Bhileag 30th January 2022

Candlemas: This coming Wednesday (2nd February) is the Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus and is called Candlemas. It is a special day when candles are blessed in the Church to remind us that Jesus is “the light of the World”. Candles will be blessed at the Mass in Craigston on Wednesday and you are welcome to take some candles home with you. Canon John Paul will also bring Candles to the Sunday Masses next weekend and you can pick up blessed candles then. Please leave a donation for the candles.

Parish Safeguarding Audit 2021: each year every parish in Scotland has to submit a Safeguarding Audit before the end of January. The Catholic Church takes very seriously its role in Safeguarding procedures for children and vulnerable adults in all parishes. Canon John Paul has submitted the Audit for both parishes. As well as Canon John Paul looking after Safeguarding matters in the Parish -he is also helped by Sineag MacKinnon who is the co-ordinator in Northbay parish and also Jackie Sinclair who is the Co-ordinator in Castlebay Parish. Canon John Paul is very grateful to Sineag and Jackie for all their help in Safeguarding matters.

Children’s Sacraments: The Children will soon be preparing for the Sacraments this Year. There are 10 Children in P4 who will prepare to make their first Confession and then prepare for their First Holy Communion.

Also this year will be the first year that we return back to Children in P7 who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. In the recent past we Confirmed the children in P4 but it was felt that it was far too much for the children to take on in one year. Therefore Bishop Brian in consultation with the Priests of the Diocese decided to move the Sacrament of Confirmation to P7. There will be 9 children who will be confirmed and it is planned that Bishop Brian McGee will come to the island to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on those children. Let us remember in our daily prayers all the children preparing for the sacraments this year.

Synod on Synodality: this year Pope Francis has begun an important process for the Church called “For a Synodal church-Communion, participation & Mission”. Pope Francis explains that the term “Synodal” is from the Greek- meaning “on the road together”. Pope Francis wants the whole church to come together and pray together and journey together and look at ways of building up the church. Every Diocese has been asked to put forward names for co-ordinators from every parish to help in this process. The Coordinators will then work with the main Diocesan representatives who are Fr Danny Convery (parish priest of Roybridge) along with Marianne Lucchesi (a parishioner of Roybridge). The focus on the first stage of this Synodal process is listening to the local church. What is the Holy Spirit saying to us in Argyll & the Isles? It is an important time of listening to one another. For more information on the synod please go online– www.synod.va/en.html

WEEKDAY MASS:  

Mon31st January……….  No Mass

Tues 1st February……10.00am  EOLIGARRY

(Feast of St. Brigid)

Wed 2nd February……12 Noon CRAIGSTON

(Feast of the Presentation of the Lord- Candlemas)

Thur 3rd February…..10.00am  NORTHBAY

Fri 4th February…….10.00am VATERSAY

Sat 5th February …..10.00am  CASTLEBAY

NEXT WEEKEND’S MASSES

5th & 6th February 2022

5th Sunday of Year C

Vigil Mass……..6.00pm   CRAIGSTON

Sunday Masses….9.30am   NORTHBAY

11.30am  CASTLEBAY