Thought from Fr. Colm - 5th August
Our prayers are with Sheila and Stewart Hunter on the death their grandson, Jake Morley, whose funeral was this Friday. Well done to...
Fr. Colm Hayden
Fr. Colm is from Dublin, Ireland. He was appointed our parish priest in 2005. In 2015 Bishop Seamus further appointed Fr. Colm as the Episcopal Vicar for the East Durham and Sunderland area.
Thoughts from Fr. Colm
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- Jul 29
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 29th July
Sadly, we heard the news of the death of Irma Oliver in Wales where she moved recently to be cared for by her family. Irma’s story is too...
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- Jul 22
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 22nd July
We wish our many great teachers a restful summer break. It doesn’t get any easier for them. The pressures, the expectation of government,...
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- Jul 15
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 15th July
The Diocese suffered a great loss with the sudden death of Fr. Dermott Donnelly. Fr. Dermott has been the spiritual anchor of the Youth...
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- Jul 8
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 08/07/22
Our open Parish Council on Wednesday was well attended, and an open discussion followed. Margaret Wallace led the discussion with an...
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- Jun 24
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 24/06/22
Congratulations to Bishop Seamus as he celebrates his 80th birthday with a special Mass in St. Mary’s Cathedral next Thursday. And...
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- Jun 17
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 17/06/22
A big weekend for the Eucharist. Besides our own Mass attendance, we have the second of our First Holy Communion Celebrations this...
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- Jun 10
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 10/06/22
"Our sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ has no other purpose than to transform us into that which we receive.”Pope Leo the Great.
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- May 27
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 27/05/22
As we move back to normality can I make a request of our choirs for more singers and musicians at our two Sunday Masses, especially...
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- May 20
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm -20/05/22
Retreating with fellow clergy this week is always a joy, if only to catch up and reflect. The numbers are less and the hair is more grey....
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- May 13
- 2 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 13.05.22
The priests of the diocese are away on their annual retreat next week. This year it is being led by the Jesuits, who have recently...
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- May 7
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 7th May 2022
Please keep an eye to the concert at St. Godric’s next week. The proceeds of the collection will go to Ukraine. It was great to be back...
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- Apr 29
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 29th April 2022
Easter was a cause for joy in so many ways. Yes, we are meant to be a people of hope, especially in these uncertain times, and everything...
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- Apr 8
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 08/04/22
As we enter Holy Week can I ask that you join us as we gather, especially at St. Leonard’s, as one parish. We have very few opportunities...
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- Mar 25
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 25/03/22
St. Joseph’s hosted a day of prayer for priests in our episcopal area. Over a dozen priests gathered for Exposition, Rosary, Gospel...
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- Mar 18
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 18/03/22
Greeting from the isolating unit. Daily and hourly updates from Ukraine does not lift the spirits. However, daily dispatches do give a...
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- Mar 11
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 11/03/22
The Ukraine consumes much of our thoughts and prayers, with daily news of appalling tragedy. Perhaps it’s the proximity of this large...
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- Mar 4
- 2 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 04/03/22
The Ukraine is the focus of all our thoughts and prayers now. Perhaps this was part of the reason for such high attendances at our Ash...
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- Feb 25
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 25/2/22
It seems that we stumble from one crisis to another. The people of the Ukraine ask for our prayers. We will do just that this Saturday...
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- Feb 18
- 1 min
Pre-Lent Event
There will be a pre-Lent exploration on Forgiveness and Redemption through the medium of cinema next Friday, 25th...
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- Feb 18
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 18/2/22
We’re getting there; delighted to see the return of many. You are all so welcome back. Synod meetings went very well. Thanks Katie for...
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- Feb 11
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 11/2/22
I’m appealing to those ministers of the Eucharist who are willing and able to bring Holy Communion to the sick. Our first parish synod...
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- Feb 4
- 1 min
Let us dream (4 corners Festival)
You can view the video Fr. Colm mentions in this week's bulletin below: "Last Sunday was the 50th anniversary of a bleak day in the...
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- Feb 4
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 4/2/22
I seem to be writing about loss and departure over the past few weeks. Sadly, I am continuing in this vein this weekend as well. As you...
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- Jan 28
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 18/01/22
Thank God we now seem to be emerging from Covid. All I’d ask is caution whilst in church. As with numerous business guidelines, I ask...
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- Jan 21
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 21/1/22
Sadly, Alan McNamee left us. His death was not a surprise as he had been struggling with his health for some time now. However, his...
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- Jan 14
- 2 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 14/01/22
The two main diocesan and church projects this year are The World Synod of the Laity and the Year of the Eucharist. These were planned...
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- Jan 7
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 7/01/22
We journey into the new year with some degree of optimism that Covid won’t destabilise as last year. Caution is still asked of us,...
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- Dec 17, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 17/12/21
This has been such a difficult year for many. Your support has been deeply appreciated. Even now our way forward is uncertain and the...
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- Dec 10, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 10/12/21
This Friday at St. Leonard’s saw the new entrance and a memorial to the late Austin Flynn. It was dedicated in thanksgiving to Austin’s...
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- Dec 3, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 3/12/21
New variants, new restrictions – our patience is being stretched. However, we might have to keep to the forefront of our minds the...
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- Nov 26, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 26/11/21
Welcome Brother Paul to the Parish. Capuchin Friar, Bro Paul arrived ahead of the rest of his Community on Thursday to take up residence...
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- Nov 12, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 12/11/21
A time to remember. I watched ‘Conversations’ with former soldiers of WW1 on BBC4 television. Extremely moving. The sense of guilt and...
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- Nov 5, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 5/11/21
The Climate Conference in Glasgow continues to present a sign of hope. Pope Francis in his Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4 last...
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- Oct 29, 2021
- 2 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 29/10/21
Last Sunday’s Treasure Hunt at St. Godric’s was a great success. All age groups attended and it was particularly delightful to see young...
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- Oct 22, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 22/10/21
As you can gather, Covid cases continue to rise to a worrying degree nationwide. Whilst we long to get the parish back to normality, the...
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- Oct 15, 2021
- 2 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 15/10/21
The Year of the Eucharist is being launched this Sunday by Bishop Robert. Perhaps we might think of giving an extra effort to becoming...
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- Oct 8, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 8/10/21
This Sunday we will receive a Pastoral Letter from Bishop Robert on The Year of the Eucharist and the invitation from Pope Francis on the...
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- Oct 1, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 1/10/21
The parish retreat last weekend was a very worthwhile exercise for all who were present. Katie Flood led it with enthusiasm and a...
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- Sep 17, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 17/09/21
The regulations for church attendance change this weekend (please see inside this week's bulletin for details). A more relaxed approach...
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- Sep 10, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 10/9/21
It’s nice to be back after a relaxing break at home. Covid dominates at home too, where restrictions are quite severe. Like here, a sense...
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- Aug 13, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 13/08/21
Sadly, we lost one of the pillars of the Diocese this week with the death of Fr Bill O’Gorman. Fr Bill, as he was affectionately known,...
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- Jul 23, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 23/07/21
Thanks for your co-operation in ensuring we maintain the safe space in our two church buildings. Again, thanks to our stewards. Our...
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- Jul 16, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 16/07/21
Well, we seem to be getting back to normal…but not quite yet! There are still concerns; the Durham area isn’t doing great in the Covid...
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- Jul 9, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 09/07/21
We welcomed Capuchin Brothers Paul and John to the parish this week. They stayed at the presbytery with me and visited both parish and...
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- Jul 2, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 02/07/21
The last of the First Communions is this weekend. Many thanks to our dedicated catechists for their tireless work preparing the children....
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- Jun 25, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 25/06/21
The governing body of the Federation of St. Thomas More and St. Joseph’s met for the last time on Thursday evening before the schools...
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- Jun 18, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm - 18/06/21
Returning to church has been a real blessing for all of us and slowly we take tentative steps towards getting back to some normality. For...
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- Jun 11, 2021
- 1 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 13/06/21
G7 Summit, Euros 20, The signs are there that normality is on the horizon. And yet the news of rampant Variants causes us to pause. Are...
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- Jun 4, 2021
- 2 min
Thought from Fr. Colm 04/06/21
Thank God we have been able to bask in the much deserved glorious sunshine this week. It has been a particular blessing to teachers and...
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