Newsletter

Twenty-Seventh Sunday of the Year

October 2nd 2022

 

My dear parishioners,

 

What beautiful days our Diocese has enjoyed this week at Carfin Grotto, where the holy relics of St. Bernadette Soubirous were present. It certainly felt as though something of the spirit of Lourdes was among us. We offer sincere thanks to all who made these special days possible.

 

Now, as a parish community, we are looking forward to welcoming Bishop Toal next Sunday to St. Mary’s for our 10.30am Mass to mark the 175th Anniversary of the opening of our church. As you know this is a postponed celebration as the actual date occurred in November 2021. Although we honoured this milestone as best we could, given the restrictions still in place, it feels right to mark the occasion in a more formal way. I am delighted that representatives from Holy Cross High School, St. Mary’s Primary and St. Paul’s Primary will be present with us and taking part in the liturgy. We will also welcome back Deacon Dowds and his wife Susan, with Joseph assisting the bishop on the altar. The parish choir and St. Mary’s school choir have prepared some lovely music for this Mass of Thanksgiving to God for his faithful love during these 175 years. Please join us for this Mass and then afterwards in the parish hall.

All are welcome!

 

I offer here the times of the liturgy in the days ahead:

 

Saturday October 1st

Vigil at St. Paul’s at 4pm

Vigil at St. Mary’s at 5.30pm

 

Sunday October 2nd

Mass at St. Paul’s at 9.15am

Mass at St. Mary’s at 10.30am

 

Monday October 3rd

No Mass at 10am

Mass at 2pm; Wedding of Paul McGrory and Bernadette McKane

No Novena or confessions this Monday

 

Tuesday October 4th Mass at St. Paul’s at 10am

Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi

 

Wednesday October 5th Mass at St. Mary’s at 10am

Memorial of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

Devotion to the Divine Mercy of Jesus is now widespread; it began through the visions received by Saint Faustina in her convent near Cracow in Poland.

 

Thursday October 6th Mass at St. Mary’s at 10am

Memorial of St. Bruno

 

A Message from the Catholic Men’s Society (CMS): The St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s branch, having met online in recent times, is now returning to face-to-face meetings. Our first meeting will be in our parish meeting room on Monday, 17th October, after the 10am Mass. A breakfast roll and tea/coffee will be available and the meeting will finish by 12.30; this year’s theme is Synodality, discussing how we can come together better as members of the local and universal church; there are so many ways that we could better support each other, spiritually, emotionally and physically; all ideas and initiatives can be discussed and considered.

New faces and voices are particularly welcome.

Please contact Peter Lavery Snr:. 01698 423085, or on laverypeter93@yahoo.com.

 

St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s Walking Group: the group grows from strength to strength and you are welcome to join in on Tuesday mornings at 11am to walk for an hour; we start from the Museum at the bottom of Muir Street and return there to have some tea/coffee and lots of chat. New members are always welcome; just turn up at the Museum for 11am; you are assured of a warm welcome and friends for life.

 

Children’s Liturgy: at the 10.30 am Mass on Sundays at St. Mary’s we make special provision for children through the Children’s Liturgy. This is designed to help the children to hear the Gospel week by week in a way that is appropriate to them.

 

Parish Choir: it is good to have music and singing at Mass; it lifts the liturgy to new levels of prayer and thanksgiving. Recently we have been blessed to have some new members join the choir; is this something you would consider? Please come along to the choir practice on Tuesday evenings at 6pm.

 

CREDO, the parish prayer group will gather in the meeting room this Tuesday, October 4th at 1pm and afterwards enjoy some tea together around 2.30pm.

New members are always welcome.

 

Please remember in your prayers:

Recently Deceased: Philip Rooney, Thomas Hunter, Margaret Clarke, Shona MacDonald

 

Special Remembrance: Maureen Gillespie, Mark Hughes, John Kane, David and Rebecca Jack,  William Hamilton, Mary Ward, John and Annie Henderson, James, Edward and John Henderson, Anne Seymour, James Graham, Ellen Reilly, Hetty Syme, Maureen Dalton and deceased members of the Dalton and McKenna families, and all our deceased relatives and friends and the benefactors of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s, requiescant in pace.