The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God will be celebrated in the Cathedral and in St Andrew’s Church, Ravelston on Wednesday, 1st January at 11am. This is a lovely way to mark the beginning of the new year with your family and the parish community and we hope to see you there.
As we approach the great feast of Christmas, I am very conscious that many of our regular parishioners will be departing Edinburgh today or tomorrow to spend time with their families. I would like, therefore, to take this opportunity to wish all of you who will be going away a truly happy and holy Christmas. I would also like to thank the many people who have handed in cards and gifts at Cathedral House over the last few days. Your generosity and kindness are, as ever, overwhelming and much appreciated. It has been a lovely Advent. We have been very impressed by the huge numbers who have turned out each week to attend our special Advent Rorate Masses and by the large numbers who have been at confession. I am sure that this spiritual preparation will bear fruit in a joyful and peaceful Christmas. Check the Christmas Mass times on the website.
A warm thank you to Sir Tom Farmer who very generously donated the Christmas trees in the Cathedral.
As you know, we will be hosting two fantastic concerts in the Cathedral on Friday 6 March with Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham, and Saturday 7 March with our own Barbara Dickson. These will be lovely occasions and will also help to raise funds for the Cathedral. Tickets are a giveaway at £25 per person and can be bought through Eventbrite bit.ly/concertsinthecathedral-alyandphil and bit.ly/concertsinthecathedral-barbaradickson. If you are stuck for a last minute Christmas present – why not buy someone a great night out with some of Scotland’s finest musicians?
Whether you are a regular parishioner or here for the holidays, you can stay in touch with the Cathedral through the weekly e-newsletter. Sign up at the bottom of any page of this website and the latest parish news will be delivered straight to your inbox every weekend.
We are delighted to announce that we will be hosting two fantastic fundraising evening concerts to be held uniquely in the Cathedral on Friday 6 March and Saturday 7 March 2020.
We are extremely fortunate to have secured the musical talents of some very special singers and musicians. On the Friday evening, we have Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham, two of Scotland’s acclaimed traditional musicians who have been delighting audiences across Scotland with their masterful, versatile and amusing performances. ‘Aly & Phil' are recipients of The Sunday Mail Great Scots’ “Lifetime Achievement” Award.
The Saturday evening will see our very own parishioner and Scotland’s bestselling female album artist Barbara Dickson OBE perform along with Nick Holland and supported by Anthony Toner. Barbara has earned 6 platinum, 11 gold and 7 silver albums for her recordings and it will be a privilege to have her perform.
Tickets are keenly priced at £25 per person and can be bought through Eventbrite: Aly & Phil and Barbara Dickson.
We anticipate tickets will sell fast, so we have ensured our parishioners have advance notice of their release. They would make excellent Christmas presents for your family and friends.
The clergy will visit the sick and housebound in both parishes this coming Friday (those who are on our Sick List). If you know any of the housebound, perhaps you could let them know that we will be visiting. If you know of anyone who is sick and is not receiving regular visits from the clergy and from Eucharistic Ministers, please let us know by contacting the Parish Office.
Ravelston, Monday at 7pm
The Cathedral, Thursday at 7pm
This week, we will have the last two of our beautiful candlelit Advent Rorate Masses. If you have not yet had the opportunity to come along, we look forward to seeing you on Monday night at 7pm in Ravelston or on Thursday night at 7pm in the Cathedral. And if you already have been, we look forward to seeing you again for this very special opportunity to prepare your family spiritually for Christmas.
As we go deeper into the season of Advent, John the Baptist calls us to a renewed spirit of conversion. There are lots of ways of doing this: perhaps by setting aside a little more time for prayer and spiritual reading, by trying to get to Mass more often and especially by going to confession in preparation for the great feast. Please think today about how you and your family are going to prepare spiritually for Christmas this year.
St Andrew’s, Ravelston, every Monday at 7pm; The Cathedral, every Thursday at 7pm
Thanks to all those who came along to our first Advent Rorate Masses, in spite of the inclement weather. Our churches looked especially beautiful by candlelight. They continue this coming week in Ravelston on Monday night at 7pm and in the Cathedral on Thursday night at 7pm. These are lovely occasions – do bring your children and come along to prepare well for Christmas.
On Sunday we welcome in a very special way David Edwardson together with his friends and family. The Archbishop will ordain Deacon David Edwardson (a former Anglican clergyman) to the priesthood during the 12 noon Mass. We are very honoured by the presence at this Mass of Bishop Nicholas Chamberlain, the Anglican Bishop of Grantham. Please keep David and his family in your prayers as he takes this new step in his journey with the Lord.
There will be Divine Mercy Devotions with Adoration and opportunity for confessions and veneration of the relics of St Faustina will be held in the Cathedral at 3pm on Sunday.
On Tuesday, the Archbishop will come to the Cathedral to celebrate the Chapter Mass together with the Chapter of Canons. All are welcome!
Advent is once again upon us. This Sunday we begin our annual period of preparation for the great feast of Christmas. Although it is difficult to be recollected during this period, the Church asks us to try. We do this by trying to set aside a little more time for prayer and spiritual reading, by trying to get to Mass more often and especially by going to confession in preparation for the great feast. Please think today about how you and your family are going to prepare spiritually for Christmas this year.
Ravelston- every Monday at 7pm – The Cathedral – Every Thursday at 7pm
This week we will begin our beautiful and popular candlelit Advent Masses. They will be in Ravelston on Monday nights at 7pm and in the Cathedral on Thursday nights at 7pm. These are lovely occasions – do bring your children and come along to prepare well for Christmas.
On Sunday 8th December during the 12noon Mass the Archbishop will ordain David Edwardson (a former Anglican clergyman) to the priesthood. Obviously, all parishioners are warmly invited to the ordination.
The Archbishop is again inviting all young Adults in the Archdiocese to join him at 5pm on the Sundays of Advent at the Gillis Centre. The theme this year is about getting to know ‘The Real Jesus’. All young adults aged 16-30 are welcome.
The newsletter has a new format that combines St Mary’s Cathedral and St Andrew’s, Ravelston parish news and contains the readings and the hymns for the Sunday Mass. We hope you like it!
Beginning on Thursday the 5th December, we will have our beautiful and popular candlelit masses every Thursday of Advent at 7pm. These are lovely occasions – do put them in your diary now and come along to prepare well for Christmas. The Rorate Masses in St Andrew’s Ravelston are on Mondays at 7pm.
The Archbishop will celebrate Mass in the Cathedral at 10am in honour of our National Patron. All are welcome!
On Sunday 8th December during the 12 noon Mass the Archbishop will ordain David Edwardson (a former Anglican clergyman) to the priesthood. Obviously, all parishioners are warmly invited to the ordination.
If you would like to donate gifts for children of prisoners in Edinburgh Prison, please wrap a new gift in Christmas Gift wrap and put on a label stating if the gift is suitable for a boy or a girl and for what age of the child. Gifts for older children from 11 years onwards would be most appreciated.
The annual ‘Scots College Magazine’ is for sale in the porch. A bargain at only £5, which supports the College!
God bless you all,
Fr Patrick, Fr Jamie, Sr. Mary Simone and Deacon Peter
This Tuesday, Fr Patrick will lead the Young Adults’ Group in ‘A Meditation on John 6’, exploring what this key passage of St John’s Gospel can teach us about the Church’s Eucharistic faith. It should be a great night! Don’t forget also that this will be one of the last chances to buy tickets for the Italian Night on 22nd October.
We’re putting the finishing touches on plans for our new parish youth group and will be ready to start after the October holidays, on Sunday 27th October at 6pm at Ravelston! Speak to Fr Jamie for more information.
If your child will be five years of age before 28th February 2021, he or she is due to start school in August 2020. Parents who wish to enroll their child in St Mary’s RC Primary are asked to attend (if possible) the drop-in enrolment sessions at 9.45am-10.30am on Wednesday the 6th November and Thursday the 7th November. You will need to bring your child’s birth certificate, baptismal certificate, council tax letter/book, a utility bill (gas, electricity, passport) and your passport/work permit/visa if you are not from the EEC. For questions or concerns, please contact the Head Teacher Mrs Nicola Kehoe on 0131 556 7128.
To raise more funds to reduce homelessness in Scotland, Social Bite, the Edinburgh-based charity, have organised a Sleep Out in Princes Street Gardens (Sleep in the Park) during the night of Saturday 7th December. The Cathedral is planning to have its own team – please speak to James Walker if you would like to join in or email him at cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk
God bless you all,
Fr Patrick, Fr Jamie, Sr. Mary Simone and Deacon Peter
Calling all P4s-P7s! The long-awaited parish youth group will begin on Sunday 27th October at 6pm at St Andrew’s, Ravelston, and will meet weekly until Christmas. Each evening will involve prayers, a short talk, games, activities, a tuck shop and loads of fun, finishing at 7.30pm. More information and parental consent forms available from Fr Patrick or Fr Jamie. Please encourage your children to take part in this very worthwhile new initiative!
On Saturday the 26th October there will be an afternoon for married couples at the Gillis Centre from 2-5pm, focusing on the beauty and challenge of marriage and family life in the 21st century. The speakers are Bishop John Wilson of Southwark and Mary Kileen from the Maryvale Institute, who together will lead a day reflecting on Pope Francis’ encyclical Amoris Laetitia. Book your place on Eventbrite or by calling 0131 623 8900.
Just a sincere word of thanks to Valerie Ball for organising and to Barbara Dickson for speaking so fascinatingly at the lunch on Monday which was a tremendous success; and to Darlene and the Social Committee for the excellent wine tasting on Friday evening which was not only great fun but also very informative. The next Social event in the Cathedral Calendar will be the Ceilidh – watch this space of details.
God bless you all,
Fr Patrick, Fr Jamie, Sr. Mary Simone and Deacon Peter
This week at the 9am Mass we welcome all the children preparing to receive the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and First Confession, together with their teachers and their families. Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare to take these important next steps in their journey of faith.
Then at the 12noon Mass we welcome the Jugend Kathedral Chor from the Cathedral of Fulda in Germany. The 75-strong (!) youth choir will sing at Mass and then will perform a short concert of choral music immediately after. This concert is free and will last about 20 mins – you are all warmly invited to stay and enjoy the music.
Following on from a very successful opening talk last week, the Young Adults’ Group series of talks on the Eucharist continues this Tuesday with a talk from Canon Luiz Ruscillo. Fr Luiz is a priest of the Diocese of Lancaster. Before he begins a sabbatical in the Holy Land, he will speak to us about how the Eucharist was foreshadowed in the Old Testament. Tea and coffee available from 7pm, with the talk beginning promptly (!) at 7.30pm. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
For those who have purchased tickets for the lunch with Barbara Dickson on Monday the 30th September, please arrive at the New Club (86 Princes Street) at 12.30pm for lunch at 1pm. Men should wear a jacket and tie (and remember - jeans are not permitted!)
God bless you all,
Fr Patrick, Fr Jamie, Sr. Mary Simone and Deacon Peter
We are delighted to welcome the Relics of St Therese of Lisieux to the Cathedral this weekend. The Archbishop will celebrate Pontifical Mass at 12noon today in honor of St. Therese and then he will again preside at Mass on Monday with school children from all over the city before the Relics depart. If you have a special prayer intention why not bring it to St Therese this afternoon when there will be quiet veneration of the relics from 2pm-5.30pm! Souvenirs and books are available to buy in the Octagon after all Masses, and free prayer cards.
This Thursday there will be a short but very important Parents’ Meeting for the children preparing to receive First Confession (P3) this year. The Parents’ Meeting for First Holy Communion (P4) will be on Thursday the 26th September. Both start at 6.30pm in the Cathedral Café.
The Sunday catechism classes for children in P1-P7 start today in Ravelston. If your child does not attend a Catholic school and you would like them to attend classes to prepare to receive their First Reconciliation or First Holy Communion, please come along to next week’s class at 9.30am, followed by Mass at 10.30am.
God bless you all,
Fr Patrick, Fr Jamie, Sr. Mary Simone and Deacon Peter
