Vicariate for Faith & Mission Update (November 2024)

Symphony of prayer and praise: A prayer for the Year of Prayer [CAFOD]

God of blessings,
in this year ahead,
give us a spirit of listening,
of openness to your word
and longing for your kingdom.

As we journey toward the Jubilee,
a time of new beginnings,
we pray for help and strength,
to heal our relationships with each other
and all creation.

Sing your song of love over us,
renewing our faith and courage,
so we may join our voices together,
discovering new harmonies of hope,
new melodies of reconciliation

Attentive to the Spirit,
and awake to the needs of the world,
may we seek your life-giving presence,
as we join as one global family,
in a great symphony of prayer and praise.

Amen.

Source: https://cafod.org.uk/pray/prayer-resources/a-prayer-for-the-year-of-prayer

Are you looking to explore the Catholic faith?

Are you wondering about your relationship with God and not sure where to start? Join us on a journey and see if the Catholic Church can help your relationship grow. This may be the right path for you. It may even help you take the next steps towards coming into the Church (see Journey In Faith below).

Visit our New to the Faith webpage for more information.

Journey In Faith (RCIA)

Journey in Faith (or RCIA) is the programme local Catholic Churches use to help people find out more about the Church and discover what it means to be a Catholic. It can lead to becoming a full member of the Church. RCIA courses often start in the Autumn and run through till the following June.

The first stage is one of initial thought and enquiry and is one where the person interested in becoming a Catholic thinks about making initial enquiries, and wants to find out more. It is a time of initial discovery and encounter with Christ, with the Church, and with other Catholics. It can be formalised by attending RCIA meetings or course sessions which, when the time is right, can lead to the next stage.

Please use our Church Directory, to find your nearest Catholic Church. Check the parish newsletter/bulletin/website or the parish office for details of their Journey In Faith (RCIA) programme.

St Hilda of Whitby, Religious – c. 614 – 680

Feast Day – 17 November

St Hilda was born into the Northumbrian royal family and was baptised by St Paulinus of York at the age of thirteen. She eventually decided to enter the religious life, age thirty-three, at Chelles Abbey in France and later became superior of the double monastery (men and women) at Hartlepool. She later moved as Abbess to the double monastery at Whitby, where she hosted the Synod of Whitby. In her time as Abbess, she trained five bishops, including St John of Beverley, Bishop of Hexham, and St Wilfrid, Bishop of York.

Prayer for St Hilda of Whitby

O God, who made Saint Hilda radiant with holiness
and by her guidance gave learning, growth and unity to your Church,
grant, by her example and prayers,
the grace to proclaim your Gospel in our day
and to sing your unceasing praise.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

(Source: Collect as taken from the Proper of Saints, Weekday Missal)

Read more.

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 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.

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.

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.

Voices of Faith

An interfaith dialogue meeting around the theme of Three Faiths Forum is taking place on Tuesday 12 November, at 6.30pm – 8.30pm at St Nicholas’ Cathedral, Newcastle. The meeting starts with refreshments which are followed by talks from representatives of the different communities and general discussion. All are welcome to attend.

Quick Link: Dialogue & Unity

Life in the Spirit Seminars

Please continue to pray for all attending our delivery of Life in the Spirit seminars at St Mary’s Newton Aycliffe, concluding on 11 November 2024.

Thanks to Deacon Alison Rebello, plans are now in place for the next delivery of seminars 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 through https://bit.ly/LifeInTheSpiritDHN or by ringing 07375 934713. 

News from the Emmanuel community

Plans are in place for the Emmanuel community to host Fr Chris Thomas again on Saturday 22 March 2025. For more information, please contact Pat Kennedy by email: 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.

Please pray for our work as an ecumenical planning group, that we expand our connections to other churches in the east of Newcastle and discern together what our Lord wishes to offer for the people of Walker.

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 emphasizes 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.

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

Email: charis@diocesehn.org.uk

Quick Link: CHARIS

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

Marriage & Family Life Mass 2025

Bishop Stephen will be presiding at the Mass to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage and the graces received in Family Life, which will take place on Saturday 8 February 2025, from 12.00pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle. All married couples will be invited with particular focus on those celebrating a significant anniversary together with bereaved spouses, separated individuals and families experiencing or have experienced domestic difficulties. Further details will be given in future newsletters and via the Diocesan website.

Marriage Preparation Days

2024:

Saturday 9 November: St Mary’s, Bishop Auckland DL14 6PQ.

2025:

Saturday 1 February: The Sacred Heart, North Gosforth NE3 5EB.
Saturday 22 February: St Robert of Newminster, Morpeth NE61 1QF.
Saturday 8 March: St Joseph, Blaydon NE21 5AE.
Saturday 22 March, St Mary, Bishop Auckland DL14 6PQ.
Saturday 26 April, St Hilda, Sunderland SR5 2JD.
Saturday 14 June: St Thomas Aquinas, Darlington DL1 2PU.
Saturday 21 June: The Sacred Heart, North Gosforth NE3 5EB.

(Other dates and venues will be notified to each Parish Priest and Deacon as arranged.)

Engaged couples can find more information here.

To find and book on a course, please visit our website or call the booking service: 0800 389 3801 (NB. In person and online courses are available).

Fees payable to MarriageCare are given on the website and will cover the costs of the resources and materials that will be provided on the day for each couple; they also include an element of cost towards the counselling arm of MarriageCare, an important facility very well called upon in present society. At the end of the day of attendance, couples will be provided with details to go online to MarriageCare to print their certificates, one of which should be handed to the Parish Priest and the other retained.

Priests, Deacons and lay people may email: marriage@diocesehn.org.uk for further information or Deacon Rob Wareing directly, if required.

Deacon Rob Wareing, Diocesan Lead for Marriage and Family Life

Email: rob.wareing@diocesehn.org.uk
Mobile: 07841 530991

Quick Links: Family & Sacraments Marriage Care

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.

Distance Learning Programmes in Catholic Theology

New single module option for October 2024

The Distance Learning programmes in Catholic Theology, led by Durham University’s Centre for Catholic Studies (CCS), are designed so that participants can work through material at their own pace, studying equally well in any time zone and in many different life situations, alongside work, ministry, family or caring obligations.

NEW for 2024-25: In addition to the Postgraduate Certificate, the Postgraduate Diploma, and the MA, students can now enrol for a single module. Students with a BA or BSc who have not studied Theology or a related discipline before, are now free to apply to enrol for the core module, ‘Catholic Theology: A Preliminary Tour’ and proceed to the MA following its successful completion. The single module is also a standalone option for Continual Professional Development and general interest.

Further details are found in this leaflet, and are available at Distance Learning – Durham University.

If you have any questions about the Distance Learning programmes, please do not hesitate to email: theresa.phillips@durham.ac.uk.

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.