Eighteenth Sunday in ordinary Time.

Notices: 3rd/4th August
This weekend Second Collection: Monthly Building Fund
Assisted Suicide: It is vital that you engage, pointing out the dangers and showing MSPs that there is strong opposition to the proposals.  Read our online guide for more details, including key information about the proposed Bill and how to access the short survey. Visit rcpolitics.org
Please note the survey closes on 16th August.
​
Poland Pilgrimage: Please remember in your prayers the young adults who are making a Diocesan Pilgrimage to Poland this week, with Fr Ryan Black and Fr Joe McGill. They depart this Monday 4th August. They will visit Pope St John Paul II’s birthplace, the Divine Mercy Shrine, Auschwitz-Birkenau and the national Marian Shrine. They will pray for everyone in the Diocese, and for all benefactors who have helped them with their fundraising efforts.
 
Marino Retrepo: Marino Restrepo is a Catholic lay missionary from Colombia who travels the world sharing his testimony.  Marino was kidnapped by guerrilla rebels of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and held captive in the jungle for six months. During this time, he had an illumination of conscience and converted. He managed to escape and first thing he did was go to confession. Marino will come to the Parish on the 6th August and talk at 7pm.
 
National Pilgrimage to Whithorn Sunday 25 August: Mass will be celebrated close to St Ninian’s Cave at 4 pm and for those unable to walk to the shore, Mass at 4.45pm in St Martin & St Ninian’s Church, Whithorn at 4.45 pm.
 
National Pilgrimage to Carfin Sunday 1st September: Mass at the Grotto at 3 pm. Mass will be followed by a Rosary Procession.
 
Sponsored Camino Pilgrimage: Gerry McBride, is walking the St Francis section (116km) of the Camino in October for the Celtic Foundation, which will be particularly focussed this year on children’s development projects and providing much-needed financial support to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children within our local communities. https://bit.ly/McBride-Camino.
 
SPUC Petition: There is a petition by SPUC with a view to removing the punitive two-child benefit (universal credit) cap, in the porch to sign.   Go to: https://www.spuc.org.uk/end-benefit-cap.
 Post Cards will also be available in the porch.
 
Youth to Lourdes 2025: In S3-S6?  We will leave Scotland on Thursday 26th June 2025 and return on Friday 4th July. Transport by bus & ferry. The pilgrimage costs £750 but with a deposit of £75.00 before our first meeting on Sunday 7th September at the Diocesan Offices in Paisley, you will qualify for an Early Bird rate of £700! To travel, you must have a valid UK or EU Passport. Want to know more? Call Fr John Morrison on 0141 889 2026 5056 or email [email protected]. 
 
Mass times for Assumption across the Diocese: Mass times for the Solemnity of the Assumption can be found at https://www.rcdop.org.uk/assumption2024. Vigil at 7pm on Wed 14th Aug and 8.am & 10.am on Thurs 15th Aug here in St John’s.
 
 
We pray for those who have died recently: Teresa Beagan, Flora Dowds, Leo Friel and for the Anniversaries of Thomas Donegan, George Howell, James Goldie Snr, Nancy Goldie, Alex Lafferty, James McGuire, Robert Mc Hale, May Mc Master, Malcolm & Molly Ross, John Wilson.