BULLETIN                     31 MARCH 2019

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT IN YEAR 3



CHURCH SERVICES
Saturday 30 March  

Our Lady's Day for Lent
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Dorothy Fulton RD
Fourth Sunday of Lent in Year 3
Vigil Mass at 5.30am for Kevin Doherty A

Sunday 31 March  

Fourth Sunday of Lent in Year 3
Sunday Mass at 10.30am for Saint Peter's congregation

Monday 1 April  

Requiem Mass at 10.00am for Sheila Giebler

Tuesday 2 April  

Stations of the Cross at 9.30am
Holy Mass at 10.00am for James Meechan RD

Wednesday 3 April  

Holy Mass at 10.00am for Jean Walsh (Dublin) SI

Thursday 4 April  

Holy Mass at 10.00am for John McCormick RD

Friday 5 April  

Votive Mass of the Most Precious Blood of Christ
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Mary Monaghan (Ireland)

Saturday 6 April  

Our Lady's Day for Lent
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Joseph Ward RD
Fifth Sunday of Lent in Year 3
Vigil Mass at 5.30am for Dominic Gribben A

  

Abbreviations - A anniversary, MM month's mind, RD recently deceased, SI special intention

The Holy Mass intention list is just over two weeks ahead. Please notify anniversaries as early as you can. Thanks.
Any changes to the above times caused, for example, by a funeral will be notified on the home page of this website.


SAINT MARY'S AND SAINT JOHN'S CHURCH SERVICES
 
Saturday 30 March  
Vigil Mass at 4.30pm
Holy Mass at 10.00am
Sunday 31 March  
Sunday Mass at 10.00am

Sunday Mass at 11.30am

Monday 1 April  
Holy Mass at 10.00am Service of the Word at 10.00am
Tuesday 2 April  
Holy Mass at 10.00am Service of the Word at 10.00am
Wednesday 3 April  
Requiem Mass at 10.00am Service of the Word at 10.00am
Thursday 4 April  
Service of the Word at 10.00am Holy Mass at 10.00am
Friday 5 April  
Holy Mass at 10.00am Service of the Word at 10.00am
Saturday 6 April  
Vigil Mass at 4.30pm
Holy Mass at 10.00am
 
PARISH CENTRE EVENTS
Sunday 31 March  

11.30am

Tea and Coffee after Holy Mass

Monday 1 April  
   
Tuesday 2 April  
   
Wednesday 3 April  
   
Thursday 4 April  

7.00pm

Primary 4 Parents' Meeting

Friday 5 April  
11.00am Tea, coffee and chat in the Snug after Benediction

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
James Meechan, Joseph Ward, Sheila Giebler and John McCormick who died recently;
Sarah Anderson 2003, Elizabeth Hughes 2013, James Kelly 1983, Michael McCann 2012, Sandy Miller 1979, Gus Slimman 1993, Isabella Stuart 2004, William Friel 1994, Peter Hughes 2011, Irene Mathieson 2012, Jenny Murphy 1998, Marjorie Robertson, Margaret Shanks 1993, Kenneth McSkimming, Jane McFarlane 2006, Margaret Murphy, Monsignor John O'Farrell 2008, Pope John Paul II 2005, James Smith 1959, Archie McFarlane, Harry Quinn 1993, Patrick Tomelty 2004, Thomas Watt 2017, Annie Adam 1997, Mattie Friel 1995, Dominic Gribben 2018, Barbara Henderson, Frank McCaffrey 2012, Jane Mullen 2003, Annie Murphy 1981, Agnes Ward 2001, Margaret Boyd 2004, George Lee 1992, James Wilson 2013, Daniel Thomas Gilmour 2013, Frank Grogan and Michael McNamara 2008
whose anniversaries occur at this time and those who are sick.
If deceased members of your family are not on our anniversary list, please tell Father Duncan
, the parish office or contact WebsiteAuthor@SaintPeterinChains.net.

SUNDAY MASS TIMES
Sunday Mass times in Saint Peter's are 5.30pm Vigil and 10.30am. Sunday Mass times in other local parishes can be seen here.

SACRAMENT OF FORGIVENESS
The Sacrament of Forgiveness is celebrated on Saturdays between 4.45 and 5.15 pm and at other times on request.

READERS
Next weekend's readers are Liz Devine at 5.30pm and Margaret Brawley at 10.30am.

ALTAR SERVERS
Next weekend's altar servers are Group 1 at 5.30pm and Group 3 at 10.30am.


MUSIC MINISTRY
Next weekend's musicians are George McGrattan at 5.30pm and Andrena Hughes and Catherine Boyd at 10.30am.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY
Next week's Children's Liturgy helpers are Geraldine Butcher for the pre-fives, Maria Paterson-Kidd for Primaries 1, 2 and 3 and Jacqueline Smith and Emma Paterson for Primary 4.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
We welcome to the Family of the Church Daniel Howie who will be baptised this coming Saturday at 11.00am. Congratulations to his parents and Godparents.

REQUIEM MASS FOR SHEILA GIEBLER
Please pray for the Repose of the Soul of Sheila Giebler who died recently. Her Requiem Mass on Monday 1 April at 10.00am will be followed by her cremation at Holmsford Bridge Crematorium. May she rest in peace and rise in glory!


FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTION TO OUR LADY OF FATIMA
First Saturday devotions will take place on the first Saturday of every month after the 10.00am Holy Mass. The devotions take about half an hour. All are welcome!

STATIONS OF THE CROSS FOR LENT
The Stations of the Cross are a fourteen-step devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ's last day on Earth as a man. The fourteen devotions, or stations, focus on specific events of His last day, beginning with His condemnation. The stations are commonly used as a mini pilgrimage as the 'pilgrim' moves from station to station. As last year, we will pray the Stations every Tuesday of Lent before Mass at 9.30am.

EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Please remember that we have adoration after Mass every Friday followed by a simple Benediction at 10.45am and finishing with refreshments in the Snug after Benediction. It is a great resolution for Lent to spend some quality time with Christ in the miracle of the Eucharist.


WHEN GOD CREATED MOTHERS
When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into his sixth day of 'overtime' when an angel appeared and said "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one." And the Lord said "Have you read the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable but not plastic, have 180 movable parts - all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a lap that disappears when she stands up, a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair and six pairs of hands." The angel shook her head slowly and said "Six pairs of hands - no way." "It's not the hands that are causing me problems" said the Lord. "It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have." "That's on the standard model?" asked the angel. The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks "What are you kids doing in there?" when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but what she has to know and, of course, the ones here in front that can look at a child when he messes up and say "I understand and I love you" without so much as uttering a word." "Lord" said the angel, touching His sleeve gently, "Go to bed. Tomorrow..." "I can't" said the Lord "I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburgers and can get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower." The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It's too soft" she sighed. "But she's tough!" said the Lord excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure." "Can it think?" "Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise" said the Creator. Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There's a leak" she pronounced. "I told You You were trying to push too much into this model." "It's not a leak" said the Lord. "It's a tear." "What's it for?" "It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride." "You are a genius" said the angel. The Lord looked somber. "I didn't put it there" He said.

JUST FOR A LAUGH ON MOTHER'S DAY
• A pregnant woman from Ardrossan has a car accident and falls into a deep coma. Asleep for nearly six months, when she wakes up, she sees that she is no longer pregnant and frantically asks the doctor about her baby. The doctor replies "Ma'am you had twins - a boy and a girl. Your brother from Saltcoats came in and named them." The woman thinks to herself, "No, not my brother - he's daft" She asks the doctor "Well, what's the girl's name?" "Denise." "Well, that's not a bad name. I like it! What's the boy's name?" "Denephew."
• Little Johnny watched, fascinated, as his mother gently rubbed cold cream on her face. "Why are you rubbing cold cream on your face, Mummy?" he asked. "To make myself beautiful" said his mother. A few minutes later, she began removing the cream with a tissue. "What's the matter?" asked Little Johnny. "Giving up?"

GOD'S LOVE LETTER TO YOU THIS LENT
When we fall in love with someone, we want to know what they're thinking, their likes and dislikes and how they feel about particular issues. We do our best to get to know their family and friends because it helps us get to know the love of our life even better. Imagine if you showed up at the dinner table every day and merely exchanged formalities with your spouse or other family members. Imagine if you never consulted them on important matters in your life and treated them as mere acquaintances or roommates, not really needing, wanting or valuing their input at all. It's hard to picture, isn't it? One of the best ways to get to know God and his son Jesus intimately, is by reading his love letter to us, the Bible. Saint Jerome has a wise saying 'Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ'. In the Bible, we learn about God's family, what breaks his heart, what makes him happy and how we can stay in relationship with him - all of this and more, just by reading His Word for a few minutes every day.

COVERING OF CHURCH STATUES THIS SATURDAY
This Saturday, we will cover the crosses and images in the Church as we approach the Holy Week. Crosses remained covered until the end of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday. Statues remained covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil. The crosses and images are covered so that we can see them with 'new eyes' in the light of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus.


NEW PARISH WEBSITE
The new website for Saint Peter's is almost ready for launching. A lot of hard work has been put into getting it read - -so watch this space! It is coming very soon!

HMS DASHER MEMORIAL SERVICE
The Dasher Memorial Service will take place at the monument in front of the Church at 11.30am today. We pray for all those who lost their lives so tragically and remember their sacrifice.


IN AND AROUND THE CHURCH
The lock fittings for the garden gate have been repaired. The processional cross pole has been replaced with high polished brass.
Father Duncan's name has been added to the confessional. Thank you for all the hard work!

SAINT PETER'S LENTEN RETREAT
Our Lenten Retreat this year will focus on the call to holiness that Pope Francis renewed recently in his Exhortation 'Rejoice and be glad. We will look at five aspects to this call to holiness during the five Sundays of Lent this year. A booklet, costing £1, is available at the stall to accompany the Retreat.

SCOTTISH CATHOLIC INTERNATIONAL AID FUND (SCIAF) LENTEN APPEAL 2019
If you didn't manage to get the Wee Box from SCIAF last weekend, they are still available at the back of the Church. Please make sure you get one and hand it in after Lent. This is a great way of fulfilling the call to almsgiving in this special season. Uganda has one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in the world. Uganda gained independence from the United Kingdom on 9 October 1962. However, the legacy of war and a high rate of HIV and AIDS has left many orphans and a generation of young people without hope, trapped in extreme poverty. Please remember to pick up your Wee Box this weekend. Together, we can end poverty.

NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES
To comply with the recent changes to Data Protection Act, Saint Peter's has two new email addresses. If you are contacting the Parish Office, please use Ardrossan@GallowayDiocese.org.uk. If you wish to contact Father Duncan personally, then use Duncan.McVicar@GallowayDiocese.org.uk - thanks!

MUSIC FOR SUNDAY MASS
We are looking for parishioners who are able and willing to operate the recorded music on the Digital Piano in the choir loft in Church on Sunday mornings. You would go on a rota and be asked, more or less, every three weeks. Training will be given. We would really appreciate any help you could give. Senior pupils would also be welcome. Please speak to Father Duncan or get in touch with the Parish Office on 464063. Thank you!

OUR CLEANERS NEED SOME HELP
We are asking able-bodied parishioners - men and women - to help to keep God's House clean and tidy and to support our wonderful team of cleaners. If you can help in any way, please let us know. Thank you! Cleaning is usually on Tuesdays after Holy Mass.

HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY
If a member of your family or a friend is sick, please let us know and give us the details. Deacon Bill Corbett (01292 521208, 07904 248948, Rev.BillCorbett@btinternet.com) is the chaplain to Crosshouse Hospital and is assisted by the priest on call each week.

FINANCES
Bankers Orders for the Parish and Parish Centre amount to £3500 per month. We are grateful for your generous support in collections. If you can manage a little more from time to time, it would be a great help. A Standing Order would make the handling of money so much easier. Have you signed a Gift Aid form? If you are a taxpayer the Church would get 25p added to every £1 you donate.

COLLECTIONS
Last weekend's Offertory collection amounted to £616.44 and the Maintenance Fund collection to £243.12 - thanks.

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL COLLECTION THIS LENT
The
Saint Vincent de Paul Society usually collects toiletries for homeless people at the Ozanam Centre, Glasgow, during Lent. There is a box in the porch. Please be as generous as you can. Thank you!

OFFERTORY ENVELOPES
Please collect your new Offertory envelopes at Betty's stall today. If you would like to use the envelopes for your contributions to the Parish, please speak to Margaret or George. Thanks!

SUNDAY TEAS
Tea and coffee will
be served after the 10.30am Mass next Sunday in the Parish Centre by Sadie's, Marie's and Phyllis's team.

GIFT AID
The Inland Revenue now requires us to use a new style of Gift Aid form. These are available at the back of the Church and on the parish website. If you pay tax, please complete the new form and return it to the box provided. This allows us to provide the additional information required on the Gift Aid claim. Gift Aid is a vital source of income. All that is needed is that you pay tax. You simply declare that you give funds to the Church. We do the rest. Why not sign a form today? We get back an extra 25p for every £1 you give the Church in your weekly collection or by way of a donation. There is no need to cancel or renew it. We simply claim in the income we receive.

VISITORS
Are you visiting us for Holy Mass? Please know that you are very welcome. During the 10.30 am Holy Mass outwith holidays, there is a Children’s Liturgy provided for preschool children, children in Primaries 1 to 3 and a Sacramental Programme for children in Primary 4. After the 10.30 am Holy Mass, tea, coffee cakes and buns are available in the Parish Centre. At both of our weekend Holy Masses, we have a second collection for Church maintenance.


ADVERTISER SUPPORT
Our advertisers would welcome your support. We are grateful for their continuing sponsorship. We are grateful for the support of Mr and Mrs Sohal, Nisa Stores, Glasgow Street for the weekly donation of tea, coffee and milk for the Sunday teas.

PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS - MISSION STATEMENT
The Catholic Church in Scotland is concerned with the lives, safety, wholeness and well-being of each individual person within God's purpose for everyone. It seeks to safeguard the welfare of people of all ages who are involved in whatever capacity
with the Church and its organisations. As a Church community, we accept that it is the responsibility of all of us, ordained, professed, paid and voluntary members, to work together to prevent the physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect of children, young people and vulnerable adults.