Newsletter

Sixth Sunday of the Year

February 15th 2026

 

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

 

Let me thank you for the warm welcome given to our friends from Mary’s Meals, and for your generous response to their appeal to fund the daily school meal at Namichenja Primary School in Zambia for one more year. During the week I was able to send donations totalling £6,100 to Mary’s Meals in the name of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s Parish. Thank you for enabling the 302 pupils at the school to get a chance at life and the opportunity to develop their gifts and talents. Through our involvement, with this good Scottish charity, we are helping to break the cycle of poverty by ensuring the children gain an education, setting them up for a brighter future with better employment prospects. I mentioned that St. Teresa of Calcutta was fond of saying to her Sisters, ‘Let’s do something beautiful for God,’

Thank you for doing something beautiful last weekend.

May the Lord bless you and those dear to you.

 

Thank you to everyone who organised the coffee morning and thanks to those who handed in home baking, It was a very enjoyable gathering after Mass and the proceeds of £300 were donated to the Hamilton Foodbank.

 

As a Thank You to our dedicated Altar Servers, parish volunteers have arranged an afternoon out for Sunday 8th March, 1-3.30pm at Cosmo Bowl @ M&D’s for bowling and a meal together. Hopefully all our servers will manage to come along; please take home a permission slip from the sacristy and return it ASAP.

 

Motherwell Diocese: Youth Pilgrimage 2026, an update; after a successful information evening, we now invite applications and a £200 deposit to secure a place on the young adult (aged 18-30) pilgrimage to the last 100km of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, from Monday 6th -Monday 13th July 2026. The cost will be £1,000 including flights, transfers, meals and accommodation. Further information and forms are available from  Fr. Stephen Reilly at frreilly@rcdom.org.uk or Alba Tours at annemariecairns@yahoo.co.uk; the form and refundable deposit is due on 28th February.

 

Wednesday, February 18th is Ash Wednesday, a special day of prayer to mark the beginning of the spiritual journey of Lent; Masses at St. Mary’s with the distribution of ashes will be at 12 noon and 7pm.

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Schedule for the Daily Liturgy:

Monday February 16th: Mass at 10am

Rosary at 9,40am; confessions at 6.30pm; Novena at 7pm

 

Tuesday February 17th: Mass at 10am

Rosary at 9,40am

 

Ash Wednesday February 18th: 12 noon and 7pm

Rosary at 11.40am

 

Thursday February 19th: Mass at 10am

Rosary at 9.40am

 

Friday February 20th: Mass at 10am

Stations of the Cross at 9.40am                                    

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The church’s daily liturgy is a wonderful gift and enables us to journey with Jesus, Mary and the Saints every day of the year; the daily Eucharist offers us the opportunity to contemplate the great mystery of Christ day by day,

 

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The Bishops of Scotland have asked that Friday, February20th be observed as a special Day of Prayer for all Survivors of Abuse. If you are free, please consider joining us for Stations of the Cross and Mass, to join in prayer for those who have suffered in this particular way.

 

A Message from the Strollers: we are still strolling along every Tuesday; we meet outside the Museum on Muir Street at 11am, stroll for one hour and then enjoy tea and a chat; you are welcome to join us for a stroll in the park.

 

RCIA continues in our meeting room on Thursday at 7pm; please remember our six candidates in your prayers.

 

Recently Deceased: John Costello, Janet Brown, Tom Wilson, Robert Taylor Burns, Sadie Green, Bernadette Boyle, Campbell McFall, Moira Brown, Alice McWilliams, Larry Kirnan, Stephen Bennett, Frank Collie, Michael Hartley (East Kilbride)

 

Special Remembrance: Margaret and Sandy Paterson, Sarah Turner, Ella Muir, Christopher Norris, John Lynas, Mamie Lally, Ronnie Boyd, Jane Feenie, Liza Feenie Johnson, Nan Dalton, deceased members of the Dalton and McKenna families and our relatives and friends and all the benefactors of our parish.

 

Diocese of Motherwell Website:

for good and reliable information about events across our Diocese

please consult www.rcdom.org.uk