Places still available for our Parish Retreat 2026 - Castlerigg Manor, Keswick

There are still some spaces available on our parish retreat on Friday 27th Feb - Sunday 1st March 2026 at Castlerigg Manor, Keswick, CA12 4AR

The cost of the retreat is £130 per person. This includes all meals, accommodation and some light snacks throughout the weekend. Transport is not included. 

The theme of the retreat is Storytelling. We will be exploring the great stories in the Bible, our own personal stories and the collective stories we share as a community. There will be opportunities for group discussion, personal reflection and exploration of the local area.  

Payment for the retreat can be made in full (£130) or in two instalments of £65. Payment plans are available.

Payment can be made to the following account:

Katie Flood

04-00-03

86557453

Monzo Account 

When completing a payment please use the reference NameKeswick26. 

Single/en suite rooms cannot be guaranteed due to limited availability but we make every effort to provide suitable alternatives where needed. 

For more details or if you have any questions, contact Katie on 07807 935066.

To book your place, please fill in the form asap:

https://forms.gle/PHgjw426XU7UuA7T7

23rd January 2026 News from our Parish Schools

Parish School pages on our website

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

https://stjosephsgilesgate.bwcet.com/

On Wednesday 28^th January, the children in Year 5 and 6 will be attending Mass in church at 10am.  All families and friends are welcome to attend. 

We would like to thank all of the families, friends and people in our local parish community who attended The Mini Vinnie Brew Day event. The children were excited to share their plans with everyone and we truly appreciate your presence and support.

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St Godric's Catholic Primary School

https://stgodricsdurham.bwcet.com/

Year 4 enjoyed their visit to Segedunum.

Next Friday, year 5 are at New College Durham to take part in a basketball festival.

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St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

https://stthomasmorebelmont.bwcet.com/

This week, our children preparing for their First Holy Communion enjoyed their first after-school club, led by John Hayton. We would like to thank John for his dedication and willingness to support our children – they absolutely loved their first session.

Mr Hunt warmly invites parishioners to join us for our Family Friday Celebration of the Word on Friday 30^th January at 2:45pm.

Finally, our lunchtime clubs continue to be a huge success. Children are choosing to spend their free time enjoying activities such as chess and debate, and the enthusiasm has been wonderful to see.

Thought from Fr. Colm - 25th January 2026

There is a kind of listening with half an ear that presumes already to know what the other person has to say. It is an impatient, inattentive listening, that despises the brother and is only waiting for a chance to speak and thus get rid of the other person.

This is no fulfilment of our obligation, and it is certain that here too our attitude toward our brother only reflects our relationship to God.

It is little wonder that we are no longer capable of the greatest service of listening that God has committed to us, that of hearing our brother's confession, if we refuse to give ear to our brother on lesser subjects. Secular education today is aware that often a person can be helped merely by having someone who will listen to him seriously, and upon this insight it has constructed its own soul therapy, which has attracted great numbers of people, including Christians. But Christians have forgotten that the ministry of listening has been committed to them by Him who is Himself the great listener and whose work they should share.

We should listen with the ears of God that we may speak the Word of God.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community