Sunday Masses at St. Mary’s: Saturday Vigil at 5.30pm and Sunday Morning at 10.30am

Sunday Masses at St. Paul’s: Saturday Vigil at 4pm and Sunday Morning at 9.15am

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The weekday Masses this week will be at St. Mary’s:

Monday at 10am;

Tuesday at 10am

Wednesday at 10am

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Newsletter                        Nineteenth Sunday of the Year                    August 9th 2020

My dear parishioners at St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s,

I have mentioned to you already how uplifting it is to celebrate the Eucharist again with some of you at St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s. Even though the limited number is a challenge for us, it is good that at least some of us can gather together around the altar of the Lord and pray for all who belong to our parish. This week we look forward to another important moment in the long journey out of Lockdown, the opening of the three fine schools that belong to our parish, Holy Cross High School, St. Mary’s Primary and St. Paul’s Primary. It is a day that we have looked forward to for many weeks and we wish the staff and pupils every blessing as they begin this new term. 

This Sunday’s gospel reading is St. Matthew’s account of Peter being invited by Jesus to do something no other human being had done before or since, to walk on the waters of a stormy lake. I thought you might like to reflect on the following paragraphs which are taken from the Redemptorist publication, ‘The Living Word’:

“Peter had to put his faith in Jesus. He had heard the wonderful teaching of Jesus and witnessed many miracles of healing. Recently he had witnessed how Jesus had fed more than five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. But now the act of faith was personal. For him it was a matter of life or death. So long as he kept his gaze on Jesus he was safe. Once he looked around and saw the stormy waters and heard the sound of the wind, his faith weakened and he began to sink. Fortunately, Jesus was there to take him by the hand and bring him safely into the boat, enabling all the disciples to declare their new found faith, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

So today, let’s listen to Jesus, who tells us to have courage and not to be afraid, who invites us to come to him through all the storms of our life. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on him, our ears attuned to his voice. We surely will recognise his presence in the daily miracles of our life: the little acts of love that we receive and are able to give. Let us listen for that small voice of calm, which assures us of his presence, “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid!”

May this courage be given in a special way to the staff and pupils of our schools as they return for the opening of the new term; I look forward very much to seeing them again,

Father O’Brien

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St. Mary’s has seating for thirty-six people (the balcony is not to be used)

St. Paul’s has seating for thirty people.

Please think about choosing St. Paul’s for your visit as it may well be quieter there, especially on Sunday morning.

The Diocese has recommended that we have a booking system for places at the liturgy; this is for safety reasons and also to ensure that people are not disappointed if they arrive at church and discover they cannot enter. For each service the parish mustretain details of all those attending to ensure that contact tracing can be carried out if necessary.

The guidelines from the Government advisethat on entering the building you will be asked to wear a face-covering (this can be a scarf rather than a face-mask) and use the sanitizing gel for your hands. You will then be shown to a seat. As you leave the building you will be asked to use the gel once more. I am sure that we will very quickly adjust to this ‘new normal’ for the moment.

Thank you to those parishioners who have assisted in the re-openingof our churches by acting as stewards or helping with the cleaning of the benches. I know others would like to help and through time we will need you all as it looks as though we are in this for the long haul!

I am aware that the restrictions which are still in placemean that for the foreseeable future we will be much fewer in number for Sunday Mass. The Scottish Bishops have asked the clergy to remind parishioners that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains suspended. This leads me to suggest that you consider attending one of the weekday Masses, especially if you are retired or still furloughed from your employment. This would also leave places free on the Sunday for those who are working.

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Recently Deceased:Kenneth Smith, Helen Lowe, William (Bill) Kane, Vicky Glancy, Frances Murphy, Christopher Airlie, Sarah McBain, Mark Murray, Jack McCormick, Rita Lyons

Special Remembrance:Bertie and Maureen Dawson, Bill McGeough, Ida McKeown, Angelina DiMarco, Mariano and Raffaela Di Marco and all who perished on the Arandora Star, Rob and Helen Anderson, Cecilia Cooper, and our own deceased relatives and friends and all the benefactors of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s through the years, reqiescant in pace.

  St Mary's Mass Times

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Contact St Mary's and St Paul's, Hamilton

120 Cadzow St, Hamilton ML3 6HP, UK

01698 423552