Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

St John the Evangelist Parish
Aurs Rd., Barrhead, G78 2RW.
 
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
14th September 2025
 
Rev Monsignor John Canon Tormey: Parish Priest
Rev Fr Joseph J McGill: Assistant Priest
Rev Denis Murphy:  Deacon
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: £326.71 NGA: £884.78
Building Fund GA: £833.80 NGA: £420.38
Vocations GA: £5.00
Church Restoration Donations: £2060.75
 
Response to Psalm:
“Never forget the deeds of the Lord!”
 
Second Collection:
The Second Collection this week is for Vocations Awareness Week, where all funds will go towards supporting those seeking to undertake a life in the Priesthood or Religious life.
 
Church Hall Coffee Mornings:  
A reminder that the Coffee Bar on a Tuesday has restarted as have teas and coffees in the hall after 10am Mass on a Sunday.
 
Lost keys:
A set of house keys have been handed in and they can be collected from the sacristy.
 
Jumble Sale in aid of the Restoration Fund:
There will be a jumble sale in the Parish Hall, after 10am Mass on Sunday 14th September from 11am-2pm. Come and join us for a cup of tea and grab a bargain as we sell off all remaining goods from the Summer Fete.  All funds raised will go towards Church Hall upgrades.
 
RCIA for St John’s Parish: 
If you know of anyone who wishes to enrol for the RCIA to become a Catholic, please let one of the priests know. We hope to start on Wednesday 24th September at 7pm in the Church House.
We hope to start the courses in late September, most likely on a Wednesday evening at 7pm, if this suits everyone. Please contact Fr John or Fr Joe if you have an interest in joining the RCIA for the autumn.
 
Unclaimed 100 Club Winnings: 
No.13 Bernadette Rocks - £50.
We pray for those who have died recently:
Patricia Ellis, Jessie Hannigan.
 
We pray for the anniversaries of:
George Gallacher, George Graham, baby Lily McCulloch, Peter McKenzie, Anna McLaughlan, Nancy McLaughlin, Selina Pearson, Ellen Speirs.
 
Funeral Mass this week:
The Requiem Mass of Patricia Ellis will be celebrated on Tuesday 23rd September at 10am.
 
 
Diocese of Paisley Young Adults:
The Young Adults new series begins with a series on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - “Heaven Meets Earth” 
Starting on Wednesday 24th September at 7.30pm in the Diocesan Office, with ’The Introduction to the Mass’ by Fr Paul Laverty. All young Catholics 18-35 are welcome. For more information contact Fr. Joe McGill at [email protected] or Fr Paul Laverty [email protected] 
 
Safeguarding Induction Training – 2025:
Safeguarding Induction training has been organised into one course only.  If you are a new volunteer, or one who completed Part 1 training more than two years ago, you are invited to sign up for one of the following training sessions.  Please contact Sarah Jane Colhoun at the Safeguarding Office to register.  Tel: 0141 847 6138 or [email protected]
Tuesday 18th November at 7pm in the Diocesan Centre, Paisley, PA1 1HR.
 
Marriage Preparation Courses 2025 (Diocese of Paisley):
We invite engaged couples to register for the last Marriage Preparation course of 2025. The course consists of two evening in-person sessions, and one Saturday morning workshop, which will be held in St. Mirin’s Cathedral Hall, Paisley. For any additional details or queries, please contact Rebecca Harrison at [email protected]  
 
Pro-Life Mass:
The monthly Pro-Life Mass is on Wednesday, 17th September at 7.30pm at Holy Cross, 113 Dixon Ave, G42 8ER. Adoration begins at 6.15pm. Tea in the hall afterwards.
 
Prayer to St. Michael:
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of Battle; 
Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits, who prowl through the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Ongoing Maintenance Report and Budget Spend for 2025:
The hall gutters and downpipes which were blocked have been repaired by Cairn Building Solutions for £576. The Roof of the Hall will be repaired at a cost of £5,197.00 plus VAT. Some ridges had been blown off in the February storm. All of the top ridges will be taken off and replaced with new ones.
The hall stage is being prepared for the celebration of Mass. New lights have been fitted. The hall fuse boxes have been completely redone at a cost of £2,000.
The hall stage will have new curtains and rails fitted with an estimate cost of £2,400. These are good quality curtains to provide a long-lasting feature for the church hall. We have also acquired an altar and tabernacle stand which will be painted and cleaned for £500. The ceiling of the stage will be varnished, and some paint work will be done around the walls of the stage with an estimated cost of £500.
A further £250 was spent on the annual electrical testing for the church and house, by DS Electrics. This will bring our budget spend for this year to around £12,673. We have set aside £30,000 for this year’s ongoing repairs and improvements to the parish.
This month, the boilers will have their annual maintenance check. We do not have an estimate for this as of yet.  We are well within our projected budget for ongoing work for 2025 and we will keep you informed on how our parish funds are being used to improve the parish buildings.
 
Faith Formation at St Joseph & St Patrick's Church, Wemyss Bay:
Following the success of the Lenten Talks, the parish of St Joseph & St Patrick's, Wemyss Bay have two talks scheduled for the month of September and we would like to extend an invitation to all parishes across the diocese. On Wednesday, 24th September, Fr. Matthew Carlin will deliver the second talk on the theme of Lay ministries in the Church. Each talk will take place at 7pm in the Church with refreshments available afterwards in the Church Hall.  We look forward to seeing you then.
 
Beginning Experience:
The Beginning Experience are holding a weekend for those who find themselves suffering bereavement through divorce, separation or widowhood. The weekend will take place from the 26th – 28th of September 2025 at Conforti Centre, Coatbridge. For details, contact Maggie on: 01389 751677 or email: [email protected]. Applications must be completed and returned by the 12th of September 2025.
 
 
Reconciliation and Healing Service:
Speaker - Joe Livingston
Theme - The Sacredness of The Sacred Heart.
Opportunity for Confession and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament with our former Parish Priest, Canon Joe Balmer.
The night will also include music (Praise and Worship) and teas and coffees.
Sunday 28th September at 5pm
Tyburn Nuns, Benedictine Monastery,5 Mackerston Place, Largs, KA30 8BY
 
 
12th National Divine Mercy Conference Hosted by the Friends of Divine Mercy Scotland:
Saturday 25 October 2025, St Mirin’s Hall, Incle Street, Paisley, PA1 1HR: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Holy Hour at 3 p.m. Holy Mass 4 p.m. – St Mirin’s Cathedral.
THEME: May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13).
 
Lourdes Hospitalite:
The reunion for those who came on pilgrimage 2025 will take place on 5th October at 2pm. A Marian devotion will take place in St Ninian's Church, Gourock followed by a cup of tea and sharing of memories in the hall. All welcome.
 
HCPT Group 116 Pilgrimage to Lourdes:
Do you want to experience a life-changing pilgrimage? Join HCPT Group 116 on our annual pilgrimage to Lourdes next Easter! We serve the parishes of the Southside of Glasgow and East Kilbride, and we are seeking volunteers and pilgrims to join our special family, where we travel with disabled and disadvantaged children and adults.
You don't need any special skills, just a willingness to share your time and talents. This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference in someone's life while deepening your own faith.
If you're interested in learning more, please contact Paul Armstrong, Group 116 at [email protected].
 
Director of Marriage, Family & Life Vacancy:
The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland is looking for a new National Director of Marriage, Family & Life Office. The successful candidate will work in various areas alongside the National Commission for Marriage, Family & Life and will, among others tasks, organise and promote national events, liaise with associations with shared mission, and support single people, couples and families, as well as the pro-life mission in the context of family life. For more information, please visit: https://rcdop.org.uk/news/vacancy-national-director-of-marriage-family-life-office