Vocations Awareness Week: 13th September - 19th September Sunday marks the beginning of Vocations Awareness Week - a time of prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood, Diaconate and Consecrated Life.  Please pray for Vocations this week.

Theme: Gospel Discipleship and Ecological Sustainability. Facilitated by Diarmuid O'Murcha

A Zoom meeting for Children’s Liturgy Group Volunteers will take place on  Saturday 12th September 2020 from 11am-1pm. There will be a series of talks about offering children’s liturgy online; more resources; ideas for your children’s liturgy meetings; and an overview of the Gospel readings/themes for the coming Sundays. Please contact Fr. Paul Brady at St. Margaret’s Johnstone, tel 01505320198 or stmargaret@rcdop.org.uk if you have any questions. Details of how to access the Zoom meeting will follow.

Fr. Andrew Coleman currently Parish Priest in St. Laurence's, Greenock, has been appointed Parish Priest of St. Peter's Paisley as from 11 September 2020. We extend a very warm welcome and wish him every success.

We say a fond Farewell also to our fellow Parishioners in St. Paul's Parish and to the staff and pupils of St. Paul's Primary.  It has been our privilege in St. Peter's to join you in many Liturgical srvices and social events over the last four years.  You will always have a special place in the annals of St. Peter's. We wish you well in the future and hope you enjoy many blessings as you develop links with St. Mary's Parish as from 11 September 2020. 

Canon Eddie The Parishioners of both St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Parishes wish to thank you wholeheartedly for all that you have done for - and on behalf of – our parish communities. Without doubt, your genuine sensitivity to our needs and your tireless  efforts to minister to all of us over the last twelve years have been so commendable and are very much appreciated by us.  Giving to others does not happen by chance:  you care; you listen; you can be relied upon to respond; and you always go the extra mile to ensure that the needs of your parishioners are fully supported.  Your ministry has touched the lives of so many – young and old.  We are so grateful for all your caring, kindness and generosity of spirit.  Truly you have made such a difference!  THANK YOU SO MUCH! May God continue to bless you for your faithful ministry as you leave to take up your new post in St. Cadoc’s, Newton Mearns on Friday 11th September. Please be assured of our prayers and good wishes - now and always.

The BBC Scotland channel is broadcasting Holy Mass this Sunday at midday from St Bennet’s, Edinburgh, celebrated by Archbishop Cushley. In recent months, the BBC has screened Priest School, My First Communion and Mass from St Augustine’s in Coatbridge – all received good audience figures and should encourage them to continue broadcasting Catholic content.

"Dear Brothers and Sisters, Only last September we welcomed Saint Therese and her relics to Scotland and to our Diocese of Paisley. Who can forget the sight of the faithful in their tens of thousands flocking with their roses and petitions, often in long queues inside and outside of their churches, just to touch Therese’s casket and meet with the Little Flower heart to heart. The days that Saint Therese was in Scotland were like a national retreat, full of prayer and reflection and many graces and blessings of mercy, renewal and hope. Who could have believed that only a few months later the whole world would be gripped in a Pandemic, and here in Scotland those same churches would be locked down and our Masses and Devotions closed to the faithful. Who, at the same time, could have imagined how wonderfully we would come together and hold firm as a family of faith through our online Masses and Devotions, Teachings and Reflections. All of this has served us well as our churches reopen, our public Masses resume and parish life gets back up and running. Who knows if the visit of Saint Therese did not prepare us with renewed strength of faith and devotion to face this unprecedented challenge to our Catholic religion! I, personally, am convinced that the graces we received there really have helped us through. For this very reason I will be praying our Anniversary Novena to Saint Therese in thanksgiving for all the graces we received from her as a Church and Diocese, and to pray her intercession to make a full recovery of our faith and religion, and even a new growth. I encourage you to join me in asking the Little Flower’s intercession so that in these unprecedented times, in her words, we may both ‘trust God that we are exactly where we are meant to be’ and, at the same time, ‘not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.’ With every prayer and blessing, +John"

1st September - 4th October A call to pray and take action for our common home.

As we were unable to gather in St Andrews this year for our 11th annual week-long conference, we decided to put on a virtual conference instead.  Everything will be broadcast via our FB page and our new YouTube channel.   This is a family conference and all ages will be able to join in.  We have however, a separate session for children (P1 - P7) and 2 separate sessions for youth (S1 -S6). Parents/carers MUST register their children/youth prior to the Zoom interactive sessions in accordance with National Safeguarding Regulations.  Info on how to do this is on the poster - via our website or FB page.   We have some wonderful speakers lined up for the conference and are looking forward to participating in this new way of evangelising.   Our theme this year is "Living the word of God" John 8 : 32 -32  Let us help participants to experience a weekend filled with the joy of Christ in His Holy Mass, Adoration, inspiring speakers, praise & worship and a healing service.

PRO-LIFE MASS Wednesday, August 19, 2020, 7:30 PM Repeats every third Wednesday of the month. Venue: Blessed John Duns Scotus RC Church, 270 Ballater Street, Gorbals, Glasgow, G5 0YT We are delighted to announce our Monthly Pro-Life Mass will go ahead this month on the usual 3rd. Wednesday of the month. For the time being we will only be able to have Mass. There will be no Holy Hour or Rosary. Doors will open at 7pm for Mass at 7.30pm. This month’s mass will be celebrated by Fr Alex Strachan Masks must be worn while at mass as per government guidelines and a name and contact number must be given at the door. Unfortunately there will be no tea or coffee this month however there will be plenty of banter.

Fr. Ryan celebrated his Mass of Thanksgiving in St. Francis', Port Glasgow (his home Parish). The Mass was streamed live by Sancta Familia on Facebook.

Ordination:  in St. Mirin's Cathedral, Paisley. Deacon Ryan Black is ordained after seven years of study and a delay due to the pandemic. He completed his final semester of the Pontifical Scots College in Rome from home due to Covid-19 and completed his seminary training also online from his home in Port Glasgow since Italian universities were closed in March. CONGRATULATIONS FR. RYAN! May you be blessed now and always in your ministry as a priest in the Diocese of Paisley.

We pray for all Deacons - that they keep safe and well especially during this time of Covid-19.

During the Chrism Mass in St. Mirin's Cathedral Bishop John installs two Parish Priests -  Fr. Stephen Baillie (St. Joseph's, Clarkston) + Mgr. Andrew Mc Fadden (St. Fillan's, Houston) - as Canons of the Cathedral Chapter. Congratulations. You are both wished every success in your new role. 

Bishop John concelebrates the Chrism Mass with the Priests of the Diocese. This Mass was suspended in April 2020 due to Covid-19.

The Pontifical Academy for Life has published a document dedicated to the consequences of the world health crisis and its interpretation. Read the full text via the BCOS link: https://www.bcos.org.uk/COVID19/tabid/127/Default.aspx

The Scottish Government announced that Churches MAY re-open to worshippers for services with effect from 15th July 2020.  Before a church can re-open, it must observe the following requirements: * social distancing must be observed * face-coverings must be worn by those attending (except under-5s) The wearing of face masks in Churches is still required but the Scottish Government advice now allows the following exceptions: children under the age of five years; those who have a health condition where a face covering would be inappropriate because it would cause difficulty, pain or severe distress or anxiety; or because you cannot apply a covering and wear it in the proper manner safely and consistently. * a maximum attendance of 50 people at Mass is being required for now - to be reviewed on 30th July * a maximum of 50 attending baptisms * a maximum of 20 attending funerals or weddings * for each service, the parish must retain details of names and contact details of all attendees.

Pope Francis has named Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti as Apostolic Nuncio in Great Britain. Since November 2015, Abp Gugerotti has held the post Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine. He has previously served as the Pope's representative to Georgia and Armenia, as well as to Azerbaijan (2001-2011), and later as Nuncio to Belarus (2011-2015). The Apostolic Nuncio represents the Holy Father to the Church in the UK. His role is equivalent to that of an ambassador, representing the Holy See to the UK Government - the Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St. James's. The United Kingdom and the Holy See resumed diplomatic relations in 1914; in 1938, an Apostolic Delegation was established. The mission to UK was raised to the status of a Nunciature in 1982 by Pope John Paul II. The previous Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, retired in January 2020.

Traditional Feast Day - 29th June; celebrated in 2020 on Sunday 28th June.