COVID-19
Currently our Church is closed
Following guidelines issued by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
all public Masses and other liturgies at
St Bede’s, Denton Burn and St George’s, Bells Close
(including all Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals)
will be suspended until further notice.
Prayers during the Pandemic
Mass for the Sick, NHS workers and for Carers
Each Thursday at 7pm one of the Bishops of England and Wales will offer a Mass for the sick and their families, NHS workers and those working in social care.
Click the NHS logo above to see the letter from the Bishops’ Conference and the rota of Masses.
The Archbishops of England and Wales have issued a letter of support and reflection during this difficult time.
A copy of the letter can be found on the link below.
Happy Easter!
Sunday Mass
Welcome to our Mass for the
7th Sunday of Easter.
I invite you to pray this Mass with me at home.
Keep safe.
May God bless you.
– Fr Simon
Mass for Ascension Thursday
Parish Finances
How you can support our parish during lockdown…
Several people have kindly contacted the parish to ask about how to continue to finance St Bede’s during this difficult time. The easiest solution is to set up a standing order with the bank to pay directly into the parish account
(this can of course be cancelled at any time).
If you wish to do this then please email Fr Simon at the address below and bank details can be provided – please state in your email that you wish to support St Bede’s. You can appreciate that virtually our sole source of income is via the Offertory collection on a Sunday which has of course finished due to the present regulations.
Sincere thanks for your support.
Coronavirus has now spread worldwide, with confirmed cases in many countries where CAFOD works. Some of these countries have almost no intensive care beds or ventilators. The likely impact of the pandemic will be devastating.
Christine Allen, CAFOD’s Director, said “We are extremely concerned about the impact the coronavirus could have in developing countries with fragile health systems, because it will be the vulnerable and marginalised in communities who will pay the highest price.” Families without enough to eat and without access to clean water, possibly living with HIV or other underlying health conditions will be particularly vulnerable.
We must never forget that we are one global family, united in this struggle. Now is not the time to build barriers, but for the world to unite in love and compassion. We must do everything we can to limit the devastation COVID-19 could cause the world’s poorest communities.
CAFOD programmes around the world are run by local experts and every country team is planning now for the challenges this crisis will demand. Many of them have experience of fighting fast-moving viruses, such as Ebola. They are trusted in their communities and can reach out to the most marginalised and vulnerable people.
CAFOD has also launched a petition to the UK government to ask them to ensure that the most vulnerable and marginalised people are the priority in the UK’s international efforts as well as at home. Amongst other things, the petition is asking for the cancellation of all debt payments by developing countries due in 2020 as the first step towards a global debt moratorium. The world’s poorest countries shouldn’t have to divert money from the medical equipment and infrastructure they desperately need in order to service debt and interest payments.
If you wish to add your name to the petition, to donate or to download prayers, please visit:
“It was the great biblical scholar, St. Jerome, who said that “ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ”. The scriptures are a deep well which never runs dry; if we take time to engage with the word of the Lord prayerfully then it will refresh and energise us in God’s service.”
Bishop Robert – Pastoral Letter, September 2019
The God Who Speaks
Scripture is at the centre of everything the Church does. The word of God shapes our prayer and worship. The Bible shows us how to understand the world, how we are called to live and relate to each other.
2020 is the 10th anniversary of Verbum Domini – Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Exhortation on ‘The Word of the Lord’ and the 1,600 anniversary of St Jerome’s death. These dates have inspired the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales to dedicate 2020 as a year of focus on the Bible and ‘The God Who Speaks’.
During the year, we will be celebrating, living and sharing God‘s word with an exciting new Scripture initiative. It’s an opportunity to enrich current practice and to develop and explore new ways of responding to ‘The God who Speaks’.
Throughout 2020 there will be a range of events, activities and resources to participate in all around the country. To help achieve transformation in our hearts and in our communities there will be three themes of celebrating, living and sharing God’s word.
Pope Francis announces a ‘Sunday of the Word of God’
Pope Francis has instituted a day dedicated to celebrating the Word of God.
In a Motu Proprio – a personal decree of the Pope – titled ‘Aperuit illis’, Pope Francis has declared the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time the ‘Sunday of the Word of God’.
Sacramental Preparation
Baptism is the first of the seven Sacraments of the Church. It is a wonderful celebration that marks your child’s entry into the Christian family. . .
Our Confirmation programme for all young people, in Y9 and above, is co-ordinated and celebrated on a Partnership level
The programme for preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are delivered through the Parish and follow the Diocesan Programme. . .
Preparing for a Wedding is complicated, but preparing for marriage addresses the heart of a relationship that needs time and guidance.