by Michael McG | Jan 23, 2019 | Voice Column
I had the great privilege, as chair of Caritas Social Action Network, an agency of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, to present and launch a report entitled Abide With Me, in the Churchill Room in the House of Commons on November 20 last year. Among many...
by Michael McG | Jan 22, 2019 | Voice Column
Happy New Year, and perhaps more importantly, happy Epiphany! The celebration of Christmas and Epiphany only came about in the Fourth Century. Until then the need to celebrate the Incarnation, the Coming in Flesh of the Son of God, had not really entered people’s...
by Michael McG | Jan 16, 2019 | Pilgrimage
You are invited to join Bishop Terry on our diocesan pilgrimage to Italy to follow in the footsteps of St Pio Of Pietrelcina and St Francis Of Assisi. The pilgrimage takes place from Wednesday October 2 to Sunday October 6 and highlights include… Pietrelcina – the...
by Michael McG | Jan 16, 2019 | Appeals and Special Events, Miscellaneous
February 17 marks Racial Justice Sunday, which focuses on the experiences of ethnic communities in England and Wales. It is a day on which we all called to earnestly pray for an end to racism and racial inequality in our country. The theme this year is Dignity of...
by Michael McG | Jan 8, 2019 | Justice and Peace
Our diocesan Justice and Peace Commission is delighted to welcome Chris Cole as the speaker for its January Peace meeting in York. Chris is the co-ordinator of Fig Tree, a new initiative to engage the Christian community on peace and security issues. Fig Tree...
by Michael McG | Jan 2, 2019 | Liturgy and Music, Miscellaneous
The following choral services will take place at St Mary’s Cathedral in Middlesbrough during the month of January… Sunday January 6 at 10am: Solemn Mass of Epiphany (Cathedral Choir) Sunday January 13 at 10am: Solemn Mass (Cathedral Choir) Wednesday January 16 at 6pm:...
by Michael McG | Dec 15, 2018 | Bishop Terry's Pastoral Letters
Dear Sisters and Brothers, “Merry Christmas”, “cheers mate”, “have a good one”. We hear a lot of that around this time of the year. Well, “’Tis the season to be merry” and all that. But truly, what is Christmas joy, Christian joy and happiness? Believe it or not, John...
by Michael McG | Dec 14, 2018 | HCPT, Lourdes
York Carmelite Spirituality Group and HCPT Group 122 invite you to a time of faith-sharing and fellowship at Thicket Priory Carmelite Monastery, Thorganby, York YO19 6DE on Saturday February 9. The event has been organised close to the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes...
by Michael McG | Dec 14, 2018 | Miscellaneous
God’s Plan for the Fullness of Time is the theme of a Foyers de Charité Retreat to be held at the Diocese of Leeds’ Hinsley Hall Pastoral Centre this summer. The preacher will be Monsignor Keith Barltrop, with help from Foyers’ members and past...
by Michael McG | Dec 6, 2018 | Voice Column
Coming just before the Ad Limina visit to Rome and my meeting with the Holy Father, the experience of Adoremus in Liverpool last September was shunted into a lower slot in the memory banks! So I would just like to offer a few thoughts of reflection on that...
by Michael McG | Dec 5, 2018 | Bishop Terry
Bishop Terry unveiled a plaque in honour of martyr and Pilgrimage of Grace leader Robert Aske near the place of his execution in York. The plaque, near Clifford’s Tower, was a joint project between York Civic Trust and the Knights of St Columba. Aske, a lawyer,...
by Michael McG | Nov 9, 2018 | Walsingham statue visit
The timetable has been unveiled for events during the Dowry Tour of Our Lady of Walsingham to St Mary’s Cathedral in Middlesbrough. The statue, which usually resides in the shrine’s famous Slipper Chapel, is being taken around the country for two years as part of the...
by Michael McG | Nov 9, 2018 | Diocese, Obituaries
Deacon John Steel, who served in several parishes in our diocese as well as working as diocesan safeguarding coordinator, has died at the age of 73 after a long illness. Born in Easington Colliery, County Durham, on March 14 1943, John had a variety of managerial jobs...
by Michael McG | Oct 30, 2018 | Ad Limina, Rome, Voice Column
Some of you may be aware that I have been on a visit to the Tombs of the Apostles (ad limina Apostolorum), which every bishop has to do every five-to-seven years. Part of the visit is to celebrate Mass at the Tombs of SS Peter and Paul, in St John Lateran, (the pope’s...
by Michael McG | Oct 25, 2018 | Apostleship of the Sea, Bishop Terry, St Mary's Cathedral, Middlesbrough
Bishop Terry celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving at St Mary’s Cathedral organised by Catholic charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS). During the services he commissioned AoS ship visitors Hugh Ward, Mary Ward, Billy Barnett, Jun Barnett, Roger Worton and Gerry Quinn, who...
by Michael McG | Oct 15, 2018 | Cleveland Newman Circle
Journalist and writer Veronica Whitty will give a talk entitled “Gentle as silence: the life and hymns of Estelle White” at this month’s meeting of Cleveland Newman Circle. Veronica leads Enneagram and dream workshops in the UK and abroad and as a teenager she...
by Michael McG | Oct 15, 2018 | St Mary's Cathedral, Middlesbrough
St Mary’s Cathedral will be one of the many places around the country to host a choir concert as part of Raise Your Voices this advent. Many people in this country find they are not heard and Raise Your Voices will combine fantastic singing and music with speaking out...
by Michael McG | Oct 15, 2018 | Courses
A North Yorkshire parishioner’s experiences while studying for a Certificate in Pastoral Ministry have spurred her on to volunteer as a bereavement counsellor. The course is a customised professional development programme offered by Loyola University Chicago in...
by Michael McG | Oct 11, 2018 | Bishop Terry, postgate, Postgate Society
Bishop Terry has blessed a plaque erected by the Postgate Society on the site of the original Egton Mass House, which was used for the celebration of Mass in secret during penal times. It was rediscovered in 1830 when a servant girl accidentally pushed her hand...
by Michael McG | Oct 1, 2018 | Bishop Terry, Catholic Bishop's Conference, Pope Francis
Statement from the Bishops of England and Wales, Rome, Saturday 29 September 2018 As we end our visit, ad limina Apostolorum, we offer these reflections on our days together in Rome. On Friday September 28 we were immensely privileged to share conversation with Pope...
by Michael McG | Sep 30, 2018 | Voice Column
I offer you a thought for the Month of October, the month of the Holy Rosary dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. I sin not because of what I do or don’t do, but because of what I am – a sinner, a deep down sinner. And left to myself there is nothing I can do about it. It...
by Michael McG | Sep 25, 2018 | Catholic Bishop's Conference
STATEMENT FROM OUR CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF ENGLAND AND WALES, SEPTEMBER 24 2018 As we gather in Rome for our visit ad Limina Apostolorum, we have spent time together reflecting again on the impact of the recent reports containing stark revelations of child sexual abuse...
by Michael McG | Sep 17, 2018 | Pope Francis, St Wilfrid's, York
Parishes in our diocese have been responding to the call of Pope Francis for prayer and fasting after the latest revelations concerning sexual abuse within the Church. The Holy Father called for this penitential exercise as a sign of solidarity with victims and...
by Michael McG | Sep 17, 2018 | Missio, Organisations
Sunday October 21 is World Mission Day, which the Church traditionally sets aside to support the work of Missio, writes CANON MICHAEL LOUGHLIN. Missio is the Pope’s official charity for overseas mission and is part of the worldwide network of Pontifical Mission...
by Michael McG | Sep 12, 2018 | Voice Column
Probably as you are reading this the National Eucharistic Congress in Liverpool is taking place or has just taken place. As Catholics, the Eucharist should be the centre of our lives. The Eucharist strengthens and nourishes us so that our faith grows stronger. We...
by webmaster | Sep 10, 2018 | Adoremus (Eucharistic Congress)
Those who attended the Eucharistic Congress ‘Adoremus’ in Liverpool last weekend were given much to ponder at the event. The keynote speaker was Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop and ‘Word on Fire’ founder Bishop Robert Barron. The talks he gave are...
by Michael McG | Sep 7, 2018 | Appeals and Special Events, Walsingham statue visit
The statue of Our Lady of Walsingham from the shrine’s famous Slipper Chapel is coming to St Mary’s Cathedral this advent as part of a two-year “Dowry Tour”. The tour is part of the spiritual preparation for England’s rededication as the Dowry of Mary in 2020....
by Michael McG | Sep 6, 2018 | Apostleship of the Sea
Apostleship of the Sea warmly invites you to “AoS Past, Present And Future”, with a buffet lunch and a talk from port chaplain Anne McLaren. Come and find out about the origins of AoS, their work with seafarers today and how you can be part of their work. Admission is...
by Michael McG | Sep 5, 2018 | Adoremus (Eucharistic Congress), Sacraments
Prayer and action for Christians persecuted for their faith will be central to a leading Catholic charity’s contribution to Adoremus this weekend (September 7 to 9). Aid to the Church in Need will call on all those taking part in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage...
by Michael McG | Sep 5, 2018 | Event Calendar, Miscellaneous
People of all faiths and none are invited to a service in York to remember those who have been lost to suicide. Father Tony Lester, parish priest of Our Lady’s Church in the city, is among those taking part. “Many people find it difficult to talk about bereavement,...
by Michael McG | Sep 5, 2018 | Appeals and Special Events, Event Calendar, Pilgrimage, St Mary's Cathedral, Middlesbrough
Tickets for this year’s Summertime Special are still on sale, with comedian Jimmy Cricket and a host of top quality acts lined up to entertain on Friday September 28 in aid of our Lourdes Fund. Jimmy returns after last year’s smash success and there are also plenty of...
by Michael McG | Sep 5, 2018 | Bishop Terry, Pilgrimage
Bishop Terry is pictured with the 14th Station of the Cross on the 70th anniversary of it being carried to Walsingham by a group from Middlesbrough in July 1948. The board shows that they walked 236 miles, further than any of the other stations brought from around the...
by Michael McG | Sep 5, 2018 | Justice and Peace
Christians are encouraged to pray and care for the world around us each year during Creation Time from September 1 to October 4 (the Feast of St Francis). This year CaFE (Catholic Faith Exploration) has produced a new film-based resource for parishes, groups and...
by Michael McG | Sep 5, 2018 | Vocations
The Carmelite nuns at Thicket Priory in York are holding an information day for people interested in learning more about the contemplative life. “A lot of people ask about our life here, from the curious to those actively discerning a religious vocation,” said Mother...
by Michael McG | Aug 29, 2018 | Apostleship of the Sea, Bishop Terry, Miscellaneous, St Mary's Cathedral, Middlesbrough
Apostleship of the Sea invites you to a Mass in honour of their patron Stella Maris, Our Lady Star of the Sea. Come along and pray for the work of Apostleship of the Sea and for seafarers on Wednesday October 3 at 7pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Dalby Way, Coulby Newham,...
by Michael McG | Aug 17, 2018 | Lady Chapel
The forecast rain held off as Bishop Emeritus John Crowley returned to the diocese as principal celebrant for our annual Assumption Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Grace. Around 250 hardy pilgrims braved the difficult conditions on the climb to the Lady...
by Michael McG | Aug 9, 2018 | Voice Column
The World Meeting of Families takes place every three years. It started in 1994, when Pope St John Paul II asked the Pontifical Council for the Family (now part of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life) to establish an international event of prayer, catechesis...
by Michael McG | Aug 9, 2018 | Voice Column
We approach July with a hint of joy and some sadness. There is great joy because it is the time of the year when priestly anniversaries are commemorated. We have the opportunity to give thanks for many years of good, fruitful and faithful ministry. As a priest, one is...
by Michael McG | Aug 9, 2018 | HCPT, Organisations
HCPT Group 122 hosts its latest glittering Great Gatsby Ball at York Racecourse’s Ebor Suite on Saturday October 6. The evening includes a three-course meal, silent auction, raffle, casino and dancing, with money raised going to help the Hosanna House and...
by Michael McG | Jul 24, 2018 | Pope Francis
All 500,000 tickets for the closing Mass World Meeting of Families 2018 in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on Sunday August 26 have been booked out. Father Timothy Bartlett, secretary general of WMOF2018, said he wasn’t surprised at the huge level of interest in the event....
by Michael McG | Jul 18, 2018 | Bishop Terry
Bishop Terry invites you to join him for the annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham, from Saturday October 27 to Sunday October 28. The cost is £85 per person, including return transport, evening meal, B&B and Sunday lunch. Some ensuite rooms are available for...
by Michael McG | Jul 3, 2018 | Apostleship of the Sea
July 8 is Sea Sunday, when the Church asks us to pray for seafarers and support the work of AoS, whose chaplains and ship visitors provide practical and pastoral help in ports around the coast of Britain… Visiting a supermarket is a task we all take for granted....
by Michael McG | Jul 3, 2018 | Bishop Terry, Pilgrimage, postgate
Hundreds of pilgrims came from all over the diocese to the annual Postgate Rally in honour of the English and Welsh Martyrs and Blessed Nicholas Postgate. The rally takes place in Egton Bridge and Ugthorpe in alternate years and this time was held in Ugthorpe, which...
by Michael McG | Jun 26, 2018 | Lourdes
Bishop Terry’s Homily from the Lourdes Grotto Mass, May 2018… So how many of you watched the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19? I know it was a really difficult choice for some between the cup final and the wedding. There were crowds queuing up at...
by Michael McG | Jun 7, 2018 | CAFOD, CAFOD Appeals, St Mary's Cathedral, Middlesbrough
Many of our parishes have been organising Share the Journey walks to support the global Share the Journey campaign led by Pope Francis and Caritas Internationalis and stand up for the rights of refugees and migrants. Scarborough Catholic Parishes’ confirmation...
by Michael McG | Jun 4, 2018 | Bishop Terry's Pastoral Letters
Dear Brothers and Sisters, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2.5) I write this letter to you while in Lourdes with the Diocesan Pilgrimage, and these words have lodged firmly in my heart – it is the theme of Lourdes this year taken from the Gospel of the Wedding Feast...
by Michael McG | Jun 1, 2018 | Voice Column
As we leave the Easter Season behind us, with all its joys, celebrations and rich liturgy, we enter into the month of June. From a very natural point of view we hope that June will be a month of warmth and sunshine – sadly, this is not always the case! However, the...
by Michael McG | May 8, 2018 | Adoremus (Eucharistic Congress)
Catholics from our diocese are invited to attend the National Eucharistic Congress and hear an inspirational speaker who has been described as “one of the Church’s best messengers”. Bishop Robert Barron is the keynote speaker at the all-day event at the Liverpool Echo...
by Michael McG | May 3, 2018 | Blessed Nicholas Postgate, Parishes, Postgate Society, Redcar
Parishioners in Redcar have come up with a small way of promoting the Cause for the Canonisation of Blessed Nicholas Postgate by having badges made and offered for sale. In recent years the previous four parishes that served Redcar, namely Sacred Heart, St...
by Michael McG | Apr 25, 2018 | Justice and Peace
Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, the Diocese of Middlesbrough Justice and Peace Commission has launched its environment policy at All Saints’ School in York. The event contributed to activities around the globe for Earth Day on April 22 and the...
