Advent 2021
Rorate Mass by Candlelight at the Cathedral: Thursdays 9th, 16th, 23rd December
This week we begin our beautiful and popular candlelit Advent Masses at the Cathedral on Thursday nights at 7:00pm. The Mass is celebrated accompanied by flickering candlelight in an otherwise dark church with beautiful music to help us lift up our hearts to God. These are lovely occasions – do bring your children and come along to prepare well for Christmas.
2022 Cathedral Diary Only £10 —a Spiritual and Practical Gift for Christmas!
The solution to all your Christmas gift problems is the 2022 Cathedral Diary with all proceeds supporting the Cathedral! It’s spiritual and practical with all the holy days marked, and prayers and quotes from saints included in each month! With lovely artwork and meditations the diary is thoughtful and meaningful present which anyone would be pleased to receive. Priced at a very reasonable £10 each. Hurry while stocks last!
Kathedral Knits Christmas Gifts to Support the Cathedral
On Sunday morning, knitted goods for Christmas will be available for sale in the Octagon until after Noon Mass by our own wonderful parishioner Joanna Kopystynska. The items are also available at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KathedralKnits
All the profits from these sales are generously donated by Joanna to the Cathedral. These will make wonderful stocking fillers for that special someone in your life! (Especially when combined with a Cathedral diary!)
Monday Advent Talks with Canon Hugh White: Virtues of Faith, Hope & Love
Find out more about the season of Advent and the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love in a series of online 30-minute talks held each Monday in Advent. Hosted by the Archdiocese, the second talk is on Monday 6 December 7:30pm-8:00pm, led by Canon Hugh White. No registration required, simply use this link each week to join: bit.ly/AdventTalk (or webinar ID: 891 8951 4801).
You can watch the first talk from Monday 29 November here: https://archedinburgh.org/event-tonight-get-inspired-in-advent/
Tuesday Advent Rosary for Life with Fr. Bobby Taylor
Join parishioners and clergy from across the Archdiocese each Tuesday throughout Advent to pray for unborn children, their mothers and all Pro-Life intentions. It continues this Tuesday (7 December) at 7:45pm and includes a reflection from Fr Bobby Taylor who is based in Rome. Event on Zoom, register at https://bit.ly/7DecRosary
Christmas Masses 2021
St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral
Christmas Eve, Friday 24th December: 9am Mass (Polish), 10am Mass, 6pm Mass, 9pm Mass (Polish),
11.15pm Carols and Readings, followed by midnight Mass
Christmas Day, Saturday 25th December: 10.30am Mass, 12noon (Polish) Mass
6pm (Polish) Mass
St Andrew’s Church, Ravelston
Christmas Eve, Friday 24th December: 6pm Mass
Christmas Day, Saturday 25th December: 10.30am Mass
2022 Marriage Preparation Courses
If you’re planning to get married next year, please contact Fr Jamie (frjamie@stmaryscathedral.co.uk) as soon as possible to book onto our upcoming Marriage Preparation courses 29th January and 18th June.
Thank you!
Thank you very much to so many of our parishioners at the Cathedral and St Andrew’s for the fantastic response to our request for Christmas gifts for the children of prisoners in Edinburgh (Saughton) Prison. These are very much appreciated by the prisoners as it allows them to give their children a gift at Christmas. Your continued kindness and generosity are very much appreciated.
Also…..Missio Scotland wrote to express thanks for a generous response to the special collection for World Mission Sunday on 24th October: “Many thanks for your recent cheques for £1492.97 from St Mary’s Cathedral and £291.13 from St Andrew’s Church in relation to Mission Sunday. It is very much appreciated, especially during these difficult times.”
Volunteers Needed for All Cathedral Weekend Masses
Volunteers are needed to assist at each weekend Mass at the Cathedral to help with welcoming, handing out newsletters and arranging people to help with the collection and to bring up the offertory gifts. To volunteer, please e-mail Elizabeth Andrews, elizabeth@rhandrews.plus.com
Restoration of Sunday Obligation
Now that our churches are fully open once more, the Bishops of Scotland have decided that the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy days of Obligation can now be resumed. This will take effect on Sunday 2 January 2022. The obligation does not bind those in ill health or those otherwise impeded from attending Mass, nor those showing symptoms of Coronavirus.
Rorate Mass by Candlelight at Ravelston: Mondays 6th, 13th, 20th December
This week we begin our beautiful and popular candlelit Advent Masses on Mondays at 7pm at St. Andrew’s, Ravelston. Do come along and bring your children to these beautiful liturgies of Advent!
Rewiring of the Parish House in Ravelston
The Ravelston Parish House and Rooms have an electrical circuit which is over 50 years old and which needs to be replaced urgently. The capacity of the circuit needs to be increased and we also need to install mains-wired interlinked smoke alarms (by Feb 2022). In summary, to avoid the accident which is waiting to happen and make the house and rooms safe and legally compliant we need to rewire. We have put out to tender and this will cost in the region of £19,000. In order to progress this project, therefore, we need to do some fundraising! As a first step, we will have a special collection here in Ravelston next week after Mass. Please try to be generous!
Children Invited to Help Assemble Parish Manger in Ravelston – Saturday, 11th December
On Saturday, 11 December 9:00am-10:00am, children are invited to help set up our parish manger for our garden Nativity Scene. The manger is constructed from flat-pack and will be great fun to assemble as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus! All helpers can enjoy a hot chocolate drink!
Blessing of the Manger Before 10:30am Mass – Sunday, 12th December
Our parish will celebrate the blessing of the parish Nativity Scene on Sunday, 12 December at approximately 10:15am, immediately after catechism class and before 10:30am Mass. All children and parishioners are invited!
Mass for Vocations on Monday, 6 December at St. Francis Xavier’s, Falkirk
Is God calling you to serve the Church as a Priest or religious Sister or Brother? Come to the First Monday Vocations Mass, 7pm on Monday 6 December at St Francis Xavier Church, 1 Hope St, Falkirk FK1 5AT and pray with others praying for vocations in our Archdiocese. Fr. Andrew Garden, Vocations Director, will celebrate the Mass and will be available after Mass or reached at vocations@staned.org.uk
For more resources, visit https://archedinburgh.org/vocations/
For women discerning religious life, contact Sr. Mirjam Hughes, FSO at religiousvocations@staned.org.uk
Mary’s Meals Double the Love
Through Mary’s Meals’ Double The Love campaign, donations will be doubled by the UK government, up to £1.6 million, until 31 January 2022! Just £15.90 is all it takes to feed two children for a whole school year! To donate, please visit https://www.marysmeals.org.uk/doublethelove
Public Consultation on Legalizing Assisted Suicide – Just Say ‘No’
A public consultation has been launched on a bill proposed by Liam McArthur MSP to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland. The consultation is running until Wednesday 22 December 2021. Please complete the questionnaire as soon as you can and encourage others to do the same. You can find a link to the consultation form and resources to help at https://www.spuc.org.uk/assisteddyingscotlandconsultation
Catholic Truth Society Advent e-Calendar
From 1st December until Christmas Day, the Catholic Truth Society is offering a special Advent Calendar by email with different gifts each day including free content from books including new titles, fun Advent activities for children, exclusive discounts and flash sales, inspiration to guide you on your Advent journey, and seasonal explanations and reflections. Sign up at https://www.ctsbooks.org/bonus-content/
The Archdiocese is Recruiting
The Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh is looking to recruit a full-time Religious Education Adviser (Primary Schools). Closing date for applications is 13 December. Details at bit.ly/vacancy_2021