CHRISTMAS MASS & CONFESSION TIMES 2024

Please click this link for both Mass and Confession times: Christmas Mass Times

HOLY WEEK MASS AND SERVICE TIMES

CONFESSIONS FOR CHRISTMAS
will be offered at the following times:

Friday 15 December: 1.30 pm to 3 pm at St Joseph’s Church
With Fr Weitl from Madonna House

Saturday 16 December:
10.30 am to 11.30 am at St Peter’s Church
5 pm to 5.20 pm at St Edward’s Church

Sunday 17 December: 9 am to 9.20 am at St Joseph’s Church

Monday 18 December: 10.30 am to 11 am at St Joseph’s Church
With Fr Weitl from Madonna House

Tuesday 19 December: 1 hour before Evening Mass at St Edward’s Church

Thursday 21 December: 2 pm to 3.30 pm at St Peter’s and St Joseph’s Church
With Fr Martin Gosling and Fr Thomas Swaffer

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES

CHRISTMAS EVE
Vigil Mass 5.30 pm (Carols from 5 pm) – St Peter’s Church
Vigil Mass 8 pm (Carols from 7.30 pm) – St Joseph’s Church
Midnight Mass (Carols from 11.30pm) – St Peter’s Church

CHRISTMAS DAY
8.30 am – St Edward’s Church
9.30 am – St Joseph’s Church
9.30am ** – St Peter’s Church (Polish)
11 am – St Peter’s Church

** to be confirmed

Saturdays (Vigil) – 5.30pm at St Peter’s
Sundays – 9.30am at St Joseph’s
Sundays – 9.30am at St Peter’s (Polish)
Sundays – 11.30am at St Peter’s
3rd Sunday – 2pm at St Edward’s (Malayalam)
Mondays – 10am at St Joseph’s
Tuesdays –5.30pm at St Edward’s 
Wednesdays – 10am at St Peter’s
Thursdays – 10am at St Joseph’s
Friday 8th – 9am at St Peter’s (normally 10am)
Saturdays 10am at St Peter’s

Normal times as follows (times may vary during Holy week and Christmastide).
Saturdays – 10.30am to 11am at St Peter’s
Sundays – 9am -9.20am at St Joseph’s
Mondays – 9.30-9.50am at St Joseph’s
And by request

PRAYER OF POPE FRANCIS FOR THE
CONSECRATION OF UKRAINE AND RUSSIA
TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
FRIDAY 25 MARCH 2022

O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence! You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Yet we have strayed from that path of peace. We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars. We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations. We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young. We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns. We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons. We stopped being our neighbour’s keepers and stewards of our common home. We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters. We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves. Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!

Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life. He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity. By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love.

We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart. We are your beloved children. In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion. At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort. Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?” You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times. In you we place our trust. We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.

That is what you did at Cana in Galilee, when you interceded with Jesus and he worked the first of his signs. To preserve the joy of the wedding feast, you said to him: “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3). Now, O Mother, repeat those words and that prayer, for in our own day we have run out of the wine of hope, joy has fled, fraternity has faded. We have forgotten our humanity and squandered the gift of peace. We opened our hearts to violence and destructiveness. How greatly we need your maternal help!

Therefore, O Mother, hear our prayer.

Star of the Sea, do not let us be shipwrecked in the tempest of war.

Ark of the New Covenant, inspire projects and paths of reconciliation.

Queen of Heaven, restore God’s peace to the world.

Eliminate hatred and the thirst for revenge, and teach us forgiveness.

Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons.

Queen of the Rosary, make us realize our need to pray and to love.

Queen of the Human Family, show people the path of fraternity.

Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.

O Mother, may your sorrowful plea stir our hardened hearts. May the tears you shed for us make this valley parched by our hatred blossom anew. Amid the thunder of weapons, may your prayer turn our thoughts to peace. May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from the rain of bombs. May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land. May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside.

Holy Mother of God, as you stood beneath the cross, Jesus, seeing the disciple at your side, said: “Behold your son” (Jn 19:26.) In this way he entrusted each of us to you. To the disciple, and to each of us, he said: “Behold, your Mother” (v. 27). Mother Mary, we now desire to welcome you into our lives and our history. At this hour, a weary and distraught humanity stands with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust itself to you and, through you, to consecrate itself to Christ. The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you, even as your heart beats with compassion for them and for all those peoples decimated by war, hunger, injustice and poverty.

Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine. Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love. Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world. The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace. We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more. To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days. Our Lady of the “Fiat,” on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God. May you, our “living fountain of hope,” water the dryness of our hearts. In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion. You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace.

Amen.

From Bishop Terry
HOMES FOR UKRAINE INFORMATION ZOOM SESSION
Tuesday March 22nd 2pm-3pm

Dear brothers and sisters,

As you are aware the situation in the Ukraine is terrible beyond words. All of us want to help in some way. I offer you two ways which might be of use to you and anyone you know who is wanting to make an offer of their home or spare room or whatever. First of all there is the first note below and the possibility of joining a zoom meeting to gain more information. Also at attach the link to the CSAN toolkit which will be of assistance also.

Homes for Ukraine- Information session for North East Churches

As you know, the situation in Ukraine is desperate and the need for help with the humanitarian effort grows daily. So far, there are 2.5 million refugees who have fled Ukraine, 1.85 million people internally displaced, and 12 million people trying their best to survive in war-stricken towns and cities. These numbers continue to rise.

This week the UK Government launched a scheme whereby individuals in this country can register to offer accommodation to those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Those offering accommodation need to link with a named person from

Ukraine and Friday 18 March they can apply for a Visa to come to the UK. This is in addition to the scheme that allows for Ukrainian families to reunite with relatives in this country. We are also expecting a second scheme where community groups, including churches, can become Community Sponsors.

We know that there are still lots of questions about the schemes: how people can volunteer and register, how they might be able to link with families in Ukraine and the surrounding countries, what will hosts have to provide, how will travel be arranged and more. Many of you also have questions about how you may be able to help and support families and hosts in the longer term if you can’t offer accommodation.

We will be hosting a zoom call on Tuesday 22 March from 2pm-3pm, where we hope to be able to update you about the latest information from the Government and answer some of your Frequently asked Questions about the situation here and in the countries bordering Ukraine.

We don’t have all the answers, but we will try and support those offering help and assistance of whatever kind and link with churches wanting to offer sponsorship and friendship.

To register to attend the meeting and receive the link, or to send any questions ahead of the meeting, please email Rob Bianchi: robbianchi56qmail.com  Thank you

Joanne Thorns (Regional Officer, North East Churches Acting Together) Val Barron (Communities Together Durham)

Rob Bianchi (ODM Creative Communications)

The CSAN toolkit can be accessed at the following

link: https://www.csan.orq.uk/ukraine/

In blessed hope,

SUMMER SCHOOL Talking, Listening, Responding: the call to be a synodal church – 3-6 August at Belsey Bridge Conference Centre, Ditchingham, East Anglia, run by the Society of St Gregory.

Click the link below to open the booking form which includes information about the event:

Summer School 2022 Booking Form

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES 2021
Booking is essential – booking closes Midnight Sun 19 Dec (for seating plans), but you can still phone or email, if there are still places.
Christmas Eve Vigil Masses are now full.
There are still paces at Midnight & Christmas Day Masses.
Online booking instructions below

For Confession times for Christmas, click HERE

Christmas Eve
6.30pm Christmas Vigil at St Peter’s (Carols 6pm)
8.30pm Christmas Vigil at St Joseph’s (Carols 8pm)
12 Midnight Mass at St Peter’s (Carols 11.30pm)

Christmas Day
8.30am Christmas Day at St Edward’s
9.30am Christmas Day at St Joseph’s
9.30am Christmas Day at St Peter’s (Polish)
11am Christmas Day at St Peter’s St Peter’s

ADVANCE BOOKING FOR CHRISTMAS MASSES 

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot make any guarantees, so please book early – for one Mass only 

• Be sure of your booking – we cannot make changes (except in limited circumstances) 
• If you wish to be seated together, you must book your group in one booking – stewards will draw up a seating plan in advance
• We can only admit those who have booked and are on the list (unless we’re below capacity) 
• If you have difficulties booking online, ask family/friend to help  
• Please assist others who may have difficulty booking online 
• Arrive early, to help our stewards seat you, & to avoid crowding. Maintain social distancing 

BOOKING INSTRUCTIONS 

• Online booking closes midnight Sunday 19 December
• Navigate to our online booking platform at https://prayin.io/ or click HERE
• In the button marked Enter event code type one of the following codes: 

6.30pm Christmas Vigil at St Peter’s (Carols 6pm) bkq-yex-xll
8.30pm Christmas Vigil at St Joseph’s (Carols 8pm) znr-xof-ygi
12 Midnight Mass at St Peter’s (Carols 11.30pm) sid-wrh-qxw
8.30am Christmas Day at St Edward’s ogn-zvc-hpx
9.30am Christmas Day at St Joseph’s ybe-kap-pgu
11am Christmas Day at St Peter’s St Peter’s qdl-ojz-jdu  

• Follow the instructions and click Join (extra people can be added, but please name them – don’t leave a blank) 
• You should receive a confirmation email. If you do not, and you want assurance, contact the parish office. Please DO NOT make another booking, as this causes duplicate bookings  

What if I want to book but don’t have access to the internet?  

FIRST ask family or friend whether they help you. We strongly recommend this, to avoid disappointment, as it takes time to receive and process your form. If you are still struggling, then you may use the paper booking form available at back of church or by request. Be aware that bookings are on a first come first served basis. 

Once received, the booking will be entered onto the online system at the office. If capacity is reached and your application is unsuccessful, we will let you know.   

ORDINATION OF PAUL GRIFFIN
TO THE PERMANENT DIACONATE
12 noon on Saturday 3 July at St Joseph’s Church

READINGS AT MASS
Click HERE for daily Mass readings for our local area of Middlesbrough Diocese. This resource is made available by Universalis. The Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) is also available on their website. This is the Daily Prayer of the Church, which includes Morning & Evening Prayer. Lots more info is on their website, inc. info on each day, and instructions on reciting the Liturgy of the Hours. Click HERE for more QR codes or take a look at their website HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION (CONFESSION)

NORMAL CONFESSION TIMES
(may vary during Advent and Lent/Holy week):
Saturdays – 10.30am to 11am at St Peter’s
Saturdays – 5pm to 5.20pm at St Edward’s
Sundays – 9am -9.20am at St Joseph’s
And by request

Occasional unexpected changes may occur, so please check the newsletter. For our most recent newsletter, click HERE.

Confessions for the Sick and Housebound can be arranged. Please phone the Parish Priest on 01723 360358, or speak to your Parish Visitor.

Please click on the link below:

Letter from Cardinal Nichols

Please click this link to open up the programme for the International Exhibition of Eucharistic Miracles – PROGRAMME

Click on one of the following links to find a Mass while you are away from home…

Catholic Directory England & Wales (maintained by the Bishops’ Conference) http://directory.cbcew.org.uk

Catholic Directory UK & Ireland (maintained by CathCom, publishers of the Catholic Voice) http://www.catholicdirectory.org/