Bhileag (Newsletter) 21st July 2024

WEEKDAY  MASSES:

Mon 22nd July……9.30am CASTLEBAY

Tue 23rd July……..No Mass

Wed 24th July…..  No Mass

Thu 25th July…….No Mass

Fri 26th July……….No Mass

Sat 27th July……..  10.00am CASTLEBAY

NEXT WEEKEND:  27th  &  28th July  2024

17th Sunday of Year B

Vigil (Saturday)……… 6.00pm  CRAIGSTON

Sunday Masses…..9.30am  NORTHBAY & 11.30am  CASTLEBAY

CHURCH NOTICES

Special Collection for Bishops Admin Fund: next weekend (27th/28th July) there will be a second collection for the Bishop’s administration Fund. This fund directly supports the pastoral activities and living costs of Bishop Brian in his role as our Bishop. This includes travel expenses when visiting parishes, running his house and his salary which is the same amount as the rest of the priests. Since he is not in a parish these coasts are covered by the Diocese. Any financial support offered towards this fund is gratefully received and in turn helps to reduce the levy borne by our parishes.

Canon John Paul: is away (on the mainland) till Friday 26th July. While he is away Fr. Bernard Fox will be looking after the parishes. Fr Bernard leaves on Monday and therefore there will be no weekday Mass till Saturday. If anyone needs to contact Canon John Paul then contact him on his mobile number.

Fr Bernard Fox: we warmly welcome Fr Bernard to the islands and to our parishes. Fr Bernard is a Mill Hill Missionary based in Cardonald, Glasgow. He has visited Barra a few times before and he always likes a visit to the Hebrides. Let’s pray the weather will be kind to him and all our visitors. Fr. Bernard leaves on Monday 22nd July.

Fr John Winstanley: Next weekend we will have a visiting priest having a holiday over in the Vatersay Chapel House. Fr John is from the Diocese of Lancaster in North England. He has visited Barra & Vatersay a couple of times before. He will stay from Saturday 27th July till Saturday 10th August. We look forwarding to welcoming Fr John to the island.

Statue of St. Barr in Northbay: many of us know that the statue of St. Barr on the wee island in the bay of Northbay has been deteriorating over the years. It was Margaret Somerville who created the statue and it was placed on the wee island at some point in the mid 1970’s. Now there is a “big push” to replace the statue with a large bronze statue of St. Barr. There is fund raising going on to help achieve this. The aim is to reach £100,000 which is a lot of money. It’s not just a parish campaign but it is an island campaign to raise the funds to erect a new long lasting statue which will stand again out in the bay for all to see and during the winter months there will be light to illuminate the statue. There is online “justgiving” page for the new St. Barr’s statue.