29/2/2024 0 Comments Mrs Pauline Cregg RIPMrs Pauline Cregg was for 24 years parish secretary at Holy Trinity and a strong member and supporter of the Union of Catholic Mothers. Please pray for the repose of her soul and for the comfort of her family and friends. He Requiem Mass will take place at Holy Trinity on Monday 4th March at 10am following her Reception into church at 5.30pm the previous evening.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. ~Amen~
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By Bishop John Sherrington, Lead Bishop for Life Issues
Since Christmas, there has been an almost daily focus in the media on those who wish to see the introduction of legislation for assisted suicide, euphemistically called ‘assisted dying’. Esther Rantzen is probably the best-known celebrity whose campaign has been widely received. In contrast, Pope Francis’ prayer intention for February focuses on the care of those who are terminally ill and the importance of presence, care and prayer for those who are dying. He writes that we must distinguish between ‘incurable’ and ‘un-carable’ – there comes a point when illness is incurable but care is always needed and families must be supported in this: ‘families should not be left alone in these difficult moments… Their role is decisive… They need access to adequate means so as to provide appropriate physical, spiritual, and social support.’ Jesus was always close to the sick and healed them. The life of Jesus has led the hearts of countless Catholic healthcare professionals to be close to the sick, to treat, and care for them. Women and men religious have followed this vocation and founded Catholic hospitals around the world, nursing homes, and motivated many Christians to dedicate themselves to the care of the sick. A change in legislation about the end of life would threaten their work. Those doctors not wishing to participate in prescribing death would need to be able to object in conscience. The threat to the poor, the weak, those who may feel a burden, and those living with disability has been argued but seems unheard by many. Recently Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson was interviewed on Sky News (21/1/24) and argued that such legislation would increase the vulnerability of those living with disability and fundamentally alter the relationship between the individual and society. Some of the news stories have described the fear of the terrible pain of a terminal illness. Palliative care is always developing to deal with new forms of pain and new variations of an illness. No one should die in pain and this form of medicine is constantly seeking new scientific advances to improve its art. The suffering associated with being ill and the fear of dying are tangible realities. Relationships of pastoral and spiritual care can provide consolation and the support of Christ. Talking through one’s soul pain is an important step. The sacrament of the sick brings consolation, peace and healing to many people. It should not be delayed until death is imminent. It is a sacrament for the living. The preparation for death is a precious time when relationships can be healed and peace is found. Writing a will helps those who are left behind. The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes brings us close to St Bernadette. This year’s papal message focuses on the importance of healing relationships. Pope Francis writes, ‘Brothers and sisters, the first form of care needed in any illness is compassionate and loving closeness. To care for the sick thus means above all to care for their relationships, all of them: with God, with others – family members, friends, healthcare workers – with creation and with themselves. Can this be done? Yes, it can be done and all of us are called to ensure that it happens. Let us look to the icon of the Good Samaritan (cf Lk 10:25-37), to his ability to slow down and draw near to another person, to the tender love with which he cares for the wounds of a suffering brother.’ Jesus is the Good Shepherd who carries the broken and wounded sheep on his shoulders. He offers consolation, compassion and hope. He is alternative to the choice to end one’s life with assisted suicide. He is present to the dying as they are accompanied by others on this journey. Just as Our Lady stood at the foot of the cross, we are called to stand close to the dying in prayer and closeness and ask Our Lady’s help. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. St Bernadette, pray for us. Source: rcdow.org.uk Pensioners' Support Fair Friday 15th March 2024 10am-3pm hosted by Aaron Bell MP - a one-stop-shop for pensioners who want to know more about what services, activities and opportunities are available to them in Newcastle. Free admission. Venue: Queen Elizabeth Room, Castle House, Barracks Road, ST5 1BL. Wheelchair-accessible near bus station and car parks. There is also limited disabled parking outside Castle House. All pensioners, their families, friends and carers are welcome. And why not chat to Aaron over a cup of tea or coffee!
For more information please see: https://www.aaronbell.org.uk/pensioners-support-fair-2024 Ash Wednesday is fast approaching and CAFOD would like to invite you to join them as we all seek to make space and time to draw closer to God and our global family through reflection and prayer this Lent.
This year, as part of their reflections on one of the readings of the day, CAFOD will be sharing the stories of people from a fishing community in Liberia, as well as a daily prayer and suggested action you might like to take. Join this journey by signing up for CAFOD's daily Lent emails. Sign up now. “When our God reveals Himself, His message is always one of freedom,” Pope Francis says in the opening of his Message to the faithful for Lent 2024.
Recalling the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt, the Holy Father explains that our journey through the desert can be a season of grace – not an abstract journey, but a concrete path that involves seeing the world as it is and hearing the cries of our oppressed brothers and sisters. Countering a globalisation of indifferenceThe Pope insisted on the need to counter a “globalisation of indifference.” “Our Lenten journey will be concrete if… we realize that even today we remain under the rule of Pharoah. A rule that makes us weary and indifferent. A model of growth that divides us and robs us of our future.” At the same time, Pope Francis reminded us that it is God who takes the initiative. Too often, he said, there remains within us “an inexplicable longing for slavery,” a desire to cling to idols that paralyse us, as Israel was paralysed in the desert. Lent, however, is a “season of grace, a time of conversion,” where the desert can become “a place where our freedom can mature in a personal decision not to fall back into slavery,” where “we find new criteria of justice and a community with which we can press forward on a road not yet taken.” Pausing for prayer and to help our neighbourHe added that the Lenten journey involves a struggle. It is a time for action, the Pope said, but also a time “to pause” – to pause in prayer and to pause “in the presence of a wounded brother or sister.” “Love of God and love of neighbour are one love,” Pope Francis continued, explaining that “the contemplative dimension” of Lent can help us “release new energies,” to be “more sensitive to one another: in the place of threats and enemies, we discover companions and fellow travelers.” ‘A flash of new hope’Pope Francis concluded his Lenten message on a hopeful note: “To the extent that this Lent becomes a time of conversion, an anxious humanity will notice a burst of creativity, a flash of new hope.” Calling on the faithful to “be ready to take risks,” he invited them “to find the courage to see our world, not as in its death throes, but in a process of giving birth; not at the end, but at the beginning of a great new chapter of history.” “Faith and charity,” he said, “take hope, this small child, by the hand. They teach her to walk, and at the same time, she leads them forward.” Source: vaticannews.va |
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