Catholic Churches and Schools Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, UK

Catholic Parish, Church, School, Religious House, Chaplaincy and Organisation Information

Welcome

Everyone is welcome in a Catholic Parish. It is your parish, your church. You don't have to be a Catholic to visit a church - and you don't have to be a Catholic to attend a service.

Everyone is Welcome!

Find your local Catholic Church and join us for Mass - or just pop in and introduce yourself.

Catholic Catechism - definitions

Catholic Parish

515 A parish is a certain community of the Christian faithful stably constituted in a particular church, whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor (parochus) as its proper pastor under the authority of the diocesan bishop.

Quote from the Canon Law of the Catholic Church

Role of the Pastor

530 In order to fulfill his office diligently, a pastor is to strive to know the faithful entrusted to his care:

Therefore he is to visit families, sharing especially in the cares, anxieties, and griefs of the faithful, strengthening them in the Lord, and prudently correcting them if they are failing in certain areas. With generous love he is to help the sick, particularly those close to death, by refreshing them solicitously with the sacraments and commending their souls to God; with particular diligence he is to seek out the poor, the afflicted, the lonely, those exiled from their country, and similarly those weighed down by special difficulties. He is to work so that spouses and parents are supported in fulfilling their proper duties and is to foster growth of Christian life in the family.

§2. A pastor is to recognize and promote the proper part which the lay members of the Christian faithful have in the mission of the Church, by fostering their associations for the purposes of religion. He is to cooperate with his own bishop and the presbyterium of the diocese, also working so that the faithful have concern for parochial communion, consider themselves members of the diocese and of the universal Church, and participate in and sustain efforts to promote this same communion

Quote from the Canon Law of the Catholic Church

A Catholic Parish may have more than one Church or chapel

What is a Catholic School?

A Catholic School is a school which is connected to the Catholic Church and is usually in line with the local laws and curriculum and includes a Catholic ethos.

What is a Religious House?

A Religious House is a place where members of a religious order reside - the house may be open to the public or may be enclosed - depending on the type of Religious Order and the purpose of the house itself. Please check before visiting

What is a Catholic Chaplaincy?

A Catholic Chaplaincy will be place which ministers to a particular type of person. This may be a Language or cultural group, a University chaplaincy catering to students, a Prison Chaplaincy ministering to Prisoners or a Hospital/Hospice caring for those who are unwell and those that care for them.

What is a Catholic Organisation or Association?

There are many Catholic Organisations and Associations. They are diverse in the purpose and membership. They may be run by priests or by lay people and they mey be registered charities or they may be initiatives or movements without a specific structure.