The Feast of Corpus Christi
Dear Parishioners
We must continue to be grateful to our volunteer stewards who have offered to open St. Patrick’s Church for Mass on Tuesday at 10 am, when no booking will be needed, and on Sunday at 10.30 am when booking will be required.
There are a few places remaining for this Sunday, 6th June, offered on a first come first served basis. Please bring Test and Trace details if you haven’t reserved a place. You will receive a warm and reassuring welcome.
To reserve a place for Mass next Sunday, 13th June, please telephone 07526 232124 on
Wednesday, 9th June between 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Friday, 11th June between 5.30pm – 7pm
This number will be unavailable outside of the above times. Bookings cannot be made via the presbytery telephone number nor by email and can only be made for the approaching Sunday and not for any other dates. Text messages cannot be accepted as a method of booking.
You will be encouraged to provide your name and telephone number to comply with the NHS Test and Trace system and also the number in your family if you are attending as a household. You should only sit with members of your own household or bubble. On arrival at the church you will be welcomed by a steward and your name will be checked against the booking list.
For Mass on Tuesday, where booking is not required, you are invited to bring your Test and Trace details in an envelope and place them in the box in church.
You may still be feeling a little hesitant about coming to Mass and that is perfectly understandable. The Sunday obligation is still suspended so you are under no obligation to attend Mass. You must not come to Church if you are experiencing any signs of Covid-19 or feeling unwell in any way.
The easing of restrictions which came into force on 17th May do not effect our Church. The mandatory wearing of face coverings, sanitising your hands, 2 metre social distancing and cleaning the church after each celebration remain in place within our church and the maximum capacity for a parish Mass remains at 70. So the church is as safe as we can possibly make it for you.
There is still a need for caution
We must still exercise caution in our daily lives as the overall number of cases in the UK hit their highest levels since 26th March last Thursday with 5,274 new infections. The Indian Delta variant is now believed to be the dominant variant in the UK as Public Health England believe the number of cases of the variant have risen by 5,472 since last week to 12,431.
Dr. Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said it was imperative that the British Public continued to be cautious as scientists learn more about the new variant.
She went on to say that the way to tackle variants is to use the same measures to reduce the risk of transmission of Covis-19 as we have used before – work from home where you can and practice hands, face, space and fresh air at all times. She also urged all those who are eligible, and have not already done so, to come forward to be vaccinated and to make sure you get your second jab. It will, she said, save lives.
So please do all that you can to prevent the transmission of the virus by adhering to the current restrictions and accepting the invitation to be vaccinated if you have not already done so.
Please keep each other in your prayers too, asking God to watch over us all and to keep us safe.
May God bless you and your family
Fr. Patterson
Mass to view on line
Mass is live streamed from our Cathedral on Sunday at 11.30 am and on weekdays at 12.05 pm. These Masses may be viewed live or anytime later.
Alternatively, you may like to follow Mass from the Holy Name, Jesmond celebrated live at 10.00 am on Sunday or anytime later. There are no weekday Masses at the Holy Name this week.
Mass Intentions for the coming week
With the exception of Sunday and Tuesday, Fr. Patterson will celebrate Mass privately during the week remembering the following Intentions:
- Monday -Brian Quigley
- Tuesday: 10.00 in St. Patrick’s Church – Carol Belton
- Wednesday – Kevin Crinnion
- Thursday – The sick, their families, NHS staff & Care Workers
- Friday – Ethel Rogan
- Saturday – Fr “P’s” intentions
- Sunday: 10.30am in St. Patrick’s Church – For the intentions of all our parishioners – booking required
When you are unable to celebrate Mass with 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.
In case you are not aware, a parish priest is obliged to celebrate Mass for the “Intentions of the Parishioners” every Sunday or Holyday, which prevents him from fulfilling personal intentions on those occasions.
Please keep in your prayers this week:
- 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 Carol Belton.
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 time to pray
Please join together in prayer for the 127,823 people who have died in our country from the coronavirus. (Friday’s figure).
Gracious God, as we remember before you the thousands 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 with an eye to the future
Lord God our creator and guide,
you fashioned us from clay and breathed life into us.
We are made and loved by you.
Your Spirit fills us with hope and lights the path to fullness of life.
As we pray to you in these uncertain times
grant us the strength to rebuild when all seems lost,
and the courage to reach out to those who struggle. Amen.
The Holy Spirit and the Church
We continue the series of short videos by Fr. Stephen Wang.
This week Fr. Wang explores “the Holy spirit and the Church.”
Shared Parish Roadmap
A shared Parish Roadmap has been prepared and distributed via email and at Mass in St. Patrick’s Church on Tuesdays and Sundays during the month of May. It is designed to explore how we might be able to reopen St. Alban’s Church and fully reopen St. Patrick’s Church and parish centre once all the Covid restrictions have been removed.
It would be unwise to presume that those parishioners who have been actively involved in our shared parishes in various capacities in the past will be able or prepared to resume their previous roles so please inform Fr. Patterson if you wish to step down and of course, if you would like to volunteer it is also important to contact him.
It is important for Fr. Patterson to know as soon as possible:-
- If you have helped in either church before the pandemic and no longer feel able to continue in your previous role.
- If you would like to help in any of the ways outlined in our shared parish Roadmap.
- If you wish to continue helping as you have done in the past.
Please contact Fr. Patterson as soon as possible by emailing felling.stpatrick@rcdhn.org.uk or telephone 0191 495 2277.
Please remember that you are not being asked to take up the role of volunteering until all the Covid Restrictions have been removed for churches (whenever that may be). However it is important for us to have a bank of volunteers in place to enable us to determine whether we can reopen St. Alban’s Church and fully reopen St. Patrick’s Church and parish centre when the time comes. If you haven’t received a copy of the Roadmap, please contact Fr. Patterson on felling.stpatrick@rcdhn.org.uk or telephone 0191 495 2277.
Fr. Patterson would like to thank those parishioners who have already responded to our Parish Roadmap and looks forward to hearing from more of you by the end of this week.
St Vincent’s Centre – Blackfriars
St Vincent’s Centre is located next to St Dominic’s Church in Newcastle and provides help and support to anyone finding themselves in a time of need. The Centre supports people with food parcels, clothing, toiletries and essential children/baby items. It is open Monday – Friday 9.00 – 16.00. Donations of food, clothing, shoes and toiletries are always very welcome and can be dropped off at the centre.
If you or anyone you know are in need of support or you would simply like more information about the services offered or find out how you could help, please drop an email to Emma at emmab@svp.org.uk or contact 0191 261 6027.
The Sacrament of Baptism
Covid restrictions and limited human resources to enable us to comply with these restrictions, prevent us being able to open St. Patrick’s Church for anything other than Mass on a Sunday and Tuesday and for funerals at present.
We are still unable to reopen the parish centre which prevents us offering the necessary baptismal preparation for parents who are considering presenting their child to the Church for Baptism. As such, we are still unable to offer the Sacrament of Baptism in St. Patrick’s Church
Community Counselling Service
Bheith Ann is a brand-new Community Counselling Service available to all residents of Felling and the wider Gateshead area and is taking referrals for those individuals with issues such as Bereavement and Grief, Loneliness, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Relationship Problems, Post-Trauma Experiences and Bullying.
This is a free confidential service. It is delivered by a team of dedicated, trained counsellors and strictly in line with national, professional Codes of Ethical Practice.
All referrals are treated with the utmost respect, confidentiality, compassion and care. To make a referral, please ring the Bheith Ann Referral Helpline on 07425 768 957. If you simply want more information about the Service and how it works, please ring Neil Campbell (Service Co-Ordinator) on 07903 239 983.
Parish News by Email
If you are aware of parishioners who would like to receive the Newsletter and other news from the parish by email, please ask them to email Fr. Patterson at felling.stpatrick@rcdhn.org.uk and they will be added to our contact list.
Thank you
Fr. Patterson is very grateful for donations recently received in memory of Jimmy Connolly in the sum of £150.00 and £10.00.
Your ongoing financial support is welcomed and needed
Fr. Patterson continues to be grateful for your offerings during these difficult times and is especially grateful to those parishioners who regularly contribute to parish funds by standing order helping us meet the regular financial commitments of our churches.
You may bring your envelopes to Mass on Tuesdays or Sundays or drop them through the presbytery letterbox. For security reason, envelopes should not be put through the letterbox of St. Alban’s Presbytery.
The parish is still able to reclaim the tax from Gift Aided offertory contributions made by bank transfer. It would be helpful to enter your name and Gift Aid envelope number as the reference when making the transfer.
The details for bank transfers and cheques are as follows:
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
Roadmap Step 3 (from 17 May)
These are the changes that came into effect on 17th May.
This information accompanies the changes. Whilst social distancing with close family and friends is now a matter of personal judgement, we are asked to remain cautious around close contact, like hugging. Remember too that you should always make space for other people to keep their distance if they want to.
In some settings, there will be specific guidance that we will need to follow even when we are with friends and family. This is important to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19 to other people such as staff and other members of the public. You should always follow guidance associated with the setting you are in (for example in a place of worship). Covid-secure rules, including social distancing requirements, continue to apply in the workplace, and in businesses and public venues including places of worship. This guidance does not affect a site owner’s responsibility to calculate the number of people that can be accommodated with social distancing in place.
CAFOD Covid-19 in India
India is facing a devastating second wave of coronavirus. The country has confirmed more than 20 million cases and more than 200,000 deaths, with some reports concerned that the number of deaths is just the tip of the iceberg, because of under reporting. The pandemic has put a strain on the medical infrastructure of the country, with hospitals unable to cope with the influx of patients. Our Catholic aid agencies will be distributing medical kits and setting up temporary treatment centres as well as providing PPE to frontline health workers. You can help by donating online at Covid-19 in India: How we are responding | CAFOD.
Catching Covid-19 after being vaccinated.
Can you catch COVID-19 after being vaccinated?
Who is most at risk of catching COVID-19 after being vaccinated?
Are the symptoms of COVID-19 different after you’ve been vaccinated?
How can I protect myself and others from COVID-19 after vaccination?
These questions have raised their heads during the course of the past week.
The ZOE Covid Symptom Study provides you with the answers.
