Lourdes at home

LOURDES AT HOME

 from the Diocese

As we prepare to travel to Lourdes on 31^st July, there will be people who would like to participate from here in our Diocese who cannot be with us.

Blessing of Hands

There will be Mass with the blessing of hands in St Mary’s Cathedral, with Bishop Stephen as the principal celebrant. We all serve each other in our own way, whether it be as a registered helper, youth member, medical team, pilgrim or those who pray for the success of our pilgrimage at home.

Everyone is welcome to this special Mass on Tuesday 21^st July at 6.30pm in the Cathedral.

Pilgrimage Hymn Book

Many who are participating from home have asked if they can purchase a copy of the hymn book. These will be on sale at the Cathedral on Tuesday 21^st July, and are priced £5.00.

Centenary Pilgrimage Medal

There is a special centenary medal this year which is based on the medal from the Holy Year of 1958. The medal has a maroon ribbon with a gold-coloured metal St Cuthbert’s Cross attached. Again, these will be on sale at the Cathedral on Tuesday 21^st July, and are priced £5.00.

Live Streaming

When in Lourdes, the Masses and services will be live streamed via the Diocesan Hospitalité YouTube channel and the Lourdes Sanctuary YouTube channel. More details will be available on the Diocesan Hospitalité Facebook page.

Please keep the success of the Centenary pilgrimage in your prayers.

3rd July News from our Parish Schools

Parish School pages on our website

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

https://stjosephsgilesgate.bwcet.com/

 We would like to thank the children who attended the Annual Governance Conference Mass for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle this week. The children were a credit to themselves, and our school and we are so proud of them. The event was a truly special moment, and we are grateful to have experienced it. Below is our calendar of events over the next two weeks:

Wednesday 8^th July 

·       EYFS will host their Sports day on the morning and KS2 will host their Sports Day on the afternoon in school. This will be a day of cheering and celebrating achievements together as a school. 

·        Year 5 and 6 will be attending Mass in church at 10am. All families and friends are welcome to attend.

·       Thursday 9^th July at 2.30pm there will be a Celebration Assembly in the school hall.  All families and friends are welcome to attend.                                   

·       Tuesday 14^th July at 10.30am we will be hosting a violin concert in the school hall. All families and friends are welcome to attend. 

·       Wednesday 15^th July

·        we will be attending church for the Whole School End of term Mass at 10am. We will be hosting the Mass with St Thomas More School to say goodbye to our Year 6 children and to end our school year with hope, kindness and friendship. All families and friends are welcome to attend.

·        at 1.30pm we will be hosting our Summer Fayre. All families and friends are welcome to attend.

·        Thursday 16^th July at 9.30am Year 6 will host their Leavers Assembly in the school hall. All families and friends are welcome to attend. 

---

St Godric's Catholic Primary School

https://stgodricsdurham.bwcet.com/

We can’t believe there are only two weeks left of the academic year — it’s flown by!  Our Y6 pupils had a brilliant transition day at St. Leonard’s on Friday and are feeling excited and ready for the next chapter.

We’ve got plenty of lovely things planned as we head towards the end of term: Sports Day next Tuesday, a Y3 trip to the museum, and Y5 will be enjoying a taster day at St Leonard’s — complete with lunch, which they’re very excited about.

A quick reminder:  This Sunday, 5^th July, St Godric’s will be holding its annual Summer Fair from 12 noon to 3pm on the school field. There will be toy and book stalls, children and adults tombolas, inflatables, refreshments (including delicious Mexican tacos), our ever‑popular Rainbow Raffle, and lots more. Everyone is welcome — we’d love to see you there.

---

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

https://stthomasmorebelmont.bwcet.com/

Our first Frosty Friday was a fantastic success—thank you to everyone who contributed! Don’t forget, you can continue to support Team Solan Cancer Trust by sending in additional donations on Friday 3^rd, Friday 10^th, and Friday 17^th July. In return, your child will be able to enjoy a refreshing ice lolly treat—perfect for the sunny days ahead!  We also have some exciting upcoming events across the school. On Friday 10^th July, our Year 5 pupils will be visiting St Leonard’s for a transition day. During their visit, they will take part in lessons and even have the opportunity to sample a delicious lunch prepared by St. Leonard’s catering team.

As the end of term approaches, we begin to celebrate and say our goodbyes to our Year 6 pupils. Their special leavers’ meal and bowling trip at Ramside will take place on Monday 13^th July, marking the start of their farewell celebrations.

Families are warmly invited to join us for the Year 6 Leavers’ Mass at 10:00am on Wednesday 15^th July at St Joseph’s Church—a meaningful occasion as we reflect on their time with us and wish them well for the future.

Finally, our Year 6 pupils will say their last—and undoubtedly emotional—goodbyes during the Leavers’ Assembly on Thursday 16^th  July at 9:15am in the school hall.

We look forward to sharing these special moments with you as we celebrate the achievements and memories of this wonderful group of pupils.

---

St Leonard's Catholic Secondary School

https://stleonardsdurham.bwcet.com/

Mass at St. Leonard’s – 12^th July at 10.00am - St. Leonard’s School entrance and car park is accessed via the residential estate behind the school itself. Please note parking is limited but additional parking is available off site and at County Hall. Pupils and staff will be on hand in the car park to direct parishioners to the Sports Hall entrance where the Mass will be held. Refreshments will be served after Mass for all to enjoy. 

St Leonard's 90^th Anniversary

St. Leonard's opened its doors for the first time on 26^th August 1936, and this summer the school will celebrate its 90^th anniversary. We will have a year of celebrations including events for parents, pupils and staff. We would like to begin the anniversary year though with an opportunity for former staff members to tour the new building. If you would like to book a place, please use the information below. 

Former Staff Tour: Wednesday 26^th August 2026 - 10am-12noon. To book a place please use this link or use the QR code below. 

Whatsapp Groups for Readers and Ministers

Attention Readers & Ministers: Join Our New WhatsApp Rota Groups

If you are a new Minister training on 25^th July, please also join your relevant group.

From 1^st August Leanne Heseltine will be co-ordinating the rotas. We are launching dedicated WhatsApp groups for St Godric's and St Joseph's to make organising weekend rotas and scheduling swaps quick and easy. If you do not have the app yet you can download it from the App store on iPhone and the Play store on Android.

Join Your Group

From August reminders for the upcoming weekend’s scheduled Readers and Ministers will be sent out every Thursday Evening. Please join the group for the Church Mass you usually minister using the links/QR codes below:

 St Godric's Group: Join by clicking here or scanning the QR code with your phone camera.

 St Joseph's Group: Join by clicking here or scanning the QR code with your phone camera.

Please note: Your name and phone number will be visible to others in the group.