The Feast of the Assumption
Dear Parishioners
This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption.
We know almost nothing about Mary’s life apart from a few small appearances she makes in the gospels. What we do know, is that from the moment of Mary’s conception to the moment she returned to God, her life was sacred. She had a unique relationship with God.
Through the centuries the Church has given her countless titles. In popular piety her statue is carried in procession in every culture and time. Millions of people make pilgrimages to places of prayer where Mary has been reported to have appeared. Yet none of these titles, processions or pilgrimages even begin to capture her life. We cannot understand the relationship she had with God; we cannot ever know the loneliness, fears, doubts, joys and sorrows she carried in her heart.
It is enough that we do what Elizabeth did; simply and humbly honour her as “the mother of our Lord.”
May God bless you all
Fr Patterson
Cases of Covid-19 continue to decrease, but they are still high
Covid cases in our country continue to decline but are still high with an estimated 1 in 26 people in England with Covid. The number of people being admitted to hospital also continues to decrease.
There are still a small number of our parishioners, known to Fr Patterson, who are poorly with Covid-19, so wearing a face covering in church at the moment would be greatly appreciated out of consideration for our more vulnerable parishioners – but the choice is yours to make. We do still encourage everyone to use the hand gel on entering the church and to be sensitive to sitting too close to someone who is already in the bench you enter. We have plenty of space.
All are welcome
Everyone is welcome to join us for the celebration of Mass in St. Patrick’s and St. Alban’s churches. In recent times, it has been a joy to welcome those people of other faiths or none who have come to join us in worship.
Currently, only baptised Catholic people are able to receive Holy Communion and we ask that when you approach the altar you extend your hands towards the minister who will place the sacred host in your hand which you should then consume immediately before returning to your place.
If you are not a Catholic or are indisposed to receive Holy Communion, you are invited to come forward at the appropriate time and receive a blessing, indicating your desire by folding an arm across your chest.
Mass Intentions
Fr Patterson will celebrate Mass for the following Intentions during the coming week. With the exception of Wednesday and Friday all Masses and Services are open to everyone to attend.
- Monday – No Mass
- Tuesday: 10 am in St. Patrick’s Church – Isabella Taylor
- Wednesday: (Private Mass) – Father Dermott Donnelly
- Thursday: 10 am in St. Patrick’s Church – Knock, Hughes and Kelly Families
- Friday: (Private Mass) – Father Michael Sharratt
- Saturday: 6 pm in St. Alban’s Church – Peter Coyne
- Sunday: 10 am in St. Patrick’s Church – For the intentions of all our parishioners
Mass to view on line
Mass is live streamed from our Cathedral on a Sunday. Visit the Cathedral website.
Alternatively, you may like to follow Mass from the Holy Name, Jesmond. Visit the website for Mass times this week.
When you are unable to celebrate Mass in Church, you may wish to make this act of spiritual communion:-
Lord Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.
Please keep in your prayers:
- all our parishioners who are sick, housebound or in hospital and,
- all those near and dear to us whose memories we cherish at this time especially Lavinia Henderson.
A Prayer for those who have died from Covid
Gracious God, as we remember before you all those people who have died from the coronavirus, surround us and all who mourn with your compassion. Be gentle with us in our grief, protect us from despair and give us grace to persevere and face the future with hope. We make this prayer in Jesus Christ our risen Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Carers, Nurses and Doctors
Lord Jesus, who healed the sick and gave them new life, be with doctors, nurses and carers, as they act as agents of your healing touch. In desperate times, keep them strong yet loving; and when their work is done, be with them in their weariness and in their tears. Amen.
A Prayer for Ukraine
Father, hold the people of Ukraine deep in your heart. Protect them from violence, political gamesmanship and from being used and abused. Give the nations of the world the courage and wisdom to stand up for justice and the courage to care generously. Take from us those traits that see us pursuing our own needs and wants before those of others. Teach us to live in love, dignity and respect, following your ways. We ask this in your name and for your sake. Amen
A Prayer of consecration to Mary on the Feast of the Assumption
O Mother of Jesus, and my Mother, let me dwell with you, cling to you and love you with ever-increasing love. I promise the honour, love and trust of a child. Give me a mother’s protection, for I need your watchful care. You know better than any other the thoughts and desires of your Son. Keep constantly before my mind the same thoughts, the same desires, that my heart may be filled with zeal for the interests of your divine Son. Instill in me a love of all that is noble, that I may no longer be easily turned to selfishness. Help me, dearest Mother, to acquire the virtues that God wants of me: to forget myself always, to work solely for him, without fear of sacrifice. I shall always rely on your help to be what Jesus wants me to be. I am his; I am yours, my good Mother! Give me each day your holy and maternal blessing until my last evening on earth when, I pray you will present me to Jesus in heaven, there to love and bless you and your divine Son for all eternity.
(St. John Henry Newman)
Refreshments after Mass
Refreshments will be served in St Patrick’s parish centre after Mass next Sunday, 21st August.
Currently, we can only offer refreshments on the first and third Sunday of the month due to a shortage of volunteers. Could you join the rota to help make tea and coffee on a more regular basis? If so, contact Maureen Hodgson.
Holy Island Pilgrimage
Caford are organising a Pilgrimage to Holy Island on Saturday, 3rd September inviting pilgrims to reflect on global food systems. Pilgrims are invited to meet at the Island’s Causeway at 11.00. Mass will be celebrated in St. Mary’s Church at 15.00 departing the Island at 16.00. For more information email Mark Maughan at mmaughan@cafod.org.uk.
Are you able to support the Diocesan Refugee Project?
The organisers of this project express their renewed thanks for your ongoing support of their work. The project supports over 400 asylum seekers and tries to provide them all with a bag of food. Those who are destitute also receive a supermarket voucher. Donations of sugar, biscuits, tinned fish in oil, tins of tomatoes and chick peas may be left on the table to your right as you enter the front of St. Patrick’s Church or on any table if you enter by the rear door. A basket is also available in the porch at St. Alban’s. They are particularly in need of toiletries and shampoo. Please note: baked beans and tinned meat are not required.
Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons
Each week Bishop Barron offers a Sunday sermon.
A stay in Hospital
If you or any members of your family are going into hospital and would like to see the Catholic Chaplain, please ask a member of the ward staff to contact the Catholic Chaplain. Alternatively you can contact the Chaplaincy Department Office directly. For the Queen Elizabeth Hospital telephone 0191 445 2072 (Catholic Chaplain: Rev Paul Nichol). For the RVI and Freeman Hospitals in Newcastle telephone 0191 233 6161 (Catholic Chaplain: Fr Mariadass 0191 273 3903).
In an emergency, please ask the ward sister to contact the on call Catholic chaplain. Please do not contact your own parish priest who will be unable to respond due to current hospital protocols.
What do Catholics believe and why?
If you would like to know more about what Catholics believe, perhaps with a view to considering becoming a member of the Catholic Church, you may be interested in a series of talks which will take place in St Patrick’s parish centre.
The programme would involve meeting on Tuesday evenings in St. Patrick’s Parish Centre, Felling at 7 pm for around one hour 15 minutes. These gatherings are held in school term times avoiding the holiday periods and are friendly and informal. Topics look at the history of the Church, the Bible, the Sacraments of the Church and prayer. You will have the opportunity to suggest any areas that you would like to know more about.
If, during the programme, participants decide that they would like to be received into the Catholic Church, time will be taken to look more closely at the Sacraments of Baptism, the Holy Eucharist, Reconciliation and Confirmation.
Please feel free to come along to an information evening on 6th September at 7 pm in St. Patrick’s parish centre for a short introduction to the programme and a chance to ask any questions you may have. If you need any more information please contact Alan on 07976402023 or, if you know a priest, you may wish to have a quick word with him too.
Do you want to help? Please consider making your weekly offering by Standing Order
To relieve the pressure on our “Counting Teams” in both St. Alban’s and St. Patrick’s, it would be greatly appreciated if parishioners would consider making their offering to either St. Alban’s or St. Patrick’s by Standing Order. The details you require to set up a standing order can be found below. If you would like to help by join a counting team, please contact Terry or Christine Harbron for St. Alban’s or Maureen Hodgson for St. Patrick’s.
St Alban’s HSBC bank account name: DHN Pelaw St Alban, Sort code: 40-34-18, Account No: 92010984
St Patrick’s HSBC bank account name: DHN Felling St Patrick, Sort code: 40-34-18, Account No: 52010453
If you are a tax payer and are not a member of the parish gift aid scheme, please consider joining the scheme, it costs you nothing and the parish benefits by being able to reclaim the tax you have already paid on your offering. The parish receives 25p of every £1.00 you give from HMRC. All that is required, is for you to complete a simple form which does not involve you disclosing any personal financial information and is held securely by the Diocesan Finance Office. To obtain a form, or for more information, please email John, our Gift Aid organiser for both St. Alban’s and St. Patrick’s at stpatrick.giftaid@outlook.com
Celebrate safely in our churches.
Both St. Alban’s and St. Patrick’s churches continue to follow the National Guidelines for Churches issued by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales which are as follows:
- If you are displaying any symptoms of Covid-19 you should stay at home.
- Hand sanitiser will continue to be offered as you enter and leave church.
- You may wear a face covering during the celebration of Mass.
- Indoor congregational singing can take place with a general encouragement that face coverings are worn.
- Although there is no formal social distancing by way of seating, we ask that when you take your seat, you are sensitive to the needs of other people who are already in a bench and may not be comfortable if you “snuggle up” to them. We have plenty of seating space.
- We will invite you to come forward for Holy Communion, row by row from the front. Holy Communion will continue to be distributed under one kind only.
- It is still important to ventilate our buildings. This has the effect of diluting and dispersing viral particles
- Our “welcomers” will be on hand to greet you and care for you
St Alban’s Church
St. Alban’s Church is now open for a Vigil Mass on Saturdays at 18.00. Parishioners are asked to enter and leave the church by the main doors only. Following advice from the Diocesan Health and Safety Officer, the side door should only be used as an emergency exit.
Following Bishop Robert’s advice with the current level of help we have available to us, we are only able to open the church on a Saturday evening. For the time being, it will remain closed during the week for all services. Bishop Robert has asked Fr. Patterson to review the situation after the summer to assess the level of need and support.
ZOE fortnightly update – Covid cases continue to decline but are still high
Professor Tim Spector’s latest video, recorded while on holiday in France, explores the latest news and rates on monkeypox, as well as the plummeting daily COVID cases, the most recently recorded COVID symptoms, and data on hypertension .
The updated symptoms of Omicron may be found on the BBC website.
The Data collection method from the Office of National statistics is being revised and a new report will not be available until next week. However it is estimated that 1 in 26 people currently have Covid in England.
Please get vaccinated
The Catholic Church continues to promote the participation of everyone in the Covid vaccination programme as part of its mitigation of virus transmission in church and ancillary buildings.
Pope Francis also urges us to do so.
