Parish News

Bulletin: Notices and names for the bulletin should be submitted no later than Thursday each week. Parishioners in Bishopton can continue to pop names and offerings through the letterbox at the Chapel House, or they can give them to Fr Joe or Fr Ryan after Masses.

Contact: Should anyone from either parish wish to speak to a priest, please contact Cathedral House (details above).

Christmas Masses: Fr Joe and Fr Ryan have taken the decision to plan for Christmas in three locations: St Mirin’s Cathedral, St James’s church and Our Lady of Lourdes church. This means that we must make some changes to the planned Mass times: Christmas Vigil Masses will be celebrated at 5.30pm (St Mirin’s) and 9pm (OLOL); an 11.30pm Carol Service will precede Mass at 12 midnight (St Mirin’s); Masses on Christmas Morning will be celebrated at 9am (OLOL), 9.30am (St James’s) and 11am (St Mirin’s) and 11am (OLOL).

Y2L Advent Raffle: Our young people in OLOL are starting off their fundraising for Lourdes with a raffle. Tickets will be £1 and will be on sale after each Sunday Mass in Bishopton. Raffle prizes include an overnight at Hampton by Hilton, champagnes, sweets and much, much more! The raffle will be drawn on Sun 22^nd Dec. Thanks for your support.

Christmas Crafts: The cathedral Craft Group will sell some Christmas crafts at the Coffee Morning after 11am Mass today, Sun 8^th Dec.

Bambinelli Sunday: NEXT WEEK.Next Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, bring your Baby Jesus figures from your home Nativity scene to 9am, 9.30am or 11am Mass so that they can be blessed. During the season of Advent, we slowly set up our Nativity sets at home, leaving the Christ Child absent until Christmas Eve. This tradition owes its origin to St Francis of Assisi, who made the Christmas Creche for Christ on Christmas Eve in 1223 using live animals!

Kids’ Christmas Party: NEXT WEEK. The St Mirin’s Parish Council is excited to celebrate the joy of Christmas with all the children in our community! To help us to get into the Christmas spirit, children are invited to an afternoon filled with fun, games, and festive cheer on Sun 15^th Dec (12.15pm – 2.15pm). Entry is FREE but there are only 60 tickets, so book quickly! Children must be accompanied by an adult. For tickets or more information, please contact Grace: 07711266486.

Giving Tree: ENDS NEXT WEEK. The annual Advent Giving Tree has been set up in St James’s church. Please take a tag from the tree and buy an age-appropriate gift corresponding to your tag. Because the school holidays begin on Fri 20^th Dec this year, we are asking parishioners to bring gifts back to church next Sunday, 15^th Dec.

Immaculate Conception: As 8^th December is a Sunday in Advent this year, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception has been transferred to Mon 9^th Dec. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Confessions: There will be no Confessions on Wednesday evening or Saturday morning in the cathedral this week as all-day Confessions take place on Thu 12^th Dec.

Longing for Light: WEDNESDAY THIS WEEK. Journeying through Advent with the Scriptures. You are invited to some/all of four talks on the scriptures of Advent with Fr Ryan Black, in the Diocesan Office from 7pm. Wed 11^th Dec; Tue 17^th Dec.

Funeral: A Requiem Mass will be celebrated in Our Lady of Lourdes church at 10am on Thu 12^th Dec for the happy repose of the soul of Bernadette Barrett, whose remains will be received into the church at 5.30pm on Thu 5^th Dec. Requiescat in pace.

All-Day Confessions: Come Home for Christmas! On Thu 12^th Dec, priests will be available to hear Confessions from 8.30am (after 8am Mass) until 7.30pm in St Mirin’s Cathedral. There will be 30-minute breaks while Masses are celebrated at 10am and 1pm.

Trinity HS: Trinity HS is hosting its annual Christmas Concert at 7pm on Thu 12^th Dec. Tickets are on sale for the evening via the school office. They are also offering a FREE matinee at 2pm on Thu 12^th Dec for parishioners and members of the local community. There will be refreshments, cakes and sandwiches available at the matinee. If you wish to come to the matinee, please confirm numbers with our school office via 0300 300 1444 or email: trinityhighenquiries@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

School Advent Confessions: Fr Joe and Fr Ryan will hear Confessions in P7 at St John Ogilvie PS this week.

Latin Mass Parts: During Advent, the cathedral choir have opted to use the Latin plainchant Mass parts. While most are familiar with these, the choir feels it would be helpful to include the words of the Mystery of Faith: Mortem tuam annuntiamus, Domine, et tuam resurrectionem confitemur, donec venias.

Cathedral 40 Hours: Thanks to everyone who made it possible for us to celebrate our 40 Hours devotion in the cathedral last week: sacristans, florist, adorers and visiting clergy. May God bless your generosity of spirit!

Prayer Requests: Please pray for those who have died recently, including: Bernadette Barrett, Allan Elliott, Maureen Donaghy, Kevin Fadian, Pat Layden, Anne Welsh, Jimmy Kaney, Janett Verrecchia, Maria Noga, Maureen Bonnar, Mary McGlynn, Patricia Hughes, Kevin Patrick Judge and Thomas Darroch; and for those whose anniversaries occur around this time, including: Agnes Berrie, Fred Bowditch, Leontina Castelvecchi, Gino Pieraccini, John McGarrigle, John Moore, Flora Henderson, James Bradley, Michael McLaughlin, Margaret O’Brien and Canon Thomas Nolan. Please pray also for the sick, especially those in our parish.

Sick List: Given the complications associated with Data Protection regulations—and the length of sick lists in both parishes—we do not publish the names of the sick in the bulletin. The practice in Our Lady of Lourdes of presenting the Sick List during the Offertory Procession will continue. Please keep all sick and housebound parishioners in your prayers.

Baptisms: This week, we pray for Isla McDonald-Sherwin and Hallie O’Brien who will be baptised in the cathedral.

Wedding: Please pray for Dale and Lyndsay, who will be married in the cathedral this week.

St Mirin’s Quiz Night: The next Quiz Night will take place on Fri 20^th Dec in the hall from 7pm and will be finished for 10pm. Christmas jumpers optional! Entry costs £2 per adult and £1 per child. Bring your own drinks and snacks. A maximum of 8 per team. Raffle prizes will be gratefully received. All are welcome.

SMFC Boxing Day: We have 2 tickets for sale for the St Mirren – Rangers fixture on Boxing Day (5.45pm kick-off). Reduced price of £20 for adults and £10 for children. Contact Fr Joe or Fr Ryan to book.

Carols in the Cathedral: Join Bishop John Keenan and the Diocesan Choir for the annual Carol Service in St Mirin’s Cathedral on Fri 27^th December at 2pm. Refreshments in the hall afterwards. All welcome!

Rotas: It has been almost two years since we populated our rotas for Readers and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist in St Mirin’s parish. Many people have moved away or stepped down since then, so we are appealing for volunteers. We are especially in need of Readers for the Saturday Vigil Mass, and of Readers and EMEs for all weekday Masses. Please consider volunteering; speak to Fr Joe or Fr Ryan, or email margaret.mills@ntlworld.com.

House Blessings and Prayers: Can you host an icon of the Holy Family for one week and pray for the parish and other intentions? You might consider inviting friends, neighbours or fellow parishioners to join you at some point in the week. You can also have Fr Joe or Fr Ryan visit to pray the Rosary and bless your home. Sign up in the sacristy or email stmirinscathedral@rcdop.org.uk.

Diocesan and Other News

Podcast: Special Episode! Listen to our latest episode. Sancta Familia Media looks back at the Papal Nuncio’s visit to the diocese. You can listen to all episodes at www.rcdop.org.uk/podcast and on all major streaming platforms. Don’t forget to subscribe/follow and review!

Lourdes Hospitalité: Booking is now open for the diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes (28^th June – 3^rd July 2025). Book via the Tangney Tours website; booking forms will be available soon. If you have a life-limiting, chronic medical condition or are taking regular medication, you should register with the medical/nursing team. If you wish to come to Lourdes as part of the medical/nursing or helper team, please attend a meeting on 7^th Jan at 7pm in St Ninian’s church, Gourock. If you would like to come to Lourdes as a registered sick pilgrim, please come to a meeting on 26^th Jan at 2pm in St Ninian’s church, Gourock. Call Anne Louise on 01475 638132 for more info.

FireCloud: FireCloud warmly invites you to join them for the following events: ADVENTure (Advent Evenings of Prayer, Music and Reconciliation): Mon 9^th Dec, 7-8pm, St Margaret’s church, Clydebank; and FireCloud Nativity 2024: Sun 15^th Dec, 7pm (doors open 6.30pm),  St Margaret’s church, Clydebank; then on Tue 17^th Dec, 7.30pm (doors open 7pm),  St Flannan’s church, Kirkintilloch. Come and see the Christmas story brought to life in music and drama. Suggested donation at the door is £4 (£10 per family) or whatever you can afford. Mulled wine and mince pies in the hall afterwards.

Newsletter: The latest edition of the “Catholic Families for Life” newsletter from the National Commission for Marriage, Family and Life can be found at www.marriagefamilyandlife.org.uk.

Christmas Cracker Concert: Our local NHS choir will perform their Christmas Cracker Concert at St Bernadette’s (Erskine) on Sat 14^th Dec. Doors open at 7pm and singing starts at 7:30pm. Teas/coffees will be provided at the intermission. Admission is £5 per person and all proceeds will go to Abbeycare, an addiction rehabilitation clinic in Erskine. Book tickets by emailing martinbonnar99@gmail.com or you can pay at the door.

Safeguarding Thought for the Month: Dec 2024. The Church seeks to restore the fabric of broken lives and heal the pain of survivors.

Vocation: Could God be calling you to be a priest to help today’s world to truly “prepare the way of the Lord”? If you think God is calling you to be a priest, contact Fr John Morrison: 01418892026; vocations@rcdop.org.uk.