Newsletter (Bhileag) Sunday 19th April 2026
WEEKDAY MASSES:
Mon 20th April ……No Mass
Tue 21st April……..10.00am EOLIGARRY
Wed 22nd April…….12 Noon CRAIGSTON
Thu 23rd April…….10.00am NORTHBAY
Fri 24th April…….10.00am VATERSAY
2.30pm St. Brendan’s Home
Sat 25th April……10.00am CASTLEBAY (Mass for Burial of Ashes)
12Noon CASTLEBAY- CONFIRMATION MASS
NEXT WEEKEND: 25th & 26th April 2026
(4th Sunday Easter A )
Vigil Mass (Saturday)…..6.00pm CRAIGSTON
Sunday Masses….9.30am NORTHBAY & 11.30am CASTLEBAY
Sacrament of Confession: each Saturday Castlebay 9.30am- 9.50am and Northbay 12 Noon -12.30pm
Help Support your parish by bank transfer weekly, monthly or one off donation:-
RC DCESE OF ARGYLL & THE ISLES CASTLEBAY
Account 65627538 Sort Code 83-91-25
RC DCESE OF ARGYLL & THE ISLES NORTHBAY
Account 65628061 Sort Code 83-91-25
Church Notices………..
Bishop Brian: will arrive on Thursday evening. He will celebrate Mass on Friday in Vatersay church at 10am. He will then visit Castlebay School & Eoligarry School. He will also make a couple of housebound visits. There will also be Mass in St. Brendan’s Home at 2.30pm. He celebrates the Confirmation Mass on Saturday at 12 Noon and then he will depart on Saturday for Eriskay and make his way to the other island parishes.
Sacrament of Confirmation: Bishop Brian will confirm 10 children for the Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday 25th April. The Mass will be at 12 Noon and in Our Lady Star of the Sea, Castlebay. All Welcome!
As a parish we pray for Anna Nicholson; Megan MacKinnon; Roselia MacDougall; Caragh MacKinnon; Millie McCathie; Callum MacKinnon, Anthony MacNeil; Calum MacLean; Sandy MacLeod & James Taylor- may the Holy Spirit guide our young ones in the ways of faith.
Confirmation practice: the children for Confirmation will have a practice on Wednesday at 3.00pm in Castlebay church.
Mass for Burial of Ashes: on Saturday (25th April) there is a morning Mass at 10am in Castlebay Church for the burial of ashes of the late Ronald MacKinnon (Raghnall beag a Lac) who died aged 67 in Grangemouth on 7th October 2025 and then a Cremation service took place on 21st October and now the ashes have returned to Barra. All welcome.
SCIAF Wee Boxes: can be handed into the Church as soon as you can.
200 club: the draw for the month of April will be made after the Craigston Vigil Mass next Saturday 25th April.
St. Barr’s Church Bell: Canon John Paul wishes to thank all those who helped put the new parts in the Church bell and tidied away the scaffolding. We now have the Church Bell working again for another 100 years! Alleluia! Moran Taing!
Parish QR Codes: Lots of Churches now use QR Codes to help people give to their parish so we now have that available for Castlebay & Northbay parishes. In all five church entrances are the QR codes.
Castlebay Church outside work: we are beginning to clear a section of the ground to the West side of the Church to make it better for people to get access to the wheelchair ramp at the side of the church but also to help with a bit of parking. Also a barrier will be erected for more safety. Canon John Paul is having the shed at the back of the church knocked down for some extra space for parking. This work has now begun.
Fr Philip Conner: this week we have a priest from Lancaster Diocese coming for a week to stay in Vatersay Chapel house. Fr Philip has been a few times to the island. We hope he enjoys his break.