CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF ENGLAND AND WALES Statement from the President and the Vice-President of the Conference on the Prime Minister’s Statement Saturday 31st October 2020 This evening, the Prime Minister announced further widespread restrictions in England beginning on Thursday 5th November. The Government have published their New National Restrictions Guidance on their website here. Whilst there was no formal announcement on Places of Worship by the Prime Minister, there is clear guidance on this website that places of worship will be required to end all acts of collective worship, except for funeral ceremonies. In response the following statement is issued by the President and Vice-President of the Bishops' Conference. The announcement of a new 'national lockdown' in England will, we know, bring hardship, distress and suffering to many. We must hope and pray that this is an effective strategy against a growing pandemic which has tragically taken so many lives already and threatens so many more. Faith communities have played a vital role in sustaining personal, spiritual and mental health and encouraging vital charitable activities, which support hundreds of thousands of people in all sections of the community, especially the most vulnerable. That critical service towards the common good of all is created and sustained by communal worship and prayer. Part of this selfless giving has been a strong ethic of responsibility in the way in which we have reopened our churches so that essential worship has been enabled. Our communities have done a great deal to make our churches safe places in which all have been able to gather in supervised and disciplined ways. It is thus a source of deep anguish now that the Government is requiring, once again, the cessation of public communal worship. Whilst we understand the many difficult decisions facing the Government, we have not yet seen any evidence whatsoever that would make the banning of communal worship, with all its human costs, a productive part of combatting the virus. We ask the Government to produce this evidence that justifies the cessation of acts of public worship. To counter the virus we will, as a society, need to make sustained sacrifices for months to come. In requiring this sacrifice, the Government has a profound responsibility to show why it has taken particular decisions. Not doing so risks eroding the unity we need as we enter a most difficult period for our country. The Prime Minister has stated that the draft legislation will be placed before Parliament on Monday 2nd November. Members of Parliament will have the opportunity to discuss the issues and vote on the proposed national restrictions. In this short timeframe, questions can be raised with our elected Members of Parliament regarding the cessation of public common worship. They are in a position to require the Government to publish the data that drives the decision to cease public worship under these restrictions. Cardinal Vincent Nichols Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP President Vice-President
For anyone seeking practical advice on wider matters in these difficult times, please click on the left hand link.
Resumption of Masses from 4th July
Great news! Bishop Terry has given his permission for Masses to be resumed from 4th July albeit under some strict health and safety measures as you can well understand. I have been informed that weekend Mass times must remain the same and that another Mass on Sunday is not allowed. Incidentally, when some Catholic Churches re-opened in North America recently, only about 30% of the Congregation were there. If anyone is unable to be seated in the Church there is a small overflow in the Church Hall (6 people only) and there is also the possibility for anyone who waits in their car for about 25 minutes reading the Sunday missalette, to enter the Church for Holy Communion when Parishioners exit through the Church Hall. Sorry, not ideal, but at least something. Please arrive at the Church door off the car park and not the Union Street entrance which will be closed. Parishioners will be welcomed by a steward outside the door who will ask you for your name and contact details (for Track and Trace if necessary). He/she will direct you steadily to the second steward inside the Church porch, who will point out hand sanitisers, Please take Mass sheets, newsletters and Covid 19 rules and take them away with you at the end of Mass. A third steward will guide you to your seat. 2 metre social distancing in the Church is extremely important. Parishioners living in the same household can sit together, but single household Parishioners must sit 2 metre distance separately at the end of the open pews to comply with Church and Government Guidelines.
Please do get in touch if you are anxious and would like to talk. If you need help during the coronavirus pandemic, please contact me Fr James on 01759 303126, 42 Union Street Pocklington YO42 2JN or pocklingtoncatholicchurch@rcdmidd.org.uk and I shall try to arrange support from the parish.
Live Streaming of Mass - There are many websites that have live streaming of Mass eg:- St Mary’s Driffield :- www.driffieldcatholicchurch.org.uk
St Peter’s Scarborough: www.scarboroughcatholicparishes.org.uk/#modal
Our Lady of Lourdes and St Peter Chanel: You Tube; https:www.youtube.com/channel/ UCZnDApaiq78k18bk-iM6ddA
Our Lady of York: Their You Tube Channel is called “York Oratory” There are also websites from around the world and I understand that the Pope’s daily Mass from the Vatican will be streamed live.
Updated information will appear on the left side of the Church noticeboard as well as here.
Weekly newsletters will also be available in the Church porch and on the parish website as well as Sunday Mass sheets – please take a copy home with you.
Deacon David Cross, Adult Formation Co-ordinator, has sent out the following information;
Parishes live streaming Mass:
Our Lady of Lourdes and St Peter Chanel, Hull:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/
St Therese of Lisieux Ingleby Barwick:
https://stthereseingleby.org.
Our Lady’s, Acomb
https://www.facebook.com/
Our Lady & St Edward, Driffield
All masses from Driffield can be seen on tv. Just go into web pages for Driffield Catholic Church and click onto Church TV. Many people already do this.
Scarborough St Peters
All Masses & events live streamed. In order to access this, one needs to go to our website and click the link which is in the panel to the right of the screen. The website address is: https://www.
Knock Shrine
https://www.knockshrine.ie/
Walsingham National Shrine
http://www.walsingham.org.uk/
York Oratory
https://www.youtube.com/
Streaming of Masses and other liturgies http://www.heavensroadfm.com/
Online Prayer/Scripture Resources
Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales also for up to date news on Covid-19
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/
Jesuits in Britain Journeying with Jesus: A Gospel Lenten Pilgrimage:
https://pray-as-you-go.org/p/
Magnificat Online (Can also be purchased as a hard copy) Contains morning and evening prayer, Mass readings and order of Mass, daily reflections and articles from major religious writers. There’s also the children’s version available called ‘Magnifikid’
http://www.magnificat.net/
Word Among Us Daily Mass readings, reflections and essays
https://wau.org/
Universalis has the whole of the Divine Office online along with daily Mass readings. The web version is free but this is a slightly different translation due to copyright of the actual text. This can be paid for by subscription if you would like that text. You can pick which hours of the day that you wish to pray
http://universalis.com/
Stations of the Cross
https://www.jesuit.org.uk/
http://www.
Catholic Online
https://www.catholic.org/
Sacred Space
https://www.sacredspace.ie/
The Rosary
https://therosary.online/
CAFOD Lent Calendar
https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/
Word On Fire
https://special.wordonfire.
Daily Meditations from Pope Francis
http://w2.vatican.va/content/
Jesuit Ministries – Thinking Faith
https://www.thinkingfaith.org/