BULLETIN                                                           25 MARCH 2018

THE SUNDAY OF THE PASSION - PALM SUNDAY - IN YEAR 2



CHURCH SERVICES
Saturday 24 March  

Our Lady's Day
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Patrick McDermott
Vigil Mass of Sunday at 5.30pm for Michael Reilly

Sunday 25 March  

Palm Sunday
Sunday Mass at 10.30am for the congregation

Monday 26 March  

Holy Mass at 9.00am for a hospital visit of Bill Armstrong

Tuesday 27 March  

Stations of the Cross at 9.30am
Holy Mass at 9.00am for Mary Hogan

Wednesday 28 March  

Holy Mass at 9.00am for Thomas Bradley
Holy Week Mediatation at 7.00pm followed by refreshments

Thursday 29 March  

Holy Thursday
Celebration of the Lord's Supper at 7.00pm for Martha and Charles Farrell followed by
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 9.00pm

Friday 30 March  

Good Friday
Children's Good Friday Service at 12 noon
The Passion of the Lord at 3.00pm

Saturday 31 March  

Holy Saturday - at the Tomb of Christ
Solemn Easter Vigil Mass at 8.30pm for Christopher McManus

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 24 March  
Vigil Mass at 4.30pm

Holy Mass at 10.00am

Sunday 25 March  
Sunday Mass at 10.00am

Sunday Mass at 11.30am

Monday 26 March  
Requiem Mass at 10.00am Service at 10.00am
Tuesday 27 March  
Holy Mass at 10.00am Service at 10.00am
Wednesday 28 March  
  Holy Mass at 10.00am
Thursday 29 March  
Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7.00pm
Friday 30 March  
Stations of the Cross at 10.00am
Stations of the Cross at 7.00pm
Good Friday Liturgy at 3.00pm
Saturday 31 March  
Easter Vigil Mass at 8.30pm

Morning Prayer at 10.00am


PARISH CENTRE EVENTS
Sunday 25 March  

No Tea and Coffee after Holy Mass

Monday 26 March  
9.30 to 11.30am
7.30pm

Parents and Toddlers
Saint Vincent de Paul Society

Tuesday 27 March  
9.00 to 11.00am

Cardiac Rehabilitation


PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
Jim McInally (Glasgow), Elizabeth Gilmour (Saltcoats), Margaret Fisher (Galston), Bessie McGee, Nadia Maltby (Nardini) (Largs), Keith Patrick Cardinal O'Brien (Edinburgh) and Agnes Dougan who died recently;
Jane Kerber 2015, Brenda Simons 2008, Don Foley, Felix Gallagher 2010, Anna Bates 1997, Terry McCabe 2005, Moira Rafferty, Rebecca Walsh 2008, The Crew of HMS Dasher 1943, Gerald McGhee 2008, Devlin McIndoe 1992, Allister Nesbit 2000, Cathie Quinn 2015, Menotti Carrino 1953, Odina Carrino 1987, Monsignor Stephen Kennedy 2009, Sally Wilson 2012, Sarah Anderson 2003, Elizabeth Hughes 2013, James Kelly 1983, Michael McCann 2012, Sandy Miller 1979, Gus Slimman 1993 and Isabella Stuart 2004 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 5.30 pm Vigil and 10.30 am. 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.

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 £696.04 and the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund collection to £909.60 - thanks.

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.


PARISH RECORDS
Our parish records are covered by the Data Protection Act and are for parish use only. We cannot give out phone numbers or addresses. Please help us to keep our records up to date using the cards provided.

READERS
Next weekend's readers are Marade Griffin at 5.30pm and Patricia Milligan 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 the choir at 8.30pm and Andrena Hughes at 10.30am.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY
Next week's Children's Liturgy helpers are Geraldine Butcher for the pre-fives, Claire Sweenie and Linda Martin for Primaries 1, 2 and 3 and Maria Paterson-Kidd and George Kidd for Primary 4.

SUNDAY TEAS
There will be no tea and coffee after the 10.30am Mass next Sunday.

HOLY WEEK
On Palm Sunday, we celebrate the first joy of the season as we celebrate Our Lord's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem where he was welcomed by crowds worshiping him and laying down palm leaves before him. It also marks the beginning of Holy Week with the greatest tragedy and sorrow of the year. Jesus' triumphant return to Jerusalem is only one side of the story. By now, many of the Jews are filled with hate for Our Lord. They want to see him stoned, calling Him a blasphemer, especially after offering proof of His Divinity during a winter visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Dedication. After this, Jesus went to Perea, where he was summoned to Bethany. There he raised Lazarus from the dead, a miracle which wins Him such renown among certain Pharisees that they decided finally to end His life. Jesus took refuge at Ephrem returning six days before Passover to Bethany, triumphantly entering Jerusalem. That evening, He leaves Jerusalem and returns on Monday. He spent time with Gentiles in the Temple and on Wednesday left for the Mount of Olives. Here he foretold the apostles the events of the next several days, including His impending death. He returned to Jerusalem on Thursday to share the Last Supper with His apostles. He was subsequently arrested and tried. He was crucified at Calvary on Friday, outside the gates of Jerusalem. He was buried the same day and arose three days later on Easter Sunday. All of this is done by our Lord for forgiveness of our sins and for life everlasting with Him. God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us so that our sins may be forgiven.



HOLY WEEK SERVICES AND MASSES
Please take note of the Holy Week Services and Masses at Saint Peter's. Please note that the Morning Mass from Monday to Wednesday is at the earlier time of 9.00am because of the Ardrossan Churches Meditations at 10.00am. The Chrism Mass at Saint Margaret's Cathedral in Ayr will be on Tuesday of Holy Week at 7.30pm.

EASTER SUNDAY MORNING ON CASTLE HILL
Please join
Father Duncan, together with the Ardrossan Churches, to welcome Easter Day on the Castle Hill on Easter Sunday morning - 1 April at 8.00am. This is not an April Fools joke!


ARDROSSAN CHURCHES GROUP MEDITATIONS
There will be short Morning Meditations from Monday to Friday during Holy Week in the Park Church, Dairy Road, Ardrossan at 10.00am and Holy Week Services from Monday to Friday at different Churches at 7.00pm. Details can be seen on the poster in Church. The Meditation at Saint Peter's will be on Wednesday 28 March at 7.00pm and will be followed by refreshments. Everyone is very welcome!

GOOD FRIDAY
Good Friday is a day of fast and abstinence when we eat less food and no meat.

POPE FRANCIS' PRAYER INTENTION FOR MARCH
Pope Francis' Prayer for March is for formation - that the Church may appreciate the urgency of formation in spiritual discernment, both on the personal and community levels.


THE EASTER TREE
A wonderful story from medieval times traces the wood of the cross on which Jesus died all the way back to the Garden of Paradise where God made grow - 'every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.' (Genesis 2,9). The great tree of Paradise is the 'tree of life.' Seeds from the tree of life, our story goes, were planted from age to age, until the time of Jesus, when a tree produced from one of its seeds provided wood for his cross. Once again, God offers new life through the cross of Jesus, his Son, and invites the human family to return to Paradise.
     1  In Paradise where life began a wondrous tree grew tall
that stretched its arms to the tiniest bird and gave God's gifts to all
And Adam and Eve in the evening shade together sang under the tree
God sang along in their merry song, a song so light and free
     2  But then one day a serpent came and the beautiful garden grew cold
The tiny birds flew far away and songs were no longer told
The tree was cased in fiercesome ice and cried to God on high
O God, let me shelter your creatures again, let them sing in the evening sky
     3  So an angel of God took a seed from the tree and gave it to Adam and Eve
"Take this seed from the garden tree, plant it and always believe
A tree one day shall open its arms to tiny birds again
And all the world shall sing for joy and children shall sing their Amen
     4  Before the flood, Noah planted the seed from its branches he built the ark
He built it so strong all the animals came to float on the water's mark.
When the waters went down they blessed the tree and God who showed them the way
And a child took a seed from the saving tree to plant it another day
     5  When Jesus was born Mary planted the seed on a hill near Bethlehem
"God's peace, God's peace" the angels sang, "God's peace is coming again"
On that day a tiny Child crushed the serpent's head,
And earth grew warm in the winter's cold around his manger bed
     6  They looked for a tree when Jesus died and they found it on Bethlehem's hill
"Alleluia, Alleluia" everything sang as he rose from the dead by God's will
And the Easter tree rejoiced in song, the tiny birds as well
It bore a prize beyond all else, beyond what words could tell


JUST FOR A LAUGH…
• A man is talking to God. "God, how long is a million years?" God answers"To me, it's about a minute." "God, how much is a million dollars?" "To me, it's a penny." "God, may I have a penny?" "Wait a minute."
• It was Palm Sunday but because of a sore throat, five-year-old Johnny stayed home from church with a babysitter. When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm leaves. Johnny asked them what they were for. "People held them over Jesus' head as he walked by" his father told him. "Wouldn't you know it" Johnny fumed"the one Sunday I don't go and he shows up."
• A priest and a rabbi are in a car crash and it's a bad one. Both of their cars are demolished but amazingly neither one of them is hurt. After they crawl out of their cars, the rabbi says"So you're a priest. That's interesting. I'm a rabbi. Wow, just look at our cars! There's nothing left but we're unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace." The priest replies "Oh, yes, I agree. It's a miracle that we survived and are here together." "And here's another miracle" says the rabbi. "My car is destroyed but this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely God wants us to drink the wine and celebrate our good fortune" he says handing the bottle to the priest. The priest nods in agreement, opens the wine, drinks half of it and hands it back to the rabbi. The rabbi takes it and puts the cap back on. "Aren't you going to have any? asks the priest. "Not right now" says the rabbi. "I think I'll wait until after the police make their report."

COLLECTION ENVELOPES
New collection envelopes are available at the stall.


LOURDES GROUP - SAINT PATRICK'S NIGHT QUIZ NIGHT SOCIAL
Many thanks to all those who supported our very enjoyable Quiz Night on Saint Patrick's night in the Parish Centre. We appreciate your support and we will light a candle in Lourdes for your intentions. The sum raised was £850. We hope to arrange another social evening in early June.

DASHER MEMORIAL SERVICE
The Memorial Service for HMS Dasher will be on Sunday 25 March at the Dasher Memorial Gardens opposite the Church at 11.30am. Refreshments will be served afterwards in the Parish Centre.


50/50 CLUB
A few members still have to renew their membership so please contact the promoter as soon as possible. We appreciate your continuing support of the Parish. We started the Club in 1993 and the majority of our members have been with us over the twenty-five years. Well done you.

SAINT PETER'S PRIMARY SCHOOL SPRING FAYRE
Saint Peter's Primary School Spring Fayre will be held on Saturday 28 April 2018 from 10.00am to12 noon in the Parish Centre. There will be a variety of stalls, face painting, home baking, nail painting and games. Admittance costs £1 per adult. This includes a cuppa and biscuit, free entry and a juice for kids. Please come along and support our school.

OZANAM CENTRE, GLASGOW
The
Saint Vincent de Paul Society usually collects toiletries for the Ozanam Centre, Glasgow for homeless people during Lent. There is a box in the porch.

COFFEE MORNING AND MAGIC SHOW
The Outreach to the Poor Group of Embracing Change is having a coffee morning in aid of the Scottish Refugee Council in Saint Mary's Parish Hall on Saturday 7 April from 10.30am till 12.30pm. We are being helped by some of the Syrian families and, of course, the women who do the Lunch Club. Entry is by donation. We are also having a Magic Show for children on Wednesday 4 April at 1.30pm in Saint John's Church Hall, Stevenston. The Magician, David Ennis, is President of the Magic Circle. The cost for families is £2.00.


RAINBOWS, BROWNIES AND GUIDES
For the Monday Rainbows, Brownies and Guides groups, there are no meetings this week or during the two school holiday weeks. We return on Monday 17 April.

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.