Children’s Sacramental Preparation: Registration Opens 1st September
As our children return to school, we’re getting ready for a new year of catechism classes for children to receive the Sacraments of 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. Registration will open on Friday, 1st September.
To register your child (P3) for the sacrament of First Reconciliation please register at www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/sacrament-of-first-reconciliation
For First Holy Communion (P4) www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/first-communion
For Confirmation (P7) www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/confirmation
Young Adults Group Returns: Sacred Tradition
The Young Adults Group will meet again from Tuesday, 19th September. All those between the ages of 18-35 are welcome to the weekly meetings, where we will be learning about Sacred Tradition. As usual, we meet at 63 York Place at 7:00pm for the talk at 7.30pm, followed by a short group discussion. Each session concludes with Night Prayer and the chance to meet up at a local pub. See the poster for more details!
No 10:00am Mass Monday-Friday until mid-September
Some of our priests are on annual leave at this time, so we will have to cancel the Monday-Friday 10am Mass until Monday, 18 September when it will resume. The 10am Mass on Saturday morning followed by Adoration and Confessions will continue as usual each week. Thank you for your understanding.
Saturday Morning Eucharistic Adoration
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament offers us with a time for peaceful prayer and quiet before Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. You are welcome to join us every Saturday from 10:30am-12:00pm for this beautiful time of adoration. Come for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour…. or more to adore the Lord in His Body shared for us. “It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself. The priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God’s. ‘This is my Body,’ he says. This word transforms the things offered.” (St. John Chrysostom) Saturday Confessions are from 10:30am-12:00pm.
‘Searching for Jesus in the Gospel of Mark’
With Professor James Edwards, 23-27th October
Get to know Jesus better in our mini course on the Gospel of Mark! The event will be 7pm-9pm in the Cathedral from 23rd October to 27th October. If you haven’t signed up yet – why not think about it? Register on Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/Jesus-in-GospelofMark. Learn more about it in a 30-minute preview with Fr. Patrick and Sr. Anna Marie on the Archdiocese’s YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/PreviewGospelofMark
Organ Recital Thank You
Thank you to everyone who attended Nicholas Wearne’s fantastic organ recital on Saturday 19 August, which raised £85 in aid of Cathedral music.
2023 Marriage Preparation Courses
Our next Marriage Preparation courses are Saturday 2nd September and Saturday 18th November at St. Andrew’s, Ravelston, 10am-5pm, with presentations by married couples from the parish. Please email cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk to register.
Over Sixties Coffee Afternoon
Join the “Over Sixties Group” for our Coffee Afternoon in Coffee Saints on Tuesday 29th August, 2:30pm-4pm.
Your Starter for Ten: Adults Quiz Night on Friday 29th September
Come along to our Adults Quiz Night In Coffee Saints on Friday 29th September! There will be a cash bar and nibbles will be provided. The night will run from 7 - 10pm. Tickets only £10 per person, (all proceeds to Cathedral funds). Questions categories will be literature, film, science, history, music, general knowledge - who knows what might come up! Come as a team (up to a max of 6 persons) or play it solo and win undying glory. There will be a CASH PRIZE for the winner/team plus some Quick-Fire Quirky prize opportunities throughout the evening! Tickets will be on sale after Mass next weekend and throughout September. We are limited by numbers in the hall, so once they’re gone, they’re gone! Snap them up while you can!
Scottish Religious Books and Plaques of Scottish Saints
A variety of Scottish-themed religious books and plaques of Scottish saints are now available in our St Pauls Bookshop! Visit today to shop for a plaque of St Andrew, St Margaret of Scotland, St John Ogilvie, St Mungo, St Columba and other Scottish Saints. Discover treasures of our Catholic faith in Scotland in our new books, The Story of Margaret Sinclair in Words & Pictures, A Hundred Years of Carfin Grotto, A Record of Generous People: A History of the Catholic Church in Argyll & the Isles, and more! As we approach September, shop for some great books to learn more about the church. Don’t forget the range of Cathedral merchandise now available, too. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm (closed Mondays), 0131 510 4260, edinburgh@stpauls.org.uk
Want to Become Catholic?
If you or someone you know would like to become Catholic, you can sign up to learn about the teachings of the Catholic Church in preparation for receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at Easter 2024. Invite a friend to join you! The Cathedral’s Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) group meets between September and April each year. For more information, call the parish office at 0131 556 1798 or email cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk
Cathedral Flower Arranging Team Seeking New Volunteers
To ease the burden of the current volunteers and to cover holidays/other absences, we are looking to recruit more volunteers to join our flower arranging teams. There are currently four teams, who meet mid-morning on a Friday and each team is led by an experienced volunteer, so lack of experience is not a barrier if you are interested in providing this ministry. If you would like to join team of flower arrangers, or find out more, please contact Elizabeth Andrews at Elizabeth@rhandrews.plus.com
Sign Up for Cathedral Big Clean on Saturday 30 September
Our volunteer cleaners and Marcin, our Sacristan, do a great job of keeping the Cathedral looking spic and span, but every so often it is helpful to have a deeper cleaner than they are able to manage with their limited time and manpower. To that end, we are holding our next Big Clean day on Saturday 30th September from 2 – 4 pm. It is a great way to work off a few calories, meet others and do something for our community. To get around the jobs on the list, we need 25 volunteers. If you felt able to volunteer your time and muscle, it would be great if you could sign up with me by emailing complexmanager@stmaryscathedral.co.uk Thank you in advance. Alice
Ravelston Fabric Update
You will notice some differences to the sanctuary today following a busy week of works. The upper section of the sanctuary wall has been transformed with the removal of the odd old panelling and the wall painted one, uniform colour – underneath was an array of colours. The new canopy is lower and its beautiful inscription clearer; the large crucifix is higher and more visible. The existing curtains will remain for the time being whilst new curtains are made. The sanctuary overhaul will be completed in due course with new carpets and upholstery, providing a beautiful and worthy space for the celebration of Holy Mass. Also in planning are the next phases of fire safety changes for the church and an overdue refurbishment of the parish rooms.
‘Roamin’ Catholics’ on Pilgrimage: St. Andrew’s Talk Tomorrow 6.45pm
The popular St Andrew’s Talks will return tomorrow! Join Fr Robert and Matthew McCafferty, a seminarian for the archdiocese, for their talk ‘Roamin’ Catholics’ with a look back on the parish Rome pilgrimage from June of this year. The evening will be a whirlwind recap of the places we visited and an insight into some of the other treasures of the Eternal City. Come to Mass at 6pm and then join the talk from 6.45 in the Parish Rooms. Soup and sandwiches will follow afterwards when you can discuss and share your own memories.
Parish BBQ Sunday 3rd September – Tickets on Sale Today!
The Parish Barbecue at St. Andrew’s will be on Sunday 3rd September, starting at 1.30pm, rain, hail or shine! Tickets are available in the Parish Rooms after Mass and on the day itself: £5 per person or £10 for a family! Please note that we will not have card machines available, so please bring cash for both ticket and stall purchases – thank you! Please volunteer some time to help in the organising and running the day, by contacting any member of the Parish Council or email cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk. We are looking for donations for our book stall, plant stall, bric a brac stall and bottle tombola. On the day itself, donations of cakes of all kinds for those who want a slice with a cuppa would be most welcome. Donations can be left in the parish room before or after Mass. Alternately speak to Phil, or email philg0dfrey@hotmail.com to arrange collection of your donations.
Each Wednesday 5.00pm Adoration & Confession
Make some time to come before Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration at St Andrew’s, Ravelston, every Wednesday evening from 5pm. Confession is available too. This is an opportunity to allow yourself some quiet, peaceful time to pray. Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament can take many forms, you might want to pray the rosary or read and meditate on Scripture, it can even just be a brief visit as you pass by. Our Lord is waiting for you, so come and meet Him!
Debate and Vote for Rights for Church Representatives Set for 31 August
Councillors are reporting that they have received a lot of our campaign postcards and letters regarding this issue. As you know, Edinburgh City Council is considering a proposal to remove voting rights of Church Representatives on its Education, Children and Families Committee. If passed, it means school reps won’t have a say in decisions affecting faith schools. The debate and vote are now set for 31 August, so there is still time to contact your councillor to help ensure the Church has a voice in Catholic schools. Please send one of the postcards available at the back of the church. Find your councillor: https://www.writetothem.com/
Webinar on Assisted Suicide: The Dangers –Thursday 31st August, 7pm
Later this year, Liam McArthur MSP is expected to publish proposals to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland. Join the Catholic Parliamentary Office of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland for a Zoom webinar Thursday 31st August, 7pm to consider what those proposals will look like and, breaking them down, to explain why assisted suicide is a very bad idea. The webinar will aim to equip you with key arguments against assisted suicide and provide you with advice on how to share your concerns most effectively with MSPs. Speakers include Dr Gillian Wright, a former palliative care doctor in Glasgow, who works for Care Not Killing as the Director of their Our Duty of Care campaign. Register for the webinar at https://rcpolitics.org/latest-news/
Day for Christians in Health and Social Care – Saturday 2nd September
Join us for a day of reflection and professional development organised by St Mary’s University and the Christian Medical Fellowship. Titled ‘Christians in Health and Social Care: Ethics and Practice’ the event will be held on Saturday, 2 September beginning at 10:00am at Eyre Hall, Archdiocese of Glasgow, 196 Clyde Street, Glasgow G1 4JY. A number of speakers will cover topics such as freedom of conscience; caring for ourselves and our relationship with God; and our vocation to care. There is a small charge of £20, with lunch and refreshments included. For further details and to register, please visit: https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/events/2023/09/christians-health-and-social-care-glasgow
Online Event: “Love Gives Life,” Pregnancy Support in our Archdiocese
Many mothers in our Archdiocese need support during, and after, pregnancy. In deprived areas there are additional challenges involving finances, resources, sometimes trauma and, often, lack of support. The Archdiocese works with SHE Pregnancy Support who provide practical compassionate care to women facing unexpected pregnancies, helping to build a culture of life in Scotland. For the Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta, our online event explains how pregnancy support is provided in our Archdiocese and how you can help! It will be on Tuesday, 5th September at 7.45pm. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/love-gives-life-pregnancy-support-in-our-archdiocese-5th-sept-tickets-687837940797