The Epiphany of the Lord 4th January 2026

St John the Evangelist Parish
Aurs Rd., Barrhead, G78 2RW.
 
The Epiphany of the Lord
4th January 2026
 
Rev Monsignor John Canon Tormey: Parish Priest
Rev Fr Joseph J McGill: Curate
Rev Denis Murphy:  Deacon
Email: [email protected]  Tel: 0141 881 0769
Website: www.stjohns-barrhead.org
 
Mary Hallan: Safeguarding Co-Ordinator: [email protected]
 
Times of Holy Mass:
Sunday: 4pm (Vigil), 10:00am, 11:30am and 5:00pm.
Weekday Mass: Monday-Saturday 10:00am.
Workers’ Mass: Wednesday 7:30am.
Holy Days of Obligation: Vigil 7:00pm, 8:00am and 10:00am.

Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession):
Saturday 10:30am-11:00am, 3:15pm-3:45pm.
Monday-Friday 9:30am-9:50am​.
 
Last Week’s Collections:
First Collection (28.12.25) GA: £283.10 NGA: £936.87
Christmas GA: £1,366.50 NGA: £2,488.30
 
A very special thank you to the family who donated £2,000 to the Church Restoration Project.
 
Response to Psalm:
‘The word became flesh and dwelt among us.’
 
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to all our parishioners. Thank you for your prayers, support and kind gifts over Christmastime.
Fr John and Fr Joe.
 
St John’s Parish Website:
You can keep up to date with funeral dates, Mass times, church restoration news and Parish events by visiting the Parish Website: https://www.stjohns-barrhead.org
The photos from the afternoon Tea are available to view online. 
 
St Vincent de Paul Society:
The SSVP provide spiritual, social and financial support to anyone in need. We visit parishioners of St John’s at their homes or in local care homes. If you know of anyone who might benefit from this offer from the members of the SVdP, please get in touch by calling: 075123 02877 or speak to one of our members after Mass who will be collecting for the Society in the porch. (All information will be treated confidentially).
 
 
 
We pray for those who have died recently:
Robert McCann, Jim McGauley, Joe Gribbon,
Patricia Byrne, Sadie McGuigan, Angela Davidson.
 
We pray for the anniversaries of:
Fr Matthew Royen, Fr Peter Williams, Jack McCann, Susan McCann, Jean McFadyen, Mr and Mrs McKenzie, Lee McPake and Neil O’Neill.
 
Funerals this Week:
The Requiem Mass for Jim McGauley will be celebrated at 10:00am on Friday 9th January.
 
The requiem Mass for Patricia Byrne will take place in St Charles’s Paisley, vigil 6pm on Sunday 11 Jan, Funeral mass at 12pm on Monday 12 Jan.
 
The Requiem Mass for Robert McCann will be celebrated at 10:00am on Wednesday 21st January with the Vigil reception at 6:00pm Tuesday 20th January.
 
Church Hall Hogmanay Family Party:
The Hogmanay Family Party was a huge success, raising an amazing £3,300 for the Restoration Fund!
The Social Committee would like to offer special thanks to Teresa and Ger O’Hara for taking the lead on this wonderful event, as well as to everyone who made financial donations.
We are also deeply grateful to all who contributed in any way — from setting up and clearing away, to attending, supporting, and helping to create such a joyful evening. It was truly a great night and a fantastic way to see in the New Year together as a community.
Happy New Year to you all, and thank you for your continued generosity and support.
 
Monthly Quiz:
Please note there will be no quiz in January. Our monthly quiz will return on Friday 13th February at 7:00pm. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for an enjoyable evening of fun and friendly competition.
BYOB | Raffle | £2 entry
 
Western Catholic Calendars:
Western Catholic Calendars for 2026 are available to buy for £3.50 each at the piety stall.
 
Barrhead News Thought for the Week Co-Ordinator:
The Barrhead News have confirmed that they require a person to co-ordinate all of the news and the Thought for the Week contributions from the local churches of the town. If nobody comes forward from any of the local churches, then the churches information page will cease to exist from the end of January. It is not an especially onerous task and probably requires an hour or so once a week to co-ordinate. The team at the Barrhead News would be more than happy to talk any potential volunteer through the role and help them get established.
 
Children’s Rosary (Friday 9th January):
The children’s rosary will meet in the church at Our Lady’s altar on Friday 9th January at 6pm
Children of all ages are invited to help lead the rosary. Children as young as three are even encouraged to take a lead and say a Hail Mary.
For further information, contact Lesley Ward on: 07910266821.
 
Marriage Preparation Residential Weekend Course (Fri 9th – Sun 11th January 2026):
The CHC’s weekend marriage preparation course is intended for couples who wish to engage more deeply with the Catholic vision for marriage. Structured around the elements of the marriage rite, couples will reflect deeply on foundational Scriptural texts to gain a deeper understanding of both the natural and Sacramental aspects of Matrimony. The weekend is framed by prayer, time for reflection personally and as a couple, group discussion and a social.
 
Parish Burns Celebration (Saturday 24th January):
The Social Committee are planning a Burns celebration in the church hall on 24th January, further details to follow but if anyone plays a fiddle, accordion, recites poetry etc and would like to 'do a turn' please contact Anna Marie Johnston on 07897405000.
 
St John’s Primary Parent Council Laser Light Spectacular (Friday 30th January):
St John’s Primary Parent Council is delighted to present a Laser Light Spectacular on Friday 30th January at 6.00pm, taking place in the grounds of St John’s Church Hall.
This family-friendly event features an exciting laser show synchronised to popular favourites, including Taylor Swift, Fortnite, Stranger Things, Disney and more. All funds raised will go towards a fun and safe playground upgrade for the children of St John’s Primary School.
For tickets or further information, please contact Jennifer on 07846 600881.
 
Retrouvaille Programme (Thursday 12th February):
The Retrouvaille programme helps marriages. It can bring hope and healing to relationships and the next session is on Thursday 12th February.
www.retrouvaille.org.uk   Tel: 07887 296983
 
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.
 
Love & Beauty in St John’s Spiritual Canticle (Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd February 2026):
2026 marks the centenary of the declaration of St John of the Cross as a Doctor of the Church. In honour of this anniversary, Fr Matthew Blake OCD, will offer a weekend reflecting on the themes of love and beauty in the most celebrated poetry of the great Spanish mystic. 
https://christianheritagecentre.com/events/love-beauty-in-st-johns-spiritual-canticle/
 
Stella Maris Lourdes Pilgrimage (Monday 25th – Saturday 30th May 2026):
We warmly welcome serving or retired seafarers, fishers and their family members or carers to spend six grace-filled days of prayer, healing, and fellowship in the beautiful sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.
This pilgrimage will be fully funded (including travel, accommodation, and meals).
To register your interest, or request further information please contact:
Dcn. John Fogarty: [email protected] | 07986 723015
Hugh Ramsay: [email protected] | 07432 654032
 
Marriage Preparation Courses 2026 – Diocese of Paisley:
We invite engaged couples to register for one of the Marriage Preparation courses on offer in 2026. 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]
The cost for the course per couple is £70 which includes a gift with additional reading materials, couple exercises, books and light refreshments during the workshop. Once couples have registered we will contact them directly regarding attendance at the course and a certificate will be issued upon completion. This course fulfils church requirements regarding preparation before marriage and is a wonderful opportunity to meet other couples and share in fellowship. You can follow the link to access further information https://www.rcdop.org.uk/marriage-preparation or use the QR code to see the course dates and go straight to our booking page. We look forward to seeing you!
 
Catholic Families for Life Newsletter:
“Catholic Families for Life” Newsletter from the National Commission for Marriage, Family and Life - latest version can be found at www.marriagefamilyandlife.org.uk