Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham

Darlington Mission

3 May 2026 – Fifth Sunday of Easter

Mass today is offered for Eileen Wiper – R.I.P.

Group Pastor – Fr. Thomas Mason – thomas.mason@ordinariate.org.uk  – 01833 631457 – 07876 308657

Assistant Priest – Fr. Ian Westby        Deacon – the Rev’d Carl Watson

Web: https://www.ordinariate-darlington.co.uk

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/OrdDarlFacebook

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OrdDarlington  

Services this week:

Monday 4, 6.15pm, Barnard Castle (Latin) – English Martyrs

Tuesday 5, 10am, Gainford – Easter feria

Friday 8, 10am, Barnard Castle – Easter feria

Friday 8, 12noon, Gainford (Ordinariate) – Easter feria (preceded by Sext at 11.45am)

Friday 8, 6-7pm, Barnard Castle – Holy Hour

Confessions (at Barnard Castle): Monday 5.30-6pm, Saturday 10-11am

Prayer List

Of your charity please pray for all the sick, especially: Morag, Ethel, George Gwilliam, Andrew Gwilliam, Fay Jackson, Dennis Walburn, Elaine Robertson, Barbara Ugoletti, Andrea Matthews, Bridget Wright, Graham Pegley, Calvert Hardy, James Hardy, Keith McAllister, Elizabeth Rawling, Charlie Camilleri, Pauline McAllister, Paul Laughlin, Garth Redvers Harris, Geraldine Dobson, Pat MacGregor.

As also for all the faithful departed, particularly the recently departed, including Prof. Judith Champ, and Sheila Marley, Eileen Wiper as well as those whose years-mind falls at this time. Requiescant in pace.

Pilgrimage to Walsingham – the Ordinariate’s annual pilgrimage to Walsingham will take place on Thursday 28 May, additionally on 26 & 27 there will be other activities mostly based at the pontifical shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in King’s Lynn.

Ascension Day – Thursday 14 May is Ascension Day, a holy day of obligation. There will be a sung Ordinariate Mass, 7pm, at Barnard Castle.

Religious Orders – Canons Regular

Last week we mentioned the story that the Pope wear white simply because S. Pius V continued to wear his Dominican habit after becoming Pope. The reality is almost the opposite, in that Dominicans wear white because S. Dominic who founded them had previously been a canon in an order which wore white and so continued the colour. This gives rise to the question, what is a canon?

First we should draw a distinction between Canons Regular and sæcular canons. Significant churches, especially cathedrals, usually have a group of clergy attached to them – the canons; originally these would have been responsible for the services in the cathedral but now the title is usually given to senior clergy of the diocese to act as a group of advisors to the Bishop. If a priest is referred to as ‘Canon So-and-so’ he will be one of these sæcular canons. By contrast, canons regular are members of a religious community – they live together under religious vows.

When we think about religious communities, one of the distinctions is in the type of charism or life which they seek to lead. A monk or nun has what’s called a ‘contemplative’ vocation – they seek to withdraw from the world to grow closer to God. There are also the ‘active’ vocations, which involve seeking to do some particular good in the world (e.g., teaching orders which run schools). Canons regular speak of having a ‘balanced’ vocation, where they have both contemplative and active elements. They are called to have the time and space to enter more deeply into prayer and reflection; but also have a vocation to provide pastoral care in the community.

The origins of the canons regular is said to be with S. Augustine of Hippo. There would often be a number of clergy serving the same church, and he provided a ‘rule’ or way of life to govern how such groups of clergy could live together. This placed an emphasis on common life – they were not simply to be individuals who shared the work of a particular parish. Because of this rule of S. Augustine they are sometimes called Augustinian Canons.

They flourished across Europe especially around the turn of the last millennium with hundreds of communities seeking to live that double vocation of seeking perfection within the community, and service to the people around them. Each community was independent, which led to significant differences in how they actually lived the life with many houses allowing great laxity to creep in. Reformer arose in the eleventh century seeking to call the canons back to their original purpose and life, this gave rise to a stronger sense of unity between the different canonries and the emergence of an Order of Canons Regular (though each house still very much lived an independent life).

Their influence was significant, the University of Paris grew out of the famous abbey school of S. Victor; here in these lands, there were numerous communities including the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. The cathedrals at Carlisle and St Andrews were reformed and then run by the canons regular. At the time of the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII there were 91 houses of canons regular in England.

Today various communities of canons continue to operate in the Church. They still have the same central mission – seeking perfection in the contemplative life; and also providing pastoral care and liturgical services in a particular church or local area. – Fr. Thomas.

Safeguarding The Group operates in accordance with Statutory Safeguarding Guidance and Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) and Diocese’s policies and procedures at all times. Our Group Safeguarding Representative is Jos Thompson or alternatively the Diocesan Safeguarding Team can be contacted on 0191 2433305 or at safeguarding@diocesehn.org.uk