Star of the Sea, Castlebay, The Isle of Barra. HS9 5XD.
Phone 01871 810267
Email Addres castlebay@rcdai.org.uk

Bhileag 9th 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.

 

Visit of Bishop Brian McGee: this coming week we have Bishop Brian making a journey to Barra to look after the Weekend Masses. He will arrive on Wednesday 12th May.  Bishop Brian is keen to get back to visiting parishes in the Diocese now that restrictions are easing. He will not be doing formal visits like to School or Hospitals or housebound. He will celebrate the Masses from Wednesday till the following Tuesday. He will chat to parishioners  informally after Mass outside the Church. While Bishop Brian is on the island -Canon John Paul will head to the mainland for the weekend.

 

Midweek Mass: there will be no Mass in Eoligarry on Tuesday. Bishop Brian arrives on Wednesday 12th May at 2pm-off the Coll & Tiree boat. He will therefore celebrate Mass in the evening at 7.00pm in Craigston. Therefore  no Mass at 12 Noon instead it will be at 7.00pm. Since the Mass will be in the evening it will be a Vigil Mass for Ascension Thursday. Please note that even though Thursday is Ascension Thursday it is NOT a holyday of obligation because of the “Covid-19 lockdown”. Therefore there will just be the normal Mass at 10am in Northbay.

 

Canon John Paul: when Bishop Brian arrives on the island Canon John Paul will head to the mainland for a few days. He will be away from Monday 10th May till Tuesday 18th May. Canon John Paul can always be contacted on his mobile (07951128475). Canon John Paul received his 2nd Vaccine jab on Saturday (8th May) and then when the next set of restrictions is lifted on the 17th May Canon John Paul will start making housebound visits.

 

Rosary & Benediction: today (9th May) in Our Lady Star of the Sea- Castlebay  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.

 

Prayers for the Faithful departed: We remember in our prayers the repose of the soul of John MacPherson of Northbay  & Glasgow who died recently in Glasgow at the age of 55. We extend our prayers of sympathy to his sister Clare MacPherson in Northbay and to all family and friends at this sad time. It is planned that John’s burial will take place on Barra.

We also remember the repose of the soul of Murdina Norquay (Galbraith) who originally came from Brevig and latterly had been living in Dunoon. Murdina passed away on the 3rd May in Dunoon. The Funeral will take place in Dunoon.

We also remember those whose anniversaries which occur about now…. Mary McIver (Northbay & Glasgow) Catherine MacLean (Vatersay), Margaret Sommervile (Northbay), Pat McCormick (Bentangaval).  Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

 

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.

 

WEEKDAY MASS:

Mon 10th  May……..No Mass

Tue 11th May……..  No Mass

Wed 12th May…..  7.00pm  CRAIGSTON

(Vigil for Ascension Thursday)

Thur 13th May…….. 10.00am   NORTHBAY

(Ascension Thursday)

Fri 14th May…………10.00am  VATERSAY

Sat 15th  May……….No Mass

 

NEXT WEEKEND

15th & 16th May 2021

7th Sunday of Easter

Vigil Mass……….4pm & 6pm CRAIGSTON

Sunday Masses… 9.30am    NORTHBAY

11.30am   CASTLEBAY