Bhileag 13th December 2020

Sunday & Weekday Masses: to attend any Mass you must contact Canon John Paul –for track & trace purposes- to see if there is availability at Mass. Please phone, text or email Canon John Paul.

Face Coverings: must be worn at every Mass. If you forget to bring a mask –there will be some available in the church.

Lapaich & Housebound Visits: Canon John Paul is keen to visit the housebound this week before Christmas. If anyone wishes a visit then please get in contact with Fr. John Paul.

Jesuit Priest: Last weekend we had Fr David Stewart looking after the weekend Masses. As Fr David was leaving the island he told Canon John Paul that there was the possibility of a fellow Jesuit Priest being available for the season of Christmas. So it is lovely that we will now have “an extra pair of hands to help” in the parish over Christmas. We look forward to welcoming Fr Eric Studt who is based in the Sacred Heart Parish in Edinburgh. Fr Eric is looking forward to coming to the island parishes and to help out with the Christmas Masses. Fr. Eric will stay over in the Chapel house on Vatersay. Maybe he will follow in the footsteps of another Jesuit priest we all knew well- Fr. Peter Banyard. We look forward to welcoming Fr. Eric when he arrives on Monday 21st December.

Christmas Masses: Since we have Fr. Eric joining us this year we will be able to double up on some of the Masses. Of course we are still surrounded by restrictions in numbers being able to go to Mass. Please remember in every church there are pews still blocked off which reduces the numbers. If the Masses begin to get full then Canon John Paul will look at the possibility of adding more Masses. Please get in contact this week so that if there are any additional Masses then it will be announced next weekend.

So phone 01871 810267 or text 07951128475 or email castlebay@rcdai.org.uk or northbay@rcdai.org.uk to make your reservation.

Christmas Eve (Thursday 24th Dec)

7pm: Northbay

7pm: Castlebay

9pm: Vatersay

11pm Craigston

Christmas Day (Friday 25th Dec)

10am Eoligarry

11.30am Castlebay

Please get in contact with Canon John Paul to reserve your seat. It is best to do it sooner rather than later!

Sacrament of Confession: Fr. John Paul is available on Saturdays as usual 10am-10.30am Castlebay & 12noon-12.30 in Northbay. However in the days leading up to Christmas Fr. Eric will be available as a visiting confessor. So please keep that in mind.

Christmas cards and Calendars: In the Church porch of Castlebay & Northbay Church there are a variety of Christmas cards and Calendars for sale.

No Carol Services: as we know we are not able to sing in large groups during this Covid-19 Pandemic. Sadly this year there will be no carol services before the Christmas Masses.  Instead we plan to get some parishioners to sing some carols which will be recorded and played at the Christmas Masses.

Scottish Bishops Conference: the bishops of Scotland have written a  Pastoral letter called “Light Shines in darkness”- which is about the Covid-19 Pandemic and encouraging us to live in hope. The letter can be found online at the Scottish Bishops Conference website or facebook page. In the letter the Bishops highlight something very important in regard the Vaccine. The Bishops write……“concerns have been raised about vaccines, we reassure our Catholic population that, in accordance with longstanding guidance from the Pontifical Academy for Life, it is ethical to take any of  the Covid-19 Vaccines purchased by the UK at the present time, either because foetal cell lines have not been used in their development or because their sourcing is sufficiently remote”.

Church cleaning and Christmas Decorations: this year it will be a little difficult to do church cleaning and putting up decorations with lots of people- since we have the various restrictions. We will find a way to do this and get the churches ready for Christmas.

WEEKDAY  MASSES:

Mon 14th Dec….No Mass               

Tue15th Dec…..10.00am EOLIGARRY

Wed 16th Dec….12 Noon  CRAIGSTON

Thur 17th Dec…. 10.00am  NORTHBAY

Fri 18th Dec…..10.00am VATERSAY 

Sat 19th Dec…. No Mass                            

NEXT WEEKEND

19th & 20th December  2020

4th Sunday of Advent B

Vigil Masses….4pm & 6pm  CRAIGSTON

Sunday Masses..9.30am   NORTHBAY

                                       11.30am  CASTLEBAY