Our Lady and St Philip Neri Parish.

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 & Friday between 10am – 2pm. She can also be contacted Tuesday – Friday, 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

The letter from the Sisters of the Carmelite Community, Balamma Satram is available here

The Current Diocesan COVID-19 Controls (December 2021) 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

Until further notice, arrangements for attending churches in our Parish will be as follows:

If you are displaying any symptoms of Covid-19 you should stay at home and not travel to church or participate in person
Stewards will continue for the time being
Hand sanitiser will continue to be offered as you enter and leave church
Face coverings are compulsory whilst in church (unless you have an exemption). For the latest GOV UK Plan B Information, please click here
Social distancing of 1 metre (minimum) between households/bubbles should be observed at all times
Test, track & trace system is still recommended. To facilitate this, there is a poster on display in each church with the church’s QR code which can be scanned using the NHS COVID-19 app (to download the app to your mobile phone, visit www.covid19.nhs.uk) otherwise, please provide you name and contact details to one of the stewards as you arrive at church
Booking-in for the Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning Masses 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 should be received on the hand
If anyone would like to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession, please speak to Fr Peter

HONOURING SUNDAY To view the statement entitled ‘Honouring Sunday’ issued by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales on 18 November 2021, please click here

For the most recent guidance published by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) and the Government, please follow the link below: