Thought from Fr. Colm - 22nd March 2026

Bishop Stephen has invited all parishes to participate in a Pastoral Strategy following his recent Pastoral Letter.  There is a certain urgency to the process. We will therefore begin the process on Wednesday when the Parish Council meets. It will be then presented to the wider parish. It is hoped that this consultation will be completed by the end of April. I will keep you updated.

 Well done to all the Staff at St. Godric’s School on their recent outstanding RE Ofsted. We, as parish, are very fortunate to be benefiting from the input and generosity of staff who are very involved in many parish activities and ministries. Well done.

Last Sunday we witnessed the very public expression of thanks for a Catholic education when in her Oscar winning speech, Jesse Buckley thanked the Ursuline Sisters for what they did for her. The school’s message of congratulations to Jesse sums up so much of what our Catholic Schools try to do for the children in their care at both primary and secondary levels.

In a Facebook post March 16, the Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles said it is “immensely proud to congratulate past pupil Jessie Buckley on her Oscar win for Best Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards.”

“The tender, intuitive and resilient portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in ‘Hamnet’ that brought her this accolade marks an extraordinary high point in what has been a stunning career to date,” the post read.

“Following Jessie’s remarkable career trajectory has filled us with great pride and her work has brought honor to our school community through her remarkable passion, talent and commitment to her craft,” it continued.

“From our school stage, and onto the world stage, Jessie’s success is testament to her exceptional ability and hard work. She has always been, and is now more than ever, an inspiration to all those associated with our school.”

Thought from Fr. Colm - 15th March 2026

The next initiative by Bishop Stephen is a constitutional process in which we will try to ascertain specific roles in the parish, especially lay involvement. The Parish Council will look at this more closely at their next meeting. The first stage will then be followed up by part two. All will have to be completed before 4^th June. We will then look at the broader partnership development.

Our bringing together young people from the local parishes for the Confirmation Programme has been a very positive exercise. The programme run by Sarah and Ciaran is a possible template for future cooperation in other areas. We are particularly blessed in the parish having a highly motivated and dedicated group of younger parishioners willing to drive us forward with new and creative initiatives. They are ably supported by mature parishioners who are already doing Trojan work in the vineyard.

Our young people rely greatly on the wisdom shared by more senior members of the parish. This was born out at our recent parish retreat, which was possibly our best to date. Shared hopes and fears were facilitated at a deeper level in an atmosphere of loving acceptance of each other mixed with an evening of song and stories. Again, our senior parishioners providing wisdom and enthusiasm that was greatly appreciated and invaluable to its success.

Also, Katie’s growing expertise in group facilitation was pivotal. These are events that bring us together as parish with such a great representation from each part of the Durham Martyrs, and I take this opportunity to thank each one of you for making it an exceptional gathering. We are planning a Sunday Mass in the new St. Leonard’s School in July. More on this later.

Thought from Fr. Colm - 8th March 2026

Pope Leo’s Message after the Angelus on Sunday, 1^st March

Dear brothers and sisters!

I am following with deep concern what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran during this tumultuous time. Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue.

Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions, I make a heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm. May diplomacy regain its proper role, and may the well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice, be upheld. And let us continue to pray for peace.