Newsletter

The Twenty-Sixth Sunday of the Year

October 1st 2023

 

Dear parishioners at St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s,

 

Sincere thanks to everyone who came to the meeting at St. Paul’s on Wednesday evening. It was good for us to be with the bishop to listen, pray and reflect. Of course these are very difficult weeks for us as we move towards closing St. Paul’s with a special Mass of Thanksgiving for all the graces and blessings received from this much loved church. So much to say ‘thank you’ for, especially for the priests and people, who have gone before us.

 

Even though our regular 10.30am Mass will be held at St. Mary’s, I am hoping that many of us will make the 11 am Mass at St. Paul’s our Sunday Mass on October 15th. Bishop Toal will be the main celebrant and it would be wonderful if we could fill the church for this special liturgy.

 

As I said to you in last week’s newsletter, the next stage of our journey together as St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s Parish will see us continue as the one parish, but with only one church building, and that will be the venerable old house of prayer that we know and love as St. Mary’s Hamilton, the mother church of the whole of South Lanarkshire. Let us open wide the doors of St. Mary’s and our own hearts in warm welcome to our friends and neighbours from St. Paul’s.

Father O’Brien

 

I offer here the times of the Liturgy for the coming week:

 

Monday October 2nd: Requiem Mass for Brian Carolan at St. Mary’s at 10am

Reception on Sunday at 6.15pm;  Novena on Monday at 7pm

 

Tuesday October 3rd: Mass at St. Paul’s at 10am

Rosary at 9.40am

 

Wednesday October 4th: Mass at St. Mary’s at 10am

Rosary at 9.40am

 

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

Rosary at 9.40am

 

Saturday, October 7th

Vigil at St. Paul’s at 4pm

Vigil at St. Mary’s at 5.30pm

 

Sunday, October 8th

Mass at St. Paul’s at 9.15am

Mass at St. Mary’s at 10.30am

 

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Bishop Toal has written a lengthy Pastoral Letter on the Synod which is taking place in Rome.

The text can be found on the Diocesan website www.rcdom.org.uk a few copies are available at thee back of the church.

Participating in the Synod on Synodality in the Diocese of Motherwell: as well as praying for the success of the Synod throughout the month of October in our parishes and communities, we will do so as a Diocese, led by Bishop Toal, at a special gathering for prayer and reflection on Thursday 19th October between 7 and 9pm in the Xavier Centre, Carfin. Delegates from each parish are invited, but anyone else who would like to attend is most welcome. Parish Priests will nominate 3 representatives from their parish.

At this gathering, time will be spent in prayer followed by discussion and discernment on the three questions presented in the Working Document for the Synod.

The three questions are:   

            How can we be more fully a sign and instrument of God and the unity of all humankind?

            How can we better share gifts and tasks in the service of the Gospel?

            What processes, structures and institutions are needed in a Missionary Synodal Church?

Prayer booklets and cards have also been printed so that the whole People of God can make intercession for the success of the Synod.

 

Wrap-Up Lanarkshire Appeal: thank you very much to everyone who kindly donated a spare winter coat, jacket or anorak by bringing it here to the church during September. These will bring warmth to others during the winter.

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The Parish Walking Group meets every Tuesday at 11am at the Museum on Muir Street. Those gathered walk for around 1 hour and then enjoy some refreshments together in the Museum café. New walkers are always welcome.

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CREDO, the parish faith-sharing group meets this Tuesday in the parish meeting room at 1pm. New members are always welcome and after the meeting there is a cup of tea together.

Please pray for,

 

Recently Deceased: John Jones, Brian Carolan, Peter Lynas, David Cairns, Patricia Martin

Luciano Poli (Requiem at St. Bride’s Bothwell on Thursday at 9.30am; reception on Wednesday at 6pm)

 

Special Remembrance: Kathleen Lynas, Brian Tansey, Rose Terrett, James Gilmour, Charles Dobbin and all our deceased relatives and friends and the benefactors of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s.