Chrism Mass Homily 2018   Dear brothers and sisters, it is a joy to be with you as we gather together in our diocesan family for our annual Chrism Mass.   We gather to thank our Heavenly Father that He gave us His Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, as our Great High Priest forever, anointing and consecrating Him to Sacred Ministry on our behalf.  As His Church we will go on thanking Our Lord Jesus Christ till the end of time that He, the Eternal Priest by His own right, saw fit to ensure that the graces and blessing of His Priesthood would continue to be near at hand for us, His Beloved Flock, in every age down through the history of our world.  He has done so by calling sons out of our midst, and setting them apart like Him as His brothers, consecrating them to share in His own Sacred Ministry.  Today we gather to pray for our priests, my brothers and your dear fathers, and I know you will not mind if I dedicate my words personally to them on this evening that they hold so dear in their hearts.  

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Hosea 2:16-17, 21-22   2 Corinthians 3:1-6   Mark 2:18-22) ​​​​​​​ You are a love letter from Christ The Scriptures are a ‘love letter’ telling the story of the ups and downs of God’s love relationship with humanity.

Knock and Lough Derg/Donegal Pilgrimage 2018 - Monday 2nd – Friday 6th JULY 2018 Knock and Lough Derg - £285, Knock and Donegal - £375, Single Room Supplement – Knock £10pppn, Single Room Supplement – Donegal £20pppn, To book or for further information contact:, Day – Anne – 07901873259 anne.doherty61@hotmail.co.uk, or evening – Liam – 0141 569 1982 or email liam.coyle1@ntlworld.com, or find info on Facebook - Glasgow Vigils Events

Diocesan Priesthood - Thinking about Diocesan Priesthood in 2018? For more information please contact Fr. John Morrison 01418895056 or e-mail vocations@rcdop.org

Location, Location, Location...it's all about the location! For Faith, Life and Peace in the British Isles Sign up here https://www.rosaryonthecoast.co.uk/

BILLINGS OVULATION METHOD® TEACHER TRAINING COURSE Date: 31st May – 3rd June 2018 Venue: Schoenstatt Centre, Clachan of Campsie, Campsie Glen. Glasgow, G66 7AB A Programme for Health Professionals, Marriage Educators and others interested in Women’s Health and Fertility Attendance at this Teacher Training Course will enable the participants to give information on the Billings Ovulation Method® to women and couples who wish to conceive as well as those wishing to use a natural method to avoid pregnancy.

I would like to thank our Deacons who are moving for agreeing so readily to the transfers, and thank all of them for the hard work they put in every week in the parishes, and for all of the benefits that they bring to the Diocese. I would also like to thank the local Priests involved for accepting the moves.

According to the Scottish Catholic Observer, the bishop’s letter urges the society to embrace a “fairer and more positive appraisal of the contribution of faith communities”. He said he was “routinely in the position of having to defend our Church, frankly, from what I would say are lazy and quite gratuitous attacks on Catholics in Scotland and their beliefs from members of the HSS”.

In his annual message for Lent, released by the Vatican on Tuesday, Francis quoted a line from Christ in the Gospel of Matthew: “Because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold.” Those words, the pope said, come as Jesus is describing the end-times, in which “false prophets would lead people astray, and the love that is the core of the Gospel would grow cold in the hearts of many.”

Find your parish website or Facebook account here & find out what services are taking place during Lent! Or give the Parish Priest a call - he'll be happy to advise you of what's happening at a local level! #intentonLent

Lent what will you give up this year...or will you take something up instead? Take the Poll!

The Vatican Museums exhibition will be something of a homecoming for the artist On April 1, 1987, the most popular artists, actors, fashion designers, writers and musicians in America converged on St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Liza Minnelli showed up, along with Calvin Klein, Tom Wolfe and George Plimpton. Yoko Ono arrived a bit early; she was giving a speech. One could have easily mistaken Andy Warhol’s memorial service for a society event rather than a religious one, were it not for the eulogy given by the artist’s friend John Richardson. He spoke of Warhol’s “secret piety”, which “inevitably changes our perception of an artist who fooled the world into believing his only obsessions were money, fame and glamour, and that he was cool to the point of callousness. Never take Andy at face value.” It is this secret piety that the Vatican Museums hope to uncover in their major exhibition of his work next year. Indeed, the Catholic faith is the only constant theme in his strange life.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Leviticus 13:1-2, 45-46 1 Corinthians 10: 31-33, 11:1 Mark 1:40-45) Keeping our love alive Sometimes we have a sense of being at odds and separated from each other. The question, often unasked, is ‘do you love me?’ The answer is the same as Jesus gave to the outcast leper ‘of course I do!’ From being apart, we can be one again. How often do we say to each other ‘I love you’?

Thursday, 8 March - is International Women's Day. Women around the world are writing to Pope Francis to thank him for his leadership on peace, nonviolence and disarmament and to share a vision of peace with him. 'International relations cannot be held captive to military force, mutual intimidation, and the parading of stockpiles of arms.' - Pope Francis, November 2017

The Pope emeritus was responding to the many inquiries from readers as to how he is spending “this last period of his life.” Noting the “slow decline” of his “physical strength,” Benedict says in the letter that “interiorly, I am on a pilgrimage towards Home.” The former Roman Pontiff admits that “this last stretch of the road” is “at times difficult,” but says, “It is a great grace for me to be surrounded by a love and goodness that I could not have imagined.”

The Rosary on the Coast for Faith, Life and Hope in the British Isles. Please watch the video, go visit, like and share the Facebook page (Rosary on the Coast), sign on the website to get involved in this unique moment and be part of something truly gracious for our country. https://www.facebook.com/pg/rosaryonthecoast/about/?ref=page_internal

In the Middle East, the birthplace of Christianity, Christians and other minorities are being violently persecuted, driven out and wiped out. Even their places of worship are being destroyed. Faithkeepers gives face and voice to the humanitarian crisis and genocide affecting millions in the Middle East as a result of religious and ethnic persecution. The film is a testament to the stories of the persecuted and an inspiring portrait of the human spirit. Its message and testimonies are especially poignant at Easter. It's important to note that Faithkeepers has been embraced across the inter-faith community;

CATHOLIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM SATURDAY 14th APRIL 2018 at St Mary’s University, Twickenham TW1 4SX On CONSCIENCE MATTERS IN THE WORKPLACE (Followed on Sunday 15th April by the Annual General Meeting, at St Mary’s) Our Annual Symposium will focus on issues of conscience within healthcare with particular emphasis on matters surrounding abortion and end-of-life care. This is particularly important following the case of the Glasgow Midwives, foeticide, widespread prenatal screening, eugenic abortions, the prospect of buffer zones around abortion clinics and the challenges around counselling and supporting women who are considering abortion.

This makes for very good reading! CATHOLIC WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES Beliefs, Practices, Experiences, and Attitudes By Mark M. Gray and Mary L. Gautier The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate A survey conducted between August 3, 2017 and August 24, 2017. A total of 1,508 women self-identifying as Catholic in the United States completed the survey (in English or Spanish).

MARRIAGE MATTERS (www.twoinoneflesh.org.uk) Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Job 7:1-4, 6-7   1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23   Mark 1:29-39) Making the time to talk and to listen: ​​​​​​​As married couples we need time to grow in knowledge and understanding of each other.  This week let us make time when we are not tired, to talk together, to share what’s happened in the day, our thoughts and feelings, the things that worry us or make us happy. Perhaps we can also plan a regular celebration of our love.