Live streamed Masses here
Dear parishioner,
Lent is a time for making sacrifices. Few of us like Abraham will be asked to sacrifice their only son.
We have lesser Isaacs in our lives – those obsessions which dominate our lives and distance us from God. Now is the time to identify them, and if necessary, be prepared to sacrifice them. If we are prepared to follow Abraham up the mountain this Lent, we must be prepared to sacrifice our Isaacs. Only then will the Lord say to us as he said to Abraham: “Because you have done this, because you have not refused me your son, your only son, I will shower blessings on you."
Fr. Alex
Weekend Liturgy:
Second Sunday of Lent B
Children's Liturgy:
Second Sunday of Lent B
Closure of Places of Worship
continue for the moment
except for Funerals or Weddings
see Closure
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.
Fair Trade Festival: 22 Feb - 7 Mar
Join the free virtual festival to hear why winning a fairer deal for farmers and workers is critical in tackling the climate crisis. It will feature:
- Workers explaining why they need to earn more to survive a climate crisis.
- Farmers, experts and famous faces talking about how we choose a better future.
- Music, art and entertainment, from all corners of our world and fun interactive workshops on sustainable living here in the UK. Click on the picture.
Fr Alex's Fair Trade Challenge
Cluster Challenge for the second week of Lent
Guess how many ingredients of Fr Alex's two recipes are readily available as Fairtrade products in most supermarkets. Scroll to the bottom of the recipe page for the answer and get baking with at least one Fairtrade product!
Hymn of the Week: Beauty for brokenness
This spiritual song seems an apt one to use for Fairtrade Sunday, as it reflects the unconditional love and compassion of God for everyone, and in particular for those suffering as a result of injustice, oppression and victimisation. The words challenge us to ask God to “give us compassion, melt our cold hearts and change our love from a spark to a flame”, so that we will care for the earth, work for a just world and live lovingly and simply as Jesus did. Pat Thomas, for the Fairtrade Group
Cristo Roto by Miguel Romo
Our series of Lenten Sessions continues on Monday evenings at 7.30. Email cluster.alpha@outlook.com. It's never too late to join in - see you there!
Justice matters: "Choose the world you want..."
is the theme of 2021 Fair Trade Fortnight and chimes with Pope Francis’ message to us in Fratelli Tutti, to “prepare the future”. Breath-taking in scale, it can leave some of us questioning where do we start? Fair trade is a good place and the cluster are all Fair Trade parishes. Perhaps now is a time to recommit to being a FT cluster and prepare for the future.
See: Why is Fair trade important? The reasons are many and can be summed up in its name: fair. Does that mean current trade is unfair? Sadly much of the trade system keeps developing countries at a disadvantage. This film explains how. We see a growing awareness of climate disruption and FT uses sustainable methods to counter climate problems. What does this mean? Watch this very short video to learn more.
Reflect: Sometimes it is difficult to reflect on our actions, although we know choices have consequences. These can be easier to spot when they impact locally. But do we sometimes ignore consequences which are not immediately obvious or when made through financial necessity? Here, many are dependent on food banks or on restricted incomes and fair trade goods may feel out of reach. However perhaps we need to reflect on how this has come about? How are resources traded in a manner which respects our planet and people too expensive for many to afford? Pope Francis in Fratelli Tutti gives us much to ponder on.
Act: Fair Trade provides us with a means of knowing that what we buy considers the needs of the planet and the producer. We could try to buy FT items such as bananas, coffee and chocolate. We could watch the films in the See paragraph and find out more about what lies behind our trade. We could talk about Fair Trade to our friends. It is also not too late to log on to the FT fortnights on line festival which features among other things, cooking demonstrations, virtual tours and quizzes. Our cluster is a FT one and perhaps now is the time to recommit to that. Please read and as a cluster we can make sure that our time with each other continues to be done using resources that allow others to be treated as we would wish to be treated ourselves.
Addressing local need through SSVP
For the Second Week in Lent, we continue our series with Frank Quinn looking more closely at the faith and philosophy of St Vincent de Paul.
The beginning of the beginning
With our Nursery – Primary 3 children already back in and our P4 – P7 children set to return, we can start to see what we are calling ‘the beginning of the beginning’.
Our next challenge, in two weeks time, is getting back into routines. This does not just involve classroom routines but mind routines too. Many of our children will have mixed emotions about returning to school.
This is totally understandable. With the support of you, our parents and families and our school staff, we will work together to help to retain and regain the happiness that a school brings.
Taking a few minutes to ask how someone is can make a huge difference.
A shoulder and an ear, will often avoid a tear.
Take care everyone!
Paul (headteacher)
Sacramental Prep and the foodbank
We were delighted to welcome our Nursery to P3 pupils back this week. It has been great to see them all and they have been stars this week. Well done!
Our P4-P7 pupils continue to learn from home, we miss seeing them all every day and hope they will be back to school soon.
During Advent, we worked in partnership with St Gregory’s to support the local foodbank. Our P5 pupils did a great job leading this across the school. Pupils have decided this is what they would like to focus on for Lent. This time, our P3 pupils will lead this. Thank you to Maureen and Anne for supporting us with this. If you have any donations then please send them into school with you child for their class donation box.
Sacramental Preparation, all parents whose children are due to receive their Sacraments should have received an email about this, this week. If you haven’t then please get in touch.
Contact for the School Office: 0131 664 1742 or admin@st-johnvianney.edin.sch.uk
Aisling Christie (depute head)
You are held in prayer
Please remember in your prayers those who are sick:
Bridie Hand, Annie Calvey,
Anne Doig, Sr May Lewis,
Eileen Kelly, Jessie and George Ritchie,
John Skinner, John McGinley,
Fr Eugen, Evelyn Levine,
James Duffy, Ronan Boyle,
Hazel Martin, Paul Brennan,
Maureen Phillips, Mary Boyle,
Mary Dias, Catriona McAuley,
Elaine Hepburn, 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:
Those who have died recently
Sid Hallford,
Margaret Martin,
Edith Fallon,
Catherine McHardy,
Christopher Cowe.
Anniversaries
Rebecca (Ruby) Curran, Ellen Dickson,
William Taylor, Betty Cant,
Josephine Flanagan, Ada Bull,
Kathleen Doherty, Robert Robson,
Sean Quigley, Agnes Walker,
John Barrett.
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
South Edinburgh Foodbank
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
Nappies size 5 and 6
Tinned custard,
sponge puddings,
fruit juice,
Eggs,
Packets of sweets ie Werther's Original, Chocolate Eclairs, Fruit pastilles, Murray Mints,
Entitlements Page
There are many benefits and grants to which people are entitled but often they are not aware of these. We are going to put all these in an entitlements page. Please let us know of others you have come across.
Click on the picture to go there.
Scottish Child Payment: £10 a week paid monthly for each child under 6.
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.
Imelda Poole:
Francis on Migrants
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
7:30 PM 8:30 PM
Details of the zoom meeting
here
What are the Economists saying that gives us hope?
Thurs 4 Mar @ 7pm with Katherine Treebeck, a writer and wellbeing economy advocate, and respected economic voice in Scotland and globally. For details and to register email Scottish Laity Network.
A series of talks and Q&A inviting you to imagine the way in which we are being called to prepare a future that gives hope to future generations and our planet. The full Lenten programme is here.
World Day of Prayer 2021
Build on a Strong Foundation
This year's WDP is on Fri 5 March, with materials written by the Christian Women of Vanuatu. For our region, the Augustine United Church in Edinburgh will host a Zoom service at 2pm. Details here
What does that mean? It means that we use Fairtrade products at gatherings (e.g. teas and coffees) and promote Fairtrade. We encourage you to do the same whenever you can. It means producers are given a fair price for their products but, of course, it may cost us a bit more. A price worth paying for treating people fairly and justly.