register at https://forms.office.com/r/X42EZKpGKz or contact Faith & Mission by email at adminfaith.mission@diocesehn.org.uk or telephone 07375 934713.

Forward Together in Hope – our Area Partnership

In February, the Bishop announced 18 Area Partnerships, covering the whole Diocese.  Our partnership covers Durham, Langley Moor, Coxhoe, Sedgefield, Trimdon and the West Durham family of parishes – 9 parishes with 11 churches and a weekly Mass attendance of about 2000.  The partnership arrangements will start formally at Pentecost (4 June) and Fr. Andrew will be our Partnership Dean.

The FTiH representatives from across the partnership recently met with the clergy, to start getting to know each other’s parishes.  We shared some of the information from the parish questionnaires which we all completed in 2015, and talked about the challenges of how we involve people in our parish life.  We also shared information about some of the positive things which are happening in our area and agreed that there are real opportunities for sharing ideas and inviting our neighbours to join us for services and social events.

The next step is to set up a Partnership Development Group.  This group will meet before Pentecost, and our priorities will be to look at how we communicate across the area, how we make clear links with the schools and to identify opportunities to join together for prayer and outreach.  We will let you know who is representing this parish on the Partnership Development Group very shortly.  Until this is confirmed, if you have any questions or ideas, please speak to Margaret Doyle (0191 3783660 or margaretdoyle1066@sky.com)

Diocesan Church Music Association

The DCMA invites you to a music workshop led by Paul Berry, Director of Music at St. Mary’s RC Church, Hexham.

The workshop will be held at St. Mary’s RC Church, Hexham, on Saturday 25 February, starting at 10:30am, and finishing with Mass at 4:00pm. There is also the possibility of a guided tour of Hexham Abbey in the extended lunch break. More details of the day soon on www.rcdhn.org.uk.

The day is open to anybody who is interested in liturgical music, whether it be for schools or parishes. Should you wish to attend the session, then you are encouraged to email the Chairperson our very own Alison Purvis at alisonpurvis1@hotmail.com so that numbers for the day can be ascertained and sufficient copies of music can be brought along. Why not drop in to the session and meet new people across the Diocese facing the same musical challenges that you are?!

Saturday 25 February, 2017 Save the date!

The DCMA invites you to a music workshop led by Paul Berry, Director of Music at St. Mary’s RC Church, Hexham.

Following a series of very successful workshops including: Paul Inwood – A walk through the new Mass Translation in 2013; Lent/Easter workshop, led by Fr. Peter Carr and Philip Robinson at St. Mary’s Cathedral in April 2014, and Martin Foster’s Advent workshop in November 2015, the DCMA committee has asked Paul Berry, a gifted and talented liturgist and musician to lead a day for both instrumentalists and singers in February 2017. The focus of the day will be Holy Week, with three sessions centred around the Easter Triduum. Instrumentalists are welcome to bring their instruments and we hope that choirs will collectively participate in the day.

The workshop will be held at St. Mary’s RC Church, Hexham, on Saturday 25 Februdcma-paul-berry-publicity-2ary, starting at 10:30am, and finishing with Mass at 4:00pm. There is also the possibility of a guided tour of Hexham Abbey in the extended lunch break. More details of the day soon on www.rcdhn.org.uk.

The day is open to anybody who is interested in liturgical music, whether it be for schools or parishes. Should you wish to attend the session, then you are encouraged to email the Chairperson our very own Alison Purvis at alisonpurvis1@hotmail.com so that numbers for the day can be ascertained and sufficient copies of music can be brought along. Why not drop in to the session and meet new people across the Diocese facing the same musical challenges that you are?! Enjoy a choir day out with fellow singers and musicians.

 

Area Partnership Proposal

For the last few months, we have been working with neighbouring parishes to put together a proposal for an area partnership.  Our proposals are to be submitted to the Diocese by 27 November.

The draft proposal is available here

our-partnership-proposals-draft-2

If you have any feedback, questions or comments, please speak to Margaret Doyle after Mass on Sunday, or contact Margaret on 0191 3783660 or margaretdoyle1066@sky.com

 

Forward Together in Hope Prayer

Glory be to the Father – in whom we live and move and have our being.

Glory be to the Son – whose name we bear and who calls each of us to be his disciples; to build his Kingdom and to go out into the world and bear its fruit.

Glory be to the Holy Spirit – pouring out grace and guidance, forming us and renewing us.

Inspire us all in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle to live the Gospel, to be open to change and to move forward together in hope.

Amen.

FROM PARISH TO PARTNERSHIP

The current stage of the Forward Together in Hope process is called Exploring the Way with our Neighbours. Over the next few months, St Cuthbert’s, the Chaplaincy and Durham Martyrs will be working together to decide how best we can support each other in an area partnership. We feel that the city of Durham could form a natural hub for the parishes in the area and it’s possible that some of the other local parishes will also join us in the partnership. But we need your help in deciding how the partnership will work. What will work best?

Do you think our partnership should be based on informal links between the existing Parish Pastoral Councils, the clergy and the parish secretaries, aimed at improving communications and learning from each other?

Or perhaps we should have an area committee or council, with quarterly meetings and a shared action plan, shared services and sacramental preparation, and regular joint social events?

Or do you think we need to employ a partnership manager to do all the administration, buildings and finance centrally for the area?

There will be the opportunity to contribute your views and ideas over the coming weeks. Please speak to Margaret Doyle 0191 3783660 or margaretdoyle1066@sky.com if you have any questions or ideas, and do go along to the open meeting for all the Durham parishes on Tuesday 8 November 7:00pm in the 6th Form Centre at St Leonard’s School.

From Parish to Partnership

Forward Together in Hope Poster TopThe next stage of the Forward Together in Hope process is called Exploring the Way with our Neighbours.    You can find out more about this part of the process on the Diocesan website at www.hope.rcdhn.org.uk/resources/exploringway_neighbours.php.

There will be a meeting for the Sunderland & East Durham Vicariate on Thursday 20 October 2016 at St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and 6th Form College, Biddick Lane, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 8AF at 7:00pm and everyone is welcome. The purpose of the meeting is:

  • To provide participants with a brief update on where we are on the Forward Together in Hope journey.
  • To present a vision of what new partnerships could be like.
  • To confirm expectations about the next stages of the process – and the development of partnership proposals.
  • To provide the opportunity for participants to discuss and clarify any specific issues.

If you are attending and will need a lift to Washington on 20th October, please speak to Margaret Doyle, or contact her on 0191 3783660 or margaretdoyle1066@sky.com.

 

 

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.

From Parish to Partnership

Following the Open Meeting on Wednesday 27 July, when we gathered to look at the feedback from the Diocese on our parish submission and looked at what is meant by “area partnership”, there will be a further meeting on Wednesday 17 August in the Parish Room after the 7:00pm Mass.

At this meeting we will begin our work in approaching “area partnership” – which local parishes we would be working together with, how we imagine work together and what changes would be necessary. Fr Andrew Downie, who will join us as Parish Priest and University Chaplain in September, will be present for this meeting.

All members of our worshipping community are warmly invited.

More information is available on the Diocesan website hope.rcdhn.org.uk and our parish website at www.stcuthberts-durham.org.uk/ftih.

Diocese becomes Living Wage Employer

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is pleased to announce that it is now an accredited Living Wage Employer. This means that every diocesan employee earns not just the minimum wage but the Living Wage.

The Diocese perceives the commitment to the Living Wage as upholding the Common Good and the dignity of work and ensures that people have quality time to spend for themselves and with their family. This development is a response to Pope Francis’ call to be a ‘poor Church for the poor’ (Pope Francis, Audience with Journalists, 16 March 2013).

The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet. The Living Wage is £1.05 per hour above the National Living Wage which was introduced by the Government in April 2016.

You can find out more about the Living Wage by visiting www.livingwage.org.uk or contact Katherine Nugent on 0191 243 3301 or katherine.nugent@diocesehn.org.uk