PARISH FINANCE
Many thanks to all our parishioners for your generosity towards our parish and clergy, it is most appreciated. Our retiral collection today is taken up in support of the Catholic ‘Communications Media’ in Scotland.
LET THE CHILDREN LIVE
Our sincere thanks to everyone for the tremendous response to Fr Peter’s appeal last weekend on behalf of the ‘street children’ housed at ‘Casa-Walsingham’, Columbia. An overwhelming sum of £3,940 was raised in support of the care of these homeless and abandoned children.
PARISH MASS TIMETABLE
The past few years have seen the numbers of those attending Sunday weekend Mass at St Ninian’s significantly fall. From our last Census (6/7 November 2021) there were 493 in attendance over all six Masses. This is a fall of around just over 200 from pre-covid (2019). Presently – with the departure of Fr Celestine in March, our parish is served by one priest (Fr Frank). There is no guarantee that our parish will be served by two priests in the near future. Fr Joe McNulty (supply) has kindly agreed to help us out until the end of June (as he has committed himself to summer ministry in other parishes).
I now propose that as of weekend 2/3 July our new weekend Mass schedule will be:-
Saturday (Vigil) – 7pm.
Sunday morning – 9am and 11am.
Sunday evening – 5pm.
As of week beginning Monday 4th July there will only be one daily celebration of Mass at 10am (on Saturdays at 9am).
I have spoken of these plans to our parish Pastoral Council and also to our new Archbishop – William (Nolan). I am sorry to disappoint so many who have supported our 8am and 12.15pm (weekend) and 8am (daily Mass) over so many years – but hopefully can support our new Mass schedule.
If our parish is to welcome another resident priest (while Fr Frank is still at St Ninian’s) I would be delighted to return to a daily celebration of Mass at 8am.
I thank you for your consideration, support and understanding. If anyone wishes to make comment on these proposals please feel free to speak to Fr Frank.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
We warmly welcome our parish (P7 schoolchildren) to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Wednesday 1st June at 7pm Mass. Please note that this Mass is by invite only. Please remember all our ‘Confirmed’ and all our parish children who have received the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist (Holy Communion) over the Lenten and Easter Liturgical Seasons.
LEGION OF MARY – CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
Bus to Carfin Grotto – Sunday 29th May – leaving our Church at 1pm – returning around 5pm. Please contact Lyndsay on 0141 959 4670.
COME FOR AFTERNOON TEA
Saturday 4th June at 2pm – Mill Hill Missionaries – Lourdes Avenue, Cardonald – Ticket £10 – in aid of Pitho School Project, Sindh, Pakistan – for tickets phone 0141 883 0139 or 0141 959 0474 or speak to Hope.
PEER SUPPORT FOR WOMEN AFFECTED BY SEPARATION AND DIVORCE
Our next meeting will take place on Friday 10th June in St Patrick’s hall (Strathleven Place) Dumbarton at 6pm. All new members are welcome to this confidential and peer support group. We have a variety of ways that women can reach out before the meeting. Twitter: @GAWomenSupport Facebook: Faith Living (Archdiocese of Glasgow) email: glasgowarchdiocesewomensgroup@gmail.com
LIGHT AND SALT
In many ways Jesus linked his teaching with examples of ordinary life. He talks about his followers being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. People would have been very familiar with salt in a time with few other flavourings and light would have meant something different in a time without electricity. Like any other element we use – salt can be used in moderation.
Jesus knew like ourselves the necessity of salt to keep food edible and to flavour it. He knew that carelessness meant that salt ‘would lose its taste, being no good for anything’.
Salt improves the taste and brings out the taste. The salt of the gospel of Jesus fulfils our human life. The gospel brings light on ordinary life so that we are the ‘light of the world’, not to be hidden. A wellknown Jesuit author, Teilhard de Chardin said that ‘We are spiritual beings on a spiritual journey’. The spirit-nature of our being is what lasts through life and into eternity. It brings hope, consolation, joy and perseverance to our lives. This is something of what Jesus means in his view of salt and light. We can be the bringers of peace, the cause of joy and the sureness of love in human life.
As salt can lose its flavour and goodness, so can our Christian life, which keeps its flavour by nourishing it with prayer, generosity and thought for others, both those nearby and far away.
Salt keeps food from being tasteless – our prayer and generosity, our reading of the gospels keeps our joy alive. Light gives us direction and our bearing – our gospel keeps the light of God’s joy shining.
Pope Francis often remarks on the possible sadness of Christians – ‘If you have a face of a funeral wake, how can others believe that you are redeemed, that your sins have been forgiven? and many Christians have that face, yes the face from a funeral wake, a face of sadness – but Christ is risen! Christ loves you!’
We are called to be tasty salt and shining light for the world of today!
MARIAN DEVOTIONS
Monday (30th) and Tuesday (31st) May. Rosary and Benediction at 7pm.
OZANAM CENTRE SSVP
9 Bridgegate, Glasgow G1 5HX – at the Saltmarket, next to The Old Ship Bank Pub.
Clothing and toiletries for men – every Thursday at 6pm.
Cothing and toiletries for women – every Wednesday at 4pm (except every last Wednesday of each month).
Lunch served every Sunday – 11.30am and 12.15pm.
Donations can be made – Monday and Tuesday between 11am and 1pm – Tel. 07940311340.
RECENTLY DIED
Lily McGunnigle, Ena Maclean, Frank McCabe, George Hayes, George Ponsonby (Wyvil Avenue), Jackie Burnie, Eleanor Hampton and Raymond McCloskey.
MONTHS MIND
Tommy Montgomery, Mary Lafferty (Bishopbriggs) and Edward Gallagher.
ANNIVERSARY
Monsignor Gallagher (29th May), Jennie Blake, Catherine Taylor, Hamilton and Marian McGuire, Edward McGuire, Francis Burke, Thomas McGeough, Elizabeth McCabe, Sarah Gallagher, William and Mary Campbell, Eddie Gillen, Mary Jane Duffy and Anne Laurie.