Leigh Pastoral Area

Saturday, January 10, 2009

New bishop for Hexham and Newcastle

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Canon Seamus Cunningham, at present Administrator of the vacant Diocese, to become the 13th Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. He will be ordained bishop and installed in St Mary’s Cathedral Church, Newcastle on Friday, 20 March 2009 at 12 noon - the feast of St Cuthbert, patron of the Diocese.

The Bishop-elect, aged 66, has completed almost 43 years priestly service to the Diocese. Born on 7 July 1942 at Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland, he was educated at local schools, which included St Nathy’s College, Ballaghaderreen at which Bishop James Cunningham (1957-1974) had also been a student for a short time.  Seamus Cunningham studied for the priesthood at St John’s College, Waterford, where he was ordained priest for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle on 12 June 1966.  He began as assistant priest in Our Lady and St Joseph’s parish, Brooms, in North West Durham, from September 1966 until August 1971.  From 1971 ­ 1972 he was at English Martyrs, Newcastle upon Tyne. Then spent one year, 1972 ­ 1973, at the new Corpus Christi College, London preparing to begin work as a Diocesan Religious Education and Cathechetics advisor, he returned to live and work in the Cathedral but also visited our schools throughout the Diocese.  In 1978 he succeeded Father Leo Pyle as Director of Religious Education in the Diocese and also as Chaplain to St Mary’s Teaching Training College of the Sacred Heart of Education at Fenham.  From 1984 to 1987 he spent three years as Spiritual Director to student s for the priesthood at Ushaw College, Durham.  In 1987 he returned to St Mary’s Cathedral where he was to spend the next 10 years as Administrator and Parish Priest. He was appointed to the Chapter of Canons shortly afterwards.  He moved to his present parish of St Oswin’s, Tynemouth and St Mary’s, Cullercoats in 1988 after a short sabbatical in the States.  Bishop Ambrose Griffiths had appointed him one of four Vicars General in 2001.  Bishop Kevin Dunn appointed Canon Cunningham as the sole Vicar General. He held this post until the Bishop’s death on 1 March 2008. He was with him and his family throughout his illness and death, and was elected Diocesan Administrator on 2 March 2008.

Such a long, varied and wide experience of pastoral, educational and administrative work throughout the diocese has made him known as a quiet builder of both parish and diocesan communities.

Canon Cunningham said: “Although I was surprised to be asked to undertake this task, I am glad that the Diocese will not have to face another change of style within very few years. I hope to start by continuing Bishop Kevin’s initiatives before seeking anew what will be best at this time to meet the many challenges in spreading the Gospel today and working with other church bodies and the civil authorities”.

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

John baptized Jesus with water.

The Spirit broke through Earth’s edges
gushed into the world of time
and told us again

God is with us.

Spirit,
tear open
the heavens.
Break through our
Boundaries, set-in-stone,
and descend right into the depths
of our hearts.

Pour rivers of grace upon us.

Copyright © 2008, The Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University. All rights reserved.

ARCHBISHOP KELLY TRAVELS TO THE HOLY LAND

The Most Reverend Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool and Vice President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, is leading a group of European and North American Bishops to the Holy Land from 9th to 15th January.  Leaving Liverpool for the Middle East, the Archbishop said: 

‘Everyone I meet at this time speaks with immense sadness of the suffering and destruction taking place in Gaza and the fears of the people in Israel because of rocket attacks.  Having visited the Holy Land many times and Gaza once, this sadness reflects my own heart at this time.  The conflict has deep roots but the priority now must be the immediate end to all violence.  Violence is evil especially when it blocks humanitarian relief desperately needed.  Because the roots are so deep and complex this outburst of violence cries out for such wise and courageous leadership that justice for all those for whom the Holy Land is home is achieved so that all violence is relegated to the past and peace shall be secured for generations to come.

‘Because of my brief visit to Gaza and messages from there in recent days I am also very conscious at this time of the small Christian community living in Gaza.  The people, religious sisters and parish priest, Fr Manuel, need our prayers as they struggle to witness to the Gospel of Peace.  The Church in the Holy Land has a unique vocation and this week I will be travelling to Bethlehem along with Bishops from Europe and North America to be in solidarity with the Latin Patriarch and the Local Church through the Holy Land Coordination.  This is one of the means by which we seek to stand alongside the Christians living throughout Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

‘The purpose of the Holy Land co-ordination has always been to accompany the Churches in the Holy Land in their fidelity to two God-given tasks: never to be silent in the face of injustice or violence and always to proclaim and live the reconciliation accomplished by our Lord on a hill called Calvary.  The situation in Gaza makes this visit of solidarity, above all in prayer, by Bishops from North America and Europe a clear call from the Holy Spirit as we begin 2009.

‘I join with the Holy Father and the leaders of the Church in the Holy Land in their prayer for the dead, the injured, the broken hearted, those who mourn and live night and day in fear.  We all need the fulfilment of that blessing first entrusted by the Lord God to Moses:

“May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace�.’

The Holy Land Co-ordination meets every January in the Holy Land with the aim of acting in solidarity with local Christians and sharing in the pastoral life of the local Church as it experiences intense political and social-economic pressure.