Join us in prayer
For all who are sick or housebound, including:
Chloe Anna Cant, Aaron Armstrong, Patrick John Lawrence, Kathleen Diamond, Ruth MacCaughey, Mia Slowie, Doreen Hodgson, Simon Burns, Valeria Coleman, Brian McNally, David Patton, Margaret Brickland, Joseph Jarvie, Jenny Burns, Pat Butler, Jean Walls, Betty Conway, Louis Cresci, Fr Alan MacKnight, Tracey Loughran, Catherine Harrison, baby Sienna Jane McNestry, Andy Driver, Terry Meadows and Bill Connor.
Please pray for Alan Greenall, whose Requiem Mass will be celebrated at 10am on Thursday 18th in St Agnes’. Please pray for his wife Val and all their family at this time.
Also for Fr Cornelius O’Connor: With utter sadness we tell you of the death on Wednesday last of this brilliant, genuinely caring priest and unofficial chaplain to the little Sisters Home in Newcastle. "Nelius", as he was known, was notorious among his brother priests for his phenomenal memory of people’s names/addresses or regaling the last conversation he had with you – and all else. Please see the notice board for the copy of his priestly ministry and funeral arrangements.
Cycle of Prayer
During this season of Ordinary Time (Summer), we pray especially for:
- A Deeper Understanding between Christians and Jews
- Those who suffer Persecution, Oppression, and Denial of Human Rights especially on St John Fisher and St Thomas More (22 June).
- Europe especially of the feasts of St Benedict (11 July), St Bridget of Sweden (23 July), St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (9 August) who with St Cyril and St Methodius (14 February), and St Catherine of Siena (29 April) are Patrons of Europe.
- Human Life especially on the Day for Life (3rd Sunday in June).
- Seafarers especially on Sea Sunday (2nd Sunday in July).
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Follow these links to images of the Blessed Sacrament exposed in our three churches for your private prayer: |
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: Tuesday 9.30-10.00am at Our Lady of Lourdes.
Confessions: Saturday after Mass, 10.30am at St Agnes', Crawcrook.
CHANGES AHEAD
On reaching his 75th birthday and a period of prayerful discernment, Fr James submitted a letter to Bishop Stephen offering his resignation as parish priest of our three parishes.
Following a period of consultation, the bishop has announced the re-organisation of our parishes, such that from the beginning of August 2024, Fr Jonathan Rose will assume responsibility for St Agnes' parish in addition to St Mary and St Thomas Aquinas', Stella, while Fr Adrian Tuckwell, assisted by Fr Endre Kormos, will take on responsibility for St Joseph's, Highfield and Our Lady of Lourdes, Chopwell, in addition to St Joseph's, Blaydon and St Anne's Winlaton. Fr James will retire as parish priest on 28th July, but will continue to reside in the presbytery at St Agnes'.
From 1st August, the Sunday Mass time at St Agnes' will move to the slightly earlier time of 9:00am: Mass times in Rowlands Gill and Chopwell remain unchanged at the present time. We expect that further structural changes in our parishes will follow.
We keep all of the clergy in our prayers at this time of change: Frs Tuckwell, Rose and Kormos as they take on new responsibilities and Fr James, in thanks for his many years of sterling and selfless service across the diocese, especially in our three parishes, and for a long, fruitful, stress-free (and truly well deserved) retirement.
YEAR OF PRAYER 2024
In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope‘, 2024 has been designated a Year of Prayer by Pope Francis. The Holy Father has asked that 2024 be year of prayer, as a preparatory year for the Jubilee. In preparation for the Jubilee, dioceses are invited to promote initiatives to remind people of the centrality of both individual prayer and community prayer.
Visit the Diocesan Year of Prayer 2024 webpage
USEFUL RESOURCES FOR LITURGY AND PRAYER
produced by the diocesan Vicariate for Liturgy and Prayer, including liturgical resources and weekly reflections of the Sunday Gospel by Fr Sean Hall. Click on the image below.
