Ship Visitors Win Global Shipping Award
Teesport ship visitors from Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea) have won a global award for the work they do supporting seafarers’ pastoral needs and wellbeing.
They were presented with the Shoreside Team of the Year honour at the annual IHS Markit Safety at Sea Awards held during the London International Shipping Week.
Part of the Stella Maris’ ship visiting team led by port chaplain Deacon Peter Barrigan, they saw off competition from global maritime companies, charities and organisations who gathered in London to pay tribute to extraordinary achievements in maritime safety and crew wellbeing.
“Our Stella Maris team in the diocese makes a huge difference to seafarers’ lives,” Peter said. “They’ve become trusted friends to many seafarers who arrive in the ports here.”
It is precisely this trust and friendship gained by North Tees ship visitors Hugh and Mary Ward that resulted in Stella Maris assisting a seafarer whose wife had given birth to premature triplets in the Philippines.
The babies needed urgent medical help, but the family were unable to access free healthcare, which led to thousands of pounds being racked-up in hospital bills.
Hugh and Mary’s intervention led to Stella Maris raising funds to pay off the family’s outstanding debt. The triplets are now healthy toddlers and Hugh and Mary were asked to be their godparents.
“We are in constant contact with the family and every time we speak to them, they can’t thank us and Stella Maris enough for being there in their time of need,” Mary said.
To view a video of the work that Peter and the Tees port do, visit youtube.com/watch?v=k5QpdYfwDL0
Dame Anna Blessed As New Stanbrook Abbess
Bishop Terry presided at the abbatial blessing of Dame Anna Brennan OSB, the newly elected abbess of Stanbrook Abbey in Wass.
The blessing of an abbess, first recorded in the sixth century, has varied in form and expression over the centuries.
Nowadays, the rite is very simple. It takes place during the celebration of Mass in the presence of the faithful, to emphasise that the monastery, a community of the baptised, stands at the heart of the Church in its response of faith, love and praise.
In a powerful homily, Bishop Terry united the themes of the service the monastic superior should give, the self-emptying of Christ and the healing power of the cross.
Guests priestly, religious and lay, Anglican and Catholic, local and from far away, joined in the singing and afterwards shared a celebratory meal which, with the blessing of perfect weather, could be eaten both in the monastic refectory and outside in the enclosure garth.
Trustees Wanted To Support Marriage Care’s Work
Marriage Care is looking for volunteers to join its board of trustees so it can continue delivering vital relationship support services and marriage preparation courses for the Catholic community and beyond.
Expressions of interest from all candidates are welcome, but they are particularly keen to hear from individuals who have experience in income generation, IT and project management, marketing and social media, relationship counselling or training.
Chair of trustees Kit Dollard, who is from our diocese, said: “After 45 years in the military, then the city, followed by property and last of all the Church, I was looking to give back to society.
“Marriage Care specialises in marriage and relationships and promoting relationship skills and was just the vehicle I needed. On the way, I’ve learnt a few new skills, had a lot of fun, met some wonderful people and, as a frontline volunteer, I’ve had the privilege to meet couples in that first phase of love, as well as helping repair some broken relationships.
“Perhaps more importantly I have helped an organisation deliver its goals to more than 9,000 couples each year, with the help of 700 volunteers. For me, it’s a reminder that in giving our time we always receive back more than we actually give and that for me is surprising, humbling and a privilege.”
Fellow trustee Dr Clare Watkins added: “It took me a bit by surprise when I was asked – I’m not a lawyer, accountant or senior manager, so at first I was worried I wouldn’t have much to contribute. But it became clear quite quickly that this was an organisation that valued a variety of gifts and a range of voices in the decision-making processes.
“It’s been joyful working with such committed and able people with skills I don’t have, but all the time feeling what little things I do bring are valued.
“It’s a great honour to be part of a board that serves such a large and remarkable group of volunteers who give of their time and their wisdom so generously.”
As the largest faith-based provider of relationship support services in England and Wales, Marriage Care believes that relationship support is a matter of social justice.
It has been supporting couples for more than 70 years by providing low cost and accessible marriage preparation and relationship counselling services and is committed to sharing the joy of the Catholic understanding of marriage and relationships in all that it does.
Feedback from couples and individuals shows that 82% report a positive outcome from their counselling experience and 86% give a satisfaction rating of 80% or more for Marriage Care’s services.
For more information on how you could be involved, visit marriagecare.org.uk/get-involved/trustee/ or email volunteer@marriagecare.org.uk.
Musical Oratory To Celebrate New Saint
A service of readings, hymns and choral music in thanksgiving for the canonisation of St John Henry Cardinal Newman is to be held at St Wilfrid’s Church in York.
The Musical Oratory takes place on Thursday November 28 at 6pm.
Entrance is free and a retiring collection will be held.
The church is in Duncombe Place, YO1 7EF. For more information, please visit stwilfridsyork.org.uk.
Inspiring Event Marks World Day Of The Poor
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Words, dance and song will all be used to help to tell the story of the Church’s social outreach in our diocese in a major celebration at St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday November 16.
The event, which will culminate in a liturgy led by Bishop Terry, is taking place to mark the third World Day of the Poor, when Pope Francis asks us to reflect on how poverty is at the very heart of the Gospel.
It’s hoped that as many people as possible will attend, with every parish in the diocese sending at least one representative.
“We really want people to see all the good work that goes on to help those living in all kinds of poverty or oppression, whether it be material, physical, spiritual or social,” said Canon John Lumley, Episcopal Vicar for Christian Discipleship.
“Everyone is welcome to come and join us for all or part of the day and will hopefully return to their parishes inspired and with a renewed sense of optimism and purpose, knowing there is so much we can do that really does make a difference to people’s lives.”
The day will begin with a keynote speech from Sister Lynda Dearlove MBE, who is returning to her hometown to talk about her pioneering work.
Sister Lynda, a nationally and internationally renowned champion of women whose lives are caught up in the world of prostitution, will also preach at the closing liturgy, presided over by Bishop Terry, which will be a combination of reflection, dance, story and music.
Sister Lynda founded the Women at the Well service at Kings Cross, London, and has spent her life speaking up for vulnerable women.
In recent months the Voice has been highlighting some of fantastic work carried out by the wide variety of organisations that make up Caritas Middlesbrough, which is chaired by Canon John.
“This event is a unique opportunity to celebrate the ways in which the Gospel is being put into practice in service of those whose lives are blighted by poverty or exclusion,” he said.
“You will be able to hear the stories of those who have been helped to overcome the challenges of poverty in its many forms. There will be stalls with information about various groups involved in all kinds of social outreach. Come and celebrate how the good news of our Catholic faith is being put into action!”
Organisations taking part include CAFOD, the SVP, those working with dementia and with migrants and refugees and Justice and Peace groups.
The theme for this year’s World Day of the Poor, set by the Holy Father, is: “The hope of the poor shall not perish forever.” (Ps 9:19)
He asks all Christian communities, and all those who feel impelled to offer hope, love and consolation to the poor, “To help ensure that this World Day of the Poor will encourage more and more people to cooperate effectively so that no one will feel deprived of closeness and solidarity.”
The event begins at 11am and ends with a liturgy starting at 2pm. All are welcome. Bring a packed lunch. Tea and coffee provided.
*Visit middlesbrough-diocese.org.uk to download a resource pack that includes materials and ideas to help you and your parish or group prepare for World Day of the Poor.
Major Changes To Catholic Education In The Diocese
The Bishop currently provides 54 Catholic schools across the diocese to help him as first educator spread the good news to children and young people.
With more than 18,000 children and young people attending a diocesan school each day, the work they do is central to the wider mission of the Catholic Church in forming and educating future generations to make the world a safer, more loving, tolerant and respectful place to live in.
Due to major changes and a retraction in local government services available to our schools, in 2017 the Bishop commissioned the Diocesan Schools Service to look to create new structures and arrangements that will ensure all diocesan schools can still be supported and challenged in these difficult times for schools nationally.
Any new arrangements had to ensure we still provided the best Catholic education possible while remaining steadfast in our mission as Catholic schools and being at service to our parishes and wider communities.
The arrangement the Bishop has chosen is to seek to place all 54 schools into one of three large Catholic Academy Trusts to serve the northern, central and southern areas of the diocese.
All three Catholic Academy Trusts have been formed with Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust being home to diocesan schools in Redcar & Cleveland, Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees, St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Academy Trust serving our schools in North Yorkshire, the East Riding and York (see the article on this page) and St Cuthbert’s Catholic Academy Trust overseeing Catholic education in Hull.
The three trusts will provide services to their schools to support the development and vision for Catholic life, Religious Education and collective worship alongside wider school improvement, governance, finance, human resources and estates management responsibilities. This will ensure the resources, skills and experience available are directed and deployed effectively so that the standards and quality of all our schools rise to meet those of the best.
These are challenging times for education but the Bishop has provided the structures and arrangements that best place our schools to positively meet these challenges and seize the opportunities available, securing the future of Catholic education not just for today, but for those that will follow us in the years ahead.
Our new Diocesan Catholic Academy Trusts represent the future of Catholic education in the Diocese of Middlesbrough and I ask that you keep them and the work they do in your prayers.
Kevin Duffy, Diocesan Director of Schools
Diocese Prepares For Mission Month Celebration
All are invited to our diocesan celebration to mark Extraordinary Month of Mission (EMM2019) at St Mary’s Cathedral on Thursday October 17 at 7pm…
This year’s World Mission Sunday (October 20) – the one Sunday in the year when the entire global Church comes together in support of mission – is running alongside another exciting global event.
His Holiness, Pope Francis, declared this month to be a special one of prayer and action, to strengthen and grow God’s mission through the Church.
The Extraordinary Month of Mission (EMM2019) marks the 100th anniversary of Pope Benedict XV’s Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud, which Pope Francis describes as “a milestone in the evolution of the Church’s missionary work.”
A century later, the call is as urgent as ever. This is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on and pray for the Church’s mission and for the whole Church to fully realise that in our rapidly changing world, the Gospel is needed now more than ever.
Here in our diocese we are celebrating with a Mass to which all are invited. As the Pope’s official charity for world mission, Missio enables Catholics in England and Wales to live out the call received at Baptism: to share in the Church’s universal mission.
Missio’s national director Father Anthony Chantry says: “All of us who believe in Jesus Christ as Son of God and Saviour received our faith from God through those missionaries, who long ago left their homes and families to share their faith with those in foreign lands.
“Their sharing usually took place in the context of serving those in need, especially the poor and oppressed, thus demonstrating the character and power of God’s love in our world.
“I’ve seen the fruit of that work in many countries in Africa and Asia, where there is a host of young and dynamic Catholic communities committed to following Jesus Christ. Yet we must not make the mistake of assuming that mission abroad has no place in our modern world.”
“The Holy Father challenges us to be in a permanent state of mission, for ‘each of us is a mission to the world, for each of us is the fruit of God’s love’ (Message for World Mission Sunday, 2019).
“I hope this month will help us all the look back in thanksgiving for all that has been achieved by the missionary work of the Church and look forward with hope to a future when all peoples will know the saving and liberating love of Jesus Christ.”
Missio invites everyone to get involved in EMM2019, joining our sisters and brothers around the world in faith and renewal. Find out more about EMM2019 at missio.org.uk/emm and see how you can get involved – personally and as a community – in this special celebration of mission. Our diocesan EMM2019 celebration is at St Mary’s Cathedral on Thursday October 17 at 7pm.
Applications Invited For Financial Accountant Role
Due to an impending retirement and a restructuring of the Finance Department, the Bishop of Middlesbrough wishes to appoint a Financial Accountant to assist the Financial Secretary in the financial management of the diocese.
The primary responsibilities of the role include: develop improvements in month-end procedures and processes, assist in the preparation of the annual budget, assist in the preparation of monthly management accounts and variance reports and support budget-holders and assist in the preparation of the annual report, lead schedules and financial statements in line with the SORP.
Applicants, ideally qualified accountants, must have a full driving licence as the role will involve occasional travel to parishes in the diocese.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough covers a geographical area from Teesside to Humberside, consisting of Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees (South of the River Tees), the cities of Kingston upon Hull and York, East Yorkshire and most of North Yorkshire.
How to apply
Application is by way of application form, CV and a supporting statement.
Please telephone the Bishop’s Secretary, Sarah Holmes, on 01642 850505 extension 257 for an application pack, job description and person specification. The closing date for applications is Thursday October 10 2019.
For an informal conversation about the role please contact: John Walton, Financial Secretary, on
01642 850505 or via email at financialsecretary@rcdmidd.org.uk
Full-time – 35 hours per week
Salary in the region of £32,000 per annum
No agencies, please.
Pope Reveals World Day Of The Poor Message
The theme for this year’s World Day of the Poor, on Sunday November 17, has been revealed as: “The hope of the poor shall not perish forever” (Ps 9:19)
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In his letter announcing the theme, Pope Francis writes that these words, “express a profound truth that faith impresses above all on the hearts of the poor, restoring lost hope in the face of injustice, sufferings and the uncertainties of life.
“How can we fail to note that the Beatitudes with which Jesus began his preaching of the kingdom of God open with the words: ‘Blessed are you who are poor’ (Lk 6:20)? The meaning of this paradoxical message is that the kingdom of God belongs to the poor because they are in a position to receive it.
“How many poor people do we encounter each day! It seems that the passage of time and the advances of civilisation increase their numbers rather than diminishing them.
“Centuries go by and the Beatitude appears even more paradoxical: the poor are always poorer, and today they are poorer than ever.
“The situation of the poor obliges us not to keep our distance from the body of the Lord, who suffers in them. Instead, we are called to touch his flesh and to be personally committed in offering a service that is an authentic form of evangelisation.
“Commitment to the promotion of the poor, including their social promotion, is not foreign to the proclamation of the Gospel. On the contrary, it manifests the realism of Christian faith and its historical validity.
“God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. The poor save us because they enable us to encounter the face of Jesus Christ.”
He concludes by saying: “If the disciples of the Lord Jesus wish to be genuine evangelisers, they must sow tangible seeds of hope.”
He then asks all Christian communities, and all those who feel impelled to offer hope, love and consolation to the poor, “To help ensure that this World Day of the Poor will encourage more and more people to cooperate effectively, so that no one will feel deprived of closeness and solidarity.”
You can read the full text here: zenit.org/articles/popes-message-for-3rd-world-day-of-the-poor-full-text/
We will be holding a major event for the whole of our diocese in St Mary’s Cathedral, Middlesbrough, on Saturday November 16 to celebrate all the good work being carried out by the Church and by individual Catholics throughout our diocese, as well as hearing stories and experiences of those affected by poverty in all its various forms. All are welcome and it’s hoped that every parish in the diocese will be represent at this celebration.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR SPECIAL WORLD DAY OF THE POOR RESOURCE PACK
Deacon David Looks Forward To New Formation Role
Deacon David Cross has been appointed to the role of coordinator of adult formation after the recent departure of Deacon Vince Purcell.
The job will involve coordinating the delivery of formation opportunities to equip the lay faithful to accept greater responsibility for evangelisation, pastoral care and administration in their parishes.
David, who is married to Carol with five grown-up children, has a wealth of experience of working within the Church and is currently with CAFOD in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.
His new tasks will include helping the diocese adapt to its future in the light of a renewed emphasis on adult formation within the wider Church.
“It’s about trying to equip laypeople to take on a more proactive role in helping keep our parishes functioning and providing sacramental services in the longer term,” said Deacon David.
“That’s an important challenge both for laypeople and for our priests and deacons and there’s a lot to think about in terms of how we can equip parishioners in what is a challenging time for our Catholic community with the skills they will need.
“For many of us, the starting point may be to ask ourselves the question of why we are here as a parish? Is it just about existing inside the church walls or are we here for the wider community?
“If everyone on our parish registers came to our Masses we couldn’t fit them all in. Where are all these people? There’s a job to be done in not necessarily going out to convert new Catholics but in bringing back the ones we have already. How can we reach and open our church doors once again to those people who no longer feel part of the parish community?
“Our vocation is to take the love of God to those in our community. Through our lives, nourished by the Eucharist, the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and each other, to become images of the God who loves us unconditionally and constantly invites us into a deeper relationship. This is the Good News for every person.”
David said we will face many challenges as together we get to grip with the task of shaping the Church of the future, but they are challenges that we should look forward to with great hope.
“The diocese is coming to the point where when a priest retires, the Bishop isn’t able to replace them because we haven’t got any more,” he said.
“But he’s clear that he doesn’t want to close parishes, he wants to help parishioners find ways of keeping the parish going when there isn’t a permanent priest.
“My role is to prepare both clergy and laypeople in our parishes before that starts to kick in and happen on a big scale.”
“Hopefully, over time, I’ll be going and meeting with parishes, listening to peoples’ ideas, their hopes and fears for the future and working closely with them to find solutions to the challenges we will be facing and exploring what it’s going to be like to be Church.
“I will also be organising training and seminars and encouraging parishioners to participate in them as much as possible.”
David will begin his new role on October 1.