CHURCH OF SAINT PETER IN CHAINS, ARDROSSAN  •  A Family of Parishes  •  SAINT BRIDE'S CHURCH, WEST KILBRIDE

                                                        

Meeting people where they are - leading them to where God calls them to be!


BULLETIN                                          9 MAY 2021

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER IN YEAR 2

SERVICES AND GATHERINGS
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, public Church services and gatherings are limited till further notice.
Father Duncan will live-stream Holy Mass every day and assures you of his prayers for you and your family.

A READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN (John
15:9-17)
Jesus said to his disciples "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete. This is my commandment - love one another as I have loved you. A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I shall not call you servants any more because a servant does not know his master's business. I call you friends because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father. You did not choose me - no, I chose you and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name. What I command you is to love one another."

REFLECTION
In recent Sundays we have been exploring our relationship with the risen Lord Jesus. We have seen ourselves as sheep of his flock and branches of his vine but today he presents to us a wonderful new image and title - we are his friends. The friendship of Jesus is a gift that we cannot overvalue. Like a true friend, he wants to be close to us, to share our lives, our worries and our celebrations. He wants to help us when we need help. The friendship of Jesus explains the cross. No one could have greater love than to put themselves in the place of a friend facing danger or death. Jesus does this for us. How do we respond to the friendship of Jesus? By simply doing what he asks of us - keeping his commandments.


THE LORD'S DAY AT HOME
If you are housebound or self-isolating at this time, please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church, and your own parish, this Sunday. If alone, read or say these prayers quietly to yourself. If with another, or in a family, someone should read the Gospel and others respond. It might be suitable to find a special, quiet place at home for your Sunday prayers.


SAINT PETER'S AND SAINT BRIDE'S CHURCH SERVICES

 
Saint Peter's
All services are live-streamed and public by booking unless otherwise stated.
Saint Bride's Church, West Kilbride
All services are public by booking  unless otherwise stated.

Saturday 8 May  
Sixth Sunday of Easter  

Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for Ian McCormick and Helen McGee at their anniversaries  
Sunday 9 May  
Sixth Sunday of Easter  
Holy Mass at 10.30am for our parishes Holy Mass at 12.15pm
Monday 10 May   
Holy Mass 10.00am for Winnie McMillan who died recently and the special intention of Jean McLellan  
Tuesday 11 May  

Requiem Mass at 10.00am for Rosa Carrino
  Private

Holy Mass at 10.00am
Wednesday 12 May  
Votive Mass of Saint Joseph at 10.00am for Kathleen Fraser at her six months mind and the special intention of the Lawrence family
 
Thursday 13 May 
Solemnity of the Ascension  
of the Lord
 
Holy Mass at 10.00am for Bridget McAvinia at her anniversary
Holy Mass at 7.00pm for all Souls in Purgatory
Holy Mass at 12 noon
Friday 14 May  
Feast of Saint Matthias  
Holy Mass at 10.00am for James Timmons at his anniversary and the special intentions of the Lawrence family
Holy Mass at 12 noon

Saturday 15 May  
Seventh Sunday of Easter  

Vigil Mass at 5.30pm for John Cairns and Rosa Carrino who both died recently  
   
Father Duncan is assisted by the retired priest, Father Gerry Hamill.

SAINT MARY'S AND SAINT JOHN'S CHURCH SERVICES
 
Saint Mary's Church, Saltcoats
All services are live-streamed and public by booking unless otherwise stated.
Saint John’s Church, Stevenston
All services are live-streamed and public by booking unless otherwise stated.

Saturday 15 May  
Sixth Sunday of Easter  

Vigil Mass at 4.30pm  
Sunday 9 May  
Sixth Sunday of Easter  
Holy Mass at 10.00am
Holy Mass at 11.30am
Monday 10 May   
   
Tuesday 11 May  
Holy Mass at 10.00am Online Mass at 1.30pm
Wednesday 12 May  
  Holy Mass at 10.00am
Holy Mass at 7.00pm
Thursday 13 May 
Solemnity of the Ascension  
of the Lord
 
Holy Mass at 9.30am
Holy Mass at 7.00pm
Holy Mass at 11.00am
Friday 14 May  
Feast of Saint Matthias  
  Holy Mass at 10.00am

Saturday 15 May  
Seventh Sunday of Easter  

Vigil Mass at 4.30pm  
 
Canon Martin Poland is assisted by Father Benjamin Mkeri and Canon Matt McManus who is retired.


PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
Jim Boyle, Annie Watt, Bill Holden and Valerie Bickers;
Winnie McMillan, Rosa Carrino, John Cairns and Benet Brodie who died recently;
Mary Kelly 2013, John McCracken 1949, Thomas McDermott 2017, Joe Moran 2008, Elizabeth Hendry 1987, Frank Nils Matthews 2003, Ian McCormick 2019, Josephine Mulligan 2008, Angela Murray 1991, Thomas Algeo 2013, Robert Ferguson 2005, Nicholas McIntee 2004, Francis Moran 1999, Theresa Smith 1997, Matthew Black 2015, Stan Wilson 2017, William James Connelly 2012, Les Dorrian 2009, Mary McFarlane 2004, Anthony Bale 2017 and Charles Campbell 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. If members of your family or friends are in need of our prayers, please tell Father Duncan or the parish office.


DON'T FORGET THE DAY OF THE LORD
Vibrant is a word which seems to have characterised so many of our parishes throughout the pandemic. What will be the pace of our emerging from this pandemic remains as yet unclear. What is clear is the challenge we face of bringing our communities and the practice of the faith to a still greater expression and strength. There seem to be three distinct groups.
   • There are the fearful and weary, anxious about coming into the enclosed spaces of our Churches and those who have simply lost the habit of coming to Church. Personal contact, clear reassurance, and sensitive invitations will all be needed.
   • There are those who will have reassessed their pattern of life and priorities. The practice of faith within the community of the Catholic Church may not be among those priorities. A gap may have opened up, or widened, between the spiritual dimension of their lives and any communal expression of that spiritual quest. They represent a particular focus and concern for our outreach. c)
   • There are those whom we might describe as the 'Covid curious', those who have come into contact with the Catholic Church through our presence on the internet - a contact we may be able to develop through our continuing presence across diverse media platforms. In facing these challenges, we are endowed with veritable treasures which serve to resource and enrich us.

The greatest treasure is, of course, the sacramental life of the Church, and, pre-eminently, the Eucharist. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the lifeblood of the Church. It requires our active participation and, to be fully celebrated, our physical presence. At this moment, then, we need to have in our sights the need to restore to its rightful centrality in our lives the Sunday Mass, encouraging each to take his or her place once again in the assembly of our brothers and sisters. We face the task of seeking to nurture the sense of Sunday as 'a weekly gift from God to his people', and something we cannot do without; to see Sunday as the soul of the week, as giving light and meaning to all the responsibilities we live out each day; to see the Sunday Eucharist as food for the unique mission with which we have been endowed. In the time to come we can do no better than to rekindle in our hearts, foster and encourage, a yearning for the Real Presence of the Lord and the practice of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, a gift so deeply appreciated in these times of lockdown. This is such an important focus for our task in the coming months.

SAINT PETER'S NOTICES

REQUIEM MASS FOR ROSA CARRINO
Please pray for the Repose of the Soul of Rosa Carrino who died on Sunday 25 April 2021 aged 89 years. Her Requiem Mass on Tuesday 11 May at 10.00am will be followed by her followed by her interment at Ardrossan Cemetery. May she rest in peace and rise in glory!

SPONSORED CYCLE
Ami Paterson and Lucy Skene recently completed a sponsored cycle around the Isle of Cumbrae. They raised £430 in total. They would like to thank their families, parish family and friends for sponsoring them. Thank you also to their support team who came along on the day.

IN AND AROUND THE CHURCH
The wood in the Church tower has been treated with an industrial anti-fungal solution. The Church kneelers repair is now complete after hours of work. A total of 747 felt pads have been fixed to the bottom of the kneelers to help reduce the noise. Forty-seven wooden kneeler supports have been repaired. Eighteen were split and have been glued. Twenty-nine were missing and these have been replaced with new supports made from recycled timber. The replacements have been shaped to match the original kneelers. Any rubber cushions which were detached have been re-affixed.

PARISH STEWARDSHIP
The Offertory Collection last weekend amounted to £566.03 - many thanks.


SAINT BRIDE'S NOTICES

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
We welcome to the family of the Church Abbie and Mia Pellegrini who will be baptised on Saturday 15 May at 12.30pm. Congratulations to the parents and Godparents.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE
We are delighted to announce the wedding of Hilary Sharkey and Scott Busby on Saturday 15 May at 2.00pm. We wish them both a love for a lifetime.

IN AND AROUND THE CHURCH
The work of repainting the Church inside has begun with the entrance and the Sanctuary. A shelf has been hand-made and fitted at the left of the altar for a new statue. The new lamps for the body of the Church are being fitted and once completed, the rest of the painting will be finished.

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK Christian Aid week starts on 10 May. The usual house-to-house collection is cancelled due to the pandemic so please donate online either using at www.CAWeek.org or https://envelope.christianaid.org.uk/envelope/wk-christian-aid-group?channel=copy. Envelopes for cash donations will also be available at the Church.

PARISH STEWARDSHIP
The Offertory Collection last Sunday amounted to £177.00 - many thanks.

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in this Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things and I passionately desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my soul so that I may unite myself wholly to you now and forever. Amen.

MAY MARATHON OF PRAYER FOR AN END TO THE PANDEMIC
Pope Francis invites Catholics and Marian Shrines around the world to dedicate the month of May to a marathon of prayer for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. The initiative, behind which the Pope has thrown his support, involves thirty Marian Shrines from various parts of the world. It takes place under the theme 'The whole Church was fervently praying to God' which recalls a verse in the Book of Acts (12:5). After more than a year, and with the world still in the grips of the pandemic, the Pope and the Church around the world are once again leading the way in imploring God for an end to the suffering which so many people are forced to bear.

MARY WE CROWN YOU

When we speak about Crowning Our Lady it means that we recognise that she is our Queen in heaven - by virtue of her relationship to Jesus Christ, our Saviour and the Universal King, and by virtue of the mission that God gave her in life for the salvation of the world. In Holy Scripture, amongst those who receive the 'crown of life and glory'(James 1,12; 1 Peter 5,4; Revelation 2,10), Mary is the first and the most prominent. Often she is compared to the woman with the 'crown of twelve stars upon her head'(Revelation 12,1). In our Tradition of Faith, the role of Mary in our Salvation, was often described with the symbol of the crown and the title 'Queen'. In past cultures where 'kings' and queens were common figures, it seemed much more obvious that Christ and Mary would be symbolised through 'royal' symbols The Crown of Mary became the sign for her care, her protection, her intercession and also her mission to bring us closer to God. Our Crowning today at the beginning of May is a consequence of our striving to be witnesses of Christ and instruments in Our Lady's hands for a better world. Through recognising and celebrating Mary as a Queen, we can find it easier to celebrate Christ as our King and Lord. The Crowning of Mary should not be understood just as an expression of piety. It is also a sign of our efforts and striving to live and build the Kingdom of God here and now. When we crown Mary today, what are we saying? We are asking her to make us witnesses, we are asking her to give us the grace to build the Kingdom of Jesus everywhere, amongst our young people, in our families, in our homes, in our country and we are asking her to use us as her instruments to establish more and more the 'civilisation of love'. When we crown Mary, we are also seeing in her the ideal for women today. She is the woman who God raised up in an original way - see Luke 1,52. Crowning Mary means to value properly the 'genius of womanhood' and the dignity of women in general, but also to recognise the individual dignity of Mary, the Mother of God. Mary's mission is to take us to God and to help us experience God in our daily lives of faith. By Crowning Mary we are making a step towards God in our own lives and we are becoming more aware of God's presence in our lives and in our families. Is not our Church a Family? Doesn't she have the mission to spread and grow more and more in the world? The Church has Mary as the great Mother of the People but she is also a Queen standing beside Christ the King. Again today, we may look upon the Queen of the Universe - and shouldn't that fill us with a great and deep joy? We are able to offer Mary again, as our Mother and Queen, a Crown. We want to crown her and we are allowed to crown her as the Mother and Queen of the world!"

JUST FOR A LAUGH ...
A little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination and looked at the old pages as he turned them. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible, and he picked it up and looked at it closely. It was an old leaf from a tree that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mummy, look what I found" the boy called out. "What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked. With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered "I think it's Adam's suit!"


ASCENSION THURSDAY THIS WEEK
This coming Thursday is the Solemnity of the Ascension, where we begin the traditional Novena to the Holy Spirit for Pentecost. Mass at Saint Bride's is at at 12 noon. Masses at Saint Peter's are at 10.00am and 7.00pm. We ask the Holy Spirit to free us from the 'scourge of half-heartedness, guide us in the teaching of Christ and enkindle in us the spirit of the apostles and martyrs'. This is the prayer that we can say from Ascension Day to Pentecost.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created and you will renew the face of the earth. Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

EMERGENCY ON-CALL
Father Duncan is on the emergency on-call for our hospitals from this Sunday for a week. Please keep all those in hospital at this time in your thoughts and prayers.

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.


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.