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, home baking 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.  Mary who is organising the home baking is looking for other keen bakers to help out. Please contact Mary Platt 612485

 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.  Please arrange annual subscription before the May draw. 

 Collection

£1527.50.  Many thanks.

Communion to the Sick

No visits this week.

Tuesday Club

Meets on Tuesday at 2pm.   All are welcome.

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.

Christian Aid

Envelopes for the annual Christian Aid appeal should be brought in by next weekend.

Neophytes Mass

The Mass celebrating those coming into the Church at Easter will take place today 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.

 450th Anniversary of the Reformation

To mark this event two services will be held in the summer.  Firstly in the Auld Kirk on Sunday 13th June and then in St. Margaret’s Cathedral on Sunday 5th September at 2pm.

Church Internal Renovations

Please excuse the delay in internal work  in the church.  We are still assessing the feasibility of lowering the Altar and moving it forward.  This will probably be possible but I’ve no idea of the cost as yet.  All the other renewal work depends on the above in terms of the timetable of work.

First Communion and Confirmation

Thanks again to all who contributed in any way to our celebration last weekend.  A lot of work goes on in the background and I’m especially grateful to all those who just get on with the job of work.  But the biggest thanks is to the children themselves. 

SCIAF Lenten Collection

Thanks to the special collection and the “wee boxes” we raised £1793.50   for SCIAF.  Amongst that was the total of £187.60 from the sale of Marks CD. Communications collection last Sunday £272.00. Thanks for your generosity again.

St. Francis Xavier’s News

Confirmation and First Communion

The two children of the parish will celebrate these Sacraments today. 

Communions to the Sick

No visit 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.

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.

Collection

£196.30, 50/50 £29.00 Communications £146.40.  Many thanks for your generosity.

General Church News

Papal Visit

Some details are now emerging concerning preparations for the Papal visit and transportation to and from Glasgow.  The planning is very centralised and no parish is able to simply do its own thing.  The plan involves those coming the greatest distance i.e. Northern Ireland, North England and the Highlands and Islands will arrive last at Bellahouston and leave first after the Mass.  Those living nearest Bellahouston are expected to be first in and last out.  One bus company is co-ordinating all transport arrivals, departures and parking.  We will be told when to be expected at the bus parks and plan accordingly.

Papal Visit Collection

The Catholic Church in England, Wales and Scotland has to find 7 Million pounds to cover the Pastoral element of the Papal visit in September.  Collection envelopes which are gift aided will be handed out at Masses this weekend.  Please bring them back next weekend either in the printed envelope or a donation in an envelope marked Papal visit to place in next weeks collection.  Galloway Diocese will have to pay its share of the Scottish visit come what may so I would ask you to be as generous as you can not withstanding my comments further down the page concerning special collections.

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?

Galloway News

The latest edition of our Diocesan magazine is now available in both churches.  Please pick up one and take to any neighbour who is housebound.

Eucharistic Exposition and evening Prayer of the Church

To mark the end of the Easter Season and Solemnity of Pentecost there will be an hour of Prayer in the Cathedral tonight at 6.00pm.  During this time of prayer the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed and the evening prayer of the Church will be sung.

Queen Margaret Academy Reunion

Did you start QMA in 1980? If you did a reunion is taking place on Friday 3rd September at  7.30pm in McArthurs, Arthur Street, Ayr.  This is a free event.  However, if you are interested in a bite to eat prior to the event, you can either join Facebook and add your name to the QMA site or email Siobhan McAnespie (nee Thurston) on shuvoff@hotmail.co.uk or Donna Docherty on dmdayr@btinternet.com Hope to see as may old faces as possible.

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.