St Cecilia and St Patrick's, Sunderland

Introduction

Since October 2020, Our Lady of Mercy Parish has been under the pastoral care of the Mill Hill Missionaries.

Music and liturgy

The parish's choirs sing at the weekend Masses and at the major celebrations. Parishioners who can play instruments are encouraged to use their skills for public worship on weekends and the major feast days. The parish organist can play at funerals if arranged.

Parish life

In early 2022, Our Lady of Mercy parish formed a partnership with St Joseph's parish in northern Uganda, committing to pray for each other. Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion visit sick parishioners, the housebound and those in care homes to pray with them. The bereavement ministry prays for the dead and appoints a member to pray for each deceased parishioner and their family for one year.

The Over 60s group meets at St Mary's Catholic Centre on Tuesday afternoons after the lunchtime Mass, as a social and support group. Couples preparing for marriage in the Catholic Church take part in a preparation course run by Marriage Care, which also supports married couples facing difficulties.

The Digital Media Evangelisation team uses social media and technology to spread the Good News and keep parishioners engaged, looking after the parish's social media accounts and website. Our Lady of Mercy Parish has three Catholic schools. St Anthony's Catholic Girls' Academy was formed by the Sisters of Mercy in 1904.

The parish publishes a weekly newsletter about the Sunday Gospel each Friday. The parish sends a newsletter to subscribers every week.

Sacraments and pastoral care

RCIA sessions use a Catholicism series and explore Scripture, Church teaching, and personal faith. The clergy and pastoral team visit sick or housebound parishioners, offering the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Communion, and pastoral visits.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist in distributing the Body and Blood of Christ at Mass, to the sick at home and in hospitals, and to the housebound. There is a Chaplaincy team and an on-call Catholic Chaplain based in Sunderland Royal Hospital for parishioners going into hospital.

A Requiem or Funeral Mass requires a reading from the Old Testament, a Responsorial Psalm, the New Testament and a Gospel. Altar servers assist the priest and deacon with Mass and other liturgical celebrations, and also help at weddings and funerals. Sacristans prepare the sacred vessels and vestments for Mass, look after the altar candles and sanctuary lamp, and wash and iron the altar cloths.

The St Vincent de Paul Society's members visit vulnerable or isolated people and offer them friendship and practical support. In St Mary's and St Cecilia's churches there are local secretaries that organise the collection of the Red Boxes and the forwarding of money to Missio.