Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope,where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven.
~ Pope Francis
Who We Are – Our parish has a growing, talented congregation – growing in the numbers taking part in Mass (30% rise in the past three years), in the diversity of participants, including young families, and in the range of social, educational, spiritual and cultural activities. Everyone is welcome to join us.
If you are not a regular churchgoer but are searching for a spiritual home where you can find acceptance and God’s healing love, you will be especially welcome. You may be hesitant about doing this if you are visiting Holy Name for the first time or, perhaps, returning to church after an absence. If this is the case, and you so wish, our parish priest, Fr Michael Campion, would be happy to meet privately with you beforehand.
Our Parish Priest
Our Parish Deacon
19th Sunday of Ordinary Time 9 August 2026
Like Burnham, I was an altar boy. His Catholic upbringing is shaping the way he governs
Like Andy Burnham, I was once an enthusiastic altar boy, although I don’t recall competing to be at the front with the communion plate as the prime minister apparently did. Much of my motivation had little to do with piety. The tips received for serving at weddings were often very generous and I got on well with Father Jerome, an engagingly worldly monk from Ampleforth who shared my passion for Manchester United.
I’m five years older than Burnham, but the atmosphere of the small-town northern Catholicism we grew up with will have been much the same. The second Vatican council’s reforms, responding to the social changes under way since the 1960s, were “democratising” the tone and style of worship, and traditionalists were mourning the sidelining of the old Latin mass. The huge success of Pope John Paul II’s groundbreaking visit to Britain in 1982 – the first by a reigning pontiff – had made the faith seem more mainstream and less rarefied. Politically, most Catholics voted Labour, and the large number of Celtic surnames in parish registers testified to a demographic significantly different from Anglican congregations, which were both more English and more Tory.
To read the full article by Julian Coman in The Guardian, click here.
Mass Times and Intentions 8 – 16 August 2026
Saturday – Mass 4pm – – Harry Burrell (A)
Sunday – Mass 10am – Josi Pereira Batista (A)
Tuesday – Mass 10am – Catherine and George (A) Carr
Thursday – Holy Communion Service 10am (in hall)
Saturday – Mass 4pm – Sheilagh Boylan (A)
Sunday – Mass 10am – Liam and Jane McManus
Sacrament of Penance (Confession) – Saturdays 3.30-3.50pm and after every weekday Mass.
Holidays – We wish all members and friends of Holy Name who are travelling this summer, and visitors joining us for Mass, a safe and refreshing holiday.
‘Flashes of Insight’ – This is an international, English-speaking digital platform for moderate, post-Vatican II Roman Catholic commentary, essays and theological reflection. It provides short, measured pieces focusing on church reform, synodality and contemporary global issues. You can sign up to receive notifications of each article. It was co-founded by theologian Thomas O’Loughlin. Go to https://flashesinsight.com/
Lift the Ban on Lay Preachers – We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the instruction from Rome which prohibits the use of lay preachers at Mass. We are a lay preaching team of six people, three men and three women, from a small multicultural parish where members are predominantly of refugee and immigrant origin. Our parish priest has led us in training, both in exploring the Scriptures and in understanding the dynamics of the Liturgy. For the past eight years we have been sharing the preaching ministry, when our pastor is away and we lead Eucharistic services, and once a month during the main parish Mass, which he celebrates. While we and our community greatly appreciate our pastor’s preaching, both he and we recognise the need for diverse voices to be heard.
From the very first time that we had a lay preacher, the parish community has shown overwhelming support. Our team is diverse in nationality, background and experience, and we bring all of these to our understanding and sharing of the Word. This is synodality in action – our voices blend with that of our priest as he celebrates the Eucharist. But the lay preacher brings a different life experience, reflecting on the Word in the light of the intensity of the joys and struggles of daily family life and work. Every time we have a lay preacher at a service here, almost without exception visitors affirm their experience enthusiastically.
The teaching of Vatican II emphasises the role of charisms given by the Holy Spirit through Baptism and Confirmation, while both Pope Francis and Pope Leo have called upon us to build a synodal Church where the voices of the laity really count. The theological justification used by the Congregation for the Liturgy appears to be more about clerical control rather than an understanding of the role of charisms among the People of God and the Eucharist forming a Community of Mission. We believe that we have been led by the Holy Spirit and feel that we would be unfaithful if we did not continue. ~ Letter to The Tablet, 6 August
Mass Intentions – If you wish to have someone remembered by name at Mass – for an anniversary of death, sickness, birthday or other occasion – please use a Mass Intention envelope (available at the back of church). As there is a waiting list, please make your request a few weeks in advance.
Mobile Phones – A number of parishioners have asked that we switch off or turn our mobiles to ‘silent’ when we take part in Mass.
Today is the birthday of the English writer John Dryden, born 1631 in the village of Aldwincle All Saints in Northamptonshire. He wrote plays, poems, essays, and satires, and he was the leading literary figure of the late 17th century. Dryden wrote the following poem, “Happy Man,” in imitation of Horace, Book 3, Ode 29 (1685):
Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own:
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.
Be fair or foul or rain or shine
The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine.
Not heaven itself upon the past has power,
But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.
Faith and Football – Fr Marc Lyden-Smith, chaplain to Sunderland AFC and parish priest of St Michael’s, Houghton-le-Spring and the parishes of Holy Rosary, Immaculate Heart of Mary and St Leonard’s (Silksworth) in Sunderland, has written his book Faith and Football: Played for the Glory which will be published next month by McCrimmons. “A fine read whether you like football or not”, says Bishop Stephen.
Mary’s Place Homeless Café – Located at St Mary’s Cathedral (opposite Central Station) the Centrealwaysneeds sleeping bags, socks, men’s and women’s underwear (new) and deodorants. Contact Ged Downey on 07740 336459 if you can help. If you’d be willing to be a volunteer, email marys.place@outlook.com if you can help.
Monday is the anniversary of the death of Joaquín Sorolla, born 1863, a Spanish painter whose style was a variant of Impressionism and whose best works, painted in the open air, vividly portray the sunny seacoast of Valencia.
Congratulations to Peter and Kathleen Ronan who celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on 1 August.
All Well – We are delighted to report that the gentleman who needed ambulance assistance after Mass in the hall last Sunday is home and well.
Climate Denial – You might expect climate denial to be a thing of the past. Sadly, some people remain unconvinced, and some deniers hold positions of power. That is why a group of leading UK scientists and experts met in London last November to raise public and political awareness of the climate crisis. They presented evidence of the scale of the threat and possible solutions. Their aim was to build enough public pressure to force the government to confront the problem directly. The meeting and contributions were filmed, and we will show The People’s Emergency Briefing in the parish hall at 7:00 PM on Wednesday 23 September. Introduced by Chris Packham, the film is interesting, informative, frightening, but ultimately hopeful. ~ Patrick Harrigan
Holy Name Book Club – The next meeting on 30 September is for Ivan Turgenev’s novel of 1862 ‘Fathers and Sons’. You will be most welcome to join us.
Bazarov—a gifted, impatient, and caustic young man—has journeyed from school to the home of his friend Arkady Kirsanov. But soon Bazarov’s outspoken rejection of authority and social conventions touches off quarrels, misunderstandings, and romantic entanglements that will utterly transform the Kirsanov household and reflect the changes taking place across all of nineteenth-century Russia. Fathers and Sons enraged the old and the young, reactionaries, romantics, and radicals alike when it was first published. At the same time, Turgenev won the acclaim of Flaubert, Maupassant, and Henry James for his craftsmanship as a writer and his psychological insight. Fathers and Sons is now considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century. A timeless depiction of generational conflict during social upheaval, it vividly portrays the clash between the older Russian aristocracy and the youthful radicalism that foreshadowed the revolution to come—and offers modern-day readers much to reflect upon as they look around at their own tumultuous, ever-changing world. (goodreads.com)
Monday is the anniversary of the day in 1950 that Sunset Boulevard, considered one of Hollywood’s greatest films, had its world premiere; the film noir is especially noted for Gloria Swanson’s portrayal of a fading movie star.
Parish Bookstall – The Bookstall in aid of our charities is up and running again in the Hall. Please drop in to have a look on Sunday mornings after Mass. Many thanks to all who have given donations. You can leave any donation of books at the back of church after Mass on Saturday or take them round to the hall on Sunday morning. Many thanks for your generosity. ~ Lynn and Kevin Dresser
Prison Visiting – Do you have a listening ear? Are you empathetic and non-judgemental and have a couple of hours free to share? If so, have you thought about becoming an Official Prison Visitor (OPV)? The National Association of Official Prison Visitors (NAOPV) have OPVs in most prisons throughout England & Wales, who come from all sections of the community and are of every age, race, religion, gender and colour. We actively encourage young people from ethnic minorities to join us as you are under-represented in our organisation. As an OPV, you’ll visit prisoners who rarely, if ever, have visits and who have few or no links to family and friends outside. Committing to regular visits, taking the outside world into their closed world, bringing hope and companionship is the main role of an OPV.If you are interested and would like more information, please scan the QR code on the poster which will take you to the website or email: enquiries@naopv.com
Poetry Group – We meet next on Wednesday 17 September for poems on the theme of ‘The Good Life’. Meetings last one hour and you are very welcome to join our merry group and share a published poem of your choice, related to the theme, with the other members.
timing is everything
by Gerald Locklin
the horoscope this morning
really put me on my guard,
sent the adrenalin coursing
through my veins,
as it predicted a crucial confrontation
that would require all the will and
ingenuity that i could muster …
until i remembered i was looking at
a week-old student newspaper.
Dissatisfied? Taking part in Mass at Holy Name should be a prayerful and uplifting experience. If you are dissatisfied with the service you receive or with any aspect of parish life, including its management, please let Fr Campion know. Our members’ satisfaction is paramount. ‘The Christian faithful have the right and even at times, the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters that obtain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known’. (Code of Canon Law 212.3)
Tuesday is the anniversary of the day in 1964 that the Beatles’ first feature film, A Hard Day’s Night, had its U.S. premiere in New York City. Released during the height of Beatlemania, it is now widely considered a classic. (It’s said that if you can remember the 60s you weren’t there.)
Wednesday is the anniversary of the day in 1966 when, during a press conference, Lennon apologized for saying that the Beatles was “more popular than Jesus now”, a comment that sparked protests and album burnings, particularly in the southern United States.
Here’s another songs from the Hard Days Night album.
Quality Wines From £15 by Jane McQuitty in The Times
Enjoying good, ordinary wine is one of summer’s greatest pleasures, but sometimes you want to splash out on something special. Perhaps there’s a graduation to celebrate or a stonking set of exam results. Maybe you’re about to go on holiday — or you’ve just got back and need cheering up. The good news is that you can treat yourself without spending a fortune. I’ve found some cracking supermarket steals here.
2025 Queen Côtes de Provence, France, 13 per cent, Sainsbury’s, £15, down from £18 to Aug 11
Very occasionally a celebrity rosé crops up that is worth the money and Roger Taylor, Queen’s drummer, working with the Provençal winery Les Caves du Commandeur, has made one of them. It’s a thirst-quenching, bold, ripe, red berry-licked grenache-led pink, topped up with cinsault.
2023 Catena Appellation Agrelo Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina, 13.5 per cent, Tesco, £16
Agrelo is one of the Mendoza sub region Lujan de Cuyo’s top spots and the extra polish from the site, plus part fermentation and ageing in French oak barrels, makes for a magical cabernet sauvignon. With fine tannins and stylishly integrated oak, it’s a juicy, spiced red plum mouthful.
2022 Exceptional Côte de Beaune Villages, France 13 per cent, Asda, £18
Asda is the last place you’d expect to find a tip-top red burgundy that put the other £18 offerings here to shame. Anyone tucking into this handsome, bright, leafy, gamey pinot noir with lovely balance and vibrant fruit will have a wonderful time.
2024 Nanny Goat Pinot Noir, New Zealand, 13.5 per cent, Waitrose, £17, down from £20 until Aug 18
Remote and achingly beautiful Central Otago way down south in New Zealand’s south island is one of the world’s top spots for the pinot noir grape. See for yourself with this small French oak barrel aged and fermented, smoky, tangy, cranberry-fruited 2024.
2023 Josh Cellars Merlot, US, 13.5 per cent, Majestic, £17.50 or 6 for £14.50 each
The film Sideways gave plump, plummy, easy-drinking merlot a bad name. Too bad because Josh Cellars’ ripe, juicy, damson plum-packed edition, finished off with almost two years in French oak, is proof positive that California merlot can and does make a wonderfully summery swig.
Climate Denial – You might expect climate denial to be a thing of the past. Sadly, some people remain unconvinced, and some deniers hold positions of power. That is why a group of leading UK scientists and experts met in London last November to raise public and political awareness of the climate crisis. They presented evidence of the scale of the threat and possible solutions. Their aim was to build enough public pressure to force the government to confront the problem directly. The meeting and contributions were filmed, and we will show The People’s Emergency Briefing in the parish hall at 7:00 PM on Wednesday 23 September. Introduced by Chris Packham, the film is interesting, informative, frightening, but ultimately hopeful. ~ Patrick Harrigan
Nature Notes – The world’s largest tern species is enjoying a Yorkshire holiday. With its huge red bill, shaggy black crest and wingspan of more than four feet, the Caspian tern is causing quite a stir at the Nosterfield Nature Reserve. Hovering high over the water, the fish eater waits until it spots a fin or a flash of scale and then plunges. A stunningly graceful dive ends in an almighty splash. As its name suggests, the Caspian tern was a long way from home: these birds do indeed nest on the Caspian Sea. Actually they have a wide distribution. With an estimated global population of between only 240,000 and 470,000 individuals, the species can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Very few nomadic individuals visit the UK, usually in summer. ~ Jonathan Tulloch in The Times, 8 August
Rod Liddle, the provocative journalist and columnist for the Spectator, the Sunday Times and the Sun, died last Sunday at the age of 66. His columns and his Saturday morning shows for Times Radio, gave his fans, mainly on the political right, all they needed to fulfil their prejudices, laced with a satirical edge and verve …The columns regularly became boisterously laden with invective moderated by an ebullient, wrecking-ball humour and were the subject of regular complaints by those who did not see the “joke”. A tousled and dishevelled figure, shirt flapping open, Liddle’s iconoclastic targets in recent years have included bureaucrats, politicians, “thought police”, campaigners for gay and trans rights and, above all and constantly, the supposed politically correct, liberal-left elite alleged to be undermining the stolid, respectable working classes, leaving them feeling left behind and ignored.. He gave his many fans, mainly on the political right, all they needed to fulfil their prejudices, laced with a satirical edge and verve.(The Guardian) Here are three extracts from his Spectator columns …The man could write!
Meeting Abu Hamza
He is, you have to say, anti-democratic, democracies being callow, man-made things, and, as a final irony, he doesn’t even agree with the concept of absolute freedom of speech. Ask him about it and his one good eye gets cloudy and he starts mumbling dark things about Salman Rushdie. Abu Hamza thinks Abu Hamza should have the freedom to speak his mind because, of course, it’s not really Abu Hamza speaking, but, in essence, God. Should we deny freedom of speech to someone who doesn’t really believe in freedom of speech? Of course not. We let them have it. We let them have it and allow the injustice and contradiction inherent in such a stance do for them, in the end. (‘Don’t expel Dr Hook’, 15 March 2003)
On buses… and Spectator readers
One of the lovely things about writing for The Spectator is that we have an extremely knowledgeable and well-read audience, so there is no need to explain the sort of stuff that one would need to explain were one writing for the Sun, say, or the New Statesman. An article about humorous verse of the mid-19th century, for example, would not require a preamble making it clear that Edward Lear did not, in his spare time, make jet aeroplanes. You know that already. This holds true for an agreeably diverse range of subjects; however, there is always an exception to test the rule. Occasionally a subject crops up which lies some way beyond the horizon of even – perhaps especially – the most well-informed of our readers; little details one would be slightly disappointed to discover were known to the average Spectator reader. And on these rare occasions, remedial explanation is required.
So, then: buses are those big red things full of poor people you see clogging up the traffic in the middle of London. You may have been stuck behind one on your way to lunch at Simpson’s; you may even have ridden on one, when you were a child and both impecunious and possessed of a sense of adventure. There are a lot, lot more of them these days, though – which is rather the point of this article. (‘A miserable waste of space’, 30 September 2006)
Staying at home
I’ve had enough of this. No more dawn drives to the gates of hell (specifically Gate To Hell Number 21, a 15-minute trek from the departure lounge, once you’ve had some tyrant insist you remove your belt and put all your stuff in trays and stand in some scanning machine to make sure you haven’t got three pounds of Semtex up your *******) Henceforth, we’re staying at home, in the UK.
Travelling used to be fun. Since 9/11 it has involved endless security rigmarole, and queues everywhere for everything. And the cabin crew now believe that they are much more than mere peripatetic waiters: they are the front line in the Defence Against Terror, and they will not be gainsaid, questioned, queried. The look of self-righteousness on their faces is the same look you see on the faces of cyclists, vegans and Dominic Grieve. Going business class is a mere palliative, and a ruinous one when you have three kids. So you spend your two weeks abroad dreading the flight home and, if you’re well orf, get to the airport early to take advantage of the business lounge, which is crammed full of plebs offering only stewed coffee and the remains of a Danish pastry. (‘Home and away’, 8 August 2019)
From The Friends of Jesmond Old Cemetery – We have been shortlisted in a national competition organised by Find My Past, in partnership with Heritage Open Days. The ‘Everyday History Heroes’ award celebrates the historic and cultural sites that champion the stories of ordinary people and we are just one of three sites in the North East that have been selected for the public vote – how exciting!! Historian and broadcaster, David Olusoga OBE has described the Friends of Jesmond Old Cemetery as “being dedicated to making sure every one of the cemetery’s moving stories is told. With research, online archives and events, they explore the lives of the people buried within this historic Newcastle landmark, transforming names carved in stone into rich testimonies of everyday life.” In our bid to be shortlisted, we said that “every gravestone in Jesmond Old Cemetery represents a life, a family and a stor that deserves to be remembered. Being shortlisted is a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the people who shaped our city and ensure their histories continue to inspire future generations.” If we win, we’ll receive £1,000 towards our work in Jesmond Old Cemetery – this is a huge amount of money for us. So, if you have ever been on one of our tours, visited our website, listened to one of our talks or just walked through this hidden gem, please give us your vote. Vote here
Prime Minister’s Support for Palliative Care – Archbishop John Sherrington, Archbishop of Liverpool and Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Bishops’ Conference, has welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s call for palliative care services to be properly funded. The Prime Minister has stated that palliative care and social care funding need to be “fixed” so that vulnerable people can have “peace of mind” about the care that they receive towards the end of their life. Archbishop John Sherrington said: “It is highly significant that the Prime Minister has confirmed his position about the need for proper palliative and social care ahead of the Second Reading of the fundamentally flawed Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in September. People who are dying are vulnerable and need compassionate care and spiritual accompaniment until their last breath.” Read more.
Wednesday is the birthday of Jules Massenet, born 1842, a leading French opera composer, whose music is admired for its lyricism, sensuality, occasional sentimentality, and theatrical aptness.
Charity Management – The Parish of the Holy Name is part of the Hexham and Newcastle Diocese registered charity. As such, it is good governance that all charitable activities under the auspices of the Holy Name should be reported to and noted by the parish’s Charity Committee. Resulting donations managed by the Holy Name parish must be processed and recorded in the parish accounts before dispersal. We have a very generous community and many of us organise and manage charitable activities. The Charity Committee must be informed of intentions by members of the parish to promote any charity or to organise charitable events within the church or hall before any arrangements are made. All such charities must be in keeping with the ethos of the Church. The Charity Committee members are: John Waddell, Deacon Jeremy Wynne, John Gilroy, Clare Robson and Fr Michael Campion.
Parish Registration – If you’ve never completed one before, or if you did but changed address or contact details in recent years, please complete and return a Registration Form available at the back of church. In addition to your name and contact details, we ask you to provide the name of a next of kin that we – God forbid – can contact in the event of an emergency. The form also allows you to join any of the liturgical ministries and spiritual, educational, social and cultural activities of our thriving community.
Prayer for People Critically Ill or Facing Great Uncertainty
God of the present moment,
God who in Jesus stills the storm and soothes the frantic heart,
bring hope and courage to all who wait or work in uncertainty.
Bring them hope that you will make them the equal of whatever lies ahead.
Bring them courage to endure what cannot be avoided,
for your will is health and wholeness;
you are God, and we need you.
—Adapted from New Zealand Prayer Book, p. 765
Please remember the following who are ill – Claire Holloway, Diana Ross Richards, Mike Hannon, Fr John Coyle, Fr Andrew Faley, Frank McCombie, Winifrede McCombie, George Taylor, Bob Murphy, a severely mentally ill person and Frs John Skivington, Ronnie Brown, Syd Riley, Seamus McGivern, Bernard Pitt and Deacon Michael Rowell. May the Lord grant them comfort, strengthen them in their weakness, take away their fear and give them his peace.
Friday is the anniversary of the day in 1880 that the building of Cologne Cathedral was completed. Originally started in 1248, it became the largest Gothic church in northern Europe and the city’s major landmark.
Social Events – Our social activities are open to all members of the wider community. You don’t have to be a Catholic to join. All are welcome.
Holy Name Walking Group – Our next walk will be on Thursday 10 September. Details will be sent to group nearer the time. If you wish to join us, please register with the Parish Secretary. ~ Helen and Philippa
A Stay in Hospital – If you or any members of your family are going into hospital and wished to meet the Catholic Chaplain, please ask a member of the ward staff to contact the Catholic Chaplain. Alternatively, you can contact the Chaplaincy Department Office directly. For the RVI and Freeman Hospitals here in Newcastle, telephone 0191 233 6161 (Catholic Chaplain: Fr Mariadass). In an emergency, please ask the Ward Sister to contact the on-call Catholic chaplain. Please do not contact your own parish priest who will be unable to respond due to hospital protocols.
Follow Holy Name on Social Media – Holy Name is now on Facebook and Instagram. Please follow our pages to keep up to date with parish news, Mass times, events, groups and community updates. You can also help us by liking, sharing and commenting on posts so that more people in our parish and local community can see what is happening at Holy Name.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HolyNameJesmond
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holynamejesmond
Gift Aid – If you pay tax and make donations to our parish, we can claim back from HM Revenue & Customs – and at no extra cost to you – 25p for every £1 you donate. This is a valuable source of income for the parish – it supports the work of our parish as well as helps to pay for the maintenance of our near 100 year old church. I am most grateful to everyone who supports Holy Name in this way. If you have not done so already, and you pay tax, please sign up for our Gift Aid scheme by completing this Gift Aid Declaration HN 2025 and returning it to the parish office.
Office Hours – Excluding Bank Holidays, the normal parish office hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm. Emails received outside these times will be answered on the next working day.