Holiday of Obligation: Tuesday
On Tuesday, 1st November, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints. This is a holiday of obligation in Scotland, meaning that Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on this day. Masses will be at 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:45pm and 7.30pm in the Cathedral, and at 6:00pm in Ravelston.
Welcome to 14 Candidates for Full Communion with the Catholic Church
At the 12 noon Mass today, we will receive 14 people into the order of Catechumens! Please pray for these friends as they journey towards full communion with the Church. Over the coming months they will continue their religious instruction, preparing to receive Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation at Easter 2023. May God bless our new Catechumens!
November Lists
During the month of November, we pray especially for the faithful departed. Please take a November List from the back of church to fill out with the names of those friends and family members who have passed away and return it to the Cathedral or St Andrew’s, Ravelston by placing them to the marked box found at the back of both churches. Please try and return them before the 1st of November, but you can take them throughout the month of November.
Farewell Celebration for Fr. Jamie and Fr. John Peter
Friday, 11th November, 7:00pm
Tickets On Sale After Masses Today & Next Weekend
We will say farewell to Fr. Jamie and Fr. John Peter on Friday, 11th November at 7:00pm in Coffee Saints. Come along and join us for a festive evening with wine and delicious nibbles. Tickets are available for sale after Masses this weekend and next week for only £5 (or £10 for a family ticket). Please put the evening aside for what will be a lovely event to express our thanks and to wish Frs. Jamie and John Peter well!
Tom Wilkinson Organ Recital & CD Sales: Next Sunday, 1:30pm
To celebrate the launch of his new CD, Bach Trio Sonatas BWV 525–530, our Cathedral Organist Tom Wilkinson will perform a short recital after the 12 noon Mass on Sunday 6 November, beginning at 1:30pm. Copies of the new CD will be available to buy. Tom's new disc is already gaining critical acclaim: ‘Organist Tom Wilkinson… does an excellent job distinguishing and delineating the three distinct contrapuntal voices at all times. The recorded sound is crisp and clean, practically sitting you at the keyboard… This recording definitely belongs in each and every organ music enthusiast’s collection.’ (Classical Music Sentinel). For a magnificent preview, listen at https://bit.ly/OrganBach-TWilkinson
Parish Pilgrimage to Rome: Book by Monday, 31 October
Our Parish Pilgrimage to Rome from 12th -16th June 2023 is filling up very quickly! If you would like to come, e-mail cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk today to request a booking form, due by Monday, 31 October. To secure flights we need a final count of pilgrims by tomorrow. This will be a wonderful pilgrimage with the centrepiece being the ordination to the diaconate of Paul Henderson, on June 14th 2023 at the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome. Paul is one of our parishioners here at the Cathedral who is studying for the priesthood. We have secured lovely accommodation in the very centre of Rome and the packed programme of sightseeing will, of course, include an audience with the Holy Father. Pilgrimage cost will be around £750 per person, (depending on the cost of flights when we book), which includes all transfers, flights from Glasgow and B&B accommodation. Join Fr. Patrick, Fr. Robert and your fellow pilgrims for these special days in the Eternal City! If you have any questions, please speak directly to Fr Robert or contact him at frrobert.taylor@staned.org.uk
Ministry Meeting for Readers on Saturday, 5th November
Our meeting for the ministry of Readers will be on Saturday, 5th November at 1:30pm. Whether you are new or have been a Reader for years in the Cathedral or Ravelston, please do come along. The meeting will be in 63 York Place. Any questions, please contact FrRobert.Taylor@staned.org.uk
First Saturday Devotions on 5th November
Next Saturday, 5th November, 9:30am there will be devotions to Our Lady of Fatima here in the Cathedral, followed by 10:00am Mass. All are welcome!
Young Adults Talk 8th November:
‘I Believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church’
For the Solemnity of All Saints our Young Adults Group will be on break this week, but we will resume meeting to continue our series on the Creed on Tuesday, 8th November. All those age 18-35 are very welcome. Our speaker will be Fr. Joseph McGill, on ‘I Believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.’ Join us at 63 York Place at 7:00pm for teas/coffees followed by the talk at 7:30pm and a short group discussion. After Night Prayer in the Cathedral we will gather at a local pub for some refreshment.
Want to be Catholic?
Our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) group is meeting weekly on Tuesdays for all those interested in learning about how to become Catholic. Join us in Cathedral House, 61 York Place each Tuesday 7:00pm-8:30pm. To register, please contact cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk.
2022-2023 Marriage Preparation Courses
The next Marriage Preparation courses will take place 10am-5pm on Saturday, 19th November 2022; Saturday, 28th January 2023; and Saturday, 20th May, 2023. The course includes presentations by married couples from the parish. To register, email cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk.
Tickets Available for 9th November Friends Event Open to Parish
Talk by Dr. John Newton: The Crisis for the Church in East Asia
Dr John Newton from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will come from London to give a talk at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral on 9th November on The Crisis in the Church in East Asia at 730pm in Coffee Saints.
The event is hosted by Friends of St Mary's Cathedral, and is a not-to-be-missed pre-#Redwednesday event. Th etalk is open to the whole parish, please RSVP by 7th November to ppccathedral@stmaryscathedral.co.uk Join Friends at https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/friends.
Parish Youth Group Meets Tonight!
The Parish Youth Group meets tonight at St Andrew’s, Ravelston. All those in P4-P7 are invited to join us between 6 & 7.30pm for an opportunity to get together, play, and learn about our faith! Don’t forget some spending money for the tuck shop! To join, please arrive from 5.30pm for registration (cost £1.00), or collect a form from the back of the Cathedral or at St. Andrew’s. Any questions, please speak to Fr. Robert or email him at frrobert.taylor@staned.org.uk.
Memorial Mass for Joseph Gilhooley at Noon on Saturday 12th November
His Grace, the Archbishop, will celebrate a Memorial Mass for Joseph Gilhooley here at the Cathedral at Noon on Saturday 12th November. During the Mass, the Archbishop will bless an altar crucifix that has been donated in his memory and will dedicate a plaque in his memory for the sacristy. This will be a lovely occasion and I know that many of you will want to be present to pay tribute to a man who played a huge part in the life of this Cathedral over so many decades. As many of you know, Joe dedicated almost his entire adult life to St Mary's Cathedral, serving for nearly 50 years as MC and sacristan.
Over Sixties Club – Visit to Royal Scottish Academy!
Tuesday 1st November , NO COFFEE AFTERNOON due to Coffee Saints being closed for electrical works.
Wednesday 2nd November, Visit to the Royal Scottish Academy for an Impressionism Exhibition. Pre booking required
Thursday 3rd November, Visit to the Scottish National Gallery, No booking required
Both the RSA and National Gallery are located at the bottom of the Mound. For both visits on the 2nd and 3rd Nov we will meet at 1.30pm in Contini's Scottish Cafe, which is situated between the RSA and the National Gallery, on the subterranean level and accessed via the Prince St Gardens. Contact Graham on 07568 202 547 for further info.
St Mary's Playgroup for Children Ages 2 to 7, Monday-Friday Mornings
St Mary's Playgroup at St Mary's RC Primary School, East London Street, Edinburgh; welcomes children from two and a half years old, up to entry to Primary school (during school holidays we can take children up to 7 years of age). The playgroup has a lovely bright colourful playroom where we provide a number of activities. Term Time & School Holidays: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 12 Noon (Playgroup closes for 2 weeks at Christmas). Price: £11 per child per day. For information contact stmarysplaygroup@aol.com, 0131 556 1634 or visit https://stmarysplaygroup.weebly.com
Annual Mass Attendance Census
The Archdiocese’s Annual Mass Attendance Census will be taken next weekend Saturday, 5th November and Sunday, 6th November.
Coffee Saints Closed This Week for Electrical Works
Please note that our Coffee Saints café is closed for electrical from today to Sunday, 6 November inclusive, and will reopen for business as usual on Monday, 7th November.
St Andrew’s Talks with Sr. Roseanne Reddy on Monday 7th November
The next talk in the St. Andrew's Talk series will be on Monday 7th November after 6pm Mass in the rooms at St Andrew’s, Ravelston. Sr Roseann Reddy of the Sisters of the Gospel of Life will join us to talk about their work creating a civilisation of love, supporting the fundamental belief that every person is a unique individual, with infinite dignity and created in the image and likeness of God. It is sure to be an interesting talk and you are all welcome. Please RSVP to cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk
Big Clean - Saturday 12th November
Our busiest all-parish event! The Big Clean is back and your help is needed. Please sign-up to help 'deep clean' the church and rooms before Advent and Christmas. Sign-up sheet is at the entrance to St Andrew’s Ravelston.
Upcoming Events for Your Diary
Thanks to the social committee at St. Andrew’s, Ravelston for their efforts to develop a social calendar of events to be hosted at St Andrew’s. Wednesday 30th November, following Mass for the Feast of St Andrew, we’ll have a social evening in the Parish Rooms. Following the Rorate Mass on 15th December, we will bless the crib, sing some carols and heat up with some festive refreshments in the Parish Rooms. That will be closely followed by a festive toast following Mass on Christmas Eve. Then, on the Feast of St. Patrick (17th March 2023), all will be welcome to a gathering in the Parish Rooms. Please mark your diary!
Two Talks for Catholics on Family Life: 11am-2pm Saturday 5th November
Professor Stephan Kampowski, a world-renowned expert on marriage and the family in a Catholic context, is visiting the Archdiocese from Rome to give a series of talks on Saturday, 5th November, 11:00am-2:00pm. Talk 1: To Promise & To Forgive: Establishing and Healing the Bond between Persons and Talk 2: Family Relationships and Personal Identity. All of you are invited to attend his talks at the Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh EH9 1BB . Please register at https://bit.ly/ourfamilytalks
Job Opening: Full-time Administrator
The Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh is seeking to appoint an Administrator. The position is full time (Mon-Fri) and the annual wage is £21,000 per annum. Full details at bit.ly/archadminjob
To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter to recruitment@staned.org.uk by Monday 7 November.
Learn About the Catholic Media Office & Catholic Parliamentary Office
What does the work of the Scottish Catholic Media Office (SCMO) and Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office (SCPO) involve? Find out in Catholics: Faith and Engagement in Scotland, a webinar featuring Peter Kearney of the SCMO and Anthony Horan of SCPO. Two optional dates: 1-2pm Wednesday 2 November, register at https://bit.ly/webinar2nov or 7:30-8:30pm on Thursday 3 November, register at https://bit.ly/webinar3nov_