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THE PARISHES OF ST MARTIN AND ST NINIAN'S WHITHORN, (with the Sacred Heart, Wigtown), OUR LADY AND ST NINIAN'S, NEWTON STEWART, ST PETER’S,
DALBEATTIE, and ST ANDREW’S AND ST CUTHBERT’S, KIRKCUDBRIGHT, (incorporating the former parish of St John’s, Castle Douglas, and the now closed
Church of the Resurrection, Gatehouse of Fleet.)Diocese of Galloway Registered Charity No. SC010576
Parish Priest: Fr William R. McFadden,Parish Address: St Andrew’s and St Cuthbert’s, High Street, Kirkcudbright, DG6
4JWTelephone Number: 01557 330687
Priest of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham: Fr Simon Beveridge, 01988 850323.Emeritus Deacons: Rev. Peter Marks (01671 830395) and Rev. Bob Simpson (01671 402770).Parish Pastoral Assistant in Kirkcudbright: David Preston (01557 330650).
Parish Websites: www.catholicchurchgalloway.org.uk; www.rckirkcudbright.org.uk;
Parishes Email Addresses: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Sunday 21 February 2021 – 1st Sunday of Lent Year B
LOCKDOWN CLOSURE OF CHURCH BUILDINGS
With the announcement from the First Minister advising that all places of worship be closed for public worship, except for funerals and weddings with restricted numbers, the churches in our parish
communities are now closed for public worship.
Parish Co-Ordinators : When we are able to re-open our church buildings, those with the responsibility for overseeing the task for ensuring Covid-19 regulations are met are:Dalbeattie – Terry Craig ([email protected])Kirkcudbright – Celia Dearing ([email protected]); Pauline Logan ([email protected])Newton Stewart/Wigtown – Gerry McCabe ([email protected])Whithorn – Fr Simon ([email protected])If you have any concerns or anxieties about what is happening in our churches during this Covid-19 pandemic, please contact any of the above people who will be able to provide reassurance and advice.
Pastoral Support during Lockdown: Fr William is available for phone, email, and video link communication for anyone wishing to engage with him during these days of lockdown. To arrange a meeting simply get in touch via phone or email and a suitable time can be arranged for a private conversation.
A Year of St Joseph: In an Apostolic Letter, Pope Francis marks the 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To celebrate the anniversary, Pope Francis has proclaimed a special “Year of St Joseph,” beginning on the 8th December 2020 and extending to the same date in 2021.
Amoris Laetitia Family Year: Pope Francis has announced that from 19th March 2021, the fifth anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia, on the joy and beauty of familial love, we will celebrate the Year “Amoris Laetitia Family,” which will conclude on 26 June 2022. During this year The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life is proposing spiritual, pastoral and cultural initiatives to accompany families in the face of contemporary challenges. For information go to www.amorislaetitia.va
Sick and Housebound: Please pray for the sick and housebound, including Nan Rossi.
Livestreaming of Masses & Dial-a Mass: Livestreaming of Masses, including from St Teresa, Dumfries, and St Andrew’s, Dumfries, is available online.
Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention for February: Violence Against Women - We pray for women who are victims of violence, that they may be protected by society and have their sufferings considered and heeded.
Ongoing Communications: During this time of restrictions communication continues through the parishes website on www.catholicchurchgalloway.org.uk. Please share this information, including the bulletin/newsletter, with those who are not online as best you can.
Pope Francis’ Encyclical “Fratelli Tutti”: The Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development has announced a new, intuitive website dedicated to Pope Francis’ encyclical "Fratelli tutti". To access go to www.fratellitutti.va.
Anniversaries: Please pray for Geoff Calvert.
Lent 2021
There are a variety of resources available for lent. Some possible suggestions are:
1/ The series of short presentations by Archbishop Christopher Prowse called “Silence: From Isolation to Encounter.” They can be found by clicking on the link www.catholicvoice.org.au/catholic-faith/ The box at the top right of the image gives you the 16 presentations on offer. Each presentation only lasts around 20 minutes
2/ Lent Zoom Sharing group; It would also be good if people were to get together in virtual groups to share their Lenten journeys, and to support one another as we journey during the ongoing pandemic restrictions. Anyone wishing to do this should send an email to [email protected] and say they are interested in this. We’ll then try and help people to get together virtually at least.
3/ Scottish Laity Network Lenten Journey 2021: This series of presentations can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gMXSlBKYsSrrPZ6EK_BU9M2v8cCarI17/view?usp=drive_web
4/ SCIAF’s Stations of the Cross: Will be livestreamed on SCIAF’s Facebook page on Fridays during Lent at 19.00.
5/ Drumalis Retreat Centre: They are offering virtual Ignatian prayer experiences: See the posters below.
6/ Walk of Thanksgiving and Praise by Sr Thelma Hall RC : See below for this prayer experience.
7/ Knowing Jesus: Online Retreat for Lent: Offered by the Ignatian Spirituality Centre in Glasgow. Go to www.onlineprayer.net
Recommended Reading for Lent:
Spiritual reading can be a good Lenten discipline. Some possibilities are: David Crumm, Our Lent: Things We Carry, (Kindle edition available from Amazon); Pope Francis, Let Us Dream, Simon & Schuster, 2020; Tom Wright, God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and its Aftermath, SPCK, 2020. Luigi Gioia, Say it to God: In Search of Prayer, Bloomsbury, 2017; Interesting article by Rev James Hunt: https://www.stpetersbw.org.uk/james-blog/the-church-of-the-past-and-future/
Walk of Thanksgiving and Praise by Sr Thelma Hall RC
(Why not invite another person to go for a walk with you and use the reflection below for some spiritual conversation)
Some of God's richest gifts to us we tend to accept as standard equipment, somehow rightfully ours as fully equipped human beings. It may prove a revelation to consciously cancel this presumption in this experience of "A Walk of Thanksgiving and Praise" and to rediscover the unique gifts of life he has made to us, in each of our five senses.
A walk of about 20 - 30 mins is suggested. Begin as you would any period of prayer, taking a few moments to alert yourself to the gift of union with you which God has bestowed in his loving, living presence, always within you. For you are a "temple of the Holy Spirit".
As you step out of doors take a deep breath of fresh air ...... Reflect on this air as the sustainer of your life, day and night ....... And reflect on the unceasing providence of God whose love holds you in existence, and is continually creating you.
When you have walked on a bit - pause to consciously experience your five senses.
SIGHT - use your vision to revel in, caress, enjoy, discern - colour, shape, depth, texture, movement, etc, in everything around you. Reflect upon all that sight has contributed to your life experience - beauty, non-verbal communication with others, knowledge through reading and observation, protection, happiness, pleasure and so on ....... Try to imagine how different your life, and you, would be, had you been born without this sense gift, or had you lost it. Recognising in all these reflections the loving gift of God - express aloud to him your thanksgiving and praise.
HEARING - stop for a while and really listen - even to the seeming silence which is, in all reality teeming with sounds. Again reflect upon all that this sense of hearing has contributed to your life experience - the sound of human voices, music, and so on ...... And upon how different your life, and you, would be without it. Recognising in these reflections another loving and personal gift of God - express aloud to him your thanksgiving and praise.
TOUCH - the same - consciously experience the feeling of the sun and air on your skin, the texture of clothing, grass, trees, stones, the pull of gravity through the pressure of the ground under your feet, your sense of balance through this. Reflect upon the use of touch in expressing affection, in physical work, in playing musical instruments, writing, and so on. Imagine your life without this gift of God - express aloud your thanksgiving and praise.
TASTE - as above ..... express aloud to God your thanksgiving and praise.
SMELL - as above ...... express aloud to God your thanksgiving and praise.
SCIAF LENT WEE BOXES BIG CHANGE 2021 APPEAL
Since it may not be possible to distribute the Wee Boxes for SCIAF’s annual Lent Appeal, we are encouraged to sign-up to receive a Wee Box directly to our homes, and to make our Wee Box donations online. Please go to www.sciaf.org.uk for details.
The annual World Day of PrayerWill take place on Friday 5th March. Starting on Tuesday 23rd February and every day until The World Day of Prayer on 5th March, a series of articles about the island of Vanuatu will be published on the World Day of Prayer Scotland FaceBook Page and on the World Day of Prayer Website: www.wdpscotland.org.ukOn Friday 5th March Augustine United Church, Edinburgh, are hosting a virtual World Day of Prayer service, written this year by the women of Vanuatu. There will be participation by women, men and young people from all over Scotland and it will be led by musicians of Augustine United Church.For joining details see the website above.
‘Living in Faith in the age of COVID-19’:
A newsletter has been published by the Bishops’ Pastoral Ministry Working Group. It provides information about resources to support the observance of Lent, experiences of faith and ministry during lockdown, and practical advice on creating video for use in parishes.A copy of the newsletter can be found on the website: https://www.bcos.org.uk/COVID19/COVIDResources
Ecumenical Prayer During Corona Pandemic: Prayer for Sunday 21st February at 19.00
We are invited to join with Christians throughout the country in praying together every Sunday at 19.00. The prayer for this week is as follows:
“The beginning of the public ministry of Jesus is recorded in direct and immediate terms in the Gospel of Mark. We begin in Nazareth in Galilee and are then transported to the River Jordan. We see Jesus baptised and then driven out into the wilderness for forty days. The ministry of Jesus then begins as he proclaims: ‘The time has come…The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.’ (Mark 1: 9-15) It is as if the account compresses time in order to capture and express the significance of the moment.“Our experience of the passing of time over recent months is perhaps unlike anything we have ever collectively known. On the one hand, the experience of lockdown and restriction, and the absence of the rhythms of life, has almost dislocated us from the normal experience of the passing of time. On the other hand, the relocation of worship, work and social interaction to digital platforms has rapidly transformed the times in which we live.“These two things, alongside many others, are happening at one and the same time and we cannot yet tell how they will finally shape future times.“Although we cannot tell how the future will unfold, what we can do is recognise that the kingdom of God is at hand and, in the light of this, resolve to journey with Jesus towards the place of the Cross. The
gift of time, in the light of God’s Kingdom, is an opportunity to live out our response to the Good News of Jesus.”We pray:God whose kingdom is nearAnd who knows the times in which we live,May we hear the call of Your SonAnd turn once more to embrace the Good News He proclaims.In the times in which we live,Grant us grace to do so.Lord, in Your mercy,Hear our prayer.
God whose kingdom is nearAnd who knows the times in which we live,Your Son has embraced timeAnd became truly human for us and for our salvation.As we face the hard challenges of these daysMay we know that we are embraced by Your Son.Lord, in Your mercy,Hear our prayer.
God whose kingdom is nearAnd who knows the times in which we live,Be with those for whom this day is hardAnd who long for respite.Be with those who seek to bring healing and comfortAnd grant them wisdom and compassion to do so.Lord, in Your mercy,Hear our prayer.
God whose kingdom is nearAnd who knows the times in which we live,Be with us as we resolve to journey with Your SonIn the days that lie before us.Whether in the wilderness, or by the living waters,May we know Your presence ever renewed.Lord, in Your mercy,Hear our prayer.
A Message from Mary’s Meals on the humanitarian crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia.
Dear friends, in recent weeks you may have heard something of the grave news from Tigray in northern Ethiopia. An armed conflict between the federal and regional governments has escalated into a shocking humanitarian crisis. We are hearing harrowing reports of tens of thousands of families displaced from their homes and that as many as 4.5 million people are without access to basic food, medical and sanitary supplies across the region! We have been working in Tigray for many years where our trusted partners the Daughters of Charity normally serve over 24,000 children Mary’s Meals. We are now working with the Daughters of Charity to respond to this crisis and provide support to children and families affected by this crisis. As people of faith, we are asking you to partner with us by holding the people of Tigray and the emergency work we are doing there in your prayers. To find out more about this appeal please visit https://www.marysmeals.org.uk. Thank you.
Reflections for the First Sunday of Lent, Year B, from Stephen Bradley
St. Mark and St. John are leading us on our journey through lent this year, so a few reflections on the Sunday gospels are offered here for anyone who may wish to use them.
Mk 1,12-15:The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness, and he remained there for
forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him.After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. “The time has come” he said “and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent and believe the Good News”.
Mark records that the Spirit, who descended on Jesus at his baptism, drives him out into the wilderness.*the Spirit is the driving force in Jesus’ public ministry.*today we are re-defining ministry, perhaps more radically than ever before, or certainly since the early Christian centuries. Can we ask the Spirit, the same Spirit that we received in baptism, to be the driving force in our discerning, learning and exercising new ministries?
Jesus was—as the letter to the Hebrews tells us: “tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin” (4,15).*Jesus was fully human, and part of being human is experiencing temptation. This is something else that we have in common with Jesus!*perhaps that’s one reason why Jesus refused to condemn “sinners” (Zacchaeus, the woman taken in adultery, the woman who wept over his feet). He knew, first hand, just how powerful temptation can be!
Jesus was with the wild beasts:
*it appears he had less to fear from wild animals than from humans!*is Mark harking back to Eden, when all creation was in harmony—and is he looking forward with a timely word in our ecologically aware society?
Jesus started his public ministry after John had been ‘arrested/handed over’:*the same word is used in foretelling Jesus’ own arrest and that of the apostles. Perhaps we stop to think of and pray for our sisters and brothers, and all people, who are being persecuted today for their faith.
With John’s arrest, the Old Testament is concluded, and the New Covenant will be proclaimed and established by Jesus’ words and actions. *his starting point is that we all have to be ready to change—a fair point—if we want to be full members of the Kingdom.*in the light of Jesus’ own temptation, of his forgiving ministry whereby we are called to change, to be continuously open to grow and learn, to bring ourselves to the Lord without fear of condemnation.
Fi nancial Support for the Parish and the Diocese
Parish Finances: We recognise that for some families these days can be very difficult financially. We do not expect those struggling to feel obliged to contribute to the parish. However, if you feel able to do so, you can give by using the 'Online Parish Offertory' link. Simply type in the address below and follow the instructions. For St Peter’s - https://tinyurl.com/rcdalbeattieFor St Andrew’s and St Cuthbert’s - https://tinyurl.com/rckirkcudbrightFor Our Lady and St Ninian’s - https://tinyurl.com/rcnewtonstewartFor St Martin and St Ninian’s - https://tinyurl.com/rcwhithornFor Sacred Heart - https://tinyurl.com/rcwigtownStanding Order forms are also available from the parish house. Thanks to those who are already using this method of payment and it is hoped that more people will contribute in this way post-lockdown.
Amazon Smile: The Diocese has registered with Amazon Smile. The prices on amazon smile are the same as on the regular Amazon site. However, Amazon donates 0.5% of spending to the nominated charity. This is a good way for those who use Amazon to support diocesan finances at no extra cost to themselves. The link is: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/SC010576
Give as you Live: This is the link to the join up page: https://www.giveasyoulive.com/join/rc-diocese-of-galloway-scotland. When you shop at over 4,000 top stores including John Lewis & Partners, Expedia and Marks & Spencer via Give as you Live Online, they'll turn a percentage of your spend into free funds for the diocese. Simply sign up, search for the retailer and start shopping.