The Mary Thompson Fund

supporting refugees and people seeking asylum in the Tees Valley

As many of you are aware, the Mary Thompson Fund provides packs of food and toiletries to refused asylum seekers who are homeless and destitute. Sally, one of our Volunteers based at the North of England Refugee Service (NERS) provides up to 90 bags each week and £5 cash (£10 cash for people with health needs) and has a 2 month cycle to include occasional items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, washing powder, deodorant, etc, as well as the regular fresh fruit and veg, plus tins of pulses, tomatoes, fish, bags of rice, potatoes, pasta, etc. Read More

September 2007 is host to the first ever SVP awareness month.

For over 160 years the St Vincent de Paul Society (England & Wales) has been committed to tackling poverty through social action. SVP conferences across the country will be highlighting the scope of the Societies work during September this year. Read More

at St Bede’s Pastoral Centre, an ecumenical Christian centre

20 Hours per week, Monday and Tuesday 9-5 Wednesday 9-2
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Subsequent to the Riverside event a consignment valued at £40,000 was sent to Baghdad Children’s Hospital. Read More

6th August 2007 21.35 hours flight ET 701 to Kinshasa

Refugee Week 2007

Congolese Community spoke of their fear of forced removal. “Congo is not safe. We want to go back - when it is safe.”
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In a packed St Mary’s Cathedral on 23rd June 2007, Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool ordained Simon Broughton as a priest for our Diocese. More than 30 diocesan priests were joined by Simon’s friends and staff from Ushaw College including the President, Mgr Terry Drainey, who presented Simon to the Archbishop for ordination. Read More

Fifteen priests in the Middlesbrough diocese marked ordination jubilees of their ordination and ten of them took part in the annual celebration of priesthood Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Middlesbrough, on Sunday 17th June. About 700 people attended the Mass for which the main concelebrant was Mgr Ray Charlton of Stokesley, celebrating his Golden Jubilee. Fr Colman Ryan of Thirsk preached.

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Monsignor Ray Charlton, Parish Priest of St Joseph’s in Stokesley and St Margaret’s in Great Ayton, has celebrated his Golden Jubilee as a priest and announced his retirement from active ministry. He has served Stokesley, Great Ayton and the surrounding areas for the past 27 years.

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The costs of the Curia cover the funding of the main pastoral activities of the Diocese - adult formation, child protection, education, vocations and liturgy, care of buildings, youth ministry, historic churches commission, communication, the costs of the Bishop and the costs of the Curial Office. This year we include the payments for the diocesan priests’ pension fund.

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