BULLETIN                 21 DECEMBER 2008

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT IN YEAR 2

CHURCH SERVICES

Saturday 20 December

Mass at 11.00 am for Kenneth Donnelly
Confession on request from 4.30 to 5.15 pm
Sunday Vigil Mass at 5.30 pm for Tom McKay

Sunday 21 December
Sunday Mass at 10.00 am for the Parishioners
Sunday Mass at 12.00 noon for Edward Keogh
Monday 22 December
Mass at 10.00 am for deceased members of the Legion of Mary  
Tuesday 23 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Jimmy and Bessie O'Rourke
Wednesday 24 December
No morning Mass
Christmas Mass at 5.30 pm for Margaret Hughes
Christmas Mass at 8.30 pm for the Christmas intentions of the Parishioners
Thursday 25 December
Christmas Mass at 11.00 am for the Christmas intentions of the Parishioners
Friday 26 December

Mass at 10.00 am for Jessie Brown

Saturday 27 December
Mass at 10.00 am for Susan and Walter Jones
Confession on request from 4.30 to 5.15 pm
Sunday Vigil Mass at 5.30 pm for Arturo and Cosimo Farro


PARISH CENTRE EVENTS

Saturday 20 December
7.00 pm

Private Function

Sunday 21 December
11.00 am
3.00 pm

Tea and Coffee after Mass
Concert of Christmas Music

Saturday 27 December
1.30 pmPrivate Function

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
   Colin Bailly (Kilmarnock), Elisabeth Kleebauer, John Eddy Mullan (Portrush, County Antrim),
   Dennis McLaughlin (formerly of Broadway) and Mark Shanks (Eglinton Road)
   who died recently and
   Sister Hilda CP 2000, Josephine McGeachy 2003, Edward Keogh, Jenny McAree 2003,
   Tom Braniff 2003, Ellen Barrett 1984, Patrick McLaughlin 1998, Peggy Hamilton,
   Mereno Berti 2003, Peggy McLaughlan 2006, Bessie O'Rourke 2005, Bessie Delahunt 2006,
   Margaret Shanks 1966, Tom Finn 1993, Isobel O'Hare Rae 2004 and Patrick Quinn 1969
   whose anniversaries occur at this time and those who are sick.

SUNDAY COLLECTION
Last weekend's collection amounted to £696.09. We are grateful for your generous support of the Parish. Banker's Orders amount to an average of £4000 per month.

BANKER'S ORDERS, GIFT AID AND WILLS
Have you thought of using a Bankers Order? It assists us with the safe handling of cash. Have you signed a Gift Aid Form? If you pay tax, then every £1 you give to the Parish is worth £1.28 to us. Would you consider remembering Saint Peter's in your will?

PARISH CENTRE COLLECTION
Last weekend's collection for the Parish Centre amounted to £338.55 - many thanks.


THURSDAY EVENING MASS
Please note that there will be no Thursday evening Mass during December.

READERS
Next weekend's readers are Margaret Brogan at 5.30 pm, Angela Body at 10.00 am and Jim Delahunt at 12.00 noon.

ADVENT
The season of Advent is drawing to a close. These few days left before Christmas are a time of reflection and prayer. There needs to be some prayerful preparation if we are to welcome Christ our Saviour properly.

CHRISTMAS MASSES
In Saint Peter's, there are Christmas Vigil Masses at 5.30 pm and 8.30 pm and a Christmas Day Mass at 11.00 am. There is a Midnight Mass in
Saint John's Church, Stevenston and on Christmas Day there is a 12 noon Mass in Saint Brendan's Church, Saltcoats. There is a notice on the porch with the Mass times in the Three Towns. Try to celebrate Christmas simply so that others can simply live.

CONCERT OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC
A Christmas Concert will be held in Saint Peter's Church on Sunday 21 December at 3.00 pm. It will feature local soloists, Marie Claire Breen, Theresa Coulter, Jamie Munn and other local singers. All proceeds will go to HCPT - The Pilgrimage Trust.

KENNETH DONNELLY MEMORIAL MASS
Since most of us were unable to attend the funeral of Kenneth Donnelly in Ireland, Matt and Moira have asked for a Memorial Mass to be offered here in the Parish. The Mass will be on Saturday 20 December at 11.00 am.

BURNS SUPPER
The Burns Supper will be held in the Parish Centre on Friday 13 February 2009. Tickets are on sale at the Parish Office. Ex-Provost Drew Duncan OBE will propose The Immortal Memory, Kenny Gibson MSP will propose the Toast to the Lassies and the reply will be given by Reverend Dorothy Granger of Barony Saint John's Church. Further details of this and previous Burns Suppers are on Saint Peter's website.

SUGGESTION LEAFLET
There is a leaflet coming soon which indicates the events we will try to organise and have room for suggestions. The Parish Centre is well used for private functions but there are few Parish functions and we need to remedy that if we are to make the Centre viable. You support it well with the second collection, so how about using it a bit more? We need the support.

LEGION OF MARY
The Legion of Mary meets in the Parish Centre on Tuesday mornings at 11.00 am. If you have time for prayer and to visit the sick and housebound then the Legion would like to welcome you as a member. What about coming along to the meeting and observing? You will be very welcome.

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
The Saint Vincent de Paul Society
meets in the Parish Centre on Monday evenings at 7.00 pm. New members - men and women - are always welcome. The Society exists for the sanctification of its members and for the relief of the poor, assisting where there is need. You would be welcome at a meeting so that you can get an idea of the prayer and work of the Society.

FATHER MOTRONI
TALKS
On Mondays 12, 19 and 26 January 2009, Father Stephen Motroni will give talks on Saint Paul in Saint Mary's Church Hall in Irvine from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. All are welcome as are donations to support Smithstone House Sacred Heart Fathers in Kilwinning.

FATHER ALEC SMITH SBD
I thought you might like to read an excerpt from the Celtic View regarding Father Alec Smith. 'We are saddened to hear of the death of Salesian priest, Father Alec Smith, who passed away in Hong Kong at the age of 93. Father Alec had worked in the Far East for many years, was a prisoner in a Japanese Camp and had spent the last few years in Hong Kong. Originally from Ballater Street in the Gorbals, he was brought up in Kilbirnie. Father Alec was a devoted Celtic supporter and could boast of having been the only ball boy ever to have been sent off at Celtic Park. That incident occurred in 1932 during an 'A' game between Celtic and Kilmarnock. Father Alec, then a youngster, was sent off by the referee for shouting at a Kilmarnock player who was roughly tackling his Hoops hero Malky MacDonald (a former parishioner of Saint Peter's). In October 1993, during a rare visit back to Scotland for Father Alec, the Celtic View arranged for him to meet the Celtic legend. Father Alec was delighted to go along to Celtic Park to meet his hero. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Celtic are with Father Alec's family, friends and fellow priests at this time.'

WORK ON THE CHURCH
The new carpet is now in place. I am making an appeal for 400 donations of £20 to cover the cost. I realise it is not a good time but if everyone has a hand in paying for the work, we will do it easily. Envelopes are available and if you are a taxpayer and fill in the details on the envelope, your £20 will become more than £25 under Gift Aid. You can put whatever you want in the envelope. £20 is only a suggestion. I am very grateful to all those who have contributed. The total cost is over £8000 and we are more than half way there. There is still some work to be done to secure the Baptismal Font in its new position. The total donations to date are £5240.

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.