Pope Francis is encouraging the faithful to pray the Rosary during the month of May, “when the People of God express with particular intensity their love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary”.
On April 23, the Scottish government published a phased exit strategy from the lockdown, warning that it was “uncharted territory and will need careful navigation.” Archbishop Cushley said “things are not easy these days.” “We’re not getting together to pray the way we would like to; we’re not getting into our churches the way we would like to. This is because of the public health crisis that we now face, and I think all of us are very conscious of that, priests and people alike,” the archbishop said. “But I would just like to reassure you that our priests continue to pray for you. They continue to offer up Holy Mass every day for you even if you can’t always see it or can’t always be present at it. Know that that is continuing and be present as best you can by offering up prayers at the same time, or praying the rosary, or making a spiritual communion, reading the readings of the day. All of these things can be done so that you can be part of that worshipping community, whether it is seen or unseen round about you,” he continued. He called on Catholics to pray that churches can be opened safely. “Let’s pray for that, and hopefully we will all be able to get together to pray and to offer up the sacrifice, as we love to do as Catholics on a Sunday, as soon as possible,”
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. "The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development…Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded. (Laudato Si’ 13)
Congratulations to Rev. Joe McGill who was ordained a Deacon on 19th April 2020 by Bishop John in St. Cadoc's, Newton Mearns in a private ceremony. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues his vocational journey.
This book is intended to be a little help offered to all, so as to know how to discern and experience God’s closeness and tenderness in pain, in suffering, in solitude and in fear. Of course, faith does not eliminate pain; ecclesial communion does not eliminate anguish. Rather, it does illuminate reality and reveal that it is pervaded by the love and hope based not on our abilities, but on the One Who is faithful and never abandons us. The text is divided into three sections: In the first we find prayers, rituals and supplications for difficult moments. They are texts that originate from various ecclesial contexts and historical eras. For this reason, they can be a further source of sharing at the level of the universal Church. There are prayers for the sick, for liberation from evil, to surrender ourselves trustfully to the action of the Holy Spirit. Then there is a second part, which gathers together the indications given by the Church to continue to live and to receive the grace of the Lord, the gift of forgiveness and the Eucharist, the power of the Easter liturgies even though we are unable to participate physically in the Sacraments. Finally, the third part consists of the words the Holy Father Francis has pronounced since 9 March in order to sustain the entire ecclesial community in this time of trial: they are primarily the daily homilies of the Mass at Santa Marta, and the texts of the Sunday Angelus. Listening to his words helps us to reflect and to hope; it helps us feel in communion with Peter and united to him. This book, which the Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication decided to prepare and make available to all, has a fundamental characteristic: it will be constantly updated with new homilies and other interventions made by the Pope, and the “rediscovery” of other treasures from our ecclesial tradition. The book will, therefore, be published on the Libreria Editrice Vaticana website in PDF format, and can be downloaded free of charge. However, several times a week it will be updated and made available to download in the new updated version, with the addition of the new texts. On the cover there is an image of the Archangel Michael, who protects the Church against evil and sustains us in this difficult trial, so that this evil may not prejudice our trust in the Father and the solidarity among us, but rather become an opportunity to look at what is truly essential for our lives and to share the love received from God among us all, and in a special way with those who are most in need today. Andrea Tornielli
He also announced that on Friday, March 27, at 5p.m.(UK time) he would preside over a prayer service in front of an “empty” St. Peter’s Square, which will include scripture readings and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. At the end of the event, he will offer a special Urbi et Orbi blessing, offering all who participate a plenary indulgence. Traditionally only given at Christmas and Easter, the Urbi et Orbi is a blessing that goes out to the people of Rome and to the world. The decision to offer the blessing outside these two major Catholic feast days is, if not unprecedented, extremely rare. Urbi et Orbi will be broadcast live from the Vatican: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope.html
Pope Francis has invited all Christians to join in praying the Our Father together at 11am (noon in Rome) on Wednesday, March 25, which on the Catholic calendar marks the Feast of the Annunciation, referring to the biblical scene when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary announcing the birth of Jesus. “On the day in which many Christians recall the annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word, may the Lord hear the unanimous prayer of all his disciples who are preparing to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ,” Pope Francis
We ask you to join with all the Churches in a National Day of Prayer this Sunday 22nd March, Mothering Sunday. It seems appropriate that as Catholics we pray together the Rosary, the prayer of our Blessed Mother Mary, at 12 noon, asking Her intercession for our country and our world in this time of need...
In line with Government and Diocesan Guidelines, all churches will close after the last Mass on Thursday 19th March, 2020. PLEASE NOTE: The buildings may be closed but the CHURCH is always open! Holy Mass and other liturgical services will be available online /on social media platforms. Check Diocesan and Parish websites for details.
In what proved to be a "beautiful and peaceful" event, pupils and staff in St. Peter's Primary, Paisley, responded to Pope Francis' request by taking time out on Thursday, 19th March - feast of St. Joseph - to pray the Rosary together asking for Our Lady's intercession in this difficult time; a time when so many are affected by the Coronavirus.
During Lent this year we are going to run the online Lent Retreat from the Ignation Spirituality Centre, Glasgow. Introductory Meeting/Week 1: St. Peter's Parish Hall on 19th Feb. at 7pm
You are invited to attend the presentation for Deacon John in St Peter’s Parish Hall on Saturday 8th February at 7.30pm. This event is BY TICKET ONLY. The ticket is free and anyone taking a ticket is expected to be there. The evening will consist of a concert PROVIDED BY THE PARISHIONERS!
This Sunday we celebrate the World Day for Consecrated Life. Please pray for all those who have made commitments in the consecrated life, and be sure to thank them on their special day.May they continue to be inspired by Jesus Christ and respond generously to God's gift of their vocation.