Bhileag (Newsletter) 14th September 2025
WEEKDAY MASSES:
Mon 15th September…….No Mass
Tue 16th September……..10.00am EOLIGARRY
Wed 17th September……12 Noon CRAIGSTON
Thu 18th September…….10.00am NORTHBAY
Fri 19th September……….10.00am VATERSAY
2.30pm ST. BRENDAN’S HOME
Sat 20th September…….10.00am CASTLEBAY
NEXT WEEKEND: 20th & 21st September 2025
(25th Sunday Year C)
Vigil Mass (Saturday)…..6.00pm CRAIGSTON
Sunday Masses….9.30am NORTHBAY & 11.30am CASTLEBAY
The Sacrament of Confession: is every Saturday from:-9.30am – 9.50am in Castlebay Church and from 12 Noon-12.30pm in Northbay Church.
You can go online to help support our parishes:-
R C Diocese of Argyll & the Isles Castlebay Mission
Account No: 65627538 Sort Code 83-91-25
R C Diocese of Argyll & the Isles Northbay Mission
Account No: 65628061 Sort Code 83-91-25
Or go to the Diocesan website- www.rcdai.org.uk
and go to the “Finance” section and then scroll down to the button “Donate to the Diocese” and then pick Castlebay or Northbay parish to support financially!
CHURCH NOTICES
Vocations Awareness Week: Today begins a special week of prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood throughout Scotland. Today at all Sunday Masses there is a Pastoral letter to be read out from Bishop John Keenan (Bishop of Paisley), the Bishop who helps support awareness for Vocations to the Priesthood in Scotland. Every September the Church pauses to pray for those discerning their Vocation especially for the Priesthood. Last Thursday in Oban Bishop Brian along with the Priests of the Diocese discussed and prayed about how to help those within the Diocese who are thinking about the Priesthood. Everyone has an important role to play in encouraging Vocations to the Priesthood. Every single Priest comes from a family. From the heart of family life Priests are born. Let us all unite in offering prayers for our Diocese of Argyll & the Isles. We do not have anyone studying for the Priesthood at the moment. So let us all pray for more Vocations for our Diocese.
Clergy Assembly: Canon John Paul was away last week in Oban attending the “Clergy Assembly”-meeting up with the Priests of the Diocese and with Bishop Brian to discuss various Diocesan topics. We looked at how to encourage Vocations to the Priesthood and we looked at how to implement a possible Diocesan plan for “Services of the Word & Holy Communion in parishes”. With the numbers of Priests going down and the great difficulty of getting a supply priest- these services (which already happen in many parishes in our Diocese) could soon become a part of parish life. As the Catholic Church teaches us “The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian Faith”. But if there is no priest to celebrate Mass- what happens then? What happens when the Priest is unwell at the weekend and there is no supply Priest to cover or if there is bad weather and the supply priest is stuck in Oban or Glasgow (which has happened)? Then there is the possible option of these services.
Mass at St. Brendan’s Home: each Friday Canon John Paul celebrates Mass in St. Brendan’s Home at 2.30pm. This Mass is now available to all, especially the elderly and housebound. After the Mass there will be Tea & Coffee served.
Bingo & Coffee Afternoon for SCIAF: today (14th September) there will be a combined Coffee afternoon + Bingo. Two things many of us enjoy!! Tea & coffee & homebaking will be available from 2.00pm and then at 3.00pm Bingo will start. It will be in Northbay Hall. You can go to one or go to both. All proceeds go to SCIAF who this year celebrate their 60th anniversary. Any donations of home baking and also prizes for the Bingo will be gratefully accepted. Please contact Theresa Irving (07780940787) or Mairi Campell (07377808463) for more details.
Parish Fabric Committee: Canon John Paul will organise a Committee for Castlebay Parish and one for Northbay Parish to help support him in looking after the fabric and maintenance of our Churches and Chapel houses. We will also organsie committees for each parish to help fundraising for our parishes so that we can plan various work and projects for the parishes.
Holy Land Accompaniment Letter: another letter has been written by Bishop Brian in which he guides us in our support of the poor people of Gaza.You can pick up a copy of the letter. If you wish to be a part of the Diocesan group offering prayers and support to the people of Gaza then please email….. holylandaccompaniment@rcdai.scot