Third Sunday of the Year, Year C

Not in the bulletin, but some of you may  have known Mary.
SALERNITANO 
Passed peacefully at Nazareth House Care Home on Saturday 11th January 2025 where she had been so well cared for over recent years. Funeral Mass will take place at Nazareth House Chapel, Cardonald on Thursday 30th January at 10am, thereafter to Neilston Cemetery.                   

​St John the Evangelist Parish
Aurs Rd., Barrhead G78 2RW
 
Third Sunday of the Year  Year C
26 January 2025  

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: £468.56  NGA £966.48
Retired Priests GA: £683.80   NGA £585.73
Justice & Peace GA: £80.00  
Monthly Standing Orders: £4,271.50
 
Response to Psalm:
“Your words, O Lord, are spirit and life.”
 
Church Renovation Project

I had a meeting last Monday with a diocesan led team to outline a plan to introduce phases of work to renovate the church.
 
Originally, we thought it could all be done in one phase and perhaps be completed by the end of the year. It seems likely that the work is now going to take three phases, since the walls of the church need time to dry out before they can be treated and repainted.
 
This would be a rough outline of the works:
 Outside wind and water tight work on walls, roof and gutters, including lower flat roofs Stripping of plaster where necessary and drying out of inside walls, repair of windows, and installation of new heating system, to assist the extensive damp in the walls. Decoration of interior with improvements to colour scheme, lighting, windows, doors and flooring.  
Alongside this work I would like to initiate a new church organ fund: to install a two manual and pedal digital organ to replace the existing organ which is in need of extensive repair.
 
We have not yet had final estimates for this work but we are probably looking at a two to three-year project, and it looks like the cost will be at least £800,000.  We have about £400,000 saved for this project already, thanks to Canon Balmer and parishioners of St John’s. The Diocese will be able to assist us with a loan as the works progress, which we will pay back in an agreed time scale. To this end we will begin a fundraising drive to meet the cost of this project, probably over a five-year period.  
 
We are hoping the first phase will go out to tender once final reports on some existing investigative work has been concluded. The first phase will begin in the spring. We will not have to move into the hall this year as we originally expected, but sometime next year. First communions however will take place as agreed on the two Saturdays of May.
 
It has been a long time coming but we have every confidence that the final result will have been worth waiting for. I ask for your prayers, support and confidence that St John’s church will be a beautiful place of worship for many years to come.
Thank you.
 
Monsignor John Tormey, Parish Priest
 
Quiz Night  Next quiz night:  14 February. Thanks for December quiz night which raised £63 for the Church Restoration Fund.
We pray for those who have died recently:  John McCrory, Murray McLaughlin, Mary Salernitano, Peter Senior, Mary McShane.
 and for the anniversaries of Robyn McLean, Molly MacKay, Charlotte Fitzpatrick, Betty and Billy McShane, Lex Shields, Ann and John McGuire, Anna Gaffney, Eddie Hone SNR, John and Elizabeth Connelly, Rena Owens, Jean McAllister, Jim Casey, Jane Michelle Doyle, Leonard Bradley, Rose Gormlie, Betty and Danny Williamson, Anna McGuire, James Connor, Maria Crolla, Audrey Fitzgerald, Sylvia Harris, Gordon Roy, Anne Mclaughlin, Joseph Callaghan, Mary Burns.

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 Luke’s High School First Friday Prayer Group.
We will ask our young people to add your intentions to their oratory prayer book.
You can add names at this website: https://forms.office.com/e/LZiW6ZAtiU

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
 
Think Vocation:. 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
 
Funerals this  month: 
27 January: John McCrory 10am
 
The Jubilee Year Indulgence and St Mirin’s Cathedral. Pope Francis reminds us that “God’s forgiveness knows no bounds”. The Jubilee Indulgence during the Holy Year 2025 is a beautiful expression of the mercy of God. The “indulgence” of our Loving Father frees the sinner, already forgiven through the Sacrament of Penance, from every residue left by the consequences of sin, enabling us to grow in love rather than fall back into sin. To obtain the indulgence at St. Mirin’s Cathedral during this year, as pilgrims of hope we undertake a pilgrimage to our Cathedral, especially for the celebration of Holy Mass, and purified by the Sacrament of Penance (in the days around the visit); are refreshed by the worthy reception of Holy Communion; and we also pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. As groups, or as individuals, we can also receive the indulgence by devoutly visiting the Cathedral for a period of time for Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, Profession of Faith, and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary (for example, Hail Mary; Hail, Holy Queen; Memorare).  The indulgence may be obtained each day and may be applied in suffrage for the souls in purgatory.
 
GRIEF TO GRACE – A Healing Retreat for Victims of Abuse – 29th April to 4th May 2025 – Perth: Grief to Grace is a specialised 5-day programme of spiritual and psychological healing for anyone who has suffered from sexual, physical, or emotional abuse or neglect in childhood, adolescence or adulthood, including those abused by a religious / member of the clergy.  If you are interested in this confidential healing retreat, please contact: Grief to Grace (Scotland) at [email protected]
 
Retreat: The Search for Truth: Edith Stein, 14 – 16 March 2025 Fr Matthew Blake, OCD will offer a weekend exploring the life and teachings of Edith Stein, or St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, and her indominatable search for truth that led her to the Catholic faith. For more information and to book: https://christianheritagecentre.com/events/the-search-for-truth-edith-stein/
Monthly Divine Mercy Devotions: There will be a Divine Mercy Mass and Adoration on Wednesday 29 January  at 7 p.m. at St Mary’s Church, 163 George Street, Paisley, PA1 2UN which will be celebrated by Fr John Morrison
 
Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage - Fundraising Dinner 2025: Saturday 1st March 2025, Greenock Town Hall, 7pm(for 7.30pm). Tickets cost £40 (including 3 course meal). For tickets and further information please email [email protected]  or phone  07950483042. Donations for the raffle/auction greatly appreciated. A bus will be provided for those travelling from the Paisley side of the Diocese.