Cluster News

19/20 February

Next deadline  Wed 23 February

Please note the new Cluster contact number:   0131 563 8391

Our Weekend Masses

For details see the section in this week's news and go to our dedicated page.

Many live streamed Masses are being "wound down" and the link we provided is no longer up to date.

Sisters and brothers,

Today's gospel must be among the hardest to live, one that we balk at, and that has been misused to promote passivity and submission.

Yet Jesus' way of radical love is the only way to break through destructive cycles of hurt, anger, retribution and violence. Let's ask God for the strength to meet an adversary with understanding and kindness and allow Christ's peace to detach us from the hurt.

Fr Alex

Prayer Resources:

7th Sunday C

Children's Resources:

7th Sunday C

Communion Services will resume at St Gregory's every Wednesday at 9.30 am. Details will be taken for Test & Protect.

Synod 2021-2023: Communion*Participation*Mission

Cluster Synod Sessions

As part of the worldwide synodal process, we are all asked for our views on ten themes. In our cluster there will be five sessions @ 75 minutes each. Everyone is invited to participate in as many sessions as they can manage. Just turn up for the face to face sessions and register here for the Zoom ones, using the heading "Synod Zoom Meeting".

All the feedback will be read carefully and summarised to reflect what parishioners have said. It will be published through our news channels and then be sent both to the archdiocese and to Rome.


  1. After Mass: Saturday 12 February @ 1900 in St Gregory’s (Themes 1 & 2)
  2. Wednesday 16 February @ 2000 by Zoom (Themes 5 & 6)
  3. After Mass: Sunday 20 February @ 1015* in St John Vianney’s (Themes 3 & 4)
  4. Wednesday 23 February @ 1900 by Zoom (Themes 9 & 10)
  5. After Mass: Sunday 6 March @ 11.45 in St Catherine’s (Themes 7 & 8)


Come, speak freely and listen to others and the Holy Spirit on these themes. Invite others too - everyone is welcome.

* Please note the changed and earlier start time.

Third Synod Session Sun 20th Feb @ 10.15am* in SJV

3. Speaking out
How do we promote a free and authentic style of communication within the community?
Who speaks on behalf of the Christian community, and how are they chosen?

4. Celebrating
How do prayer and liturgical celebration inspire and direct our “journey together”?

Fourth Synod Session Wed 23rd Feb

@ 7pm on Zoom. Register here.

9. Discerning and Deciding
How do we better understand the movements of the Spirit in our decision making in the church?

- How and with what tools do we promote transparency and accountability?

10. Forming Ourselves in Synodality
How do we form people to journey together listening to each other and engaging in dialogue?

What tools can help us read our culture and their impact on our style of church?

'Distance Aware' badges and lanyards 

You might come across fellow parishioners wearing such a badge or lanyard. As we have said throughout the pandemic, many people are still concerned about Covid. We would therefore ask everybody, where space allows, to maintain a respectful distance from one another.

Thanks from Josie

Josie Moir and family would like to say a sincere thank you for all the Mass cards, cards and condolences that they received on the sad loss of our beloved Sheila.

Cluster Stations of the Cross

There will be a service of the Stations of the Cross throughout Lent each Monday at St Catherine's Church  starting on 7th March  at 2pm. All are welcome.

Cluster Lenten Sessions 2022

Lent is almost here. Why not join us in turning to God once more? Our cluster Connect groups warmly invite you to a time of fellowship every Monday evening starting on 28th February until 4th April at 7pm when we can listen to God’s Word, reflect, share and praise together. These sessions are produced by our own parishioners. If you would like to join us or would like to know more please contact us on cluster.alpha@outlook.com

Operation Orange 

The Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, (FCEI) run an organisation called Mediterranean Hope. Since 2019 they have had a base in Calabria, Italy. MH projects support migrants who toil in the region’s fruit fields. The overarching objective is to break the cycle of exploitation and MH have, with a local partner created an ethical supply chain bearing the brand “ETIKA”. 

The Church of Scotland is this year supporting a pilot project to bring the “ETIKA” brand here. That is where operation orange and us, comes in. Two crates of oranges have been bought and as yet we are unsure of arrival dates. We aim to give out the oranges after Mass and hope people become interested in the project. This can be buying oranges but we also need people to be involved and take on some responsibility for operation orange as an ongoing venture. If you are interested contact Tricia Kaminski  or Clare Roller 

And, once you have bought your oranges...

Spiced Orange Cake with Plum Sauce

Fr Alex serves up the perfect recipe to make delicious use of your ETIKA oranges.

Come and celebrate the tattie

You are very warmly invited to the mansion gardens on Saturday 26th Feb from 12 - 3pm to celebrate this noble vegetable. All sorts of things on offer including stovies, potato and leek soup and children's activities.

Full details here 

FAIR TRADE FORTNIGHT STALL – 27th Feb
We are having our first stall of the year to mark FTF and hope you will drop by to have a look and see what is on offer. It's after Mass at St Catherine's. You are very welcome

Tricia Kaminski

SEECAT LENT GROUPS

There will be two SEECAT Lent groups (in person). The Tron at 3pm starting on Tuesday 8 March and at St Barnabas at 1:30pm starting on Wednesday 9 March, for 5 consecutive weeks.

There will also be a Zoom Lent Group at 2pm starting on Thursday 10 March, for 5 consecutive weeks. We will be using the material from this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

If you would like to go to any of these groups, please contact Clare Roller

SLN Lenten Journey

The Body of Christ - Blessed, Broken, Excluded?

A series of talks and Q&A. The first talk is on Wed 23 Feb @ 7pm. 

Fr James Alison will speak on "Understanding matters LGBTQ in 2022 - some historical background for how we got here". The full Lenten programme is here. To register go here. A recording will be available - email SLN.

Justice Matters: Priority of People and Planet before Profit

Fairtrade Fortnight starts on 21st February and is now an established part of our yearly calendar.  Importantly fair trade is not primarily about charity.  It is a venture that seeks to address injustices baked into our trading systems.  Like Christianity it stands in contradiction to the values of the world. It seeks not to prioritise profits but to prioritise the needs of the workers and the planet.  This makes it difficult to sell to a market where shareholder dividends and profit margins dictate what is bought.  Shouldn’t the market serve all the people and the planet?   

SEE       Sadly we see that our economic systems do not serve all equitably and this is very clear in trading systems. Watch the video above for a clear summmary. Our planet needs farmers and at COP26, the UK government committed to deliver new funding for farmers and workers in low-income countries facing the worst of the climate crisis. If we invest in this expertise, farmers can scale up their work and make an even bigger difference in the fight against climate change. Sadly, the funds have not yet been released.  


REFLECT      Often the readings resonate with the subject we are writing about and today they seem to shout their agreement.  Fair trade is challenging in terms of modern day economics and is struggling.   Christian teaching is also challenging in terms of the ways of the world and we can struggle when asked to turn the other cheek and do good to those who harm us. How often is it easier to ignore the message of Christ rather than confront the logical outcome of following his word?  Do we really trust enough to believe that “Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.” 


ACT      I am afraid this week’s column is all about action!  You could write to your MP urging him to press the government on when the promised funds to poorer countries will be released.  Perhaps ask when the pledges made at COP26 are going to be honoured.

From listening to Cocoa farmers to virtual tours of Palestinian olive groves and from storytelling to creative workshops there is something for everyone at the “Choose the World you want Festival” Why not register and enjoy?  

We are a Fair Trade Cluster and it is important that we are proud of that – help us to  keep our pledge.  We have undertaken to serve only fair trade tea and coffee and to expand our use of fair trade goods. If you are donating please buy fair trade. There will be a Fair Trade stall after Mass at St Catherine's next Sunday

You are held in prayer

Those who are unwell

and in need of our prayers:

Rose Neilson, Ellen Salvona, Adele Hyndman,

Patrick Phelan, Jean Harvey, Fiona Scott,

Sheila Ross, Roberto Rivero, Nilsa de Rodriguez, Rudy Deras, Dawn Adams, Aileen Paulin,

Helen Haddow, Bill and Marlene Bonnar,

Stevie Donald, Kathy Duffy, Mary,

Verdiana and Donati Kweka (Tanzania),

Mary Thomson, Eammon McKelvey, Nancy Barta, Alex McGinnity, Belén Rodriguez, Patricia Simmons, Elizabeth Napier, George Pringle, Angela Mcintosh, Jorge Rodriguez, Sr. Veronica, Katharine, John, Jennifer, Christopher Mackinnon Maureen Lawson, Bailey Bruce McCann, Betty Dickinson, Annette, Catherine Hart, Karen Devlin, Vo Van Tu, Scott Fraser, Thea Maung, Anne Doig, Sr May Lewis,

Jessie & George Ritchie, John Skinner, Fr Eugen, James Duffy, Ronan Boyle, Hazel Martin, Mary Boyle, Mary Dias, Catriona McAuley, Elaine Hepburn, 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:

Sarah Duffy,

Loreto Spiridigliozzi,

Sheila Moir.


Anniversaries


St Catherine's

Ally Logan

St Gregory’s:

Winnie Callaghan, Anne Harvey Witte,

Peter Sharkey

St John Vianney's

Helen Watson, Grace McPherson Mooney,

Freddie Ward, James Boyle, Craig McAleer,

Marie Di Placido, Francis Healy, Robert Quigley, Anthony Moran, Patrick O’Neill, Tom Todd,

Henry McGuinness, Patrick Murphy, John Gibbons, Jessie O’Connor, James O’Neill, Mark Munro,

Harry Thomson, Kevin Allen, Mary Mulhern.

Sarah Duffy RIP

+   +   +   +   +   +   +

Sarah's Requiem Mass will be on Tuesday 22 February at 4pm in St Catherine's.

Burial in Eire.

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

Entrance through Red side door. Buses 3, 8, 29 stop right outside. The format is: 

  • short introduction followed by 
  • 30 minutes silent prayer
  • then 10 minutes of intercessory prayer.

If you prefer you can join us on Zoom or just pray with us while you are at home. Contact Clare Roller

Psalm 102   The Lord is compassion and love

Boxes for our local foodbank

Please bring items listed below to any of our church buildings or St Catherine's Primary School for our foodbank - or take them directly to:

47 Southhouse Broadway EH17 8AS   

Phone number 664 9353     

Email: edinburghfoodbank@blythswood.org

Items requested for this week:

  • Sponge Puddings,
  • Size 4 Nappies,
  • Super Noodles,
  • Chocolate Spread,
  • Diluting Juice,
  • Tinned Meat: Mince/ham/hot dogs, corned Beef

Thanks also for a 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 07757 845673, 

St Catherine's 07539 266411. 

If you would like to make a donation go here

Entitlements Page

What help are you entitled to?

There are many benefits and grants to which people are entitled. Please check our entitlements page. Let us also know of others.

  • If anyone would like to give a gift then there are three ways this can be done:

    1. Use Online Banking:

    Account name - R.Arch of St A St Cath 2

    Account Number - 00693806

    Sort Code - 80 02 73

    Reference - Father Fallon

    2. 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

    3. 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.

Open House magazine is hosting a teleconference on Liberation Theology on Saturday 26th February from 10.30 am - 4.30pm.

This event is free.

Read a full size copy of this notice.

To register click here.

Word Day of Prayer on March 4th at 2pm @ SJV

This is an Ecumenical Service which is celebrated each year by one of our local Christian Churches. The theme this year is "I Know The Plans I Have For You" It's a message of Hope.

I hope many of you can join us in celebration on the day.

Maureen Quinn

Seniors Cluster Afternoon Tea Saturday 5 March 1-4pm 

St Catherine's Church Hall 

We missed having our party at Christmas, so wanted you to come along to a get together as soon as we were allowed. We would love you to join us for an afternoon of dainty delights and good company. 

Please give your name, with your dietary requirements and transport needs to:

Janet L: StCs, Carol M and Susanne L: StJV and Jacinta F: StGs

See you there, The Cluster Social Team 

To practise breath prayer

ponder the nearness of God. Settle deeply into the truth that Christ is in you. Deeply breathe in, repeating any name of God that is dear to you...

As you exhale, voice a deep desire of your heart. When you exhale, offer up the desire of your heart. The brevity of the prayer allows it to be repeated over and over throughout the day. Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations