Live streamed Masses here
Dear parishioner,
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks us to “come and see”. During these challenging times, might that mean trying new ways of connecting with each other? We need to be less afraid of the unfamiliar and the unknown. If Jesus is asking us to “come and see”, we need not be afraid of where that might lead because Jesus will be with us and will never abandon us.
With my prayers, best wishes and blessings,
Fr. Alex
Weekend Liturgy:
Second Sunday of the Year B
Children's Liturgy:
Second Sunday of the Year B
Level 4 Restrictions
Closure of Places of Worship
except for Funerals or Weddings
see cluster email of 6th January
St Gregory's
Phone: 07401 071 732
St John Vianney's
Phone: 07898 170 282
St Catherine's
Phone: 07869 473 068
All phones lines are closed for booking inquiries but we will continue to monitor them.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Services
(within SEECAT) will take place on Monday 18 January at 2pm on Zoom and Thursday 21 January at 7pm on Facebook Live.
The theme this year is ‘Abiding in Christ’. The resources were prepared by the Monastic Community of Grandchamp in Switzerland. The readings, prayers and reflections for the week can be viewed on the
WPCU website.
Those who wish to attend should contact Pat Thomas, email
pat.jax10@icloud.com for the Zoom and Facebook Live links.
Opportunities for Missionary Discipleship
As we enter a new year, there are new opportunities and fresh challenges to face in being missionary disciples.
Here are some things for you to consider…
Each week, people are meeting in connect groups to discuss the gospel reading; an eco-circle meets weekly as well as an Israel-Palestine “See and Pray” group. Our Prayer Foundation organises twice weekly meetings for silent prayer. Click on any of the links to find out more.
Many responded magnificently to our various Christmas appeals but the work of caring for our neighbour, especially our most vulnerable and disadvantaged neighbours never ceases. As this pandemic continues we need to give some cluster thought to those among us who simply need us. They need our Christian witness; they need our financial support; and they need to know that we care for them and value them as children of God - whatever their beliefs: "need rather than creed".
Meanwhile, our Alpha team are busy planning further opportunities for you. First up is a Bible Study course which will start soon – mid February - and run on a monthly basis. Click on the link for more details.
Or what about joining a Lenten activity of some kind? There will be details about this shortly as Ash Wednesday is 17th Feb.
There will be yet another opportunity to take part in an Alpha course. If you haven’t done it you don’t know what you are missing – just ask those who have! This is often the best way to do a bit of “spring cleaning” on your faith life but it’s also a great way to meet new cluster friends online. This is scheduled to start just after Easter.
There should be something for everyone there but let us know what you would like the cluster to organise that would help you through these challenging times to stay safe; pray safe and to stay connected.
Live streamed Masses
Some parishioners have asked why we don’t have live streamed Masses. The Strategy group (PPC chairs or representative, Parish co-ordinator and leadership team) looked at this option early in the first lockdown. Unfortunately, none of our three cluster parishes currently has the technology necessary for this to operate and it would be prohibitively expensive to acquire. Given our extremely limited resources at this time, it was decided to provide the lockdown liturgy in its current form. Our weekend cluster newsletter contains a link to live streamed Masses in our archdiocese and across Scotland.
Is looking for new members
The Club is open to all parishioners and their friends and family (50 % of monies raised benefits the St Gregory's Development Fund) - there were 86 numbers operating in 2020. Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could reach the 200 mark ?
For those who already have numbers, please sign up again this year. New members welcome. The Club runs from January - November and a number costs £1 per month. Multiple numbers welcomed. Draw at end of each month. Wherever possible, unless of course you have multiple numbers, full annual payment upfront would be helpful. I am happy to collect the money - just contact me on 07792447436 (helpfully in a sealed envelope with your name, telephone number and amount paid). (1 number = £11 per year). Envelopes can also be put through the letterboxes of The Parish House, Jacinta's 59 Walter Scott Avenue EH16 5RN or mine, 130 Alnwickhill Road EH16 6NQ. You have to be in it to win it....
Ann Callaghan
Fire and Water
We invite you to explore the power of the sacraments in a new series of talks hosted by the Archdiocese.
The first talk is titled Fire & Water, and covers Confirmation and Baptism. Sr Anna Marie McGuan, our Catechetics Advisor, leads the 45 minute session and is encouraging Catholics across the Archdiocese to take part.
Email: sranna.marie@staned.org.uk
St Catherine's Primary School remains open
We have officially moved over to ‘Remote Learning’. For many of you with school aged children, this will be a move back to a classroom on a lap or a dining table.
The school will be providing lessons and learning ideas for all our children who will remain learning at home. We are also providing IT equipment and internet access for those who don’t have access to their own. The school also has a number of children still attending. These are children who have been selected due to their status or that of their keyworker parents.
If you feel that your child would be entitled to attend school, then please check the information on The City of Edinburgh website before applying.
It is with great regret, that a decision has been made to postpone the 1st Communion celebrations for the children who were due to receive this Sacrament in February. All families affected will be contacted by the school or the Parish in due course. New dates will be issued when restrictions allow larger religious gatherings again. Thank you to you all for your continued support and messages of gratitude for our staff. Every one of these means so much.
God Bless and keep safe,
Paul (Hunter) headteacher.
Justice Matters 2021
Today we are dedicating our whole article to celebrating the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons which becomes law on Friday 22nd January 2021. If you are anything like me you probably haven’t been thinking about Nuclear Weapons recently – our minds have been taken up by Covid 19. Where has the treaty come from? It was agreed at the UN in 2017 and was put out to be signed by countries. On the 24th October 2020 Honduras became the 50th country to sign it, thereby allowing the treaty to become international law. It basically makes nuclear weapons illegal.
See: The UK has not signed the treaty and is being implored by the Catholic bishops to sign it. Our country spends more money on weapons than it does on combatting climate change . The government plan to replace Trident using American technology. Described as a multi –billion pound venture, it comes at a time when the National Audit Office warns that the UK's nuclear weapons programme “was £1.3 billion over budget due to delays caused by poor management.”
Reflect: Over 50 countries have pledged that they will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons. Do you think we are safer with nuclear weapons or do you agree with the Pope “international peace and stability cannot be based on a false sense of security, on the threat of mutual destruction or total annihilation"? (Fratelli Tutti #262)
Act: Watch this beautiful short film, “If You Love This Planet”. It brings to life Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow’s passionate call to action, on the day that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted at the United Nations – 7 July 2017. There are things we can do.
- Sign the Scrap Trident petition
- Visit the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) website
- More locally, join the Pax Christi Scotland Vigil on the 22nd January advertised in the newsletter. Register in advance for this meeting here.
You are held in prayer
Please remember in your prayers those who are sick:
Fr Eugen
Evelyn Levine
James Duffy
Ronan Boyle
John Boyle
Binne Vries
Hazel Martin
Paul Brennan
Maureen Phillips
Mary Boyle
Mary Dias
Catriona McAuley
Elaine Hepburn
Michael
Lorraine
Marie
Sophie
Roney Fernandes
Christopher Browne
Xaverina Rodrigues
Anne and Helen
Sacred Heart sisters in Avigliana, Italy and Algorta, Spain
I am the Resurrection and the Life
We remember in love:
Conan Murie
Marie Ireland
Anniversaries
St Gregory’s
Peggy McKelvey, Margaret Moore,
Violet Doig, Jordan McGinley,
John Renwick.
St John Vianney's
John McKenzie, Agnes Lee,
Sean McGeever, Harry Evans,
Janey Higgins-Clay, Doris Murray,
Edward Kelty, Paddy Sutherland,
Frances White, Nora Hanratty,
Patrick O’Rourke, Teresa Struan,
Margaret Kelly, Fay Walker,
Patrick Sutherland, Flora McGeown,
Maureen Burns, Jemima Paul,
Charlie Healey, Charlotte McDermid.
For those without internet access
If you know a parishioner without internet access please tell them about our podcast. For the cost of a local call, 0131 357 6463 they can hear our Lockdown Liturgy (available on Sunday).
United in prayer:
Tues 2.45 & Weds 7pm
Our Prayer Foundation invite us all to join in 30 min of silent prayer. For an example of an opening prayer see
here.
For prayer requests email clare.roller@icloud.com
The relevant food bank for the cluster is: 47 Southhouse Broadway EH17 8AS
Phone number 664 9353
Email
edinburghfoodbank@blythswood.org
Items needed this week
- Mayonnaise,
- Baby wipes,
- packets of smash,
- sponge puddings,
- Cracker biscuits.
Thank you to the three parishioners for their cash donations very much appreciated.
Cold Weather Payments
Universal Credit and Pension Credit claimants may be among a number of other benefits recipients receiving a £25 payment, after the Cold Weather Payment was triggered in certain areas of the UK recently.
Use this link to check if your postcode qualifies.
If anyone would like to give a gift then there are three ways this can be done:
- Use Online Banking:
Account name - R.Arch of St A St Cath 2
Account Number - 00693806
Sort Code - 80 02 73
Reference - Father Fallon
- Use a special collection offertory envelope and leave in collection box - marked, Father Fallon
- Use any envelope and leave in collection box - marked, Father Fallon
- If none of these are suitable for you then please contact Fred McConnell - fredmcconnell@btinternet.com or 07901 964 100 for alternatives.
Please make sure that it is clearly marked,
Father Fallon.
Children's Winter Coats
If any parent or guardian is in need of a good winter coat for their child, could they get in touch with us through our email address: southedclust@btinternet.com. This request will be managed in the strictest confidence.
Double the love: the government will match your donations!
From today until 31 Jan 2021 public donations made to our Double The Love appeal will be matched by the UK government, up to £2 million.
Pax Christi event
Pax Christi Scotland is hosting an
online vigil on 22 January. Speakers are:
Bishop William Nolan, Bishop President of the Scottish Bishops’ Conference Justice and Peace Commission,
Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the Church of Scotland, The
Most Rev Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church,
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer, member of the cross-party anti-nuclear group (House of Lords).
Please click here for more information or to register.
Taize from Waterford
Take a prayerful, peaceful 30 mins this week...
