Did you know that you can still hear our choir each week as they record the music for us all to hear?

As further local restrictions are now in place in the North East, it seems that it will be some time before we are all able to attend Mass at St. Cuthbert’s and meet together as a community. So we will be continuing to offer opportunities for everyone to participate as much as they are able on-line.

In our parish Facebook Group you will find the links to our Virtual Coffee Morning every Saturday, the Gospel Reflection every Sunday morning and the weekly bidding prayers, as well as the recordings which the choir make for us every week.

If you haven’t already joined the Facebook Group, search for ‘St. Cuthbert’s Parish Community’ or follow the link from the Parish Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stcuthbertschurch.

Mass will be celebrated at St Cuthbert’s on Sunday 20th September at 10:00am and Sunday 27th at 10.00am and 6:30pm. The capacity of the church is limited to 36 people under the diocesan Risk Assessment. If you wish to attend Sunday Mass, you must request a place, by emailing office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk or telephoning 0191 384 3442. You will be asked to give a contact telephone number. If you come to church without having booked a place at Mass, you may be asked to leave. If there is a high demand for places at the 6:30pm Mass, priority will be given to students.

For the public Masses on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday you can attend without prior booking, but you will be asked for contact details.

The church will be open for private prayer on Wednesday 9:00-10:00am (Mass at 9:15am) Thursday 5:00-6:00pm (Mass at 5:15pm) and Saturday 9:15-10:30am (Mass at 9:15am).

Please do not come to church if you are in the ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ group, if you are showing any of the symptoms of Covid-19, or if you have any concerns about your safety. The obligation to attend Sunday Mass has been dispensed by the Bishops until further notice.

Volunteers are needed to act as stewards, and to clean the church after each opening. You must not volunteer if you are in the clinically extremely vulnerable group, and if you are in the clinically vulnerable group, you should consider carefully your safety before deciding to volunteer. If you do wish to help, please get in touch by telephone or email, as above.

Face coverings became mandatory in Places of Worship from Saturday 8th August 2020. All those who are attending churches must wear a face covering unless they are exempt from doing so.

Receiving Communion: Please wait in the pews until instructed by the Stewards to come forward to the priest for Holy Communion, always aware of social distancing in the queue. Please unloop your face covering, hold your arms at “full stretch” so that there is a good distance between you and the priest, with hands, palms upwards, one of top of the other, extended as flat as possible, consume the Sacred Host and then replace your face covering before moving back to your pew.

There will be a virtual coffee morning on Saturday 19th September at 10.30am on Zoom.

Please note that the Zoom details are different this week. For details of how to join in, join the ‘St Cuthbert’s Parish Community’ Facebook group, or email margaretdoyle1066@sky.com for the login details.

On Sunday 20th September there will be a shared reflection on the readings and the Gospel reading, on Zoom at 11.00am.

For details of how to take part, join the ‘St Cuthbert’s Parish Community’ Facebook group or email margaretdoyle1066@sky.com

The Bishop has recorded a video message about the reopening of our churches. You can view it at www.rcdhn.org.uk  

If you haven’t yet visited St. Cuthbert’s since we re-opened, you are very welcome. This what you can expect.

As you come into the church, please use the hand sanitiser and follow the one-way system. There are no Mass or hymn books available, but we will provide paper bulletins and Mass sheets at Sunday Mass, and you can access the readings and Morning and Evening Prayer from Universalis on your phone, using the QR codes displayed on the noticeboard.

Many of the benches are not available, and those that are, are clearly marked so that you will be able to find a place to sit. At Sunday Mass, you will be shown to an allocated seat by the stewards.

Face coverings are mandatory in Places of Worship from Saturday 8th August 2020. All those who are attending churches must wear a face covering unless they are exempt from doing so.

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Receiving Communion: Please wait in the pews until instructed by the Stewards to come forward to the priest for Holy Communion, always aware of social distancing in the queue. Please wait behind the yellow line until you can move forward to the square marked on the carpet. Please unloop your face covering, hold your arms at “full stretch” so that there is a good distance between you and the priest, with hands, palms upwards, one of top of the other, extended as flat as possible, consume the Sacred Host and then replace your face covering before moving back to your pew.

Please pray for the six men in formation for priesthood for the Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle, and especially for Rev Jonathon Bowes, who will shortly be ordained to the priesthood, and Luke Wilkinson, who will shortly be ordained a transitional deacon. Their ordination dates have had to be postponed due to the pandemic, and new dates will be announced when possible.

Please consider changing your regular contribution to the Parish via a bank Standing Order. Please feel free to contact Andy Doyle on andydoyle1066@sky.com  or 0798 543 4185.

Mass Intentions can requested by email, telephone or letter. No offering is needed for a Mass intention.

Readings for daily Mass, and the texts for the Prayer of the Church, can be found at www.universalis.com  Texts for the next seven days are available free, or you can subscribe to the Universalis app for unlimited access.

Magnificat includes Morning, Evening and Night Prayer, the daily Mass Readings, a daily mediation and Saint of the Day. It is currently available free at: https://us.magnificat.net/free 

Other resources, including links to live streamed Masses, can be found on the diocesan website, www.rcdhn.org.uk  and the website of the Catholic Bishops Conference for England and Wales: www.cbcew.org.uk 

Many of our parishioners are elderly, or at risk of infection because of an existing condition. Some are self-isolating, in accordance with NHS advice. If you would be able to help with shopping for food and medicine for a housebound person, or if you are in need of such help, please contact Fr Andrew on parish.priest@stcuthberts-durham.org,uk or 0191 384 3442.

We already have a number of volunteers, both parishioners and students (some of whom have been unable to travel home and are staying in Durham), who are ready and willing to help, so please do get in touch.

There are many ways to keep in touch over the coming weeks and months. The website will be regularly updated to give you the latest information.

Please sign up for our e-bulletin, and you’ll receive a weekly email.

Please follow us on Facebook.

We’ve also set up a new Facebook Group, St.Cuthbert’s Parish Community, where you can share your thoughts, prayers, reflections and news. You can join the group on our Facebook page.

If you know of anyone who isn’t able to keep in touch on the internet or the Facebook page, but would welcome contact, please ask them to get in touch with Fr. Andrew on 0191 3843442. We have a network of volunteers who are happy to phone people to chat and pass on any news, and have already been in touch with some people.

In accordance with the statement issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales, there will be no further public acts of worship at St Cuthbert’s after Sung Vespers on Friday 20th March, until further notice. This decision has been taken by the Bishops in line with official advice and in order to keep each other safe, save lives and support the NHS. The celebration of Sunday and weekday Mass will take place without a congregation.

An excerpt from the Bishops’ statement:

‘Knowing that the Mass is being celebrated; joining in spiritually in that celebration; watching the live-streaming of the Mass; following its prayers at home; making an act of spiritual communion: this is how we share in the Sacrifice of Christ in these days. These are the ways in which we will sanctify Sunday, and indeed every day. We want everyone to understand that in these emergency circumstances, and for as long as they last, the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days is removed. This is, without doubt, the teaching of the Church (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2181). This pandemic is the ‘serious reason’ why this obligation does not apply at this time.’

You can see live streams of prayer and worship on the Durham Martyrs Parish Facebook page and at www.churchservices.tv/

St Cuthbert’s Church will not close, but will continue to open as a place for prayer and reflection. We will need stewards to watch the church during opening hours. If you are able to volunteer to steward for an hour or two, please contact Fr Andrew on parish.priest@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk or 0191 384 3442.

Please watch the parish website and Facebook page, and our e-bulletin, for updates. You can read the statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference here.

Where is this?

We will publish the answer next week!

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has now moved to Stage 2 guidance in its guidance to parishes. This means that, as from now, Holy Communion will not be administered from the chalice, and communicants will be asked to receive the host in their hand. There should be no physical contact at the Sign of Peace, and the holy water stoups will be emptied.

You can read the full guidance here.

Gift Aid (1)
As the parish’s financial year is drawing to a close, we will soon be compiling our Gift Aid return. If any Gift Aid donors now believe that, whether through changes in personal circumstances or increases in tax allowances, they will not have paid sufficient income tax to cover the Gift Aid on their donations (25p for every £1 donated) 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 Gift Aid team at the Diocesan Offices then, again, let Fr Andrew or Andy Doyle know.

If you are not already part of the Gift Aid scheme and would like to know more, contact Andy Doyle on 0798 543 4185 or andydoyle1066@sky.com. Thank you for your generosity.

Gift Aid (2)
For those who donate to the parish via weekly envelopes, could you please include a slip of paper with your name on into the next donation you make. This helps us to ensure that our records are accurate and we do not make mistakes in compiling our returns. Many thanks.

If you were inspired by our Retreat in Daily Life, and would like to meet regularly with a prayer guide, please speak to Fr Andrew, who can provide contact details. St Beuno’s, the Ignatian spirituality centre which sponsors the Retreat in Daily Life, also offers residential retreats: see www.pathwaystogod.org/org/st-beunos