-
-
Catholics in Sunderland
Catholic Christians in Sunderland are called to share their belief in Jesus Christ with their families, friends and community. We follow Christ, our Good Shepherd, and witness to our faith in the manner we live our lives and in how we engage with the world around us. We are conscious that Catholics in Sunderland are the custodians of a Christian tradition that began on the banks of the River Wear the seventh century AD.
Our Catholic faith does not start with us, but with God’s revelation. We believe that God loves us and desires a deep and loving relationship with each one of us; that is why he sought us out by sending us his Son, Jesus Christ. God reveals himself and his message of love in numerous ways, in particular through his Word, which we discover in Sacred Scripture (the Bible) and Tradition (the way the Catholic faith has been lived and handed on through the generations). The ultimate way that God reveals himself to us is through Jesus Christ: the Son of God who took on human flesh and became a human being. This is called the Incarnation. The Incarnation is the ultimate sign of God’s love for us.
-
-
-
Catholic Christians believe in the Holy Trinity: God reveals himself to us as three divine persons of one nature: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus laid the foundations of the Church when he gathered the twelve apostles and a community of followers around him. This community was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. From the day of the Church’s birth on Pentecost Sunday to today, the community of believers has proclaimed the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—what we call the Paschal (or Easter) Mystery. The proclamation of the Paschal Mystery lies at the heart of all our prayers and celebrations, especially the Mass, which we call ‘the source and summit’ of our Christian life.
The celebration of the Mass binds Catholics together in a bond that spans the world and the centuries. Jesus feeds us with his body and blood to nourish us (John 6:51-57) and we celebrate his real presence in the Eucharist. Each time we celebrate Mass we fulfil Jesus’ command to the disciples at the Last Supper: ‘do this in memory of me’ (Luke 22:18-20). When we gather to celebrate Mass Christ is made present to us in the proclamation of his Word, in the Eucharist, in each person present and in the person of the priest.
-
-
-
Catholic Christians are members of the Body of Christ and as such are called to imitate Christ in their daily lives, in particular by their manner of caring for and serving others. We proclaim the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception to the end of natural life. We are called to give alms to the poor, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit the sick. Being a Catholic means caring for our beautiful and precious common home, the Earth. It also means standing up for the downtrodden and working for the end of injustice in all its forms.
Catholics believe that they are never alone. We are surrounded by a ‘great cloud of witnesses on every side’ (Hebrews 12:1). The angels, saints, and those members of the faithful who have gone before us continue to support us with their prayers. In particular, we honour Mary, the mother of Jesus who is the model of perfect discipleship and openness to the will of God. Our lives are marked by personal prayer. We pray to grow in love and service, to strengthen our relationship with God and to bring the needs of others before God. Catholics in Sunderland are members of a world-wide community, united in our celebration of the sacraments, confessing one faith and in communion with the Pope, the bishop of Rome.
-
