Bhileag 27th 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.

Holy Mass  in Tier 3: As we heard last week- the Scottish Government has now announced stricter restrictions from boxing day (26th December). The Western Isles will be placed into Tier 3 and the rest of Scotland into Tier 4. For the Church (and for Holy Mass) in Tier 3 we can still have a maximum of 50 at church. Those on the mainland will be in Tier 4 which means they can only have 20 at Mass. So nothing really changes for us here in the parish. So weekend Masses are as normal. Baptisms and Funerals are also set at 20 people maximum.

Fr. Eric: wishes to thank everyone for making him feel so welcome to the island. At the moment Fr Eric plans to leave the island on Wednesday unless there is a restriction on him going and so he may have to stay longer. Canon John Paul wishes to thank Fr. Eric for helping out with the Christmas Masses and also being available to hear Confessions. We wish Fr Eric a happy and holy Christmas and every blessing in his ministry & studies for 2021.

Christmas Masses: Canon John Paul wishes to thank all those who came along to the Christmas Masses which we were lucky to celebrate in all five of our churches. It was lovely to see all the churches looking  full (even with the restrictions and 2metre spaces and wearing face coverings). We were also lucky to have Gaelic Christmas Carols recorded for us by some of our parishioners –which made everything very beautiful and prayerful. Moran Taing!

Clergy Changes: Bishop Brian announced last week some clergy moves in the Diocese. Fr Colin MacInnes will retire on the 31st January 2021 and will move into the Chapel house in Bornish on South Uist. We all wish Fr. Colin a happy retirement and we thank him for his ministry in the Diocese and in Ecuador. Fr Henry Nkop will look after St. Mary’s Benbecula until the 9th Aril. Then Canon Michael Hutson will become the new Parish Priest of Benbecula. Fr Ronald Campbell who was the assistant Priest in the parish of Lochgilphead will also move and become the new Parish Priest of the Isle of Skye on the 22nd January 2021.

New Years Day: there will be Mass in St. Barr’s Northbay at 10am and in Our Lady Star of the Sea in Castlebay at 12 Noon. What better way to begin a new year that to ask for God’s blessing as we look forward to a happy, safe 2021. Just come along and you can sign in at the door of the church for Mass on New Year Day which is the Feast of Mary the Mother of God.

This last year of 2020 has been a very difficult year for everyone here on the island but also for the whole world as we continue through this Coronavirus Pandemic. So many people will be glad to put this year of 2020 behind them and hopefully look forward to a new year when the Coronavirus will (hopefully) be overcome with the rolling out of a vaccine. Let us keep our prayers going and keep offering that hand of support and that smile of love as we look forward to a New Year together. May God bless us all and bless our islands in 2021.

Church cleaning and Christmas Decorations:  Canon John Paul wishes to thank those who quietly helped behind the scenes to clean and decorate our churches for Christmas.  Many thanks to the beautiful flower displays too. All our churches look so beautiful for Christmas. Moran Taing!

Recent Baptism: we warmly welcome into the family of the church JAMIE MARK MacLEOD who was baptised last Saturday 19th December in Our Lady of the Waves & St. John on Vatersay. We wish Jamie every health, love, peace and happiness and every blessing upon his parents and Godparents.

Christmas Cards & Gifts: Canon John Paul wishes to thank everyone who gave him a Christmas card or a gift. Your kindness, love and support is very much appreciated. God Bless you all! Moran Taing!

WEEKDAY  MASSES:

Mon 28th Dec………. 12 Noon VATERSAY            

Tues 29th Dec…….. 10.00am  EOLIGARRY

Wed 30th Dec…… 12 Noon  CRAIGSTON

Thur 31st Dec……..10.00am  NORTHBAY

Fri 1st January ….10.00am NORTHBAY

                                      12 Noon CASTLEBAY

Sat 2nd Jan……….. No Morning Mass                    

NEXT WEEKEND

2nd & 3rd January 2021

The Feast of the Epiphany

Saturday Vigil Masses… 4pm & 6pm  CRAIGSTON

Sunday Masses……9.30am   NORTHBAY

                                                  11.30am  CASTLEBAY