Welcome to our Parish Website which we hope you find helpful whether you are a parishioner or a visitor. If you have an enquiry, please either email the Parish Office stmarysphilip@aol.co.uk or telephone 0191 460 4274.
The Parish Secretary, Julie Hindmarsh, will be in the Parish Office at Immaculate Heart Presbytery this week on Tuesday between 10am – 2pm. She can also be contacted Tuesday & Wednesday, 10am – 2pm by email stmarysphilip@aol.co.uk or by telephone 0191 460 4274 / 07891 162205.
PARISH NEWSLETTER The latest edition is available here.
THE TIMES OF SATURDAY VIGIL/SUNDAY MORNING MASSES IN OUR THREE CHURCHES ARE:
Saturday 5.30pm at St Philip Neri Church, Dunston
Sunday 9.00am at St Mary’s Church, Whickham
Sunday 10.30am at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Lobley Hill
Public weekday Masses this week are as advertised in the Parish Newsletter
Diocesan COVID-19 Controls from 18/19 September – Having taken both clergy and lay advice, Bishop Robert has issued updated guidance for the safe use of our churches. The decisions outlined below have been made giving consideration to the following points:
- the increasing local infection rate
- the increasing number of hospital admissions
- the reducing efficacy of the vaccine
- the slowing uptake of the vaccine in the 18-30 age range
- Health officials in the region have advised that maintaining COVID control measures such as social distancing and face coverings throughout the autumn/winter period will be vital to controlling COVID infections
The current arrangements will be reviewed again at the beginning of November against the data and guidance available at that time.
Until further notice, arrangements for attending churches in our Parish will be as follows:
- Stewards will continue for the time being
- Hand sanitiser will continue to be offered as you enter and leave church
- Face masks are recommended to be worn whilst in church
- Social distancing will be reduced to 1 metre (minimum) between households/bubbles
- Booking-in for the Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning Masses is no longer required
- Test, track & trace system is no longer required
- Altar Servers, Readers and Eucharistic Ministers may resume their ministries
- Hymn books and Mass cards may be used
- Congregational singing may resume ( N.B. face masks should be worn whilst singing)
- The Sign of Peace remains suspended for the time being
- Holy Communion will continue to be distributed under one kind and at the normal time during Mass (i.e. before the Concluding Prayer and Blessing)
- If anyone would like to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession, please speak to Fr Peter
To read the statement from Bishop Robert in full please click here.
For the most recent guidance published by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) on 15 July, and the Government on 16 July and please follow the links below:
CBCEW-COVID-Step-4-Guidance-150721b.pdf
COVID-19: guidance for the safe use of places of worship – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
N.B. Until further notice, the obligation for the faithful to attend Mass on a Sunday or Holyday of Obligation is suspended.