Christmas Masses 2022
St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral
Christmas Eve, Saturday 24th December:
6:00pm Mass
9:00pm Mass (Polish)
11:15pm Carols and Readings
Midnight Mass
Christmas Day, Sunday 25th December:
10.30am Mass
12noon (Polish) Mass
6:00pm (Polish) Mass
St Andrew’s Church, Ravelston
Christmas Eve, Saturday 24th December:
5:30pm Carols & Readings
6:00pm Mass
Christmas Day, Sunday 25th December:
10.30am Mass
Confessions This Week
Just to remind you that all Catholics are encouraged to make a good confession before Christmas. To enable you to do this there will be two priests hearing confessions at the Cathedral each day this week after the 12.45pm Mass. There will also be confessions after each of our Rorate Masses on Monday and Thursday. This is a good way to prepare for Christmas and will bear fruit in your family celebrations!
Rorate Mass by Candlelight Tomorrow at 7pm
Tomorrow (Monday) we will have our final popular Rorate Mass for Advent by candlelight at 7pm. It is a beautiful way to prayerfully prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas. Do come along!
Final Young Adults Advent Talk – Tuesday at 7pm
Our Young Adults Advent Talks – ‘Images of Advent’ – concludes on Tuesday, 20 December with a talk by His Grace, Archbishop Cushley on ‘The Annunciation’. After Night Prayer in the Cathedral, we will gather at a local pub for refreshments!!
Over Sixties Club
All those 60 and over are welcome to join our Over Sixties Club events:
Tuesday 20th December: Coffee Afternoon at Coffee Saints, 2.30 - 4pm. This will be the last coffee afternoon in its present format and the last meet up for the year. Hope to see as many of you as possible. Thursday 22nd December: Mercat Cross Tour, 12.45pm meet up at Grassmarket Community Project, Candlemaker Row. Spaces limited, pre-booking is essential. Call Trish on 07541 552070.
The first Coffee Afternoon of 2023 will be Tuesday 10th January usual time and place.
This initiative of the Over Sixties Club has brought our lovely groups together and we hope to continue into the New Year. The funding may have ended, but the groups formed will undoubtedly continue. If you need assistance with any of the future costs involved, please speak to Trish on the number above. We are working on ways to make the projects more sustainable. The Book Club has been revamped and will continue in a different venue. Have a Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year!
Hand-Made Knitted Hats and Toys for Sale in Octagon
Beautiful knitted hats and soft toys hand-made by our own parishioners Anne Macaulay and Joanna Kopystynska are available for sale at bargain prices in the Octagon after all Masses. Shop for a Christmas gift for someone you love! All proceeds benefit the Cathedral! The items are also available at https://www.kathedralknits.etsy.com
Cathedral Magazine on Sale after weekend Masses for £5
The first edition of the new Cathedral Magazine called Crux, is available for only £5 at the end of all Masses today. Full of interesting articles and beautiful features it is a great way to support the Cathedral. A must-read over the Christmas season!
Catholic Men: Catenians’ Meeting on Wednesday, 21st December
The Catenian Association invites all Catholic men, married or single, to a Membership meeting Wednesday 21st December, from 7.00 p.m.-9.00 p.m. in 63 York Place. The Association is an international body of Catholic laymen who meet once a month and offer friendship and support to Catholic men at all stages of their lives. We would like to extend our group, sharing friendship and faith in our community. For more information contact John Russell on 01555 728032, membership@thecatenians.com
Christmas Gifts at St. Pauls Bookshop: Bibles, Rosaries, DVDs and more!
Our new St Pauls Bookshop offers a wide range of Christian literature, Bibles, rosaries, holy cards, religious objects, music, DVDs and more. Varieties of Christmas cards and crib sets are available. Find your perfect Christmas gift! Hours are 10:00am to 5:30pm, including weekends (closed Mondays). Contact 0131 510 4260 or edinburgh@stpauls.org.uk, or visit https://www.stpauls.org.uk
Coffee Saints Café: Enjoy a Coffee, Cake, Lunch or All-Day Brunch
Visit the Cathedral’s award-winning Coffee Saints café where all profits go to charity! Coffee Saints is social enterprise partnership between the Cathedral and the Grassmarket Community Project. Every time you make a purchase at Coffee Saints you support some of Edinburgh’s most vulnerable people. You can book online through itison for a Coffee & Traybake or Brunch for two or an Afternoon Tea at https://bit.ly/CoffeeSaintsDeals. View festive opening hours and full menu at https://www.coffeesaints.co.uk/
Many Options Available to Support St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish
We are very grateful to all our parishioners who generously donate to help St. Mary’s Cathedral parish. We have a variety of options available for supporting the parish:
Contactless: We have two contactless donation devices in the Cathedral, which you may prefer to use instead of handling notes and loose change.
Gift Aid: Gift Aid is another way of raising money for the parish. It is a government-led initiative whereby UK taxpayers may register for Gift Aid with the Cathedral and/or with St Andrew’s such that the government will give an additional 25% of the value of donations made during the year to the charity, at no additional cost to the donor. Many of you are already registered, but if not, do contact our finance officer, Caroline, on finance@stmaryscathedral.co.uk if you are interested.
Online: The Cathedral website also has a ‘donate’ button on our website menu (to see the menu, click on the three lines in the top right corner of the main page) which has the added advantage of allowing you to ‘Gift Aid’ any donations you make at the time that you make them. Become a Friend of the Cathedral: You can find more details about how to become a Friend by going to our website www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/friends
Other: We have a page on the ‘easyfundraising’ website. www.easyfundraising.org.uk is a website through which you can shop at various retailers online while simultaneously raising a small percentage for your chosen charity at no additional cost to you! By registering as a supporter of a particular charity (we are listed as St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral), you can then search for your chosen retailer and, if listed, open their website and shop as normal. With Christmas just around the corner, many retailers are offering ‘double-donations’, increasing their usual percentage donation to the selected charity.
Rorate Mass on Thursday at 7pm
Our beautiful and popular candlelight Advent Rorate Masses conclude on Thursday, 22nd December at 7:00pm at St. Andrew’s, Ravelston. There will be confessions after the Mass this week – a great way to prepare for Christmas.
New Year Dates for Your Diary
Some dates for your brand new diaries! From Sunday 15th January there will be a Holy Hour every Sunday from 2pm in St Andrew’s Ravelston which will conclude with Benediction at 3pm. Please do make some time to pop in and visit the Blessed Sacrament. Also, from Sunday 26th February the Youth Group (ages from P3 to S1) will return with its regular Sunday evening meetings, starting at 6pm with games, a chance to learn about the faith and time to prayer. Don’t forget the tuckshop too!
January St. Andrew’s Talk on the Eucharist
Mark your diary for our next talk on Monday 9th January when Fr James Cadman will speak on the Eucharist and especially the beautiful devotion of Eucharistic Adoration. Soup & sandwiches will follow!
Holy Hour 6pm with Archbishop Cushley Tonight at Gillis Chapel
Tonight, Sunday, 18 December, at 6:00pm Archbishop Cushley begins the first in a series of monthly Holy Hours with Eucharistic Adoration at St Margaret’s Chapel at the Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh, to pray for “insight, courage and joy in our mission,” as part of the Synod 2023. Holy Hours will be held at the same time and place on Tue 10 Jan, Sun 12 Feb, Sun 12 Mar. No registration required.
2023 Diploma in Catechetics, Begins Thursday, 12th January
Register online today to learn about the richness and depth of the Catholic spiritual tradition with course leader Sr Anna Marie McGuan, RSM in the 2023 Diploma in Catechetics course which begins Thursday, 12th January. She and a range of guest speakers bring you lectures, with guided reading, conversations, retreats, and supplementary courses available. The year-long course costs £200 (concessions available), with weekly sessions by Zoom webinar on Thursdays at 7:30pm (1hr max) and includes regular one-to-one sessions with Sr Anna Marie or another course leader. To learn more and read testimonials, visit https://archedinburgh.org/register-now-for-the-diploma-in-catechetics-2023/
Online Talk by Sr. Anna Marie on Different Forms of Prayer
Sr Anna Marie McGuan RSM hosts the final 30 minute online Advent talk on different forms of prayer on Monday 19 December at 7:30pm. No registration required, just use the following link on the night to join: https://bit.ly/adventtalks22 (Zoom event). Catch up with previous talks on the Archdiocesan YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/ArchYouTube
Online Prayer Event for Young Catholic Adults Aged 20-40
Join us for a post-Christmas rosary and reflection via Zoom on Tues 27th December, 8:00-8:30pm. Our events are a great opportunity to meet and socialise with other young adults. For more info and tickets email: 2040network@gmail.com
Monthly Chats for Women About Religious Life Begin in January
Thinking about a vocation to the religious life? Join other young Catholic women to chat and explore God's will in five monthly get-togethers in Edinburgh. Led by Sr Mirjam Hugens FSO, the first one takes place on Sunday 29 January, 4-7pm at St Columba’s, 9 Upper Gray Street. It is a chance to pray, share and discuss in a relaxed environment, and refreshments will be served. The series continues on the last Sunday of each month at the same time/venue: 26 Feb, 26 Mar, 30 Apr, 28 May. To register or find out more, please email religiousvocations@staned.org.uk
Free Retreat for Married & Engaged Couples on Saturday, 11th February
A free half-day retreat offers couples a chance to reflect on their love and commitment to each other, to God and to their community. It will be led by Annette and Paul O’Beirne, of Equipes Notre-Dame (Teams of Our Lady), which supports married couples in their vocation. They will share some of the stories and tools gathered over their 42 years together. The retreat will be 2-5pm, Saturday 11 February at the Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1BB. Register at http://bit.ly/valentineretreat
Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine & Co. Mayo, Ireland in April 2023
A pilgrimage to Knock Shrine is being organized in April 2023 for the parishes within Scotland with day trips to Westport, Ballintubber Abbey, Croagh Patrick, Fr. Peyton Centre & National Museum. Cost is £699.00 per person sharing. Price includes flight, all transfers, 4 nights in Knock House Hotel with full board. Contact Patricia on 01268 762 278 or 07740 175557 or email knockpilgrimages@gmail.com
Mary’s Meals – Double the Love, Big Family Christmas Table & Gift Cards
Looking for the perfect present for your loved ones? Say it with school meals for poor children and make a real difference to the lives of children and communities. Until 31 January 2023, donations made to Mary's Meals through all our gift cards, life-changing gifts and Big Family Christmas will be matched by a group of generous supporters, up to £1.5 million. You can transform the lives of two children by sending our popular £15.90 gift card or setting a place at our Big Family Christmas table! Find out more at https://shop.marysmeals.org.uk/