Thank you to everyone who came along to Ushaw College last Sunday for our first Partnership event. 168 people came from across the Partnership, and, despite the weather, we had a great afternoon, with activities for families, tours of the college and Vespers in St. Cuthbert’s Chapel. Thank you to Ushaw and their volunteers for their hospitality.
There are some photos of the event here
Please join us for our first partnership event at Ushaw today Sunday 23rd July. It is a chance for us to get to know each other and to pray together.
The afternoon starts at 2.00pm, and you are invited to bring a picnic, to join in games and activities for families, and to enjoy the grounds and the buildings at Ushaw. There will be light snacks and drinks available, and the chance to see several exhibitions in the college, including ‘Secret Faith’, a new exhibition of artefacts made by Catholics during the 16th-19th centuries, when Catholicism was illegal. If you would like to join one of the tours (the General Tour, Hidden Ushaw or the Stained Glass), the cost is £5.00. The afternoon will conclude with Vespers in St. Cuthbert’s Chapel at 5.00pm.
When you arrive at Ushaw, a good place to start is the main entrance hall, where there will be information about what is happening where, where to meet for tours and the arrangements for Vespers.
You can find up to date information on the development of Partnerships in our Diocese in the ‘Partnerships Area’ of the diocesan website, www.rcdhn.org.uk Check it out!
You can find up to date information on the development of Partnerships in our Diocese in the ‘Partnerships Area’ of the diocesan website, www.rcdhn.org.uk
Check it out!
The 9 parishes of the Finchale Partnership are holding our first partnership event at Ushaw on Sunday 23rd July. It is a chance for us to get to know each other and to pray together.
The afternoon will start at 2.00pm, and you are invited to bring a picnic, to join in games and activities for families, and to enjoy the grounds and the buildings at Ushaw. There will be the chance to see several exhibitions in the college, including Secret Faith, a new exhibition of artefacts made by Catholics during the 16th-19th centuries, which could be concealed as Catholicism was illegal. You can also join a guided tour (£5.00 per person) at 3.30pm, but please sign up on the sheet at the back of church, as there are limited places on the tours.
The afternoon will conclude with Vespers in St. Cuthbert’s Chapel at 5.00pm.
God of all Creation,
You have constantly poured out your Spirit
upon our Diocese and kindled here a light
which has spread throughout the world.
Lord Jesus, you gathered disciples to yourself
to learn from yourself and to model their lives on you.
Your Holy Spirit empowered them
to continue your work in the world.
Come upon us, Holy Spirit,
deepen the faith you invite us to share
and inspire us to become faithful witnesses.
As we begin to develop our partnerships,
help each one of us
to use the gifts you gave us
to nurture one another,
to serve the world
and to live in harmony
with the whole of creation.
All of this we ask in the name of
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Today sees the official launch of our Area Partnership, Finchale, named after the 12th-century Benedictine priory that was the home of St Godric. The Finchale Partnership includes 9 parishes and 11 churches, currently served by 5 priests. The Partnership Dean is Fr Andrew Downie. In his Pastoral Letter for today, Bishop Seamus encourages us to “leave behind whatever fear we might have and trust in the Holy Spirit,” as we plan to work together more closely.
The Partnership Development Group, including representatives from all of the parishes, and the local schools, will meet over the next two years to put in place and implement a plan for our Partnership. Our parish is represented on the PDG by Margaret Doyle.
Our first priority is to get to know each other, by meeting socially and for prayer. Each parish will be inviting people from across the partnership to events they have planned – Durham Martyrs have already invited us to join their Family Fun Day on Sunday 18 June. We are also planning our first partnership event, an afternoon at Finchale Priory on Sunday 16 July, with activities and vespers.
Over the next few months the Partnership Development Group will be looking at the questionnaires each parish completed in 2015, to identify where we can help and support each other, and we will keep you up to date with our plans, and how you can get involved, through our newsletters and websites. If you have any questions, comments or ideas, please get in touch with Margaret on 0191 3783660 or margaretdoyle1066@sky.com
A few weeks ago, we announced that the new Area Partnerships would be officially launched at Pentecost and that Fr. Andrew Downie will be the Partnership Dean for our area.
On Tuesday evening, Fr. Andrew met with for the first time with the Partnership Development Group, a group which will meet regularly over for the next 2 years to establish how our partnership will work. The group includes the 5 priests who serve the 9 parishes in our partnership, and a lay representative from each parish. This parish is represented by Margaret Doyle. We will also be asking our local schools to join the development group.
Our first priority is to get to know each other, by meeting socially and for prayer. Each parish will be inviting people from across the partnership to events they have planned – Durham Martyrs have already invited us to join their Family Fun Day on Sunday 18 June. We are also planning our first partnership event, an afternoon at Finchale Priory on Sunday 16 July, with activities and vespers.
Over the next few months the Partnership Development Group will be looking at the questionnaires each parish completed in 2015, to identify where we can help and support each other, and we will keep you up to date with our plans, and how you can get involved, through our newsletters and websites. If you have any questions, comments or ideas, please get in touch with Margaret on 0191 3783660 or margaretdoyle1066@sky.com
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)
For the last few months we have been working with neighbouring parishes to put together a proposal for an area partnership. The proposal has now been submitted to the diocese and you can read it here.
our-partnership-proposals-final
If you have any comments or questions, please contact Margaret Doyle on 0191 3783660 or margaretdoyle1066@sky.com
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
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.
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.
If you do intend to go along, please sign the sheet which can be found on the notice board by Friday 28 October, so that for reasons of health and safety, It can planned accordingly.
The 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:
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.
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.
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