St. Paul’s News     

 Parish Summer Fayre

New Date Sunday 13th June after Mass.  The PPC are now asking for support for the Summer Fayre.  We are looking for donations of books, bric a brac and bottles for the stalls. Anyone wishing to help with the stalls please see a member of the PPC.  A list of all the stalls we hope to have is available in the porch.

First Communion/Confirmation

The parish will celebrate these Sacraments next Sunday at 11.30am.  Please pray for the children in their final week of preparation.  The photos are now on the notice board beside the organ.  As in previous years there will be an additional Mass that morning at 10am.

Justice & Peace Group

The next meeting of the J & P is on Tuesday at 7.00pm.  All Welcome.

 200 Club

Thank you to all who wish to be part of the 200 club.  A list is still available in the porch for anyone who wishes to join up.  If you haven’t yet paid could you please do so soon. April Winners: D Thomson £40.     K Monaghan £20. P Gibson £10

 Collection

£950.00.  Building fund for April £2968.0.  Many thanks.

Church  Stall

The Repository has recently taken delivery of new Religious articles and cards for First  Communion. Please feel free to browse around the repository. There is a selection of booklets, rosary’s, candles and cards for all sorts of occasions.  Please support this.

Parish Choir

The Choir practice on Tuesday evenings at 7pm.  All are welcome to join.

Communion to the Sick

This week West of the Railway line.

Tuesday Club

Meets on Tuesday at 2pm.   All are welcome.

Week of Guided Prayer

The Diocesan Prayer group will be visiting the parish 16-21st May for our annual week of guided prayer.  Anyone interested in learning more about this should contact Margaret Watson.

 Diocesan Youth Forum

Any teenagers in the parish wishing to meet up with other teenagers from across the Diocese are invited to the above forum in St. Matthew’s Kilmarnock on Saturday 5th June. See me for further details.

World Youth Day

The 26th World Youth Day will take place in Madrid 16th-21st Aug 2011.  Any young person aged 16 by 31 Dec 2011 is eligible to go.  If anyone is interested please contact me.

Fr. Gabriel Kigozi

Fr. Gabriel is seriously ill at the moment and is being treated at the Beatson Unit in Glasgow.  He is currently receiving Chemo Therapy and this will be the case until the end of May.  He is presently in good heart.  Please keep him in your prayers.

Neophytes Mass

The Mass celebrating those coming into the Church at Easter will take place on Pentecost Sunday 23rd May at 3pm in the Cathedral. All are welcome to attend.

Parish Pastoral Council

The Parish Finance committee will meet on Tuesday 25th May at 7pm and the PPC will meet on 26th May after Mass.

Christian Aid

Envelopes for the annual Christian Aid appeal are available today.  There will be no street collection in the Belmont area.

St. Francis Xavier’s News

Communions to the Sick

I’ll be visiting Dalmellington this week.

Toilets and Hall Kitchen

In the light of the views expressed at the recent parish meeting we intend to modernise  the kitchen with a few new units sink, fridge and cooker.  We will convert the toilet into a disabled toilet and modernise that.  Francis Rooney is going to draw up a plan for the toilet and kitchen and once the plan is approved we will move on with that work.

Plans for the New School

I’m hoping some time this month to have a copy of the plans for the new school to share with you.  Obviously parents of children in the school will see these first through the school.

First Communion/Confirmation

Ryan and Ewan will be celebrating these Sacraments on Saturday 22nd May.  Could I have a few volunteers to help with a celebration buffet afterwards in the hall.

Parish tidy up day

Now that the outside work has been done around the hall and church I hope that one Saturday afternoon in June we might get a team together to tidy up the grounds.

 General Church News

Ascension Thursday

Thursday is the Feast of the Ascension and a Holyday of Obligation.

Special Collection for Communications

Next Sunday after Communion there will be a special collection for Communications.

Papal Visit

We are still very much in the dark concerning arrangements for the Papal visit.  Anything I hear I get from the National Press.  We do know the Mass will be at approximately 5.30pm and last for 2hours.  That very much depends on how quickly the Pope can get from Edinburgh to Glasgow and presently the plan is to have a motorcade along the M8 and Kingston Bridge (thus gridlocking traffic in the entire central belt) Presently about 80 from St. Paul’s and 15 from St. Francis Xavier’s have indicated they want to go to Bellahouston.  I have booked two coaches for St. Paul’s and will arrange a separate coach from Dalmellington/Patna.

Canon Keegans 40th Anniversary of Ordination

There will be a special Mass on Friday 9th July at 7.30 in the Cathedral to celebrate Canon Keegans 40 years in Priesthood.  There will be a buffet in the hall after Mass.  If you wish to go please add your name to the list in the porch.

Bishop Taylor 60th Anniversary of Ordination

If you wish to make a contribution towards a parish gift  to Bishop Taylor please pick up one of the special envelopes available now in the porch.  Any thoughts on what gift to give him?

Queen Margaret Academy Reunion

Did you start QMA in 1983? If you did a reunion is taking place on Saturday 29th May at 7.30pm at Floyds on Maybole Road.  Tickets available costing £5 from Sharon Rae on 289721 or raeshar@googlemail.com or Amanda on 265007 or can be bought at the door.  See letter in porch.

Faith Today

A new monthly publication by the Bishops of England and Wales concerning topical Church issues has been sent to all parishes.  Anyone wishing to subscribe should contact me.  The ONLY parish copy is available in the porch for you to look at.  Do not remove.

Special Collections

I’m very concerned about the number of collections we are asked to have in the parish.  This month we have the Building fund collection, Communications Sunday collection, Christian Aid collection and we have just heard there is to be a special collection on Pentecost Sunday to help pay for the Papal visit.   We also have to take up the Church Students collection, though I’ll put that off until the summer.  Your generosity is outstanding but I don’t want to push your goodwill too far.  If you have any thoughts please let me know.