Fr Liam will be returning to Durham this week, for his final PhD exam – please pray for a good result! There will be a special Mass at St Cuthbert’s on Wednesday 8^th December at 7pm, to celebrate Fr Liam’s time with us, with refreshments afterwards. Everyone is welcome, but please book a place at Mass in the usual way.

Fr Liam included the following in the Acknowledgements for his thesis: I owe a particular debt of gratitude to the parishioners of St Cuthbert’s and the students of the Catholic Society, Durham. Their kindness, hospitality, and Christian faith was a constant source of encouragement these past three years. Deo Gratias.

• Please continue to use the hand sanitiser available in the narthex and porch.
• Please continue to wear a face covering in church, unless you are exempt. Spare masks are available at the entrance to church.
• To attend either Sunday Mass, you must book a place by emailing office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk or telephoning the Parish Office, no later than 6pm on Saturday.
• Congregational singing can begin again, and hymn books will be available. Please keep your mask on while singing.
• The offertory collection has been reintroduced.
• Sharing of the Sign of Peace, reception of Holy Communion from the chalice and the use of Holy water remain suspended.
• We will continue to use the one-way system at Holy Communion.

Our Covid precautions have been reviewed by the Bishop and his advisers, and will continue as above until the next review in February.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales has issued a statement on the importance of Sunday as our Holy Day. Read it here.

Since the pandemic began, the ways in which we have been able to say goodbye to our loved ones and to celebrate their funerals have been severely restricted. This applies to those who died with the coronavirus and to those we have lost through other circumstances. Every family and parish is finding ways to express their loss. As part of our Diocesan family approach to these difficult times we shall especially dedicate the month of November to their remembrance.  

For a number of years, we here in St Cuthbert’s have invited people to inscribe the names of all their departed families into a book kept by the font during the month of November and we will be doing that again this year. We will also prepare a separate ‘Book of Remembrance’ to contain the names of all those who have died in the difficult days of 2020-21. If you would like the names of family, friends, neighbours or colleagues who have died in the last 2 years to be included in this special record, please contact Fr Andrew or Andy Doyle on andydoyle1066@sky.com  Our parish Memorial Mass will be at 10am on Saturday 20th November and will use this special Book of Remembrance as a focus for our prayer.

Each Episcopal Area will also have an opportunity to gather for another Mass for our dead, at which Bishop Robert plans to preside. 

Our special Book of Remembrance will then be taken to Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle, so that all those named may be remembered at a Solemn Requiem Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert at 11.00am on Saturday 27th November.

This year’s programme has now started, but it’s not too late to join. Sessions are held every Tuesday at 7.00pm. If you’re interested, please contact Fr Andrew.

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is also offering an online programme, ‘First Steps,’ for those who wish to explore the Catholic faith. Details on the diocesan website, www.rcdhn.org.uk

On each of the 4 Mondays of the month of October, we will pray the Rosary at 6pm on Zoom. For dial-in details, look out for an announcement in the Parish FaceBook group or contact Andy Doyle ( andydoyle1066@sky.com  or 0798 543 4185)

Many thanks to all those who came to our meeting to share your views and experiences of parish life during the last 18 months of lockdowns and restrictions.

If you weren’t able to join us for the meeting, it’s not too late to contribute. You can find out more about why we are asking for people’s experiences in the attachments below, and there’s a questionnaire you can complete too. If you know anyone who is not on-line, there are paper copies of the questionnaire at the back of church.

Thank you very much to those who have been able to come along to Mass over the last months and who have gladly responded to last-minute requests for readers etc. We hope we can return to more regular and formal rotas in the next few weeks.  We will be looking for welcomers, readers, servers, extraordinary ministers of communion, collectors and offertory bearers. Appropriate training will be available, especially for readers and servers.  If you feel you could help with these ministries, at either of the Sunday Masses and particularly if you are new to the parish, please contact Andy Doyle (0798 543 4185 or andydoyle1066@sky.com)   

The Bishops of England & Wales have issued a paper reflecting on the way ahead for a return to a normal pattern of worship in our churches. You can read the paper here.

Pope Francis encourages the Universal Church to pray the Rosary during the month of May, for the end of the pandemic. More information at: http://www.rcdhn.org.uk/faithandmission/marathonofprayer.php

The Bishops of England and Wales have written a Pastoral Letter on the Environment for the Feast of Pentecost. Read it here

Pentecost renewal retreat at Minsteracres. ‘Jesus breathed on them and said; Receive the Holy Spirit.’ In this retreat we will reflect on the role of the Holy spirit in John’s Gospel and pray for the release of the Spirit in our lives, that we may  learn how to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with our God. There will be times of input, times of silence and times of prayer and praise to help us open ourselves more fully to God. Led by Fr Chris Thomas. Friday 21-Sunday 23 May. Suggested donation: £175. See www.minsteacres.org for details.

Celebrated by Bishop Robert in St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday 22 May at 12 noon, and live streamed via the Cathedral YouTube channel.