Bhileag (Newsletter) 24th September 2023
WEEKDAY MASSES:
Mon 25th September………No Mass
Tues 26th September……..12 Noon CRAIGSTON
Wed 27th September….6.00pm EOLIGARRY
(Feast of St. Vincent de Paul)
Thur 28th September…….10.00am NORTHBAY
Fri 29th September……….10.00am VATERSAY
Sat 30th September……….10.00am CASTLEBAY
NEXT WEEKEND’S MASSES
30th September & 1st October 2023
26th 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
Fr. Bernie MacDonald: we were all saddened to hear that dear Fr. Bernie passed away on Friday 22nd September in Cape Breton aged 81. Over the years Fr. Bernie has been up and down with his health but he always kept “bouncing back” and always put the parish before his health. His Priesthood was everything to him. Over many years Fr. Bernie was a frequent visitor to our island and often stayed with Canon MacQueen in St. Barr’s chapel house. He was lovely character and he loved his visits to Barra and catching up with relatives and friends all around the island. He will be sorely missed. Let us keep Fr. Bernie in our prayers and commend his soul to God. May God be gracious and merciful upon his good and faithful priest. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and let perpetual light shine him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
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. To mark the occasion of the anniversary there will be a Mass of thanksgiving in the Church. If you have any connection with the beautiful wee church then please come along and give thanks for the last 60 years and more importantly to pray for many more years that the Church will always remain open and continue to be a beautiful “house of prayer” within the local Eoligarry Community.
Over the last 60 years there have been various changes in the church- different “make-overs” through the decades. The Church is looking very beautiful and is a perfect place for quiet prayer and reflection. Now we have a lovely focus of the Cross of the Risen Christ above the Tabernacle.
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 before the Mass.
Canon John Paul is very grateful to all those who have handed in various photographs.
Tuesday/Wednesday Mass: please note this week that the Mass on Tuesday will be in Craigston at 12 Noon and the Mass on Wednesday will be at 6pm in Eoligarry for the 60th anniversary Mass.
Craigston Vigil Mass Time for Winter???: there is a large number of parishioners who are happy to move the Vigil Mass to the earlier time of 4pm just for the winter months when it gets dark so early. Canon John Paul will look at when this will begin.
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 lovely 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.