St Augustine's Church

Welcome to Our Church!

Welcome to St Augustine's, a Catholic Parish in the centre of Darlington. No matter who you are, you are welcome in our parish! We are here to give glory to God through prayer, song, and action. We are blessed to have a beautiful church where we gather most days, particularly on Sunday, to listen to the Word of God and to celebrate the sacraments. God calls us to share our faith with others which we do through preaching, faith formation and sacramental preparation. We also share our faith by being here for those in need and accompanying those who struggle. Through a variety of social events, and making space for everyone, our community becomes a growing, caring and expanding family. You are welcome to join us!

Pastoral Strategy Process

PASTORAL STRATEGY – WHERE ARE WE UP TO? The notes from the Pastoral Strategy table discussions demonstrate that every one of our six Darlington parishes are places in which the Holy Spirit has been powerfully at work. They are places of welcome, of blessing, places where our children are nurtured, and where our own sometimes shaky faith is strengthened and sustained. There is much to give thanks for and to celebrate. However, we are a smaller Catholic community in Darlington than we used to be, we have fewer financial resources and fewer clergy. The Partnership Pastoral Strategy Return recognized that we can no longer sustain six parishes. In the future we must be a single parish with three or four church buildings. There must be space and time in our pastoral discernment for lament particularly when churches close and parishes amalgamate: to remember what joys and special times there have been; to tell our stories; and to celebrate how God has walked with us. For Catholic Christians the past is always honoured because it is filled with God’s presence. In the coming weeks we will publish a proposal on what our future in Darlington might look like. We will do so to garner further responses and encourage more participation in the discernment process. Calling notetakers: If you took notes on your table in the open meetings and have not submitted these (either longhand or electronically) then your table’s discussion is lost to the process. Please send your notes in immediately.

PASTORAL STRATEGY – CAN JARVIS COCKER HELP? Jarvis Cocker compared being on the judging panel for the Booker Prize to being in a band: “A band will often bring together a very disparate set of people, their only thing in common the fact they’re in the same group. And a good band takes account of the interests and strengths of its members – that’s how you get a unique sound.” He went on to say that bands and judging panels are democracies, but the important thing is to avoid being bland – making space for different people’s strengths is crucial.

Any donation (large or small) helps contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of the Parish, its online services (including this website), and its buildings. For those who wish to contribute to St Augustine’s parish, which we are extremely grateful for, there is a button below which will allow you to donate online: