31st August 2025 - Thought from Fr. Colm

And so it’s back to school. I hope all our teachers have enjoyed a good summer break: the hottest on record and so while long distance travel may have been part of some of our plans, I’m sure those who stayed home were not disappointed.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yeats

Our Holy Island pilgrimage will be a great day and I look forward especially to celebrating Mass for the first time on the Island.

St. Joseph’s cleaning. Can we have volunteers for a church cleaning rota ? It’s your church.  

We gave the go ahead this week for the new windows at St. Josephs. As you can see, it is also in need of painting. 

Worth watching Pope Leo’s response to recent Trump administration’s migration handling. They are on YouTube, but also on parish website. A prophetic message for us all, especially in these days of misinformation.

Also worth watching is Historian William Dalrymple’s damning indictment on western leaders’ lack of response re Gaza. See his 5 minute speech at St. James’s Church, Piccadilly. ‘Historian William Dalrymple Speaks about Gaza’

The end is in sight of the most blatant act of vandalism I have witnessed in my time in this parish, when access will be restored to us to the Sherburn Road next month. Deo Gratias. May it never happen again.

Finally I quote  the Stoic Philosopher, and sadly relevant :

‘And don't consult anyone's opinions but your own.’

Persius

Trump faces global backlash after Pope Leo XIV's sermon

From Pope Leo's Youtube account

‼️Itinerary for our Parish Pilgrimage to Lindisfarne

 Parish Pilgrimage to Lindisfarne

The parish pilgrimage to Lindisfarne will take place on Saturday 13 September, with the following proposed itinerary:

8.40am       Coach leaves St Joseph’s Church, Gilesgate 

(Option to make your own way to the island)

10.45am      Arrive Beal

Pilgrimage walk across the causeway- 3 miles, on wet sand (Optional)

1pm             Picnic lunch in the shadow of Lindisfarne Castle (Optional)

 Opportunity to explore the island across the afternoon

3pm            Mass at St Aidan's Church (Optional)

4pm            Coach leaves island 

4.40pm       Arrive at Seahouses (Option to purchase fish and chips/tea)

6pm            Leave Seahouses

7.30pm       Coach arrives at St. Joseph’s Church, Gilesgate

To book a place on the bus, please put cash in an envelope, clearly marked with your name and required number of seats, and post through the parish office door, St. Joseph’s Presbytery. The coach cost is £10 per adult and £5 per child.

All payments must be made by Friday 29 August.

If you are making your own way to the island,  please note: the council’s safe crossing times for Holy Island are only for the road. It is not safe to use them for the Pilgrim’s Way.   The Pilgrims’ Way should only be attempted on a receding tide and it should be completed before the tide turns into a rising tide.  

On Saturday 13 September 2025, the causeway crossing times are 10.45-17.35.  

The safe walking times are 11.15 (or sooner, if the water has receded, until approximately 14.00.  DO NOT start to walk the Pilgrims’ Way after 13.45. 

Please note that all people walking the causeway must ensure they make themselves familiar with the route and tide times to ensure their own safety, as there will be no official guide for the walk.

The suggestion is that you cross the Pilgrim’s Way barefoot or in waterproof footwear as the route is muddy. You may wish to carry a bag with your normal footwear with you, with a towel to wipe off your feet at the end of the path. 

Please do join us if you can!