Requiem Mass, 11 September
His Grace, the Archbishop, will celebrate a Requiem Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday, 11th September at Noon.10am Weekday Mass Resumes
After all the comings and goings of the summer – we are now back to some sort of stability and so we will resume the 10am Mass from this Monday. Thank you for your patience over the last months.
No Saturday Morning Adoration Next Saturday
Next Saturday, 17 September, there will be an Investiture Mass for the Order of the Holy Sepulchre here in the Cathedral. His Grace, the Archbishop will celebrate the Mass in the Cathedral for the order’s new members, and Archbishop Mario Conti, Archbishop Emeritus of Glasgow, will conduct the investiture. There will, therefore, be no Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament next Saturday – but there will be confessions as normal.
Children’s Sacramental Preparation: Registration Open!
Registration is now open for sacramental preparation classes for First Reconciliation (P3), First Holy Communion (P4) and Confirmation (P7). Catechetical preparation will be provided both at St Mary’s Primary School and on Sundays at St. Andrew’s, Ravelston. To register online, visit the following links:
First Reconciliation (P3 and above): https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/sacrament-of-first-reconciliation
First Holy Communion (P4 and above): https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/first-communion
Confirmation (P7 and above): https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/sacrament-of-confirmation
More information about class format and dates will be provided on registration. Please spread the word!
Tuesday Young Adults: Guest Testimonials on Living the Creed
What do we believe as Catholics and how does our faith inform the way we live in today’s world? Young adults between the ages of 18-35 are welcome to join us Tuesday, 13th September, for the start of our new weekly series of talks on the Creed. This week, we look forward to welcoming guest speakers, including those discerning a call to the priesthood, a married couple, and those who have come to the faith after some time. Each will give testimonials reflecting on their experience of living the Creed. As usual, we meet at 63 York Place at 7pm for teas/coffees followed by the talk at 7:30pm and a short group discussion. The evening concludes with Night Prayer and the chance to meet up for a drink. See you there!
Melanie McDonagh speaks to Friends of the Cathedral, Friday, 14th October
We are delighted that Melanie McDonagh, a journalist who writes for The Evening Standard and The Spectator, will speak exclusively to Friends of St Mary's Cathedral on Friday, 14th October in Coffee Saints at 7.30pm.
Join The Friends today at https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/friends to attend this and other events in our fantastic autumn/winter 2022 programme. By joining, you will be helping to ensure the future of our Cathedral and of our community. You will also receive Crux, the new Cathedral magazine, straight to your door.
Friends who wish to attend this event must RSVP to ppccathedral@stmaryscathedral.co.uk Thank you and see you there!
Over Sixties Club Events
Tuesday 13th September, Coffee Afternoon, 2.30pm - 4pm at Coffee Saints.
Wednesday 14th September, Cinema Outing, meet upstairs at Omni Cinema 2pm, programme will be ‘See How They Run’.
Thursday 15th September, Book Club, 2.30pm-4pm at Coffee Saints.
Thursday 29th September,11.00am - 1.30pm – IT Clinic: this may be the last for a while. Don’t miss it!
Holy Land Pilgrimage Talk on Tuesday 7:30pm at Coffee Saints
Thanks to so many who have signed up for our parish Holy Land Pilgrimage talk on Tuesday! The pilgrimage this summer included the Religious Sisters of Mercy, based at St Andrew's, Ravelston, and we are delighted that on Tuesday, 13th September, 7:30pm, in Coffee Saints, Sr Mary Pierre, RSM, Sr Miriam Fidelis, RSM and Sr Anna Marie, RSM will give a talk about the Holy Land Pilgrimage open to the whole parish. To be sure of your place, please RSVP to cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk or call the office. The pilgrimage was a wonderful spiritual experience and was blessed with the Sisters’ companionship, knowledge and good humour. Join us for the talk as they take us on a journey back to the Holy Land, with insights, anecdotes, and pictures from the trip. There will be a chance to socialise with the pilgrims afterwards.
Cathedral Fabric Matters – Update from Alice
“I’d like to begin by offering a huge thank you to Richard, Elizabeth and Deacon Peter for organising the two First Aid and Fire Evacuation training sessions, in which over 20 volunteers took part.
As I mentioned last time, we have recently had a skylight in the corridor between Sacristy 1 and Sacristy 2 replaced. Unfortunately, the work uncovered more issues with the roof that will need to be addressed, but at least we have one less bucket out to catch the drips in the meantime!
You will have noticed that the damaged coping stones outside the Café have now been replaced. The remains of the barrier in the same area, which was crushed by a delivery truck, will also be removed shortly.
A variety of stonemasons, roofers, heating engineers and plumbers (!) have all been to see the rising damp in Sacristy 2, but the cause remains a mystery! They have also all looked at the long-standing damp issue around the windows in Sacristy 2 and have come up with a range of opinions as to what is needed. The unifying element in all their suggestions, unfortunately, is that any solution will expensive... This is also, unfortunately, true of the Cathedral Heating system, which was recently serviced, and which requires work to make it compliant.
Finally, thanks are due to Marcin, our wonderful Sacristan, who rose heroically to the challenges presented by the bin strike and kept the area around the Cathedral about the cleanest place in Edinburgh!”
If you have any observations or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.
Alice (Cathedral Complex Manager)
Retiral Collection for Fr. John Peter
At the end of all Masses this weekend, we will have a retiral collection Fr. John Peter for his farewell presentation. Thank you!
Parish BBQ Today 1:30pm!
Today all parishioners are welcome to our Parish Barbecue at St. Andrew’s starting at 1.30pm, rain, hail or shine! Tickets are available at £5 per person or £10 for a family. Come along and join us for this special parish event of great food and family fun!
Altar Servers Training
A training session will be held for all altar servers - new and old alike - before Mass on Sunday 25th September at St Andrew's, Ravelston. If you would like to join the servers and have made your First Holy Communion, then please come to the church for 9:30am for a session to fit you with an alb and to learn the ropes. Thanks to all our servers and we look forward to welcoming new members, too!
Day for Readers and Those Wishing to Reflect on the Gospel of St. John
Do you read the Word of God at Mass? A Day for Readers takes place at The Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh, 11am – 3pm on Saturday 8 October. It is also for anyone who wants to come and reflect on the Gospel of St John. Fr Andrew Garden of St David’s in Dalkeith will be the main speaker and there will be practical sessions. The day concludes with Mass at 2:15pm. A light lunch and refreshments will be available. Register at http://bit.ly/readersevent
Zoom Event on the Catholic Church & Judaism, Saturday 17 September
‘Two Sisters: Synagogue & Church’ takes place on Zoom from 11am-1pm on Saturday 17 September, led by Sr Maureen Cusick, NDS, Former General of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion. Event organised by the Scottish Bishops’ Committee for Interreligious Dialogue. To register email Isabel.smyth@bcos.org.uk
Praying for Life: 40 Days for Life Edinburgh
Pray for an end to abortion with 40 Days for Life between 28th September and 6th November on the public right-of-way outside the Chalmers Sexual Health Centre, Chalmers Street, Edinburgh. For more information, please contact edinburgh40days@gmail.com or visit www.40daysforlife.com/Edinburgh
Mass for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life, 12th September
The monthly Mass to pray for vocations is at 7:00pm on Monday 12 September, at St David's, 41 Eskbank Road, Dalkeith. Some of our seminarians will be present. Join us on praying for vocations!
OK Rehab: Drug & Alcohol Addiction Treatment in Edinburgh
OK Rehab specialises in local drug and alcohol rehab and addiction treatment via both inpatient and outpatient treatment providers. We also work with clinics that are able to facilitate treatment taking place in your own home for professional intervention and home detoxification. At OK Rehab, our aim is to help individuals break free from the shackles of addiction and find a treatment that’s ideally suited to them. Find out more about our service in Edinburgh by visiting https://www.okrehab.org/local-areas/drug-alcohol-rehab-edinburgh/ Contact Number: 0800 326 5559, Email: info@okrehab.org.
Free Mobility Services Available from St. James Quarter Car Park
Guest Mobility Services located on Level B2 of the St. James Quarter Car Park offers mobility equipment free of charge with no deposit required. The mobility fleet includes scooters, specialist bariatric scooters, powered wheelchairs, as well as devices for families including single and double push chairs. The equipment can be used at the Cathedral or anywhere around the city centre of Edinburgh. Hours are Monday-Saturday 9am-7pm and Sunday 12pm-6pm. Booking is available either online at https://stjamesquarter.com/guest-mobility or by calling 07898 740288. They’ll even arrange to meet you at your bus stop with mobility equipment!
Pregnancy Support
There are a number of free, confidential, and non-judgemental resources available to women with unplanned pregnancies, or women who have had an abortion. To find out more or get involved, consider connecting with Stanton Healthcare https://www.stantonscotland.org/ , St. Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society (https://stmargaretsadoption.org.uk/), or Abortion Recovery Care and Helpline https://www.archtrust.org.uk/