Bhileag (Newsletter) 10th September 2023
WEEKDAY MASSES:
Mon 18th September………No Mass
Tues 19th September…….10.00am EOLIGARRY
Wed 20th September…….12 Noon CRAIGSTON
Thur 21st September…….10.00am NORTHBAY
Fri 22nd September………10.00am VATERSAY
Sat 23rd September……..10.00am CASTLEBAY
NEXT WEEKEND’S MASSES
23rd & 24th SEPTEMBER 2023
25th Sunday of Year A
Vigil (Saturday)….6.00pm CRAIGSTON
Sunday Masses….9.30am NORTHBAY & 11.30am CASTLEBAY
Confessions: every Saturday from 9.30am – 9.50am in Castlebay & 12noon -12.30pm in Northbay.
CHURCH NOTICES
Special Collection: this weekend there will be the annual Collection for Ecclesiastical Students Fund (ESF), which usually goes towards helping and supporting our seminarians. Unfortunately, our Diocese presently has no one studying for the priesthood. However, the diocese has recently ordained or brought on loan several priests. Over 12 months the diocese will spend about £20,000 settling these new priests, but this has been well worth it, as their presence has been supportive to both our clergy and the eight parishes that will be served. Therefore, since we have no students, this year’s Second Collection, instead of going to the ESF, will help with the costs incurred in ensuring every parish in the diocese is served.
Eoligarry Church 60th Anniversary Mass of Thanksgiving: Eoligarry Church opened in 1963 and therefore this year marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of our lovely wee church of St. Vincent de Paul in Eoligarry. Canon John Paul will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving on Wednesday 27th September at 6.00pm in Eoligarry Church. After the Mass there will be Tea/coffee & home baking in Eoligarry School. All welcome! Donations of any baking would be grateful and to leave it in Eoligarry School.
Recent Baptism: we warmly welcome into the family of the Church Lily MacNeil who was baptised last Sunday in Our Lady of the Waves & St. John on Vatersay. We wish Lily every health, joy and blessings and every blessing upon her parents and Godparents.
New Altar Servers: are there any children who would like to be an Altar Server? Please speak with Canon John Paul if anyone is interested.
Children’s Liturgy: it will be good to try and restart our children’s liturgy in our parishes. Before Covid we had a children’s liturgy each Sunday morning. During the 9.30am Sunday Mass in Northbay the children would go out to the Hall and during the 11.30am Castlebay Mass the children went into the Chapel house. Of course we need volunteers to help and they also should have an up to date disclosure certificate to work with children. Hopefully we will try and restart this when we have enough volunteers and they are up-to-date with safeguarding procedures.
Collection Plate at Mass: Ever since Covid restrictions began we were asked to put our offertory money into the basket/plate as we walked into the Church. Now that all restrictions are gone we will soon start again to pass around the collection plate/basket during the Mass at the offertory. Of course we will need pass-keepers to help to do this.
Offertory processions: when we begin to pass around the collection basket/plate we will then restart our offertory processions and parishioners (young & old) will be asked to bring the gifts of bread & wine to the Altar.
Holy Communion under both kinds: parishioners have asked about the possibility of re-instating Holy Communion under both kinds. To be able to receive the chalice with the precious blood too at Holy Communion. We will look at this and see if we can restart it with Eucharistic ministers.
Craigston Vigil Mass Time for Winter???: some parishioners have approached Canon John Paul to ask if the Vigil Mass on Saturday evening (during the winter time) could be moved from 6pm to maybe 4pm? ONLY for the Winter months when the long dark nights come in! Maybe when clocks go back an hour! Canon John Paul is “open to suggestions” and happy to listen to parishioners thoughts on this. Would you like the Vigil to go to 4.00pm for Winter (from November to February). Or are you happy to keep to 6.00pm?
Led by the Spirit Phase 2 – Consultation on our Diocesan Resources: Bishop Brian has now begun Phase 2 of “Led by the Spirit”. If you go online and go to the Website www.ledbythespirit.rcdai.org.uk and all the information is there. Go along to the website and see what phase 2 is all about it.