Current Week: Seventh Sunday of Easter (A) 4 th May 2008
This week is the Seventh Week of Easter
Please Pray for;
Those who are sick...
Pat Harte, Sherry Cook, Liz McGowan, Eric McCloy, Jennifer Wilson, Michelle Farrell, Elizabeth Connor, Isabel Kennedy, Margaret Adamson, Fr. John Fitzsimmons, Margaret Adamson, Peter Clayton
Those who have died recently...
Josie McDonnell
Those whose anniversary occurs about now...
Catherine & Thomas Ferris, William Dollard, James McConnellogue, George Boyle, John McFadden, Frank McCrory, Steven Murphy, Daniel Black, Hannah Ward.
Baptisms
If you would like to have your baby Baptised please try to give Fr Michael 3 weeks notice.
Marriages
Please pray for Lorraine and Kevin Deegan who were married recently.
The R.C.I.A. Group
…will meet again tomorrow, May 4 th , in the house, continuing our session towards Pentecost.
Exposition:
Thursday 6pm – 7pm with Evening Prayer at 6:45pm .
Confessions:
Thursday & Saturday, before and after Mass.
The Collection this week raised...
£741 – Thank you for your great generosity!
What's New for our Parish…
Thank you for your welcome to Sr. Aurora of the Comboni Sisters who came last week when she came to preach the Mission Appeal last Sunday. You very generously gave £998.54 to the appeal. Fr. Michael has sent her a cheque for £1000 (!).
The Bishopton Christian Aid Plant Sale takes place between 10am and 12 noon on Saturday 10th May in Bishopton Community Centre. The event will include a "Fairtrade Cafe" and the sale of Fairtrade goods - which is very appropriate as World Fair Trade Day is the 2nd Saturday in May. Tickets cost £1.50 which includes coffee/tea and cake, are available after Mass.
Rehearsals for the Diocesan Choir in Saint Mirin's Cathedral on Sunday at 2pm – 3pm . We will be (mainly) preparing the music for the visit of the Papal Nuncio in September and would welcome anyone who would like to join in. We particularly need more male voices, but anyone who is interested will be made very welcome. No prior experience is necessary. Rehearsals each Sunday until June 1 st .
Vicky McMillan, who was received into the Church at the Easter Vigil, will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving with the Bishop next Thursday at St Mirin's Cathedral. The Children of the Parish who were Confirmed and made their First Holy Communion will also celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving In the School on Thursday at 7.45pm . NB there will be no Mass in the parish that evening.
On Thursday May 8 th there will be Solemn Vespers (Evening Prayer) a Pastoral Congress in St Mirin's. A number of delegates will attend. They will meet in the car park at 6.15pm . If you would like to join them you are very welcome.
Our final fundraiser to send Clarie to the World Youth Days in Australia is to raffle two very special wood carvings by John McLaughlin. These are very precious and desirable carvings. John will explain their provenance and significance and sell raffle tickets after each Mass. These will be available for a few weeks only.
Two retreats are available at the monastery in Kinnoull, Body, Soul and Spirit, Pope John Paul II theology of the body (28 th April – 2 nd May). A Spirituality of true Self-esteem (5 th – 9 th ). Tel.01738624075 for info. .
Please pick up your new set of collection envelopes and statement of account – if you had envelopes previously your set should have your name on it (alphabetical order) in the porch. If not please sign up in Fr. Michael's Sacristy. Apologies for any ragged edges in this process, all queries to Fr. Michael.
Two years ago the Our Lady of Lourdes SVDP Conference donated £579 to our twin Conference of St Mary, Punalal, India to help set up a “goat bank” which would enable local families to supplement their meagre incomes. This was made possible by your generous donations at the SVdP “box” in the Porch each Sunday. The project has now been successfully completed and photographs of the project participants can be seen in the Church porch.
What on earth are we doing with all these plastic bags? The Co-op is heavily involved in the Fairtrade and environmental issues in Fairtrade cotton bag in Bishopton Co-op. Also, the Co-op has several special offers on Fairtrade food, at no loss of earnings to the Third World producers.
Please park your cars with consideration for others – you might be inclined, as the road outside is narrow, to park on the pavement, but if you do it requires pedestrians, particularly if they have prams or young children, to walk on the road as there is no pavement on the other side of our road…. Remember there is parking round the back of the church too. The Church is very full so don't expect to arrive at one minute to the hour and park beside the Church…!
Please remember not to throw away your used postage stamps. If you out there in the box in the porch, we shall send them to the Marie Curie Cancer Fund, who will use them to raise funds.
The 3 church cleaning groups take it in turn to keep the church tidy. This means only about 1 hour of vacuuming and dusting every 6 weeks. If you have time to spare, why not join one of the groups? Phone 01505 863734 or see Church Cleaning poster in the porch.
If you have a Hearing Aid remember our church is equipped with a loop system. Switch to the “T” setting and you will receive everything from the sound system direct to your ears!
What else is going on…
A Pro-Life vigil will be celebrated I St. John's Port Glasgow on Wednesday 14 th May fropm 7pm – 9pm . The vigil is an opportunity to reflect upon and pary about the God-given gift of life. For any further enquiries please contact Fr. John on 01475 720223.
A concert in aid of Save the Children will take place in Freeland Church , Bridge of Weir at 7:30pm on Saturday 10 th May at 2008. Admission is free but donations can be made to Save thsw Children – or by buying a programme. Poster in the Porch with details.
You are invited to join the Catholic Nurses Guild and celebrate Nurses Day with Mass at 1pm in St. Andrew's Cathedral, Glasgow followed by a talk from Fr. Paul Murray on Ethics on Saturday 10 th May. Refreshments will be provided.
The Council of Christian and Jews will host a talk from the professor of Forensic Science at Strathclyde on Tuesday 13 th May at 7:30pm in Newlands South Church . All welcome – poster in the porch with details.
Places available full-time, part-time and as and when required at “Hometime” after School club, St. John Bosco Primary School . Please contact Denise Ferrier on 0794384964, email ferrideni@aol.com or call the project 3-6pm on 07908788492. Call now to request a visit. “Hometime” raises money for S.I.R. and Mary's Meals.
Renfrewshire Council have begun a new project to help vulnerable and elderly people keep in contact with their local communities through volunteer visiting. Please see the poster in the porch or call 0141 561 0327 for more details, you can also contact info@volunteercentrerenfreshire.org.uk
Rainbow Turtle, the Fairtrade shop in Paisley , is staffed mainly by volunteers. If you think you could help out there, in a friendly atmosphere, why don't you phone the Rainbow Turtle office on 0141 887 1881 or speak to Celia Mackie for more information. The shop is at 7 Gauze Street (opposite Paisley Town Hall ) and you would only be expected to work as little as 3 hours per week. No experience necessary.
You may know that there is a convent of Benedictine Sisters in Largs, on the front at 5 Mackerston Place . They have exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each day from 6:30am until 8:15pm . They also have a Christian Heritage Museum of Monasticism with displays of Historic Vestments and a Café. They are happy to welcome any visitors and depend on donations for their own upkeep. www.tyburnconvent.org.uk
St. Vincent's Hospice always require people to help transport their day patients to and from the Day Hospice; people to help in the Hospice, making tea, chatting to day patients and perhaps utilizing their everyday skills. Please contact 01505 705635 or Lynn@svh.sol.co.uk They also need volunteers to help with their door-to door collection in our area.
Vincentian Volunteers: A positive opportunity for young people to undertake interesting charity work for one year, living in community with fellow volunteers. Accommodation and living expenses provided. Volunteer year starts in September. If you would like to know more, contact Sr. Pauline Gaugan DC: 0151 261 0225, email director@vincentvols.freeserve.co.uk or visit www.vincentianvolunteers.org