Advent and Christmas services
Christmas Eve Mass: Sat 24 Dec - 6pm, St John Vianney's
Christmas Eve Mass: Sat 24 Dec - 8pm, St Catherine's
Christmas Day Mass: Sun 25 Dec - 10am, St Gregory's
Cluster News
10/11 December
Next deadline 14th December
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In today's gospel, Jesus asks both John's disciples and his listeners about what they see and hear. What do we see and hear in these days of preparations for Christmas? Do we hear the silent whispers of loneliness? Do we see the haunted look of poverty? Do we hear the prophetic voices calling out injustice? Do we recognise in these Christ waiting to be born in every act of kindness?
Fr Alex
Festive Break
The mail chimp email, online and paper newsletter team is taking a break over the Festive period. There will be a newsletter NEXT weekend 17/18 December. The next publication is on the weekend
7/8 January 2023. Please ensure that you give us any items you want included that will take place during the festive break by next week. All anniversaries occurring during this period will be published next week.
Prayer Resources:
3rd Sunday of Advent A
Children's Resources:
3rd Sunday of Advent A
Waiting in Hope
Sun 11 Dec from 2 till 4pm. You are warmly invited to a Prayer Foundation Advent prayer afternoon at St Catherine’s church It will be led by Pat Thomas. All very welcome. Please drop in for as long or as short as you wish.
Christmas Fairtrade Stall Sun 11 Dec
after 11am Mass in St Catherine's hall. Would you like to give an ethical gift this Christmas? Visit our Christmas fairtrade stall with a selection of gifts and edibles. All welcome to come and have a look.
Our Advent Sessions can still be viewed
For the third year running some of our parishioners produced an Advent series arising from their own reflections on literature, the gospel, on artwork and a seasonal hymn. No other parish in the archdiocese does this, so well done!!
The links to the series can be found here (none lasts more than 20 minutes). See some familiar faces in a different light. Sincere thanks to all those in our Connect Groups. The Alpha team
New Alpha starts Thu 12 January
7-8.30pm @ St Gregory’s Parish Hall, Walter Scott Avenue EH16 5TD, Until 16 March. Food, a film and a chat. A chance to ask questions, explore your faith and connect with others. To join or find out more please email us. The Alpha Team
St Gregory’s traditional Christmas raffle.
We have kindly been donated a hamper to raffle for Christmas to help us raise some funds for the parish. Any other donations of prizes would be most welcome.
We suggest you put a donation of what you can afford in an envelope marked St Gregory’s raffle, your name and contact number on it (you could be the winner). Envelopes can be dropped of at Mass. The draw will take place Saturday 17th Dec after Mass. Thank you again for your support. Jacinta
Cluster Christmas Lunch - Sat 17 Dec 🎅🎄
@ 12.30pm for our Cluster Seniors in St Catherine’s Church Hall. ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ when as friends we get together to enjoy a lovely meal, good chat and an enjoyable sing song (going ahead this year!)
We will be asking shortly for your names and if you have any dietary requirements and if transport is required. We look forward to welcoming you there. Love, the Santa Team
St John Vianney's Christmas raffle
SJV are having a Christmas raffle. First prize is a hamper, there will be various other prizes, too. Tickets are on sale now, £1 each after Mass.
Annual St Catherine's
Christmas raffle
will begin on the first Sunday in December. Raffle tickets will be on sale at the back of the church - £1 a strip. All funds raised will be presented to Father Alex at Christmas.
Any questions please see Maureen Philips.
Cluster Christmas Carol Concert 🎄🎵
Tue 20 Dec @ 7.30pm in St Catherine’s. 🎶 Please come along and support our Cluster Christmas Choir. They have been working hard to put on a really enjoyable, fun, happy Christmas Concert (postponed from last year).
It costs £5 a ticket, which will be donated to support our Cluster Community Lunches. Refreshments afterwards in the church hall. Tickets on sale now. Come and join the fun, why not wear your Christmas jumpers! 🎅🎵
Helping Santa – Sun 11 Dec
St Catherine’s Parish have been asked by the local SW Santa helpers to help with gifts for children in our area this year again. If you are able to donate to this, please wrap the gift marking it for a Girl or Boy and an age (0–16 yrs) and place under the Christmas tree. Date tbc by next week. It’s so important we help as much as we can, but you have never let them down. Many, many thanks in advance for this. Brian and Catherine
139th Braid Scout Group
Food Bank Drive
The 139th Braid have done a final food bank drive for our local facilities. The kids had a sleepover on Friday evening and even though they were very tired worked hard at Sainsbury’s Cameron Toll taking in £4627.48 of food. This brings their total for 4 drives to over £16,000. To say I am a proud leader just doesn't cut it!
Jacqui Philips
SEECAT Carol Singing
Saturday 17th December from 12 noon to 1 pm at Morrison’s, Gilmerton Road. Come and join us!
Cluster Prayer Group
We meet once a month in each other’s homes to catch-up over a cuppa and look at different ways of praying. We seek to deepen our relationship with God by praying with the Bible, art, imaginative contemplation and….come Springtime …nature. You are warmly invited to join us so why not take a pause once a month and discover more about yourself and God? Please email us.
Justice Matters: The Baptist as a Prisoner of Conscience
In today's gospel John the Baptist is in prison for criticising Herod, the local despot. An early prisoner of conscience, John's fate is shared by many people today. Prisoners of conscience “are persons imprisoned for the peaceful expression of their political, religious, or other conscientiously held beliefs, or for their identity, even though they have neither used nor advocated violence.
”Who are Prisoners of Conscience? Each year SEECAT supports the Amnesty International Write for Rights campaign – showing governments as well as prisoners themselves, that they are not forgotten
SEE: Shahnewaz Chowdhury from Bangladesh, imprisoned in 2021 for a facebook insert posted after a fierce storm destroyed homes. He linked the impact of a local power plant with the environmental destruction in his region. He urged young people to ‘resist injustice and support development through fearless writing'. He was imprisoned for 80 days. Now on bail he still faces a heavy prison sentence for the facebook post.
Dorgelesses Nguessan from the Cameroon, imprisoned after attending a peaceful protest against the state of the economy. Security forces fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters. Dorgelesse was arrested and sentenced to five years for attending.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a Black Cuban artist is a leader of the San Isidro Movement, formed to oppose government censorship. In 2021 he posted a video saying, he was joining one of the largest demonstrations Cuba had seen in decades. He was arrested and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment following a closed trial.
Reflect: May God bless you with a restless discomfort
about easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.
May God bless you with holy anger
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.
May God bless you with the gift of tears
to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you really can make a difference in this world,
so that you are able, with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.
(Franciscan Blessing.)
Action: Today the focus has been on prisoners of conscience but it's important to remember all prisoners who hold a special place in Christ's heart. “When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” Matthew 25:40
Perhaps you can look at the Amnesty Write for Rights booklet and join the thousands who already partake. There are political prisoners all over the world, people who believe that the system under which they live is unjust. Perhaps read about political prisoners in Palestine Fact Sheet.
Tricia Kaminski
Please remember in your prayers
Those who are unwell
Those in need of prayer
Michael Bell, Nicola Cameron, Margaret Adams, Christine, Grace Kay, Michael Martin, Bridie Addison, Tracey, Rebecca, Valerie Anderson, Maria Lucaci,
Zoila Melgarejo, Kate, Susie Hay, Anne McKain,
Joe MacDonald, Rose Ross, Camilo Rodriguez,
Edison Villabona, Gloria Camargo, Anne-Marie Davie, Joe McConnell, Carolyn Larter, Christine Knox,
Patrick Phelan, Ellen Salvona, Nilsa de Rodriguez,
Belén Rodriguez, Rudy Deras, Stevie Donald,
Kathy Duffy, Mary, Verdiana and Donati Kweka (Tanzania), Eammon McKelvey, Alex McGinnity,
Patricia Simmons, Elizabeth Napier, George Pringle,
Sr. Veronica, John, Jennifer, Maureen Lawson,
Bailey Bruce McCann, Betty Dickinson, Annette, Catherine Hart, Karen Devlin, Scott Fraser,
John Skinner, Fr Eugen, James Duffy, Ronan Boyle,
Hazel Martin, Mary Boyle, Mary Dias,
Catriona McAuley, Marie, Roney Fernandes, Christopher Browne, Xaverina Rodrigues,
Anne and Helen,
Sacred Heart sisters in Uganda.
I am the Resurrection and the Life
We remember in love
Those who have died recently
Mary Thomson,
David Wightman
James Waugh,
Sadie McCole,
Bridget (Beattie) Goonan,
Nancy Barta,
Miriam Rodriguez de Chanagá,
Colm O'Brien,
Molly Dobson.
Anniversaries
Bridget McCarron, Mary Devine,
Nicole Finley, James Mulroy,
James Devers, Allan MacLean,
John Manderson, Matthew Milne,
Herbert Cobb, Eddie Gardner, Jane Smith, Peter Archibald Clancy,
George Petrie Hay Wilson, Grace Ford, Margaret Harvey, Patsy McHugh,
Bridget Coyle.
May they rest in peace.
Our Remembrance Gallery is in memory of the loved ones we have lost during the pandemic. If you wish a loved one to be included, go here to find out how. You will also find information on what help our Cluster Bereavement Group offer for anyone who has been bereaved.
Please join us in Contemplative prayer
on Tuesday afternoons 2.40 to 3.45 at Liberton Northfield 280 Gilmerton Road EH16 5TT
If you prefer you can join us on Zoom or just pray with us while you are at home. Contact
Clare Roller
Boxes for our local foodbank
Please bring items listed below to any of our church buildings or either of our Catholic Primary Schools for the foodbank - or take them to:
No items needed this week as the foodbank is overflowing, thanks to a huge delivery! Look inside our local food bank here.
Thanks for the cash donation.
New opening hours for the Food Bank are
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 10am until 1.30pm
Are you struggling? We are here to help
If you, or anyone you know, is in need of financial support or a friendly telephone chat, call our SSVP in the Cluster:
St John Vianney's 07922 675196,
St Gregory's 07455 306607
St Catherine's 07539 266411.
If you would like to make a donation go here
The winner of the November draw was number 20. The lucky winner got £74.
Thanks again for your support for this fundraising effort and details for signing up for 2023 to follow in next few weeks! Many thanks. Ann Callaghan
Transition Edinburgh South
Gracemount Community Gardens 16 Dec
To find out more about how you can become involved
email us or look us up
online. It is always great to see people in the garden and there are plenty of ways to be involved.
Scottish Laity Network Advent Journey 2022
Forced to flee
Series of talks on Zoom. Third talk on Thu 15 Dec @ 7pm by Alison Phipps Co-Convener of Glasgow Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network
Alison will share stories of those who are forced to flee - their journey, their challenges,
their hopes and how with people and networks of solidarity they are together building the
Next steps on the Church's synodal journey
Enlarge the Space of your Tent
Taken from Isaiah, this is the title of the First Working Document which synthesises reports from 112 bishops' conferences, different religious orders and around 150 lay groups, based on the largest consultation exercise conducted in human history, in which our Cluster also took part earlier this year. One of the main findings was that Catholics repeatedly expressed the desire for a more welcoming, inclusive Church that eradicates the misuse of power. For a summary go here.
Two main changes have been made to the synodal process in order to allow for further discussion, reflection and discernment not only by the Synod of Bishops, but by the whole Church.
Each bishop is now requested “to bring the document to the knowledge of his [diocese]” and to “arrange an ecclesial process of discernment” on it, which will be submitted to their Bishops’ Conference. The Conferences will then submit a report to inform the next continental phase of the synodal journey which involves bishops, priests, deacons, religious, as well as lay Catholics. The European Assembly will take place in the Czech Republic on 5-12 February 2023.
The syntheses of the Continental Assemblies will then inform, in a Second Working Document, the final [universal] phase of the Synod in Rome. However, that phase will now be spread over two gatherings, in October 2023 and October 2024. It underlines that Pope Francis wants synodality to become a “constitutive” part of the Church. In his words, the Synod "is not an event but a process in which the whole People of God is called to walk together toward what the Holy Spirit helps it to discern as being the Lord's will for his Church."
Edinburgh College
Teaching English
Edinburgh College are recruiting volunteers to support people who want to improve their English language skills, including refugees. Students come from a wide range of countries and are unable to attend formal classes for a range of reasons. The college offers training to people interested in volunteering. No previous teaching experience is necessary as volunteer support and further training are provided. The course begins Jan 2023. Please see the course programme for more information about dates and course content.
