Newsletter

Second Sunday of the Year

January 19th 2025

 

My dear parishioners,

I hope this finds you and your families well as we begin the great Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope as members of the Catholic Church in 2025. I offer the following words from Pope Francis for your reflection:

 

“Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring, Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often, we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. God’s word helps us to find reasons for that hope. Taking it as our guide, let us return to the message that the Apostle Paul wished to communicate to the Christians in Rome: “Hope does not disappoint.” Hope is the central message of the coming Jubilee. For everyone may the Jubilee be a moment of personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, our Hope.” Pope Francis

 

This is the invitation Pope Francis makes to every member of the church. The daily liturgy enables us to listen to the words of Jesus and to find real hope in what he says and does; the moment of Holy Communion is indeed a moment of personal encounter with Jesus. If you are free on weekdays, please consider joining us for the rosary and Mass as part of our parish pilgrimage of hope,

 

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help: a little group of parishioners meet on a Monday evening to pray this Novena for all who belong to our parish of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s, as well as their own personal petitions. The Novena consists of some beautiful prayers of intercession and thanksgiving, a moment of reflection and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, then the opportunity to receive Holy Communion; please consider making the Novena part of your Pilgrimage of Hope? You would be most welcome.

 

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the side chapel at St. Mary’s: some parishioners have asked that there be an opportunity for private prayer before the Blessed Sacrament; this Wednesday the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in the side chapel after the morning Mass until 2.30pm. It would be helpful if people would sign the sheet at the back of the church to ensure we have people present. This is a further opportunity to have some prayerful time as part of our pilgrimage of hope.

 

Thank you for your generous response to last week’s special collection for Justice and Peace Scotland. Our donation came to £1,000 and this has been donated in the name of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s Parish.

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I offer here the Schedule for the Daily Liturgy:

 

Monday January 20th: Mass at 10am

Rosary at 9.40am; confessions at 6.30pm; novena at 7pm

 

Tuesday January 21st: Mass at 10am

Rosary at 9.40am

 

Wednesday January 22nd: Mass 10am

Rosary at 9.40am

 

Thursday January 23rd: Mass 10am

Rosary at 9.40am

 

Saturday January 25th: Mass at 10am

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

Rosary at 9.40am

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Vocations Evening: the next meeting for those considering a vocation to the priesthood will take place in the Cathedral House, Motherwell on Tuesday 28th January at 7pm.

 

The Parish Pastoral Council met on Wednesday and the members discussed the possibility of the parish taking on a project for Mary’s Meals as part of our Holy Year Pilgrimage of Hope. Some years ago, we sponsored the opening of a kitchen beside Mzambazi Primary School in Malawi, which enabled Mary’s Meals to provide a nourishing meal to children at the beginning of the school day. It has gone from strength to strength and today 1.317 children receive an education at this school. In discussion with Mary’s Meals could we offer a similar type of hope to other children living in challenging circumstances? The Parish Council suggests that this would be a fitting project for the Holy Year.

 

Bishop Brian McGee will share his experience of the Synod on Synodality on Tuesday 21st January at the Xavier Centre, Carfin at 7pm. Bishop McGee was the Scottish Church’s representative at the sessions of the Synod in Rome in 2023 and 2024 and has kindly agreed to come to the Diocese to share his experience of the Synod and to participate in reflection on how we foster Synodality. Bishop Toal encourages parishioners from every parish to attend.

 

Ecumenical Gathering, Xavier Centre Carfin, Saturday February 1st 11am: Bishop Toal invites all interested Christians to join him to explore two questions: What does ecumenism mean to us? (Do we have any experiences to share?). In what way can we improve dialogue and partnership among denominations? Further information from frcoyle@rcdom.org.uk

 

Baptismal Font in Side-Chapel: restoration of the original baptismal font used here at St. Mary’s has been carried out and the font has been placed in our side-chapel, As you will see it is a historic piece and invites us to reflect on the history of our parish and to pray for the priests and people who have gone before us. Special thanks to the late Mr. Harry Doyle and to Mr. Patrick O’Hanlon and Mrs, Vicky O’Hanlon who raised money for the restoration of this treasured object,

 

Recently Deceased: Sarah McGrail, Jane Newlands, William Fox, Bobby Bordon, Margaret McCafferty, Harry Barrett, Fr. Bill Tollan, Fr. Dermot Healy, Anne McCrossan, Patrick O’Donnell, Lyn Boyd, Eryn O’Donnell. Eileen Allison 

 

Special Remembrance: John Emerson, Rose Terrett, George Terrett, Desmond Peter Henaghan, Snr. and Jnr., Catherine, Lynne and Daniel Devanney, John and Elizabeth Fulton, James Fulton. Owen and Bella Currie. Margaret Stewart and all our own deceased relatives and friends and all the benefactors of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s.