On behalf of the whole Pastoral team – Fr. Jamie, Fr. John Peter, Fr. Jinse, Sr. Miriam Fidelis and Deacon Peter – I would like to wish you and all your loved ones a very happy and holy Christmas. This has been such a strange year – let us hope and pray that God will grant us a more peaceful and more serene year in 2021.
Whatever you are doing we wish you all a very Happy Christmas!
Fr. Patrick
It was great to see so many who joined in for the second instalment of Fr Patrick’s Advent talks on prayer. Please do join us for the third talk on Monday, 14th December… Just email cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk and you will receive the link for the next talk. You can listen to the first two talks at https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/advent-prayer
Following Fr. Patrick’s talk, you can join in for Sr. Anna Marie’s talk on prayer, `Be Still’. How can we cut through the cacophony of consumerism to ensure prayer is the priority in your preparations to celebrate the birth of Christ? This Zoom event takes place at 7:30pm on Monday, 14th December. Join using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83439280614
On Saturday, 19th December, two priests will be hearing confessions in the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the Cathedral, 10:30am-12:00pm and 5:00pm-5:45pm. Prepare for Christ’s coming at Christmas through this sacrament of the Lord’s healing and mercy.
Do make an effort to come our beautiful candlelit Rorate Masses this week - in Ravelston on Wednesday and in the Cathedral on Thursday. They are a lovely way to prepare for Christmas and offer a little peace and quiet amidst the rush of Christmas preparations. During Advent in St Andrew’s, Ravelston ,the regular Wednesday evening Mass will be the beautiful Rorate Mass - celebrated at 7pm (rather than 6pm). There is also no Mass on Thursday as this is the day for the Rorate Mass in the Cathedral.
Christmas Eve: 5pm; 6pm; 7pm
Midnight (Extraordinary Form)
Christmas Day: Friday 25th December
9am, 10am, 11am,
12noon (Extraordinary Form)
Christmas Eve: 3pm; 4pm; 5pm; 6pm; 7pm;
8pm; 9pm in Polish; 10pm; 11pm; Midnight
Christmas Day: Friday 25th December
8am; 9am; 10am in Polish;
11am; 12noon; 6pm in Polish
Only 50 people can attend each Mass. Please be sure to book your seats starting 9:00am on Monday, 14th December here or phone the Parish Office.
The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has issued a pastoral letter on the Covid-19 pandemic titled ‘Light Shines in Darkness’. You can find it on the Covid-19 section of www.bcos.org.uk. Copies are available at the back of church.
Join people across the Archdiocese on Zoom to pray for unborn children, their mothers and all Pro-Life intentions. Each Monday at 7:30pm in Advent. To register for each week’s event visit bit.ly/AdventRosary3
Thanks to everyone who bought ‘With Angels and Archangels’, the newly released CD by our Cathedral choir. If you missed out, you can still buy the CD online here. Inspired by 800 years of sacred music, it is the perfect Christmas Gift. The CD costs a very reasonable £12.99 and all proceeds from the CD will go directly towards ensuring the future of our Cathedral music!
Knitted goods for Christmas made by our own wonderful parishioners Joanna Kopystynska and Anne MacAulay will be available for sale in the Octagon after Masses on Sunday morning. The knitted dolls by Joanna are also available at https://www.kathedralknits.etsy.com. All the profits from all sales are very generously donated by Joanna and Anne to the Cathedral.
The Religious Sisters of Mercy pray their Friday morning prayer in the church at St Andrews and invite you to join them! They begin with the Liturgy of the Hours at 5:45 am. An hour for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins around 6:30 am. Stop in for five minutes, or for longer. Any questions contact Sr Miriam Fidelis at the parish office: cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk
We have now collated all the donations made to Fr Binu and the Rosmini Seminary, Bangalore. A total of £2,100 has been raised which has now been transferred to the Rosminian Mission account. Thank you for your generosity!
We are very grateful to all our parishioners who generously donate to help St. Mary’s Cathedral. We have a variety of options available for supporting the Cathedral:
Contactless: We now have two contactless donation devices in the Cathedral, which you may prefer to use instead of handling notes and loose change at this time.
Gifts: We are very grateful to you for purchasing diaries and CDs either in person or on our website, both of which have helped to raise valuable funds for the parish.
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 navigation which has the added advantage of allowing you to ‘gift aid’ any donations you make at the time that you make them.
New ways to give: We have also now reactivated our page on the ‘easyfundraising’ website which was set up a few years ago. 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.
It was great to see such a great number tune in online for the first instalment of Fr Patrick’s Advent talks on prayer. But there is always room for a few more. Just email cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk
You can listen to last week’s first talk on the Cathedral podcast page or watch on the website
Our beautiful, candlelit Rorate Masses booked out last week in record time! If you’d like to come along this coming week, don’t forget to register online here beginning 8:00am on the Monday of each week. Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped to light all the candles (no small task!) and clear them all away at the end of the night, much appreciated!
How can we cut through the cacophony of consumerism to ensure prayer is the priority in your preparations to celebrate the birth of Christ? Sister Anna-Marie can help. This Zoom event takes place at 7:30pm on Monday 14 December. No registration required - join using this link: bit.ly/BeStillWebinar
As you know, the government’s requirement of churches keeping a temporary register of all who attend Mass is still in effect at this time, for which reason it is very important that you register for one of the Masses before you arrive. Please use the online booking system on our website or call the parish office. Thank you!
The Cathedral is in need of more stewarding volunteers, not only for the Christmas Masses, but also to help cover the various shifts throughout the days and weeks going forward. Stewards are on duty to ensure that visitors to the Cathedral are following the Government’s COVID-19 regulations relating to face coverings, hand sanitising, social distancing and cleaning of surfaces as required. If you would like to assist, please sign up on sheets with the volunteers at the back of the church. Alternatively, you can contact Elizabeth directly.
St Andrew’s, Ravelston, also needs more volunteers. Sign up at the back of the church to help.
Join Paul Atkin on Tuesday, 8th December, 7:30pm in a Zoom session to learn how to make to make the best response to the Scottish Government’s questionnaire to stop DIY home abortions. Register here. The government’s consultation ends on 5th January 2021.
The Archdiocese’s Annual Mass Attendance Census will be taken this weekend Sat., 5th Dec. and Sun., 6th Dec.
Thanks to everyone who bought ‘With Angels and Archangels’, the newly released CD by our Cathedral choir. If you missed out, you can still buy the CD online here.
Inspired by 800 years of sacred music, it is the perfect Christmas Gift. The CD costs a very reasonable £12.99 and all proceeds from the CD will go directly towards ensuring the future of our Cathedral music!
Knitted goods for Christmas made by our own wonderful parishioners Joanna Kopystynska and Anne MacAulay will be available for sale in the Octagon after Masses on Sunday morning. The knitted dolls by Joanna are also available here
Anne will have available hats, headbands, tea cozies, and babywear of various colours and sizes. All the profits from all sales are very generously donated by Joanna and Anne to the Cathedral. Please support the Cathedral by buying some of these beautiful Christmas gifts!
Grab your laptop, put the kettle on and join people across the Archdiocese on Zoom each week to learn about our Catholic faith and earn an Archdiocesan Diploma in Catechetics to prepare you to hand on our Catholic faith to others! The Archdiocese is offering a new one-year course via Zoom taught in weekly 45-minute lectures (Thursday evenings at 7:30pm) beginning January 14, 2021.
Topics will include ‘The Lay Vocation in the Church’, `What is Revelation? How does Scripture fit into Revelation? How do I read and pray with Scripture?’, `The Existence of God’, `The Nature of Man’, `The Dignity of the Human Person, Subsidiarity and Solidarity: The 3 Principles of Catholic Social Doctrine’ and much more!
For more info email: sranna.marie@staned.org.uk. Please take a brochure in the back of church with all the Course Module dates and details.
During Advent the regular Wednesday evening Mass will be celebrated at 7pm (rather than 6pm) and you must register in advance for it as a candlelit, Rorate Mass. The Thursday evening Masses will be cancelled during Advent.
In January 2021, Catechism classes in St Andrew’s, Ravelston, will begin for those children (P4 and above) who have registered for First Holy Communion in 2021, and those children (P7 and above) who have registered for Confirmation in 2021. It’s not too late to register! Please contact the parish office.
The Religious Sisters of Mercy pray their Friday morning prayer in the church at St Andrews and invite you to join them! They begin with the Liturgy of the Hours at 5:45 am. An hour for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins around 6:30 am. Stop in for five minutes, or for longer. Contact Sr Miriam Fidelis, RSM at the Cathedral office for more information.
Scottish composer and conductor Sir James MacMillan will discuss the relation between Catholicism and music in an online lecture Wed., 9th Dec 2020 6:00pm-7:15pm co-hosted by the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University and The Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts at the University of St Andrews. He will discuss his own music, music from previous centuries which has been employed in liturgy, and the religious traditions and heritage of Catholicism. To register, please visit here.
A new online course sponsored by Pilgrimage People will be held on Wednesdays in Advent, 3pm-4pm. The course will look at the history, architecture and art of churches in the Holy Land. All the talks will be recorded. Cost is £60 and all profits go to support Christians in the Holy Land. The course dates are 2nd December: The Basilica of the Annunciation; 9th December: The Church of the Visitation; 16th December: The Shepherds Fields; 23rd December: Church of the Nativity. To register, please email info@pilgrimagepeople.org or call 0800 612 3423.
Through Mary’s Meals’ Double The Love campaign, donations will be doubled by the UK government, up to £2 million, until 31 January 2021. For just £15.90, two children in impoverished countries will be fed for a whole school year! To donate, please visit https://www.marysmeals.org.uk/donate
After such a strange and perplexing year, it will be good for us to use the beautiful and peaceful season of Advent to ponder on the last nine months and on our faith as we move into an uncertain future. In order to help us reflect and enter into the spirit of Advent, we have organised a number of special events:
This year, more than ever, I have felt that God is calling all of us into a deeper and more real life of prayer. In order to help you – I am offering a short series of 10-minute talks on prayer. Each one will be at 7:00pm every Monday in Advent: Nov. 30th, Dec. 7th, 14th, 21st. E-mail cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk to register.
As in previous years, during Advent we will have our special Candlelit Masses at both the Cathedral and at Ravelston. The Masses will be at 7pm on Wednesday in Ravelston and on Thursday at the Cathedral. Seats will be available for online reservation here beginning 8:00am on the Monday of each week. Or phone the Parish Office at 0131 556 1798.
Archbishop Leo will give a talk entitled ‘Unwrapping Christmas’ on Zoom on Sunday 29 November at 7pm. The event is open to all. Please register at bit.ly/UnwrappingAdvent
As you know, the government’s limit of 50 people per Mass is still in effect at this time for which reason it is very important that you register for one of the Masses before you arrive. Please use the online booking system on our website (on the homepage, scroll down to ‘Reserve a place for Sunday Mass’ or click on the button below) or call the parish office. Thank you!
His Grace the Archbishop will celebrate the 12.45pm Mass on Monday in honour of our National Patron.
The Cathedral is in need of more stewarding volunteers, not only for the Christmas Masses, but also to help cover the various shifts throughout the days and weeks going forward. Stewards are on duty to ensure that visitors to the Cathedral are following the Government’s COVID-19 regulations relating to face coverings, hand sanitising, social distancing and cleaning of surfaces as required. If you would like to assist, please sign up on sheets with the volunteers at the back of the church. Alternatively, you can contact Elizabeth or sign up on the sheet at the back of the church to help out at St Andrew’s, Ravelston.
Devotions to Our Lady of Fatima will be held in the Cathedral on Sat 5th December at 9:30am. All welcome.
Join with the unborn Christ and His Mother on the journey to Bethlehem through praying the rosary with others during the weeks of Advent. Each rosary will last about 30 minutes, starting at 7pm. Register here.
The Archdiocese’s Annual Mass Attendance Census will be taken next weekend Sat., 5th Dec. and Sun., 6th Dec.
We received a large quantity of beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts both at the Cathedral and St. Andrew’s for distribution to for the children of prisoners in Edinburgh (Saughton) Prison. Thank you very much to everyone who donated gifts! Your continued kindness and generosity are very much appreciated!
Hills of the North Rejoice
Creator of the Stars of Night
Organ Voluntary: Jean Langlais Incantation pour un jour saint
This Christmas why not give the gift of Sacred Music? Our own wonderful Cathedral Choir will be selling their beautiful CD after all Masses this weekend. Inspired by 800 years of sacred music it is the perfect Christmas Gift. The CD costs a very reasonable £12.99 but as a special Black (Purple!) Sunday Offer we are selling 2 CD’s for only £20. All proceeds from the CD will go directly towards ensuring the future of our Cathedral music! Purchase at: https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/store/withangels
Knitted goods for Christmas made by our own wonderful parishioners Joanna Kopystynska and Anne MacAulay will be available for sale in the Octagon after Masses on Sunday morning. The knitted dolls by Joanna are also available at www.kathedralknits.etsy.com. Anne will have available hats, headbands, tea cozies, and babywear of various colours and sizes. All the profits from all sales are very generously donated by Joanna and Anne to the Cathedral. Please support the Cathedral by buying some of these beautiful Christmas gifts!
Join people across the Archdiocese on Zoom each week to learn about our Catholic faith and earn an Archdiocesan Diploma in Catechetics to prepare you to hand on our Catholic faith to others! The Archdiocese is offering a new one-year course via Zoom taught in weekly 45-minute lectures (Thursday evenings at 7:30pm) beginning January 14, 2021. Lectures will be given on the Role of the Laity in the Church, Sacraments, Scripture, Christology, Systematic Theology and Moral Theology. For more info email: sranna.marie@staned.org.uk Please take a brochure in the back of church with all the Course Module dates and details.
A new online course sponsored by Pilgrimage People will be held on Wednesdays in Advent, 3pm-4pm. The course will look at the history, architecture and art of churches in the Holy Land. All the talks will be recorded. Cost is £60 and all profits go to support Christians in the Holy Land. The course dates are 2nd December: The Basilica of the Annunciation; 9th December: The Church of the Visitation; 16th December: The Shepherds Fields; 23rd December: Church of the Nativity. To register, please email info@pilgrimagepeople.org or call 0800 612 3423.
Need a Day Out? Explore Scotland on our many great pilgrimage trails! Routes include Rosslyn Chapel Way; Saint Margaret’s Loop, St. Andrew’s Circuit and many more! To learn more, visit here..
Join people across the Archdiocese on Zoom each week to learn about our Catholic faith and earn an Archdiocesan Diploma in Catechetics to prepare you to hand on our Catholic faith to others! The Archdiocese is offering a new one-year course via Zoom taught in weekly 45-minute lectures (Thursday evenings at 7:30pm) beginning January 14, 2021. Lectures will be given on the Role of the Laity in the Church, Sacraments, Scripture, Christology, Systematic Theology and Moral Theology, find out more here. An online introductory session is planned on Zoom on Tuesday, 24th November at 7:30 p.m. for anyone who would like to learn more! This is a great opportunity to increase your knowledge of our Catholic Faith. For more info email: sranna.marie@staned.org.uk
Please take a brochure in the back of church with all the Course Module dates and details.
Learn more about how to deepen your prayer life, draw closer to God and ask questions during the Archdiocese’s exciting new Zoom catechesis led by Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM, a Religious Sister of Mercy who holds a licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. The 45-minute talk ‘Life of Faith: Where does Prayer fit in?’ will be held for the Edinburgh Deanery on Monday, 23rd November at 2pm and 7pm. To register please email SrAnna.Marie@staned.org.uk
During Advent Fr. Patrick will give four short talks on Prayer as a way of preparing for Christmas. The talks will be at 7:00pm every Monday in Advent on Zoom, beginning on the Solemnity of St. Andrew, Monday, 30th November. Please put the dates in your diaries and consider making these talks an Advent commitment for all the family.
His Grace the Archbishop will celebrate Mass in the Cathedral at 12:45pm to celebrate our National Patron, St. Andrew the Apostle. St. Andrew, pray for us!
To all who purchased our 2021 Cathedral Diaries—in just one week the entire stock of 250 diaries sold out! All proceeds go to support St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral. The next thing we will be “promoting” is our wonderful CD – another perfect Christmas present…!
Archbishop Leo will give a talk entitled ‘Unwrapping Christmas’ on Zoom on Sunday 29 November at 7pm. The event is open to all. Please register at bit.ly/UnwrappingAdvent
As we await Christ’s coming at Christmas, we can deepen our prayer life! Fr. Patrick will give four short talks about Prayer at 7:00pm every Monday in Advent on Zoom: Nov. 30th, Dec. 7th, Dec. 14th and Dec. 21st. If you would like to attend, please e-mail cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk or call the parish office.
As in previous years, during Advent we will have our special Candlelit Masses at both the Cathedral and at Ravelston. The Masses will be at 7pm on Wednesday in Ravelston and on Thursday at the Cathedral. Seats will be available for online reservation here beginning 8:00am on the Monday of each week. Or phone the Parish Office at 0131 556 1798. During the four weeks of Advent, we enter into this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, holding in our hands the candles which remind us of the coming of Christ, the Light of the World!
3pm; 4pm; 5pm; 6pm; 7pm;
8pm; 9pm (Polish); 10pm; 11pm; Midnight
8am; 9am; 10am (Polish);
11am; 12noon; 6pm (Polish);
5pm; 6pm; 7pm
Midnight (Extraordinary Form)
9am, 10am, 11am,
12noon (Extraordinary Form)
Seats will be available for reservation online beginning 8:00am on Monday, 14th December here or phone the Parish Office.
In order to keep the Cathedral open, it is a requirement that stewards are on duty throughout the day to ensure that visitors to the Cathedral are following the Government’s COVID-19 regulations relating to face coverings, hand sanitising, social distancing and cleaning of surfaces as required. The Cathedral is in need of more stewarding volunteers, not only for the Christmas Masses, but also to help cover the various shifts throughout the days and weeks going forward. If you would like to assist as a steward, please sign up on sheets with the volunteers at the back of the for you to leave your name and contact details and these will be passed to Elizabeth Andrews, the volunteer co-ordinator, who will contact you with further information. Alternatively, you can contact Elizabeth for the Cathedral Masses or sign-up to help with Masses at St Andrew’s, Ravelston, at the back of the church.
J.S. Bach 'Quia respexit' from Magnificat
Handel 'How beautiful are the feet' from Messiah
Organ voluntary: Paean - Kenneth Leighton
Knitted goods for Christmas made by our own wonderful parishioner Joanna Kopystynska will be available for sale in the Octagon after Masses on Sunday morning, before the 8am Mass until after 12noon Mass. They are also available at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KathedralKnits. All the profits from this sale are very generously donated by Joanna to the Cathedral. Please consider supporting Joanna and the Cathedral and buying a doll for a Christmas gift this year!
Aid to the Church in Need’s Red Wednesday Event will raise the profile of what is happening to Christians persecuted for their faith and all those persecuted for their beliefs around the world. The report ‘Set Your Captives Free’ will spotlight four high-profile cases of unfair imprisonment: Maira Shahbaz, Patriarch Abune Antonios, Leah Sharibu and Bishop James Su Zhumin. Visit here to view the event and click save my spot.
A new online course Wednesday in Advent, 3pm-4pm will look at the history, architecture and art of churches in the Holy Land. All the talks will be recorded. Cost: £60. All profits go to support Christians in the Holy Land. To register, please email info@pilgrimagepeople.org or call 0800 612 3423.
Take a “Day Out” on one of Scotland’s great pilgrimage trails, to Rosslyn Chapel a few miles south of Edinburgh or north along St Margaret’s Way to St Andrews. Find a variety of routes at http://www.thewayofstandrews.com/.
Join people across the Archdiocese on Zoom each week to learn about our Catholic faith and earn an Archdiocesan Diploma in Catechetics to prepare you to hand on our Catholic faith to others! The Archdiocese is offering a new one-year course via Zoom taught in weekly 45-minute lectures (Thursday evenings at 7:30pm) beginning January 14, 2021. Lectures will be given on the Role of the Laity in the Church, Sacraments, Scripture, Christology, Systematic Theology and Moral Theology, find out more here. An online introductory session is planned on Zoom on Tuesday, 24th November at 7:30 p.m. for anyone who would like to learn more! This is a great opportunity to increase your knowledge of our Catholic Faith. For more info email: sranna.marie@staned.org.uk
Please take a brochure in the back of church with all the Course Module dates and details.
Learn more about how to deepen your prayer life, draw closer to God and ask questions during the Archdiocese’s exciting new Zoom catechesis led by Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM, a Religious Sister of Mercy who holds a licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. The 45-minute talk ‘Life of Faith: Where does Prayer fit in?’ will be held for the Edinburgh Deanery on Monday, 23rd November at 2pm and 7pm. To register please email SrAnna.Marie@staned.org.uk
During Advent Fr. Patrick will give four short talks on Prayer as a way of preparing for Christmas. The talks will be at 7:00pm every Monday in Advent on Zoom, beginning on the Solemnity of St. Andrew, Monday, 30th November. Please put the dates in your diaries and consider making these talks an Advent commitment for all the family.
His Grace the Archbishop will celebrate Mass in the Cathedral at 12:45pm to celebrate our National Patron, St. Andrew the Apostle. St. Andrew, pray for us!
Join us for our Parish Bible Study on Zoom on Thursdays at 7:00pm, it’s a great way to come to know Jesus better through the Gospels, as we ask questions, share our reflections and pray together. If you would like to join, please email frjamie@stmaryscathedral.co.uk
When you sign up you will receive a short and accessible commentary for the coming Sunday’s Gospel in preparation for our meeting. We look forward to seeing you!
To the small group of benefactors who donated the two exquisite new carpets for the sanctuary of the Cathedral, many thanks to those who donated them and many thanks to all of you for your generous support of our beautiful Cathedral.
Due to the Government’s restrictions no more than 50 people may attend any one Mass and we need to keep a record of contact details of all who attend. Please reserve a seat for either the Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass in the Cathedral or Ravelston:
Simply choose the Mass you would like to attend and reserve seats Monday, 8am – Saturday, 5pm. If you have any problems, or do not have access to the internet, please phone the Parish Office at 0131 556 1798 and we will be happy to help you. Please note: after 3pm on Friday, the parish office is not able to make any changes to Mass reservations for the weekend.
O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (Messiah) - Handel
Just as I am, without one plea - Brown
Organ voluntary: Toccata – Dubois
We are collecting Christmas gifts for children of prisoners in Edinburgh Prison. We ask that the gifts are new, wrapped in Christmas Gift wrap, and with a label attached stating whether the gift is suitable for a boy or a girl and the age of the child. Gifts for older children from 11 years onwards would be most appreciated. There will be a collection box in the back of the church both next weekend and 21st-22nd November.
Our wonderful parishioner Joanna Kopystynska has been busy knitting all sorts of original knitted goods for Christmas. Unfortunately, this year, she is not really able to sell them in the Octagon and so she has gone online. All her wonderful knitted works are now on sale at her website.
As ever all the profits from this sale are very generously donated by Joanna to the Cathedral. Please consider supporting Joanna and the Cathedral by visiting her website and buying a doll for a Christmas gift this year!
In January 2021, Catechism classes will begin for those children (P4 and above) who have registered for First Holy Communion in 2021, and those children (P7 and above) who have registered for Confirmation in 2021. It’s not too late to register! Please contact the parish office to register.
The Religious Sisters of Mercy have begun praying their Friday morning prayer in the church at St Andrews and invite you to join them. They begin with the Liturgy of the Hours at 5:45 am. An hour for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins around 6:30 am. Stop in for five minutes, or for longer. For details, contact Sr Miriam Fidelis, RSM at the Cathedral office.
Please be generous, in these few remaining weeks, before our Parish Project collection is transferred in December to the Rosmini Seminary in Bangalore, where Fr Binu is the Superior. You may make electronic transfers to the St Andrews account with a payment reference of 'Parish Project' or contact Caroline via finance@stmaryscathedral.co.uk
Dr. Rebekah Lamb will present “Therese of Lisieux: A Doctor of the Church for Our Times” in this year’s Cardinal Winning Lecture via Zoom on Saturday, 28th November, 11am-12:15pm. Dr. Lamb is a Lecturer in Theology and the Arts in the School of Divinity at University of St. Andrew’s. The Cardinal Winning Lecture is presented by the Saint Andrew’s Foundation for Catholic Teacher Education, University of Glasgow.
There will be a second collection in aid of Catholic Education Scotland. Please be generous in support of our Catholic schools!
From the comfort of your couch, join people across the Archdiocese on Zoom each week to learn about our Catholic faith and earn an Archdiocesan Diploma in Catechetics to prepare you to hand on our Catholic faith to others! The Archdiocese is offering a new one-year course via Zoom taught in weekly 45-minute lectures (Thursday evenings at 7:30pm) beginning January 2021.
Lectures will be given by a variety of religious and diocesan priests, lay people and religious sisters. The Diploma in Catechetics is especially for anyone involved in the catechetical work of the Church (children’s liturgists, RCIA team members, teachers, youth group leaders etc.), but is open to anyone who wants to learn more about our faith! Find out more here
This year we have solved all your Christmas present problems. The Parish Council have produced a gorgeous Cathedral Desk Diary for 2021. The Diary is beautifully produced with prints and meditations for throughout the year. Attractively priced at only £10 per copy it is the perfect gift for Christmas. By giving this lovely gift you will not only bring joy to your relatives and friends but will also be supporting the Cathedral. On sale at the end of Mass and on-line through the Cathedral website – please have a look and get your copies while stocks last!
Many of you have already joined our new Parish Bible Study on Zoom on Thursdays at 7:00pm, but there is still room for more! If you would like to join, please email frjamie@stmaryscathedral.co.uk. This is a great way to come to know Jesus better through the Gospels, as we ask questions, share our reflections and pray together, so why not give it a try? When you sign up to join you will receive a short and accessible commentary for the coming Sunday’s Gospel in preparation for our meeting. Do join us!
Advance notice that during Advent Fr. Patrick will give four short talks on Prayer as a way of preparing for Christmas. The talks will be at 7pm every Monday in Advent on zoom. Please put the dates in your diaries and think about making this an Advent commitment for all the family.
To all 87 of you who managed to attend our online meeting last Monday. It was wonderful to see so many of you at the meeting and it was a great parish experience. Special thanks go to Darlene for managing us so perfectly technologically. The feedback from our discussions will be processed and published as soon as we can do it.
Due to the Government’s restrictions no more than 50 people may attend any one Mass and we need to keep a record of contact details of all who attend. Please reserve a seat for either the Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass in the Cathedral or Ravelston. Simply choose the Mass you would like to attend and reserve seats Monday, 8am – Saturday, 5pm.
If you have any problems, or do not have access to the internet, please phone the Parish Office at 0131 556 1798 and we will be happy to help you. Please note: After 3pm on Friday, the parish office is not able to make any changes to Mass reservations for the weekend.
Beginning next weekend, Nov. 14-15, we will be collecting Christmas gifts for children of prisoners in Edinburgh Prison. We ask that the gifts are new, wrapped in Christmas Gift wrap, and with a label attached stating whether the gift is suitable for a boy or a girl and the age of the child. Gifts for older children from 11 years onwards would be most appreciated. There will be a collection box in the back of the church both next weekend and 21st-22nd November.
Let all mortal flesh keep silence
Noctis recolitur cena novisima (Remember we the last supper)
Organ voluntary: Allegro maestoso (from Sonata 3) - Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
There have been essential changes made to the lighting of footpaths around the Church and House for the health and safety of all on site, especially with our beautiful evening Masses. Quotes are now being gathered for the most urgent items on the Property Health check –
• Replacement of the inefficient 30+ year old gas boiler in the House
• Permanent fix to the regular leaks in the roof of the rear extension in the House
• Unblocking the neglected drains and downpipes around the church
• Addressing the area of aged roof tiles over the sacristy
The Religious Sisters of Mercy have begun praying their Friday morning prayer in the church at St Andrews and invite you to join them. They begin with the Liturgy of the Hours at 5:45 am. An hour for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins around 6:30 am. Stop in for five minutes, or for longer. For details, contact Sr Miriam Fidelis, RSM at the Cathedral office.
In December, all Parish Project monies will be transferred to the Rosmini Seminary in Bangalore, where Fr Binu is the Superior. In these few remaining weeks, please be generous! You may make electronic transfers to the St Andrews account with a payment reference of 'Parish Project' or contact Caroline via finance@stmaryscathedral.co.uk
The Thomistic Institute at the University of Edinburgh will present an online lecture by Prof. Lewis Ayres of Durham University titled "Reading Scripture with Benedict and Francis: An Adventure with Two Popes." The lecture begins on Zoom at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, November 10th. Register online at https://thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events
In ‘Ask Me Anything’ shows, young people from eight different faiths answer questions about their faith sent in from across Scotland. The shows will be premiered during Scottish Interfaith Week. The shows will be available to view from 9am on each of the days below and will remain on the channel to watch any time:
9th November - Jewish and Sikh, 10th November - Buddhist and Hindu, 11th November - Baha'i and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 12th November – Muslim, 13th November - Catholic and Protestant
St. Mary’s Monastery, Kinnoull is open for retreat bookings! Visit https://www.kinnoullmonastery.co.uk/ for a full listing of upcoming retreats or call 01738 624075 for more information.
You will be aware by now that the present restrictions imposed upon us because of the Covid pandemic are, in all likelihood, going to be in force for a long time to come. Faced with this situation – I think we need to begin to think deeply about what God is saying to us at this time and what he is asking us to do in response to the crisis?
To that end – I would like to invite you all to an on-line parish meeting on the evening of 2nd November. With the help of Zoom we are able to meet in fairly large numbers online and so I would ask you to think about participating in this meeting. All you need is a computer and the internet and we will do the rest!! If you would like to participate. Thank you for your interest, the meeting is now full!
November is traditionally known as the month of the Holy Souls, in which we pray in a special way for our deceased loved ones. Together with your newsletter, you will have received a 'November List' on which you can make a note of all those people you wish to pray for. These lists will be placed before the altar and remembered at every Mass during this month ahead. Please fill in the form, the name will be printed out by the Parish Office and placed on the altar. You can also download the form and hand it in at the back of the church at Sunday Mass or post it through the letterbox at Cathedral House.
Our new Parish Bible Study meets online every Thursday evening at 7:30pm. Email frjamie@stmaryscathedral.co.uk to sign up. You will receive a short and accessible commentary for the coming Sunday’s Gospel in preparation for the Bible study. At the meetings, we ask questions, share our reflections and pray together. Do join us!
Due to the Government’s restrictions no more than 50 people may attend any one Mass and we need to keep a record of contact details of all who attend. We are delighted to report an increasing demand for all Sunday Masses at St Andrews. Therefore, it is increasingly important that everyone uses the booking process to reserve a seat for any of these masses. We wish to avoid having people who have not booked queueing outside in wintry weather or indeed being redirected to a bigger church. Thank you for your understanding. Simply choose the Mass you would like to attend and reserve seats Monday, 8am – Saturday, 5pm. If you have any problems, or do not have access to the internet, please phone the Parish Office at 0131 556 1798 and we will be happy to help you.
The Scottish Government is holding a consultation on whether to continue the practice of sending dangerous abortion pills to women to undergo abortions at home. We need as many pro-life people as possible to complete the Scottish Government’s questionnaire in order to stop dangerous DIY abortions becoming permanent. SPUC has prepared a briefing which gives a step by step guide to completing the questionnaire. Please go to www.spuc.org.uk/Scottish-Consultation.
Learn more about how to deepen your prayer life, draw closer to God and ask questions during the Archdiocese’s exciting new Zoom catechesis events led by Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM, a Religious Sister of Mercy who holds a licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. The 45-minute talk ‘Life of Faith: Where does Prayer fit in?’ will be held for the Edinburgh deanery on Monday, 23rd November at 2pm and 7pm. Registration details will be published on the parish website in the coming weeks. Do join us for this event!
Join with other Catholics across our archdiocese to pray the Rosary for faith, life and peace during the National Rosary Rally. The Religious Sisters of Mercy will lead us in the Joyful Mysteries from St Margaret's Chapel at the Gillis Centre at 1pm on Saturday, 31st October: https://archedinburgh.org/join-us-for-the-national-rosary-rally/. More information is available at www.rosaryonthecoast.co.uk.
We will be collecting Christmas gifts for children of prisoners in Edinburgh Prison. We ask that the gifts are new, wrapped in Christmas Gift wrap, and with a label attached stating whether the gift is suitable for a boy or a girl and the age of the child. Gifts for older children from 11 years onwards would be most appreciated. There will be a collection box in the back of the church over the weekends of 14th/15th and 21st/22nd November.
Please consider volunteering as a pass keeper to help the Cathedral comply with all COVID-19 regulations. We are still in need of volunteers. This is an essential capacity, so if you are able to help, please contact Elizabeth Andrews. Many people have been so grateful to be able to pray in our Cathedral during the day—thank you to all passkeepers who help to make this possible!
Most of the installation is now complete. A major improvement as we approach wintry weather!
Having done so much to improve the fabric of Cathedral House in recent years, we were shocked to find that the roof of the house has never actually been insulated. Andy, our ever-resourceful Complex manager, has therefore been installing insulation this week. By doing this, we will, as you know, both reduce heating costs but also eliminate unnecessary waste.
As you may remember, the Rosmini Seminary in Bangalore (where Fr Binu is the Superior) was voted-in as our Parish Project. Following Fr Binu's recent Mass in St Andrews, we have a great opportunity to donate to the Parish Project over the month of November and top-up the existing donations. All parish project monies will be transferred to the Seminary in December. Please make any electronic transfers to St Andrews account with a payment reference of 'Parish Project' or contact Caroline via finance@stmaryscathedral.co.uk or via the Parish Office. Many thanks!
Welcome back to all children to Catechism Classes this weekend following the mid-term holidays! It’s still not too late to register to take part. These classes are at 10am each Sunday of term for children in Primary 3 (or those who have not yet made their First Confession). In January 2021, classes will begin for those children (P4 and above) who have registered for First Holy Communion in 2021, and those children (P7 and above) who have registered for Confirmation in 2021. More details will be provided nearer the time.
Please help support the revival of the ancient Scottish Pilgrimage to St Andrews. Great scenery from coastal to moorland, with opportunity for reflections. Start off with a mini-pilgrimage to Rosslyn Chapel 13 km south of Edinburgh or pick up the St Margaret’s Way Challenge, all the way in easy stages from here in Edinburgh to St Andrews and the great ruined cathedral, built in the honour of Scotland’s patron saint overlooking the North Sea. All details and contact information on http://www.thewayofstandrews.com/
To try to discern how God might be calling us as a parish to respond to this changing situation of the pandemic, the Parish Council has decided to call a parish meeting to discuss a way forward. This will take place online on Monday 2nd of November at 7-9pm. This is an important moment in the life of our parish, so please make every effort to participate. Thank you for your interest, the meeting is now full!
Our new Parish Bible Study meets online every Thursday evening at 7:30pm. Email frjamie@stmaryscathedral.co.uk to sign up. You will receive a short and accessible commentary for the coming Sunday’s Gospel in preparation for the Bible study. At the meetings, we ask questions, share our reflections and pray together. Do join us!
Speaking of Bible studies… on the first Sunday of Advent, we will start reading the Gospel of Mark at Sunday Mass. To prepare for this, the Archdiocesan Catechetics has organised a talk by Scripture expert Fr Andrew Garden titled ‘Getting to Know St Mark’ at 7pm on Monday, 19th October. For the link Zoom link to attend, visit here.
The Archdiocese is also running an exciting new Zoom series of catechesis events for adults, led by Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM: ‘Life of Faith: Where does Prayer fit in?’ The 45-minute talk will give you tips on improving your prayer life to help you draw closer to God, and will be followed by a Q&A. Sister Anna Marie will host a session for parishioners in each deanery. The date for Edinburgh is Monday, 23rd November at 2pm and 7pm. Registration details will be published on the parish website in the coming weeks. Sister Anna Marie is a much sought-after speaker and we’re very lucky to have her in the Archdiocese!
Our own Fr John Peter is the designated chaplain for the Western General Hospital. If you know of anyone who has been admitted to hospital, please call the parish office to request a visit or inform the on-duty nurse. The priests in the parish are more than happy to provide the sacraments to anyone in need of spiritual care – please don’t hesitate to inform us!
The Bishops in Scotland want to hear from you if you wish to propose any changes to ‘In God’s Image’, the safeguarding policy manual for the Catholic Church in Scotland. To offer comments and suggestions, please visit www.bcos.org.uk/InGodsImageV2.
This national event for praying the rosary takes place in our diocese at 1pm on Saturday, 31st October. Pray the Rosary online with others on the Archdiocese’s Facebook, YouTube or website: www.archedinburgh.org/news-events.
The Pope’s new encyclical is available to read online now. ‘Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship’ can be found in the encyclicals section of the Vatican’s website: www.vatican.va
Available now for purchase is With Angels and Archangels, the Cathedral Choir’s first CD. You can have a look at the beautiful CD and purchase it online. All proceeds from the sale of the CD will go directly towards ensuring the future of our cathedral music. Thank you for your support of music at St Mary’s through your purchase of the CD and listen to samples until your own copy arrives in the post!
We will be collecting Christmas gifts for children of prisoners in Edinburgh Prison. We ask that the gifts are new, wrapped in Christmas Gift wrap, and with a label attached stating whether the gift is suitable for a boy or a girl and the age of the child. Gifts for older children from 11 years onwards would be most appreciated. There will be a collection box in the back of the church over the weekends of 14th/15th and 21st/22nd November.
We are always here to help, supporting individuals and families in need of assistance. If you become aware of ways in which our support would be welcome or needed, please contact the Parish Office. Whilst the presence of our SSVP Conference has not been as visible as usual during these COVID restricted times, we have been able to continue our work through telephone calls and virtual meetings. We remain committed to responding to requests for assistance and/or to give support wherever and to whomever we can. Thank you to all who have made donations to the Conference in recent months.
Confessions are available at the Cathedral Monday – Friday following the 12.45pm Mass and on Saturdays from 10.30am – 12noon and 5pm – 5.45pm. If you do not know where the sacristy is, our volunteers in the back of the Cathedral will be happy to show you. For the sake of providing better ventilation, we are not using the confessionals. Rather, the priests are hearing confessions in the sacristy, but still with a screen to provide anonymity.
Please consider volunteering as a passkeeper to help the Cathedral comply with all COVID-19 regulations. We are still in need of volunteers. This is an essential capacity, so if you are able to help, please contact Elizabeth Andrews at Elizabeth@rhandrews.plus.com or on 0131 553 1510. Many people have been so grateful to be able to pray in our Cathedral during the day—thank you to all passkeepers who help to make this possible!
Fr Binu, who lived in the Cathedral parish while studying for a Masters at the University of Edinburgh, will return to Ravelston on Friday, 23rd October to celebrate Mass in thanksgiving for the generous support given to the seminary where he now works by the parish project fund. If you'd like to say hello to him, do come along to Mass at 6pm!
Well done to all the children who participated in the first Catechism class of the new term and the Rite of Enrolment last week. The class takes a holiday this weekend and will resume again next Sunday. It’s still not to late to register to take part. These classes are for children in Primary 3 (or those who have not yet made their First Confession) and take place at 10am each Sunday of term. In January 2021, classes will begin for those children (P4 and above) who have registered for First Holy Communion in 2021, and those children (P7 and above) who have registered for Confirmation in 2021. More details will be provided nearer the time.
Need to ‘Get Out’? Take a “Day Out” on one of Scotland’s great pilgrimage trails, to Rosslyn Chapel a few miles south of Edinburgh or north along St Margaret’s Way to St Andrews. Check the “Little Camino” on this website.
Since 2007, 40 Days for Life has been organising pro-life outreach that is prayerful and supportive of future moms. 40 Days for Life is an inter-denominational, faith-based effort made up of three key components: 1) prayer and fasting—inviting people of faith to join together for 40 days of fervent prayer and fasting for an end to abortion; 2) a 40-day peaceful prayer vigil outside Chalmers Sexual Health Centre; and 3) community outreach: taking a positive, upbeat pro-life message to as many as possible. To learn more about 40 Days for Life or to register for events, visit this website.
In order to try to discern how we, as a parish community, should respond to the Covid crisis and how we try to listen to the God in this situation, we have decided to hold a parish meeting on the evening of Monday 2 November, 7-9pm. The meeting will be held on Zoom (which is not ideal) but it will be very well moderated and we will have break out rooms for small group discussions. There will be more details about the meeting next week but I just want you put the date in your diaries and encourage you to participate in this initiative.
If you would like to know more about the idea behind the meeting watch the video in this post and register with the form below or send us an email. Please mark the date and please make every effort to participate.
His Grace the Archbishop has published a Pastoral Letter about the Pandemic. The letter is available here.
The Cathedral is hosting a Zoom meeting with speakers from SCIAF to find out more about the impact of the current pandemic on the poorest societies and links between poverty and climate change. We’ll be joined by Alistair Dutton CEO, Blessings Kachale, Programme Officer, and Thomas Mulvey, Community Engagement Officer, to explore these questions and much more. If you’d like to join us, please email the Cathedral Office to register.
Fr. Jamie’s Bible Study continues on Thursday evenings. Email frjamie@stmaryscathedral.co.uk to sign up. You will receive a short and accessible commentary for the coming Sunday’s Gospel in preparation for the Bible study. At the meetings, we ask questions, share our reflections and pray together. Come and join us as we build community and seek to nourish our friendship with God.
“Aid to the Church in Need” will host a live-stream Mass on Tuesday 13th October at 7pm at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Glasgow, to pray for persecuted Christians. The Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Philip Tartaglia and Bishop John Keenan. For further information please see https://acnuk.org/events/
Available now for purchase is With Angels and Archangels, the Cathedral Choir’s first CD. You can have a look at the beautiful CD and buy one after the 9am and 12pm Masses at the Cathedra this weekend. You can also purchase it online. All proceeds from the sale of the CD will go directly towards ensuring the future of our cathedral music. Thank you for your support of music at St Mary’s through your purchase of the CD!
While the presence of our SSVP Conference has not been as visible as usual during these COVID restricted times, we have been able to continue our work through telephone calls and virtual meetings. Please know we are always here to help, supporting individuals and families. If you become aware of ways in which our support would be welcome or needed, please contact the Parish Office . While we have had to suspend our communal activities and home visits, we remain committed to responding to requests for assistance and/or to give support wherever and to whomever we can. A grateful and heartfelt thank you to all who have made donations to the Conference in recent months.
Confessions are available at the Cathedral Monday – Friday following the 12.45pm Mass and on Saturdays from 10.30am – 12noon and 5pm – 5.45pm. For the sake of providing better ventilation, we are not using the confessionals. Rather, the priests are hearing confessions in the sacristy, but still with a screen to provide anonymity. If you do not know where the sacristy is, our volunteers in the back of the Cathedral will be happy to show you. Also, if you need help remembering how to go to Confession, no worries—the priest will be happy to walk you through it. Do take advantage of this great Sacrament of healing!
We are still looking for generous volunteers who can act as passkeepers to help the Cathedral comply with all COVID-19 regulations. This is an essential capacity, so if you are able to help, please contact Elizabeth Andrews, who coordinates the volunteers. Thank you, one and all, for your help—many people have been so grateful to be able to pray in our Cathedral during the day!
Warm congratulations to all of the children who celebrated their First Holy Communion in our churches on Saturday! We now welcome to catechism class those children (P3 and above) who do not attend a Catholic school and have been registered for their First Confession / Reconciliation in 2021. The class meets at 10am in the Parish Rooms at St Andrew's, Ravelston. For those children (P4 and above) who have registered for First Holy Communion in 2021, and those children (P7 and above) who have registered for Confirmation in 2021 - please note that these classes are scheduled to begin in January 2021. More details will be provided nearer the time. Thank you for your patience.
October is the month of the Holy Rosary. To mark this special month, the Archdiocesan pro-life office have produced a series of prayer intentions to pray for this intention. Pray the rosary here.
Need to ‘Get Out’? Take a “Day Out” on one of Scotland’s great pilgrimage trails, to Rosslyn Chapel a few miles south of Edinburgh or north along St Margaret’s Way to St Andrews. Check the “Little Camino” on http://www.thewayofstandrews.com/.
Since 2007, 40 Days for Life has been organising pro-life outreach that is prayerful and supportive of future moms. 40 Days for Life is an inter-denominational, faith-based effort made up of three key components: 1) prayer and fasting—inviting people of faith to join together for 40 days of fervent prayer and fasting for an end to abortion; 2) a 40-day peaceful prayer vigil outside Chalmers Sexual Health Centre; and 3) community outreach: taking a positive, upbeat pro-life message to as many as possible. To learn more about 40 Days for Life or to register for events, visit www.40daysforlife.com.
The Lauriston Jesuit Centre will offer conferences in October on the “Four Last Things.” Sign up is available through Zoom.
St Andrew's and St George's West is hosting ‘Stories from Scotland and Beyond’ – a panel discussion of speakers sharing their experiences and stories with opportunities to ask questions. This will take place on 15th October.
