Second Sunday of Lent – Year C

Congratulations to our new Catechumens and Candidates!

We extend warm congratulations to our catechumens and candidates who attended the Rite of Election at the Cathedral last Sunday, 7th March. These 6 men and 12 women have been participating in our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program and Archbishop Cushley has accepted them as being ready to receive the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist. During the season of Lent, they enter into a time of personal preparation that concludes at the Easter Vigil on Saturday, 16th April. Congratulations to Joanna, Jooyong, Susannah, Naomi, Sherisse, Merran, David, Shirlee, Anthony, Maylis, Matthew, Mitchell, An, Nilesh, Rowen, Sebastian, Cathie and Jean JJ. Photos from the day are at: https://archedinburgh.org/news-events/

Please pray for each of them as they prepare to be received into full communion in the Catholic Church!

Friday Stations of the Cross

A Lenten tradition is to follow the footsteps of the Lord on the way to Calvary, meditating on his suffering and death for our salvation. On Fridays at the Cathedral during Lent, we will pray the Stations of the Cross after the 12:45pm Mass. Please consider joining us in this Lenten spiritual exercise.

Sacrament of Confession

In this grace-filled season of Lent, the Sacrament of Confession is available Monday-Friday after the 12:45pm Mass. On Saturdays, priests hear confessions 10:30am-12Noon and 5:00-5:45pm.

Young Adults Group: This Tuesday at 7:30pm in Cathedral

The Young Adults Group meets again this Tuesday. Meet in the Cathedral at 7:30pm to pray the Stations of the Cross. The evening will conclude with a time of prayer before we head to the pub for some refreshments. All adults, aged 18-35, very welcome!

Cathedral Holy Week and Easter Schedule

See the times for Holy Week and Easter Masses in the Cathedral and St Asndrew’s, Ravelston, here.

Cathedral’s Over Sixties Club: Tuesday Coffee, Wednesday Cinema

Come along and join the Society of St Vincent de Paul and the Coffee Saints Café for the Over Sixties Club for the Cathedral. We meet every Tuesday from 2.30-4pm for coffee and cake (all free!) and anyone over 60 years of age is welcome! Next cinema visit is on Wednesday, 16 March for ‘The Duke,’ showing at 3.10pm, meet at Coffee Saints 2.30pm. For more information contact Graham 07568 202 547 or graham@grassmarket.org

Information Technology Clinic Resumes 17th March

The Over Sixties Club offers a weekly Information Technology (IT) Clinic that can help you with your electronic devices, mobile phones, tablets, iPads and laptops. So far we’ve given help on how to operate an iPad and find apps and information, and provided security advice for laptops. Stop in for IT help at Coffee Saints on Thursday, 17th March, 11.30am to 1.30pm. For more information contact Graham 07568 202 547 or graham@grassmarket.org

Duets Recital in the Cathedral — Saturday 19th March, 7:30pm

Schola Cantorum sopranos Lisa Johnston and Cassandra Humble return for the second in their series of short duet recitals on Saturday 19th March, 7:30pm. This time Lisa and Cassy will sing a 30-minute programme of French music, including duets by Massenet, Fauré, Chausson and Delibes. Entry is free, with donations towards the music at St Mary's Cathedral very welcome!

2022 Marriage Preparation Courses: 21st May and 27th August

The next Marriage Preparation course will take place on Saturday, 21st of May from 10am-5pm and the last one of the year will be held Saturday, 27th of August. The course includes presentations by married couples from the parish. To register, email cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk

Mother’s Day Breakfast at Coffee Saints

Coffee Saints is hosting a special Mother’s Day Breakfast on Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th March. They will be serving between 8:30am-11:30am and the breakfast is £10 per person and includes a filled breakfast roll or pancake stack, selection of pastries and croissants, tea or coffee and fresh orange juice. Booking is essential and can be booked with a staff member in Coffee Saints or online at https://bit.ly/MarchCoffeeSaints

Afternoon Tea – 20% Discount in March

Coffee Saints are also still offering Afternoon Tea, with a menu including finger sandwiches plus four mini cakes or pastries per person and, of course, scones, jam & cream! In March, they are offering 20% off, so instead of £16 per person this will be £12.80 per person. But this must be booked with a staff member in person and paid for at the time of booking.

Weekly Cathedral and Monthly Archdiocesan Updates by E-mail

Receive the Cathedral newsletter straight into your inbox! Stay in touch with the Cathedral through the weekly e-newsletter. Sign up at the ‘Stay in Touch’ section on the bottom of any page of this website. To receive a monthly e-mail update from the Archdiocese, subscribe at https://archedinburgh.org/news-events (scroll to bottom of page).

Sunday Eucharistic Adoration

Spend a little extra time with the Lord during Lent in Eucharistic Adoration at St Andrew's Church. The Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma invite you to join them Sunday afternoons beginning 6th March, from 3:00-5:15pm. Come for a few minutes or a couple hours for silent Adoration from 3:00pm followed by Holy Hour with the Sisters at 4:00pm, including devotional prayers, the Rosary and chanted Evening Prayer. All are welcome!

9:30am Friday Stations of the Cross at Ravelston

On Fridays in Lent, join us at 9:30am in the church for Stations of the Cross. We will gather afterwards for our Friday Café (10am-Noon) in the Parish Rooms. Please join us for a cuppa and a chat with new friends and old!

SCIAF Ukraine Appeal

Support SCIAF’s emergency appeal for Ukraine. Donations can be made at https://www.sciaf.org.uk/

To find out how the Catholic Church is helping those in Ukraine visit https://www.caritas.org/

Monday Talks: A Saint’s Guide to Making the Most of Lent

The Archdiocese is hosting Lent with St Paul – a Saint’s guide to making the most of Lent. It’s a 30-minute talk at 7:30pm on 14, 21, 28 March and 4 April. Fr Andrews Garden (St David’s, Dalkeith) explores insights and advice from St Paul to help us prepare for Easter. No need to register. Watch live on the YouTube Channel of the Archdiocese at bit.ly/ArchYouTube

‘Returning to Confession’ – 30-minute video with practical tips!

Sr Anna Marie McGuan, RSM presented a talk last week on ‘Returning to Confession’ with lots of good practical tips, Scripture origins and addressing excuses people use for not going (embarrassment, etc.). It’s an excellent preparation for experiencing the healing embrace and forgiveness of Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance this Lent. Watch the video at bit.ly/ArchYouTube

Tuesday: Pro-Life Stations of the Cross with Fr Paul Lee

Register to join Fr Paul Lee (St Agatha's, Methil) on Zoom to pray the Stations of Cross for unborn children, their mothers and all pro-life intentions on Tuesday 15 March, 7:45pm. Sign up to join on Zoom at https://archedinburgh.org/lent-register-now-for-pro-life-stations-of-the-cross/

Holy Hour & Testimony on Faith and Marriage: Sunday 3rd April

A Holy Hour for married and engaged couples takes place on Sunday 3 April at 4:00pm at the Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh. It features a testimony from Anton and Angela Collela on the pivotal role their Catholic faith has played in their 34 years of marriage. Anton is a well-known figure in the business world as the globetrotting chief executive of Moore Global, one of the world's leading accountancy firms. He is also chairman of the executive board of the Scottish Catholic Education Service. He is a respected public speaker and often gives talks on leadership in business. Register at bit.ly/ArchEventbrite

Archdiocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage 8 July – 15 July 2022

The Archdiocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage is back! Demand is expected to be high for this popular and life-enhancing trip, so booking now is recommended. It takes place from 8-15 July and will be led by Archbishop Cushley. All the details you need are a www.edinburgh-lourdes.com/lourdes22

Read the newsletter for 13th March (pdf)