St. Bede's Catholic Church

Newcastle upon Tyne

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• Document Downloads

• Message from Pope Benedict XVI for Lent 2006

• Parish Visitation 12th February 2006

• Agenda Parish Visitation Meeting - 3/11/2005

• Daniel Jopling in India

• Live 8 St Mary's Cathedral -  (Reflection prepared by Fr Jim O'Keefe)

• Pope Benedict XVI

• Pope John Paul II

• Election of Popes

• Lent 2005

• The Passion Story

• Events

• The Vatican

• Adult Christian Education

• Latest News

• Sunday 30th April 2006 - 3rd Sunday of Easter

• Sunday 23rd April 2006 - 2nd Sunday of Easter

• Sunday 16th April 2006 - Easter Sunday

• Sunday 9th April 2006 - Palm Sunday

• Sunday 2nd April 2006 - 5th Sunday of Lent

• Archives

Easter Raffle:  Many thanks for the money raised by the sale of raffle tickets.  A list is at the back of Church showing the lucky prize winners.  This is a very  helpful contribution to our parish funds.  As you will see from the insert to the Newsletter last week, we are gradually working off out debt for the roof.  This donation is a great help.  Thanks to those who organised and congratulations to those who won. 

Many thanks to Paul Henderson for providing our parish Balance Sheet. I notice that there are quite a number left from last week. Please take one and look at it carefully. It is a statement of how our Parish makes use of our money. I know that finance ’things’ can seem a bit complicated and weird—but we do happen to be in this together, so don’t be afraid of it, and if you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask them.       

Sick and Retired Clergy: The Special Collection today is for the Sick and Retired Clergy. As you know I have a fortnightly meeting with the other members of the Bishop’s Council and the Bishop. One of our increasing concerns, as a Council, is how we care for priests who are sick and those who have borne the heat of the day for many years, many decades in some cases. In my own area of responsibility (the 33 parishes between Throckley and Backworth) there will be 6 priests reaching the age of 75 within the next 5 years (one of my colleagues on whom I rely a great deal, is already 85 and in good fettle….there is also another colleague retiring at 65 in a month or so’s time). So, we have to look ahead and make provision.
Bishop Kevin has written a Pastoral Letter to be read out today in which he seeks a generous response for the needs of the retired priests and for the future provision of priest’s retirement in the future. Please use the special envelope in your box. If you don’t have a box and wish to ensure that your donation is ‘gift aided’ - there are special envelopes at the back of the Church. There are also standing order forms at the back of Church for those who may wish to increase their support of the Northern Brethren Fund. The NBF is a separate charity managed by the diocesan clergy and works in partnership with the Diocese.

New City—is the Magazine of a Movement within the Church established soon after World War 2 by a young Italian woman called Chiara Lubech.  She is still alive and very active. The movement is known as Focolare, and we are blessed in St Joseph’s parish with two members of this particular movement in the Church.  They do amazing work. Have a look at the couple of copies at the back of the Church, and if you’re interested in taking a copy each month, please let me know.  I’ve left out copies of Word of Life over the last few months—they’re free and from the same stable.  You wouldn’t believe how much quiet work they do in different parts of the Church in this Country. 

The Famous Red Boxes….One of the people at the meeting I chaired in London on Tuesday was Fr John Dale. He’s the boss of the Pontifical Missionary Movement, and was a great support to me when I was doing my bit to run Ushaw. He’s also landed two of our parish (Bernard Robinson and myself) with the task of preparing the Liturgy for his Mission Sunday appeal later in the year. Needless to say Bernard did it within about 12 hours, and I managed to scribble something on the train on Monday and Wednesday! I told him our ‘Boxes’ would be called in and counted in the next couple of weeks. He was delighted! He also said that it is obvious that Catholics in the North of England are really supportive of the missions, because so much of their income is from this part of the world.

So— after all of that—if you have a Red Box, please bring it to Mass next weekend 6/7 May. Also—if you’d like to help count and bank the money, please have a word with Anne Maughan, she’d love to hear from you.

School Chaplain: if you fancy the job….please look at the poster at the back of the Church. It’s in Hartlepool (my friends from Hartlepool tell me it’s a nice place….hardly been there since playing football at the Victoria Ground around 1976 for the ‘Saints’ against the ‘Sinners’ i.e. Priests versus the Police...one of the most fierce games I ever played in, and my car was broken into during the match). Enough of that. This is a three year appointment (not sure how they’re managing that, but that’s what it says on the poster) at 37 hours per week, £15,000—£18,000 pa, depending on qualifications and experience.

Can I encourage as many parishioners as possible to pray for the young people in St Bede’s who are making their First Holy Communion later this term. You might like to put your name next to the pictures of one of those who are preparing at the present time. They don’t need to know who you are—God does, and that’s about good enough. It’s really tough these days for young people to hang in with our Church, please remember them in your prayers. Many thanks.

Still looking for a couple of Volunteers to shake tins for Christian Aid next Friday afternoon. Honestly—it is fascinating, take the word of a hardened tin shaker for Catholic Care North East many years ago. This is a whole new way of meeting people, and some of them are really great…..Only for One Hour, from 2—3pm on Friday afternoon 19th May at Adelaide Terrace. Listen, its only a couple of weeks ago, on Good Friday morning, that around 50 of us were singing hymns and preaching in the same spot—and it was really quite canny. Please let me know today if you want to branch out and go for it.

We have received a letter of thanks from St Cuthbert’s Care for our donation as a result of Lenten Alms. Many thanks for that. St Cuthbert’s Care often advertise for staff and volunteers—if you would like to consider working or volunteering with them, and its just a few hundred yards away up the West Road, please contact them. Their number is on the poster at the back of the Church.
 

Enough of all of this….Actually, I suspect this computer is on its last legs. I’ve consulted the international expert (one Rev Peter Stott), who’s on holiday for a week or so from the middle of this week. When he comes back we’ll discuss what might be better -so please excuse a couple of weeks of chaos until he’s sorted us out.

Just in case you need some light relief...some famous newspaper headlines from the last 12 months or so….

Something went wrong in Jet Crash—Expert says ……

Panda mating fails—Vetinarian takes over….

Miners refuse to work after death….

War dims hope for peace….

If strike isn’t settled quickly, it may last a while….

Red tape holds up new bridge….

New Study of Obesity looks for Larger Test Group….

Kids make nutritious snacks….

I make no comment on any of them—though I’d like to….JOK
 

Once again—many congratulations and welcome to the eleven –we nearly managed 12—who joined the Church last Saturday night.  As I said that night, I’ve never experienced such an occasion.  If you spend most of your life in a Seminary, then the music and Liturgy is wonderfully presented, but there is nothing like real life Liturgy when real people choose to join the Church.  I did indeed find it very moving and enjoyed the whole experience.  I hope that all those who joined us will feel welcome and at home (not to mention getting involved in our Gift Aid Scheme) with us.  Many thanks to them all for making such a memorable occasion for us all.

Holy Ghost Fathers –Saturday/Sunday  22/23 April

We welcome a priest from the Holy Ghost Fathers this weekend who will challenge us about our responsibility to support our sisters and brothers in other parts of the world.  He is very welcome. Our special collection will go to support the work of his colleagues throughout the world.

The Sick and Retired Priests Fund—Saturday/Sunday 29/30 April

As you well know I spent the 8 weeks before Easter on pilgrimage around the West End of Newcastle.  We happen to have the oldest average age of priests in this part of the Diocese—thanks to Fr Bill Bellamy in St Michael’s who is fitter, at 85, than a few other of us. We have around 60 priests who are now retired. St Joseph’s is the only parish in our Deanery without a resident priest—I am certain that this will not be the case in 5 years time.  So, next week, we will hear a letter from Bishop Kevin about the Sick and Retired Priests’ Fund. Please use the Special Collection envelope from your Offertory Collection Box. The Diocese will be able to reclaim tax from all those in the Gift Aid Scheme.  Thanks for that.  In a few weeks time, when I get my head around it, I’ll say something more about how we can benefit as a parish from the Gift Aid Scheme. Believe me, it is so helpful... more about that later.

Parish Accounts:  You will find a copy of our parish accounts with this Newsletter.  I hope I don’t embarrass him too much, but I’d like to thank Paul Henderson for the fantastic work he does on behalf of us all here at St Bede’s in relation to Financial accounting.  In my previous jobs I’ve had to be responsible for multi-million pound projects like St Cuthbert’s Care and the Seminary at Ushaw.  And I must say, I’ve always been blessed with folk who can add up, give good advice about investment and look after our accounts. Believe me, we’re lucky to have him!  We are gradually working off out dept to the Diocese for the new roof on the Church a couple of years ago. I will say more about Gift Aid in a couple of weeks time, but in the mean time, if you have any questions about the accounts please let me know—but if you want a sensible answer, talk to Paul.

Decryptions—This is a new book of poems from the late Mgr Kevin Nichols—its on sale at the Pauline Book Centre, price £3.50.  Kevin was a good friend of mine.  I once asked him how he wrote his poetry, and could someone like me ever begin to write it —I  was driving him to Scarborough to the Theatre there— and he said: ‘Jim, you need to sit still to write poetry’ - what a brilliant comment...and I still haven’t got the hang of it….who knows…..sitting still sounds like a good idea…

Parish in Council Meeting

Many thanks to those who were able to come to the Parish in Council meeting last Tuesday.  In fact there were six of us there.  We received the Audited Accounts for the parish—which you will receive with this Newsletter, and began to wonder about how we pick up the points raised when Bishop Kevin joined us earlier this year.

To be honest, I find it very difficult to get a sense of what parishioners feel if so few people come to this gathering.  One of the decisions we made was to prepare a Questionnaire for all those who come to Mass—asking what you feel is important about belonging to St Bede’s parish. We will produce a form for you to fill in within the next few weeks…. 

On May 10th  there will be a Gathering at St Robert’s Church Hall at Fenham. There will be an opportunity for all the parishes in the Deanery to say how they are looking to address the areas they have identified for development.  We identified three areas:

• How to keep in touch with young people after they have left Junior School 

• How to re-engage those who have ‘drifted’/ are ‘on sabbatical’ from the Church

• How we look towards Adult Formation and encouraging all Catholics to take seriously their responsibility in daily life

Young Adults Retreat...18+
If you are between 18—and whenever….and want to experience a Retreat at Palazzola in Rome (Believe me, it is a wonderful place) - then let me know. It will cost £185.00 pounds— and if you want further information, please let me know.
 

It is now 11.00 p.m on Friday night…...I need more help with our Newsletter and general parish administration...If you’re interested—please let me know. The alternative is that I will be less available here at St Bede’s and St Joseph’ s in the years to come. JOK

Holy Ghost Fathers

There will an appeal on behalf of the Holy Ghost Fathers next  weekend (April 22/23).  The roots of the Order go back to their foundation in France in 1703. We welcome the priest who will talk to us about their work throughout the world.

Sick & Retired Priests Fund 

A Special Collection over the weekend 29/30 April will be for the Sick and Retired Clergy.  This collection will go towards making provision for present and future retired priests of our diocese and to care for those who fall sick.  There will also be an appeal for people to take out a standing order to the Northern Brethren Fund.

Evangelisation Made Easy 

A visit by the Diocesan Evangelisation Group will take place at St Robert’s Fenham on Wednesday May 10th. This will  be a day in which we are invited to go along to be made more aware of our call to evangelisation.  We are told that it would be very helpful if at least 6 parishioners could attend.  I hope to be there myself for the whole meeting. The day  will be from 10.30am-4.00pm (please bring a packed lunch).  A poster is at the back of Church giving the details. Please let me know if you would like to attend.  We’ll be able to talk about this at the Parish in Council Meeting  at 7.00pm on Thursday 19th April—(don’t you think that is a subtle way of introducing the meeting—more of which, below…)

St Margaret’s Scotswood 

The dedication of the Montague Garden will take place on Thursday 20th April at 12 noon.  Everyone will most welcom.

Bible Alive for Easter 

This is now for sale in the Piety Shop price £1.95. As usual, it has reflections for each day of the week.  You may be particularly interested if you’re not able to attend mass during the week, but want to keep in touch with the readings and the community.

ME North East

I have been persuaded to ABSAIL OFF THE TYNE BRIDGE on Sunday 14 May to help raise money for ME - not actually me - if you all know what I mean. As it happens, my sister and one of her nieces both live with ME, so I know how totally debilitating it can be.  It is still a bit of a mystery to the medical profession, so any funds raised goes into research to try and sort it. Never absailed in my life, so looking forward to it.  I’ve told Michael Ekanem that if it all goes badly wrong, he has more than a full time job for the rest of his life. I’ve just sent off the form that really amounts to saying:  ‘If the rope snaps, it’s my fault’ - wouldn’t mind too much if I ended up in the river, at least I can swim...One of these days I’ll put a Sponsor Form up at the back of the Church.  If you want to join me, I have another form if anyone is mad keen to do it—just think, you can tell your grandbairns in a few decades time...

Christian Aid Week 

Anyone from St Bede’s prepared to rattle a tin outside Adelaide Terrace Shopping Centre from 2.00pm - 3.00pm  on 19th May?.  If you have never done this –have a go, you’ll have a new insight into the (in)human race!  Please let me know if you can.  Two volunteers would be brilliant.  Thanks

“Everybody’s Welcome” 

“I hope in the course of the coming year that many parishes will respond to the invitation of the Bishops in making our parishes family-friendly and welcoming communities, so that we can offer understanding, friendship and support to all; to help everyone in the parish feel they belong, to encourage and celebrate all family life-whether married, widowed, single, divorced, separated, with children or without”...  

This is an extract from the Pastoral Letter from the Bishop issued on the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord.  There will be a series of Awareness Evenings which have been developed in a partnership between the Diocesan Education Service and the Co-ordinators for Marriage and Life.  The nearest ’gathering’ to us is St Robert’s Parish Hall, Cedar Road, Fenham  from 7.00pm—9.00pm on Thursday 27th April.  I cannot be there myself, - it is the Finance and Parish In Council meeting at St Joseph’s.  However, it you are curious about this event, and I’m sure we can learn something about it all, please let me know.

I don’t particularly want to write this in a newsletter, I’d rather talk about it, so come to the Parish in Council meeting and we can begin to look at it,  but to be honest, it is increasingly impossible for ‘the priest’ to take up these initiatives. Now it is impossible, either other people in our community take them up—and they are really good initiatives—or we miss out on them.  I do suspect that we have much to learn about how we are ‘parishes together’, rather than parishes led by the priest.

School Mission Statement...Very many thanks to those who were able to join Mr Scurr and other members of the parish and Governors for the meeting last Tuesday.  I found it fascinating, and I’m really curious now about what it will look like.  It provides a really good opportunity for us all to look at how the parish, family and school can work together for the good of the youngsters we know. Mind, that Mr Scurr was, as he said, a hard task master...but it really did work.

A huge word of thanks to all those who worked so hard to ensure that our Church looked so good for our Easter celebrations.  Thank you.

Thanks also to everyone who played music, lit fires, had feet washed, served, read, sang, prepared amazing flower arrangements, cleaned the Church, turned up, survived and have stories to tell about our celebrations.  I hope that we have all been able to glimpse a little more of the mystery of the love of God, the person of Jesus and our own responsibility to live Gospel values in a very complicated world. 

Parish in Council Meeting….can you even think about not joining us? It is in the Meeting Room at 7.00pm on Wednesday 19th April.  OK, you’re excused if you’re on holiday in France...otherwise...I will be able to offer some reflection on the last 2 months and Visitation to 8 other parishes in the West End of the City.  We also need to pick up some of the ideas and suggestions from the last meeting—questionnaires, liturgy groups—and so on. The last couple of months has opened my eyes a little about the need for more encouragement and formation of us as we try to be an effective Catholic parish and witness to the Gospel in this part of the City. 

If you have any items you want to include on our agenda, please let me know.

Computers for Schools—Once again, Tesco are up to their tricks encouraging us to spend money for the benefit of our schools.  On the other hand, if we are going to shop there, we may as well make the most of us.  One voucher for every £10.00 spent. If you do have any, please pass them on to the School or me, many thanks. 

The worst Easter joke I’ve heard to date:   

What do you get if you pour hot water down a rabbit hole? 

The profound answer is:  Hot Cross Bunnies.

Just reminds me to say that if you are big into Easter Eggs, chocolate and other health defying delights, try Fair Trade….at least it will be doing someone else some good as well….

Other profound thoughts:

Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.

Always remember that you are unique—just like everyone else.

If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.

There are two theories about arguing with women—neither one works.

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

More Seriously:

 May His love

 Enfold you

 May His strength

Uphold you

May his light

Shine upon you

May His peace

Surround you.

May you have a very Happy and Holy and Peaceful Easter.

God bless    Jim O’Keefe

The Activity Group is having a quiet month in April, so that they can muster all their energy for a fun-packed and dynamic May…

Would you mind considering helping to prepare our Church for Holy Week by assembling around 10.00am on Wednesday morning—after 9.30 Mass?  The more the merrier, women and men, young and old….you will be very welcome.  Thanks.

An Invitation...Saturday 29th April St Robert’s Church Hall 10.00 am onwards.  Volunteers and Friends of Sharing Fair UK—more later, a poster at the back of the Church will give you more information.

20th April—12.00 noon—St Margaret’s Scotswood.  You’re welcome to the dedication of the Montague Garden—to be followed by excellent soup in the new café…(you’ll need a few bob to pay for it….)

Thanks to those who were able to join us at St Robert’s for the end of the Visitation season.  Sorry this Newsletter is so short, been a pretty fierce week—promise to try better in the future!   Do find a few minutes for a little peace and quiet over the coming days.         

You may well have a leaflet inserted in your Newsletter this weekend—it is important….

What is Care not Killing?

Care Not Killing is a new Alliance of groups and individuals which has just been formed to promote more and better palliative care and to ensure that existing laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are not weakened or repealed. It is already attracting broad support from health care professionals, especially those involved in palliative medicine, as well as disability groups and others who are opposed to euthanasia.
Care Not Killing is an organisation which seeks to promote a culture of life and to defend the common good. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has formally joined the Alliance and is encouraging all Catholics to support its work in whatever way they can—through prayer, lobbying and with financial support for its work. While it is not a Catholic organisation, the Care not Killing Alliance reflects the moral principles and values that are shared by Catholics and many others.
In 1967 those who opposed a change in the law on abortion were slow to organise. Care Not Killing has been founded to prevent the same happening with euthanasia.

Email: info@carenotkilling.org.uk

Website: http://www.carenotkilling.org.uk

What you might like to do is:  write to your MP in your own words and tell him/her what you think.  You might also want to drop a line to someone in the House of Lords in the same way.  If you’re into these things, you will find contact details for all MPs and Lords by using following link:

 www.parliament.uk/directories/directories.cfm

Calling all chocoholics and those who have been most virtuous during Lent...Did you know that the UK spends £500 million on Chocolate Easter Eggs each year? Around 80 million eggs are bought each year (ok, I don’t eat chocolate, so someone else must enjoy my 1 and a half eggs each year…). This amount of money is £200 million more than the whole country of Kenya spends on its health budget! It is two thirds of what the country of Nigeria is able to spend on Education—I wonder what Fr Michael makes of that, not asked him yet….Just a hint to look at the World Gifts Catalogue at the back of the Church (or go to http://worldgifts.cafod.org.uk/). I know I have one niece who won’t be too impressed by these facts, though I might just have enough evidence to have a row about it all….

Many congratulations to all the young people from St Bede’s who celebrated their First Reconciliation last Thursday evening. It was a most joyous occasion for them (and the adults who came to join them). I am sure that all their households have had a totally stress free and peaceful couple of days since then. Please remember them in your prayers as they continue to prepare for their First Holy Communion later next term.

You are all welcome to St Robert’s Parish Hall at 7.00pm next Tuesday 4th April. Bishop Kevin and others will be celebrating the conclusion of the first part of the Visitation of our Deanery. You will all be welcome. Well, for a start, you’ll find out what I’ve been up to for the last 8 weeks or so. I will be offering some reflection on the visits to all the parishes I’ve made in the Deanery. Bishop Kevin will reflect on his experience here and elsewhere, as will Canon Seamus Cunningham. Fr Michael Hickey - our Dean—will comment on some plans for the future (including great opportunities for our Secondary School youngsters) and the relatively short meeting will be followed by the celebration of Mass by the Bishop in St Robert’s Church. It would be good if you were able to get there.

We will celebrate God’s love for us and acknowledge our own need for forgiveness at a Service of Penance at St Joseph’s on Thursday 6th April at 7.00pm. Please make a note and feel free to join us.

St Bede’s school has recently experienced a Religious Inspection. It is very different from the days (a million years ago as some of us might remember) when a rather scary priest from the diocese came and asked ‘Catechism’ questions of unsuspecting children while the teacher stood by in a total panic in case the wrong children put up their hands….I remember it well.

The Report says some really good things about our School—Just a couple of lines from it:
 

Excellent relationships are maintained throughout the school.

The overall effectiveness of the Catholic life of the school is good.

There is good provision for pupil’s spiritual and moral development.

Links between school and parish are good.

I am sure that Staff and Governors will have the chance to look at it all in the future, but its great to know that we’re certainly on the right track and have some ideas for the future. Congratulations to all staff for remaining sane during a stressful time!

There are also a couple of St Cuthbert’s Care Easter Spring and Craft Packs at the back of the Church. Have a look at them and see if there is anything you fancy. It’s obviously not far at all to pop up to their Office in St Cuthbert’s House on the West Road and put in your order.

Have you noticed, all these email addresses creeping into our Newsletter...I can’t believe I’m doing it….all a bit scary. I guess I really will have to take time, sometime, and find out more about it all.

I have a picture on the Notice Board in the Office that someone sent me from America. It is a picture of a computer with the words:

Hello, this is your computer speaking..

You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?

The answer, of course, is NO!

Rapidly running out of time….Some wise thoughts….

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tyre.
It’s always darkest before dawn. If you’re going to steal your neighbour’s newspaper, that’s the time to do it.