29th May News from our Parish Schools

Parish School pages on our website

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

https://stjosephsgilesgate.bwcet.com/

On Wednesday 3^rd  June, Year 3 and 4 will be attending Mass in church at 10am. All families and friends are welcome to attend.

On Friday 5^th June, the Mini Vinnies will be hosting our Frosty Fridays during morning breaktime. They will be selling ice cold treats to raise money for local charities. 

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St Godric's Catholic Primary School

https://stgodricsdurham.bwcet.com/

We are looking forward to celebrating our First Holy Communion at the end of next week  — Saturday 6^th June at 10 am.

We are so grateful to those who have kindly offered to be prayer sponsors; the children and the school truly appreciate your prayers.

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St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

https://stthomasmorebelmont.bwcet.com/

Year 5 pupils will be taking part in a series of three sessions as part of a mini police project, delivered by Durham Constabulary. Meanwhile, Years 5 and 6 will be embarking on an action-packed and memorable visit to London, including a tour of the Houses of Parliament.

We are also delighted to celebrate our Year 4 and Year 5 children who will be making their First Holy Communion on Saturday 13^th June in St. Joseph’s Church at 10.00am — an important and special milestone in their faith journey.

Our youngest pupils in Nursery and Reception will enjoy a lovely trip to Hall Hill Farm, which always proves to be a wonderful experience.

Year 6 pupils will also begin a range of transition activities as they prepare for the next step in their education and the move to secondary school.  It promises to be another busy and rewarding half term at St Thomas More.

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St Leonard's Catholic Secondary School

https://stleonardsdurham.bwcet.com/

We are hosting a Durham Martyrs’ Mass on Sunday, 12^th July at 10.00am in the School.  We hope you  can join us for the celebration of Mass together.  Refreshments will be served after Mass in the school gardens. 

7th June No Exposition in St Godric's

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Godric’s has been cancelled on 7^th June due to the Eucharistic Procession taking place at Ushaw.

Ushaw - On Sunday 7^th June, Ushaw will be hosting a Eucharistic Procession with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, starting at 3pm in St. Cuthbert’s Chapel. Weather permitting, the procession will go through Ushaw’s beautiful gardens, returning to the Chapel for Benediction.

The Corpus Christi procession in honour of the Blessed Sacrament is one of the highlights of the year at Ushaw. Everyone is invited to be a part of this important and enjoyable event.  There is no charge for this event, but please sign up below to help Ushaw to estimate numbers.   Register here

Thought from Fr. Colm - 31st May 2026

Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together. Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted and fraternity is made possible. Yet every era also runs the risk of creating an inhumane and more unjust world. Whenever humanity is in danger of marring its true identity, we Christians lift our eyes to the Incarnate God, knowing that it is “only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of humanity truly becomes clear.” [1] In Jesus Christ, this humanity in its grandeur becomes the Way, the Truth and the Life, opening the path for each of us to grow toward fullness.

Founded on Christ, the living stone, we experience the powerful and mysterious action of the Holy Spirit, and we believe that every authentic human effort to cooperate with him for the good will be blessed by our heavenly Father, in whom we place our hope. For this reason, we can diligently contribute to every initiative that builds a more just world, and we can call others to collaborate in promoting the integral development of every human being. We wish to engage in dialogue with all men and women of our time, with whom we share in the events, questions and aspirations of humanity. [2] Together with them, we seek to identify new paths for the common good and for promoting a dignified life for all. Indeed, openness to dialogue is an integral part of the Church’s vocation because, constituted in Christ as “a sacrament… of communion with God and of the unity of the entire human race,” [3] she recognizes history as the place where the Gospel challenges and directs human experience.

An excerpt from the Introduction to Pope Leo’s Encyclical Letter ‘Magnifica Humanitas’

The complete Encyclical letter can be read on the Vatican website