Second Sunday in Advent Year C 8th December 2024

St John the Evangelist Parish Aurs Rd., Barrhead G78 2RW
Second Sunday of Advent Year C 8th December 2024


Rev Monsignor John Canon Tormey: Parish Priest Rev Joseph J McGill: Assistant Priest Email: [email protected] Tel- 0141 881 0769 Website: www.stjohns-barrhead.org
Mary Hallan: Safeguarding Co-Ordinator: [email protected]

LAST WEEK’S COLLECTIONS First Collection GA: £623.00 NGA £926.05 Building Fund: GA 608.50 NGA £462.39 Monthly Standing Orders: £4,271.50

Response to the Psalm at Mass today: “What great deeds the Lord worked for us! Indeed, we were glad”

Please join us on Friday, 13th December for the Festive Quiz in the church hall at 6.45pm. Wear your Christmas jumper, brings some drinks and snacks (and a donation for the raffle) for a fun filled evening of seasonal themed questions and music. £2 per adult and £1 per child, everybody welcome!

Festive coffee morning in the church hall on Sunday 22nd December after 10am mass. The parents of St Mark's primary and the parish would love you to join us for this coffee morning. There will be live music, home baking, a wonderful raffle with some great prizes, craft activities for kids and even maybe a very special visitor. Home baking donations/raffle prizes would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks

Presentation for Fr Joe Balmer 16 January at 7pm Mass, followed by reception in Parish Hall. Collection will be made in January for Fr Joe’s presentation.

The next children’s Rosary is Friday 13 December at 6 pm in the church. The children will gather at Our Lady’s altar for the rosary. Afterwards everyone is invited to the hall for hot chocolate and marshmallows. All welcome.

Catholic Mothers 2025 Planners. For anyone looking for a practical and soulful Christmas gift, we are selling the Catholic Mothers planners 2025. Have a look at the link below to see just how much this planner offers. Everything from cooking recipes to daily reflections, arts and crafts ideas to keeping track of every day life! https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/68762073/catholic-mothers-planner-2025 You can get a copy by contacting Rachel Callaghan on 07508835310 or [email protected] PRICE: £25.99 (60% of money goes back into sustaining Catholic Mothers Association 40% split to our local group in Barrhead and St Johns parish)

“Catholic Families for Life” Newsletter from the National Commission for Marriage, Family and Life - latest version can be found at www.marriagefamilyandlife.org.uk

Church Cleaning. Can you please spare an hour on a Thursday after 10am Mass to help clean our church. Thanks very much. Fr John

St John’s, Barrhead Finance Parishioners wishing to set up standing orders to complete a standing order form and gift aid declaration, if applicable and return them to the parish priest. These forms can be obtained from the parish website. Alternatively, you can set up regular faster payment to the parish via your online banking system. Parish bank details as follows: St Johns Church Sort Code 80-05-54 Account No 00761597 Thank you. Jackie Brett. Diocesan Finance.

We pray for those who have died recently and for those whose anniversaries occur at this time: Michael McGuire, William Ellis, Gerard Ellis, Gerald Conafray, George Docherty.
St Luke’s High School First Friday Prayer Group. We will ask our young people to add your intentions to their oratory prayer book. please scan the QR code below.. You can add names at this website: https://forms.office.com/e/LZiW6ZAtiU

Longing for Light: 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. Tue 26th Nov; Wed 4th Dec; Wed 11th Dec; Tue 17th Dec.
Advent Giving Appeal 2024 – Supporting Families in Need: Envelopes containing vouchers, with their amount marked on the front, can be handed in to the sacristy or parish house. Thank you.

Lourdes Hospitalité: Booking is now open for the Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes, 28th June-3rd July 2025. Booking is currently via the Tangney Tours website, booking forms will be available soon. If you have a life limiting, chronic medical condition or a 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 the meeting on 7th January at 7pm in St Ninian’s, Gourock. If you would like to come to Lourdes as a registered sick pilgrim please come to the meeting on 26th January at 2pm in St Ninian’s ,Gourock. If you have any questions ,please contact Anne Louise pilgrimage co-ordinator on 01475 638132

100 Club November Draw Winners: 1st Prize: £100 N 27 J&J Carlton 2nd Prize: £50 N 128 Marie Byrne 3rd Prize: £30 N 97 Janice McKenzie 4th Prize: £20 N 127 Valerie Logue 5th Prize: £20 N 66 M Hannah

Cathedral All-Day Confessions: Come Home for Christmas! On Thursday 12th December, priests 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.
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration – Christmas Closure The Oratory
will close for the Christmas Holidays at 7.00 pm on Friday 20th December, re-opening at 10.30 am on Monday 6 January.

Advent Activity Pack: CELEBRATE have create a brilliant family resource, the Advent Online Family Activity Pack, which can downloaded from here for free https://www.celebratetrust.org/onlinefamilyactivitypacks Children can cut out their own manger and Baby Jesus, with Advent Matchbox Manger which can also be downloaded for free from their website from here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScj0GxNXsRV9sL4oJPiDS1ShLDKIGMaEufhQ6T7ksh5nCwmhg/viewform

Think 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, please get in touch with Fr John Morrison, our Diocesan Vocations Director, tel: 01418892602 or email: [email protected]

Times of Sunday Masses: Sat Vigil 4pm. Sun: 10am, 11.30am, 5pm. Weekdays: Mon to Saturday 10am. Workers Mass: Each Wednesday at 7.30am Daily Adoration in Church: 9.00am – 9.55am. In Oratory: 10.30am-9pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Daily Rosary: 9.25am. Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confessions): Monday to Friday 9.30am -9.50am Saturday: 10.30 am – 10.50am & 3.15pm – 3.45pm (No funerals in St John’s this coming week).
Please see all the latest articles on the work for justice and peace in Scotland. (Bishops’Conference) www.justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk.

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration – Christmas Closure The Oratory will close for the Christmas Holidays at 7.00 pm on Friday 20 December, re-opening at 10.30 am on Monday 6 January.

Sacred Heart Companions Prayer Group The prayer group will meet in St John’s Tearoom on Tuesday 10th December from 1pm -2pm .
Special Guest Podcast!: Tune in to our special guest podcast where Sancta Familia Media look back on the Papal Nuncio’s visit to the Diocese. Listen now on the Diocesan website www.rcdop.org.uk/podcast or on all major streaming platforms.

Carols in the Cathedral: Join Bishop John Keenan and the Diocesan Choir for the annual Carol Service in St Mirin's Cathedral, Friday 27th of December at 2pm. Refreshments in the hall afterwards. All welcome!
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NHSGGC Choir - Christmas Cracker Concert: Our local NHS choir will perform their Christmas Cracker Concert at St. Bernadette’s, Erskine on Saturday, 14th December. (Doors open at 7:00pm and singing starts at 7:30pm). Teas/coffees etc will be provided at the intermission. Admission is £5 per person and all proceeds will go to Abbeycare, an addiction rehabilitation clinic in Erskine. You can book tickets by emailing [email protected] or you can pay