Bhileag 2nd May 2021

Reserve a seat for Mass: If you wish to go to Mass please phone /text /email Canon John Paul and let him know which Mass you would like to go to.  Please note that there is no Sunday Obligation at the moment. Therefore you can treat a weekday Mass as your Sunday Mass just now.

Baptisms & Weddings & Funerals: please note that the capacity for Baptisms, weddings and Funerals in the Church is now at 50-however that depends on the size of the church. The Government has said that for Sunday Mass there is no capacity at the Masses but it depends on the size of the Church and how safely and comfortably you can take numbers especially with the 2m distance still to be followed.

The Month of May: is the month of Mary when we are encouraged to pray the Holy Rosary more often. So let us take the opportunity to pray this powerful prayer and asking our Lady’s help in our journey of faith.

Rosary & Benediction: today (2nd May) in St. Barr’s Church at 4.00pm.

Borve Graveyard Committee: The new Borve Committee is:-  Betty McAtear (Chairperson), Mairi Ceit MacKinnon (Vice Chair), Claire McAtear (Secretary), Mona MacKenzie (Treasurer), Margaret Anne Beggs, Catherine Lillian, and Stephen Kearney. As well as the 7 committee members there will be other people added on as Advisors to the group like Canon John Paul.

SCIAF Collection: Castlebay Parish SCIAF Wee boxes raised £1258.90. The Castlebay parish 2nd Collection on the 18th April for SCIAF raised  £395.59. Northbay Wee Boxes raised £624.07 and the 2nd collection raised £190.00. Therefore in total SCIAF will receive £2468.56 from the island. The UK Government will also double it to  £4937.12 Many Thanks. Moran Taing!

Prayers for the Faithful departed: We remember those whose anniversaries which occur about now…. Nanag Gillies (Glen), Domhnall MacNeil (Bogach), Clare MacNeil (Tangusdale & Waterford) , Hugh Rodgers (Blackburn),  Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Gift Aid Envelopes: please pick up your gift aid envelopes if you are signed up for Parish Gift Aid. If anyone is interested in signing up for parish Gift Aid then please speak with Canon John Paul. If you pay tax you can give your Sunday collection as Gift Aid. Please consider this easy way of giving extra to the parish.

First Holy Communions. The Children are now preparing for their Sacrament classes and preparing for their first Confession and first Holy Communion. Of course there were no First Communions last year so we now have P5 & P4 preparing for the Sacraments this year. We keep all the children in our prayers in their preparations.

Scottish Parliament Elections: this coming Thursday 6th May is the Scottish Parliament Elections. The Scottish Bishops have “urged us to put human life at the centre of Scotland’s political discourse”. The Scottish Catholic Bishops have written a pastoral letter for all Catholic’s in Scotland to read in regard the election and what we should be thinking about when voting.  Please pick up a Bishop’s Pastoral letter in the Church porch  and let it help you in your vote. You can also go online to the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office  www.rcpolitics.org.uk for more guidance on how to vote this coming Thursday. The Scottish Bishops ask all Catholic voters to give consideration to six key areas:- (1) Beginning and end of life (2) Family & Work (3 )Poverty, human trafficking & modern slavery (4) Environment (5 )Free speech, free expression and freedom of thought, conscience & religion (6) Catholic Schools. The Bishops point out that “society relies on the building block of the family to exist and flourish”.

WEEKDAY MASS:

Mon 3rd May…….No Mass

Tues 4th May……10.00am  EOLIGARRY

Wed 5th May….. 12 Noon  CRAIGSTON

Thur 6th May…..10.00am   NORTHBAY

Fri 7th May………10.00am  VATERSAY

Sat 8th  May……..No Mass

NEXT WEEKEND

8th & 9th May 2021

6th Sunday of Easter

Vigil Mass……….4pm & 6pm CRAIGSTON

Sunday Masses….. 9.30am    NORTHBAY

11.30am   CASTLEBAY