Category: News

Usually, we go to church to attend Mass. With the temporary suspension of Masses celebrated publicly due to the coronavirus crisis, Mass online remains one of very few, if not the sole way of attending. I’d like to offer a few practical suggestions to make ‘watching’ Mass more participatory. (more…)...

Our tests have been successful and I am quietly confident that now we can stream Mass live from St Joseph's Church. Usually, we go to church to attend Mass. With the temporary suspension of Masses celebrated publicly due to the coronavirus crisis, Mass online remains one of very few, if not the sole way of attending. I’d like to offer a few practical suggestions to make ‘watching’ Mass more participatory. Dress up a bit for the occasion - your outfit impacts your spiritual attitude. Turn off or silence those devices that can interrupt or distract you - make your environment as quiet as possible; not only sound-like but in a wider sense. I suggest sitting in a chair rather than an armchair. Sit, stand and kneel as usual if your health permits. Get ready 5 minutes before Mass; let your mind quieten; say your prayers. Use a personal missal to follow Mass; if you don’t have one, you can use an...

If all tests go well, daily Mass will be streamed online from St Joseph's Church, starting this Friday evening. A detailed schedule will be published soon. Starting next Monday (23rd March) Holy Family Church will be open for 1 hour daily for private prayers in front of the Blessed Sacrament; one priest will be available to hear individual confessions. A detailed schedule will be published soon. The parish clergy will be ready to offer pastoral help and support whenever needed; it's not time-off for us. More updated soon. Keep checking this website....

The most recent decision made by the Bishops of Scotland sets some challenges; as the parish community, we are going to rise to them. Thursday 19th March will be the last day when Mass will be publicly celebrated in our churches. We plan to stream Mass online daily, starting on Friday 20th March (fingers crossed!). More details about that and other pastoral arrangements will be published later on. Tonight, 18th March, the parish clergy will hold an emergency meeting. We will sit well apart for ‘social distancing’; it will also give us an excuse to shout at each other :-) This is not the end of the world - it’s just a new chapter and we will fill it with a beautiful story of resilience, charitable love and communal spirit made in the name of Jesus....

HRH The Prince of Wales' has recorded a 3-minute message about persecuted Christians. At this time of Christmas, it is especially important that we remember those suffering for their faith. The video is available to view on the Aid to the Church in Need website....

As more and more people use cashless forms of payment, we have decided to offer such capability in our church. Its purpose is to make more convenient making donations to our parish without searching frantically for a cash machine nearby or your pockets or wallets for spare change. Please note that Cashless Donations can only be made BEFORE or AFTER Sunday Mass. We don’t offer it during offertory collection. How to make donations: The terminal is manned by appointed personnel (operator). Please note they are volunteers. Tell the operator the amount you wish to donate to the parish. The operator will set the amount and show you the screen to double-check the amount is right. Having confirmed the amount, you will be asked to touch the terminal with your contactless cards or device (smartphone, smartwatch etc.) or to put your card into the terminal and type in your PIN. The operator will offer you the option to receive a receipt by text...