Though lockdown ends this Wednesday, many members of our community could still be feeling isolated. If you are in need of any practical help, eg with grocery shopping or collecting prescriptions, or if you just want to chat, please contact Fr Andrew by email, or by telephone on 0191 384 3442. If you know of someone who might need support, please make contact with them, or let Fr Andrew know.

St Cuthbert’s Care is our diocesan charity, which works to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. To find out more about their work, and to donate, see https://stcuthbertscare.org.uk/

We have a number of regular online events. Please do join us on Zoom. You can access the log-on details by joining the parish Facebook Group, ‘St Cuthbert’s Parish Community’, or by emailing margaretdoyle1066@sky.com

Sunday: There will be a shared reflection on the readings and the Gospel, at 11.00am.

Saturday: There will be a virtual coffee morning, at 10.30am.

Monday to Friday: Morning Prayer of the Church (Lauds), at 8.00am.

The Government has announced that public worship can resume from this Wednesday, 2nd December. The capacity of St Cuthbert’s church is limited to 36 people under the diocesan Risk Assessment, though members of a single household or bubble can sit together. Everyone is required to wear a mask in church, unless they are exempt. Durham is in Tier 3, and this means that socialising with anyone outside your household or support bubble is prohibited.

If you wish to attend Sunday Mass, you must book a place, by emailing office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk or telephoning 0191 384 3442, by 6pm on Saturday. You will be asked to give a contact telephone number or email address. If you come to church without having booked a place at Mass, you may be asked to leave. 

For weekday Masses from this Wednesday, you can attend without prior booking, but you will be asked for ‘Track and Trace’ details. We have a QR code displayed at the church entrance, which you can scan using the NHS Track & Trace app.

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 clean the church after each opening, and to act as stewards. If you can help, please get in touch by telephone or email.

Christmas Masses: details will be announced shortly.

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 and hold your arms at ‘full stretch,’ so that there is a good distance between you and the priest, with hands, palms upwards, one on top of the other, extended as flat as possible. Consume the Sacred Host and then replace your face covering, before moving back to your seat.

This year’s programme has now begun, with online sessions every Tuesday at 7.00pm. If you are interested in taking part, please contact Andy Doyle on andydoyle1066@sky.com  or Fr Andrew.

Sadly, and as a result of the new COVID restrictions, our Mass of Remembrance scheduled for Saturday 7th November is not open to the public. Names of deceased family and friends can still be added to our Parish Book of Remembrance by e-mailing Andy Doyle (andydoyle1066@sky.com).

Our Online Gospel Reflection on Sunday 8th November will begin with a two minute silence in memory of those who fell in two world wars and the many subsequent conflicts.

The Government has announced a four-week lockdown in England, starting today. During lockdown, there will be no public worship. However, St Cuthbert’s Church will be open for private prayer this week, at the following times:

Saturday 7th November 9.30-10.30am.

Tuesday 10th November 12 noon – 1.00pm

Thursday 12th November 5.00-6.00pm

Saturday 14th November 10.00-11.00am

Morning Prayer of the Church will be celebrated on Zoom, Monday-Friday at 8.00am.

Virtual Parish Coffee Morning: Saturday at 10.30am.

Online Sunday Gospel Reflection: Sunday at 11.00am.

For details of how to take part in these online events, and for information about the opening of the church for private prayer, see the ‘St Cuthbert’s Parish Community’ Facebook page, or email Fr Andrew on parish.priest@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk

We hope to begin the live streaming of Masses from St Cuthbert’s soon, but in the meantime, you can find a list of churches in our diocese which are live streaming here.

During this new lockdown, it’s important that we all keep in touch and look out for one another. If you are in need of any practical help, eg with grocery shopping or collecting prescriptions, or if you just want to chat, please contact Fr Andrew on the email address above, or on 0191 384 3442. Or if you know of someone else who might need contact or support, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Parish bulletins and Catholic newspapers will be available for collection in a box outside the church door. Please pick up a copy of the bulletin and put it through the letterbox of a friend or neighbour who might not be able to get out.

You can read a statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales on the new lockdown here.

Everyone is welcome to join us for Morning Prayer of the Church (Lauds), at 8.00am, Monday to Friday, on Zoom. For details of how to take part, see the ‘Durham University Catholics’ page or ‘St Cuthbert’s Parish Community’ Facebook group.

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.

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.