Vicariate for Faith & Mission Update (January 2025)

Evangelisation for the Terrified

‘Evangelising for the Terrified’, written and produced within the Diocese, is a practical, light-hearted resource for anyone wondering how to get started in sharing their faith. It is deliberately written to be a simple, non-threatening collection of ideas that give intention and purpose to normal everyday opportunities that arise. Download a copy here.

Quick Link: Sharing the Faith.

St Benet (Benedict) Biscop, Abbot – c. 628 – c. 690

As a young man, Biscop Baducing was a nobleman at the court of King Oswy of Northumbria. His desire to enter the monastic life took him on two pilgrimages to Rome. After his second visit, he joined the Community at Lérins, off the coast of France, taking the name Benedict. He stayed there for two years, then made many visits to other monasteries to study their rule. While in Rome in 669, he was asked to return to England with Theodore, the new archbishop of Canterbury, and he remained in Canterbury as abbot for a further two years. He was then helped by King Egfrith to found two monasteries in the north: one at Wearmouth in 674 and the other at Jarrow in 682. Benet continued to visit the continent, especially Rome, and brought back a great wealth of books and artwork. His library was an invaluable resource for the work of St Bede. He even succeeded in engaging the Papal Cantor to teach plainsong to his monks. When Benet died, after a protracted illness, his monasteries had already become important centres of learning and Christian culture.

Holy Hour

The Association of the Eucharist will be holding their monthly Holy Hour on Sunday 5 January from 2.30pm – 3.30pm at St Andrew’s, Worswick Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, followed by refreshments. All are welcome to join to spend time with the Lord.

The Eucharist: A Gift to be Nurtured

As part of our aim to promote growth and knowledge of the Eucharist, the Association of the Eucharist offer The Eucharist: A Gift to be Nurtured, which gives us words from Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis to guide time before the Blessed Sacrament. This resource can be used by both individuals and groups.

Holocaust Memorial Day

‘For a Better Future’ is the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2025. 2025 will mark the 80^th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau and the 30^th anniversary of the Bosnian genocide.

This annual event, open to all, will be held on Wednesday 22 January 2025, from 7.00pm in St Mary’s Catholic School, Benton Park Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7PE. View the event listing here.

The guest speakers are Mr David Gold and Mr Smajo Bešo OBE. Mr David Gold is from the United Hebrew Congregation in Newcastle and he will speak about the escape of his mother and her family from Nazi Germany after anti-Jewish laws were introduced and the family was accepted and able to prosper upon their arrival in Newcastle.

Mr Smajo Bešo OBE is a child survivor of the Bosnian genocide who has seen the worst and best of humanity. He was born in Bosnia in 1985, but as Bosnian Muslims became targets of genocide, his father and several male relatives were arrested and sent to concentration camps. After surviving the horrors of the genocide, he found refuge in the UK, where he now proudly embraces his Bosnian roots and newfound Geordie identity. Today, he regularly shares his experiences and has played a vital role in organising Holocaust Memorial Day and Bosnian Genocide commemorations across the country.

Booking is kindly requested to help plan the event. Please book your place by emailing: interreligious.relations@diocesehn.org.uk or call 0191 243 3316.

Sunderland Interfaith Forum will be holding their annual Holocaust commemoration on Monday 27 January, from 7.00pm at Sunderland Minster, High Street West, Sunderland SR1 3ET.

Quick Link: Dialogue & Unity

Life in the Spirit Seminars

Please pray for all who attended our delivery of Life in the Spirit seminars at St Mary’s, Newton Aycliffe, which concluded on 11 November 2024.

The next delivery of Life in the Spirit seminars will be from 7.00pm – 8.30pm on Thursday evenings at St Aidan’s, Benton. The seminars will start on 16 January 2025, with a talk from Andy Drozdziak on God’s Love and testimony from Joseph Philips. The rest of the seminar schedule is below:

• 23 January 2025: a talk on Salvation from Amy Cameron and a testimony from Kelechi Dibie.
• 30 January 2025: a talk from myself, John Wheeler, on the New Life and testimony from Cherryl Lucero.
• 6 February 2025: a talk on Receiving God’s Gifts from Pat Kennedy and testimony from Christine Dixon.
• 13 February 2025: a talk on Baptism in the Holy Spirit from Fr Shaun O’Neill and testimony from Alun Sunny.
• 20 February 2025: a talk from Deacon Frank O’Neill on Growth and testimony from Susan Picola.
• 27 February 2025: a talk from Bishop Stephen Wright on Transformation in Christ and testimony from Santhosh Joseph.

For more information contact our Secretary, Deacon Alison Rebello on 07931 136243 or email me, John Wheeler, at charis@diocesehn.org.uk. Places can be booked by clicking on: https://bit.ly/LifeInTheSpiritBenton or by ringing 07375 934713.

News from the Emmanuel community

The Emmanuel community are hosting Fr Chris Thomas again on Saturday 22 March 2025 speaking on the theme of Living out my Baptism. Having shared many conversations at a recent gathering of CDSC teams, I know Fr Chris will have much to draw on from his experience of how the Ireneaus Project is engaging with those in need in Liverpool. For more information, please contact Pat Kennedy at pat.kennedy42@icloud.com or call: 07546 302832.

Walker’s Bridge of Hope

Planning continues for an ecumenical event in Walker Park, Newcastle in late Spring 2025, hopefully on 3 May 2025. We are discerning the following vision for the event.

A calling to share in the building of community in Walker, through the local churches coming together in an event in Walker Park to share and show the joy of knowing Jesus.

The event will be both an opportunity for people to experience Christian hope in action, and an opportunity to celebrate the creativity of the Walker people and community, especially through music, song, dance and other arts provided by local community groups, youth groups and schools.

Prayer cards are being distributed around the local churches with the following prayer.

Walk with us Lord Jesus
As we build Walker’s bridge of hope
Let your love flow
Kindle in us your Holy Spirit
Enrich our community with your love and unity
Renew the hearts and minds of Walker

Please add your prayer to support the work of the planning team and to bring the vision to life.

Mass for Pentecost

We will be hosting a Mass for Pentecost at St Mary’s Cathedral again at 1.00pm on Saturday 31 May 2025. Pope Francis emphasises that a primary role of the new structure he launched in 2019, CHARIS, is to point all communities of the Charismatic Renewal to “communion on the path ahead.” The annual Mass for Pentecost is proving to be a blessed opportunity for sisters and brothers in Renewal to come together in communion on the path ahead for us in the Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle. The Mass in 2025 will be our contribution to the Year of Jubilee, focusing, in particular, on our calling as Pilgrims of Hope.

John Wheeler, Co-ordinator Hexham and Newcastle Diocesan Service of Communion.

Email: charis@diocesehn.org.uk

Quick Link: CHARIS

Singing the Psalms Workshop: Save the date – 1 March 2025

The DCMA will be hosting a workshop on singing the Psalms using the new translation, which will be led by Steven Maxson, Director of Music for Middlesbrough Diocese. This workshop will be open to all who are involved in music in parishes and schools.

Further details will be available on the DCMA page shortly.

A Call for Volunteers with the Gift of Music

Music makes the world of difference to our lives, especially in our worship. Vatican II recognised ‘the importance of singing‘ in the celebration of the Mass and that it should be ‘integral to worship‘ with ‘due consideration for the culture of the people and abilities of each liturgical assembly‘.

The Diocesan Church Music Association (DCMA) is a body of volunteer musicians within Hexham and Newcastle who aim to help parishes in their use of music for the Mass. We offer practical help and guidance to parish musicians, considering that each parish will have its own musical ‘house-style’. This may be a traditional choir-and-organ setup, an instrumental group, a praise & worship band, or perhaps unaccompanied singing. Previously we have put on singing days and workshops to highlight new Mass settings, simple Communion songs, music for the Triduum, as well as a ‘keyboard-free’ workshop for those parishes who do not have a pianist or organist.

We welcome new members to join the Diocesan Church Music Association team. Our current team members are all from the Durham area, but our aim is always to have representatives from all areas of the Diocese to help inform and plan our work.

For anyone interested in finding out more information about joining the DCMA, please email dcma@diocesehn.org.uk

Quick Link: DCMA

Exploring Spiritual Accompaniment

Spiritual Accompaniment has been part of the Christian tradition and a ministry in the Church since the days of the early Church. It is often called Spiritual Direction, although we prefer the term ‘accompaniment’ because it suggests walking alongside someone in their spiritual/faith journey, rather than telling them what to do!

Spiritual Accompaniment is not about solving problems so much as exploring our relationship with God, through prayer and reflection on our experience of faith and life.

A Spiritual Director is not there to give advice or tell you what to believe in, but rather to listen attentively and act as a ‘sounding board’ for whatever you bring to the session.

Spiritual Accompaniment sessions usually take place every couple of months or so, depending on the circumstances of the individuals involved.

Maybe you feel called to this ministry or know someone who might be interested. St Antony’s Priory in Durham offers training. Sr Sheila McNamara RSCJ, the Diocesan Lead on Spiritual Accompaniment, is part of the training team for the two-year course.

Training in Spiritual Accompaniment

‘Exploring Spiritual Accompaniment’ is a two-year programme of formation that provides both an opportunity for personal spiritual development, as well as offering practical and experiential training in the skills applicable to accompanying others on their faith journey.

Our approach to Spiritual Accompaniment is ecumenical, drawing on a broad range of Christian wisdom and spirituality, as well as being informed by the Guidelines for Spiritual Directors, published by the Retreat Association.

A key principle undergirding the course is that it should be congruous with the process of spiritual accompaniment itself. Rather than simply being a programme of training in skills or knowledge, it should also be seen as a process of discernment and formation in the charism of this distinctive ministry.

The course will comprise eight modules taught over two academic years. Each module will include a significant element of self-directed learning. This will provide an opportunity to reflect on matters considered between sessions, as well as enabling a focus on the development of listening skills and the practice of accompaniment.

“The course has vastly exceeded my expectations on every level. The depth and spread of topics covered, the reading and the materials (physical and online) and individual and group experiential aspects have all been extremely rich and stretching.”

Please see St Antony’s website – Spiritual Direction section – for more information or email Sr Sheila: sheila.mcnamara@diocesehn.org.uk.

Quick Link: Spiritual Accompaniment

Catholic Pastoral Leadership Course

Are you involved in any ministry in the Church? Are you interested in doing more for the Church? Do you want to expand your skills in pastoral leadership? A new online course in Catholic Pastoral Leadership might be what you are looking for.

Liverpool Hope University has partnered with several Catholic dioceses across England and Wales to help people like you to gain fresh perspectives on Scripture and Church teaching. You will look at real-world issues in the light of our tradition and consider the best ways of exploring Christian faith and life with others. The 2-year course is split into 4 modules and you can complete most of the work at a time that suits you.

To find out more information about the course, please visit our website.

Fr Sean Hall continues to offer his weekly reflections on the Sunday Readings and Pat Kennedy her monthly reflections, both available to read online or download in the Prayer Resources section.

Contact the Vicariate of Faith & Mission by email: adminfaith.mission@diocesehn.org.uk or by telephone 0191 243 3316 / 07375 934713 during office hours.

Visit our Vicariate for Faith & Mission News page here.