St Thomas the Apostle: Collections: St John the Evangelist: Collections
First GA £45.00 NGA: £190.48 First GA £339.50 NGA: £178.01
Monthly Standing Orders: £1,677. Monthly Standing Orders: £2,823.
Education GA: £193.00 Education GA: £133.05
Education NGA £104.15 Education NGA: £128.70
St Anthony’s Box: £19.00
Level 4 Lockdown (St Johns). Mass numbers have been reduced to 20 people per Mass.
For weekday Masses, 15 can be booked through Eventbrite and 5 by phone. You can only book after 11am for Mass for the next day by Eventbrite and phone.
For Sunday Masses you can book on Tuesdays online from 9am (15 places) and by phone on Tuesdays from 11am (5 places). Please give everyone a chance to attend Mass and do not book multiple Masses. You cannot not attend Mass without prior booking. You have to speak with Fr Joe/Jonathan or Eileen the housekeeper to confirm a place by phone. Messages left on the answer machine should not be regarded as a booked place.
Level 4 Lockdown (St Thomas). For Sunday Masses you can book online (15 places) after the last Sunday Mass (11am) for the following weekend. By phone, 5 places are available. You do not have to book for weekday Masses, however if people abuse this, we will change to online booking. You have to speak with Fr Joe/Jonathan or Eileen the housekeeper to confirm a place by phone. Messages left on the answer machine should not be regarded as a booked place.
Rorate Masses in Advent in St Johns
This is a Votive Mass in honour of Our Blessed Lady and is celebrated before dawn in candlelit. By the end of Mass, the sun is starting to rise, it is the dawn of a new day. This is a clear reminder of the True Light, which is Christ, who banishes the darkness of sin and death. In Advent we prepare with Our Blessed Mother to receive Christ, the light of the world once again in our lives at Christmas. The Rorate Masses will be on Tuesdays at 7.30am in Advent and is an additional Mass to the 10am weekday morning Masses. The first is Tuesday the 1st of December.
Advent Confessions: As well as the Saturday morning Confessions in St Johns and St Thomas after the 10am Mass and Confessions from 3.15pm-3.45pm (St Johns) there will be Confessions each Wednesday of Advent in St Johns from 7pm until 8pm. The first Wednesday of Advent is the 2nd of December.
Feast of the Immaculate Conception 8th December: St Johns.
There will be three Masses on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at 7.30am, 10am and 7pm. We will consecrate the Parish of St Johns at all these Masses. You can bring along water, salt and religious articles (Rosaries, Scapulars, statues etc) which we will bless at the end of each Mass. St Thomas’s Annual Consecration to Our Blessed Mother will take place as per usual on the 1st of January, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
Jesse Tree appeal for Christmas: (St Johns/St Thomas) For the past few years the Parishes and the Mini Vinnies have very generously given wrapped gifts for families in our schools and to Our Lady of the Wayside Centre. This year due to infection control we cannot give wrapped gifts, but the need to help families is greater than usual. We would like to give gift tokens to families in need in Barrhead & Neilston. If you are able to give, please give gift tokens, either from Silverburn or the Post Office, preferably ones which can be used in different shops. Gift tokens should be in envelopes with the amount marked on the outside so that they can be fairly distributed. Please hand tokens in at Mass or post them through the parish house letterbox. (both parishes).
Online Christmas Market of St Elisabeth Convent, Minsk, Belarus
The joyous Christmas season is approaching! The season that is filled with love, family and, most importantly, God. As you may be aware, Sisters from the St. Elisabeth Convent (Minsk, Belarus) are unable to participate in annual Christmas markets in our region due to travel restrictions. Nevertheless, they have found a great way to spread the Christmas joy, love and deeds of mercy.
They are launching the very first Online Christmas Market this year, so that people from all over the world can purchase Christmas presents and souvenirs made with love and continuous prayer.
Please, click here to participate:
https://catalog.obitel-minsk.com/christmas-market
Through purchasing beautiful Christmas gifts each one of us will be able to serve the poor, sick, homeless and lonely people. Because every item purchased at the Online Market is a donation towards one of the Convent’s ministries.
The Online Christmas Market of St. Elisabeth Convent offers a range of unique handmade items that will make memorable Christmas gifts, including:
Traditional hand painted Christmas ornaments;
Wooden toys and souvenirs;
Santa Claus and Father Frost figures;
Handcrafted Christmas tree baubles;
Nativity scenes and sets;
Christmas themed ceramics and glass products;
Orthodox Nativity icons;
Russian Matryoshka dolls and much more.
Throughout the pandemic and shutdowns, the Sisters were able to continue running and supporting their multiple social ministries that care for the vulnerable and sick nearby the Convent. Their biggest inspiration has been Saint Elisabeth who helped the sick and the needy during her lifetime.
St Johns Funeral: Wednesday 2nd Nov: Margaret Davidones at 10.00am
St Thomas Funeral: Thursday 3rd Dec: Alex Mc Dade at 10.00am.
‘Spread Love at Christmas? We are inviting you to create a Nativity Scene to display on your window for everyone outside to see. Use bright colours to make it stand out. You could add lights to catch the attention of passers by. Take a photograph and send it to erskinecatholicchurches@gmail.com or via messenger. Find us on Facebook @Catholicerskine1 We will share all pictures submitted in our Love at Christmas Album on Facebook. Wouldn’t it be great to see a Nativity in every window?
Vocations “I shall look after my flock myself… I myself will pasture my sheep.” Is the Lord asking you to share in his pastoral love for his people, perhaps in diocesan priesthood, diaconate or religious life? Contact Fr. John Morrison phone: 0141 8895056 or email vocations@rcdop.org.uk
St. Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society – Virtual Crib
Catholic Adoption Agency, St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society, which supports some of Scotland’s most vulnerable children, is hosting a ‘Virtual Crib’ this Advent. Due to congregation sizes being limited due to Covid19 restrictions the charity could lose out on up to £100k in donations made each year by the Catholic community to its Crib Appeal collection boxes. St Margaret’s Virtual Crib is a peaceful, animated crib scene accompanied by a full Christmas Carol Concert from the St Andrew’s Cathedral Choir. St Margaret’s Virtual Crib will be live until the Feast of the Epiphany on their website at stmargaretsadoption.org.uk. Donations can be made via the St Margaret’s website or by cheque posted to the charity’s office at 26 Newton Place, Glasgow, G3 7PY.
Research on the Wellbeing benefits of being Religious – University of Glasgow
Researchers at the University of Glasgow are interested in the wellbeing benefits of being religious. Catholics across the Diocese are being invited to take part in this 10-minute anonymous online study. You will be asked to answer some questions about your faith, your mental wellbeing, and to complete a short experiment in which you will identify emotion in voices. Here is the weblink to the anonymous study: https://exp.psy.gla.ac.uk/project?religion_wellbeing_study&auto
Online Rosary and Stations of the Cross
You are invited to join us, Catholic Erskine, to pray the Rosary, online, Monday – Thursday and Saturday at 12 noon each day. You are also invited to join us on Friday at 12 noon, when we pray the Stations of the Cross. At present we are using “Mary’s Way of the Cross” – a series of prayers, reflections and meditations as we accompany Mary as she follows her Son on his road to Calvary. To join any of these ventures please visit our website; catholicerskine.website and click onto the Rosary link. All welcome.
Parish Pastoral Council
One of the responsibilities of a recently appointed Parish Priest is the formation of a Parish Pastoral Council; please submit your suggestions for members, and their suitability, to the parish house before the third Sunday in Advent. Parish Pastoral Councils are an essential aspect of parish life which aid the Parish Priest in his responsibility of governance; we hope to form a council which is representative of the parish itself, i.e. members of varying ages and backgrounds.
Flowers for Christmas tide
During the Season of Christmastide, we wish to adorn the Church with fresh flowers, fitting for this joyful season. Monetary donations for the purchasing of flowers can be handed into the Church house or into the donations buckets in envelopes marked flowers.
Thank you for your continued generosity in keeping our parishes beautiful and worthy for the Sacred Liturgy.
Keyholders: Would all those with Church keys please return to Fathers Joe & Jonathan so that we can update for the alarm company all Keyholders and also for Insurance purposes. Once we have updated the list they will be returned to those who require them.
We pray for those who have died recently especially: James Brady, Margaret Davidones, Alex Mc Dade, Michael Quigley, Charles Shields, and for the Anniversaries of Helena Carlin, Catherine Hughes, Andrew Jardine, George Logue, John & Tommy Logue, Robert Minnery, Monica Mc Dade, Catherine & Michael Mc Guire, Jane Sloan.
Reminder: All must receive Holy Communion in the hand and not on the tongue. Please leave the Church immediately after receiving Holy Communion by the one-way system, following the directions and instructions of the stewards. Please keep your Face Mask on during the entire Mass unless you have an exemption. Thank you for your co-operation in keeping others and yourself safe.
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