CENACOLO Prayer Group - Mondays at 6:30 pm in St. Mary’s Church (Mass at 6.00pm )

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Sacred Heart Sisters - Every Tuesday the Sisters invite you into the Convent House for coffee/tea, after Mass at 10.00am , and for prayer at 8.00pm .

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Prayer Group - Wednesdays at 2:30pm in the Marian Room

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Parents & Toddlers Group - Thursdays from 11.00am to 1.00pm

in the Marian Room .

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Narcotics Anonymous -Thursdays 7:30pm & Sundays at 3:30pm

in the Marian Room

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Young Adults’ Group (18 to 35) - Fridays 7.30pm in St Mary’s Church

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St Vincent de Paul - every fortnight.  Sundays in the Marian Room at 10.00am. New members welcome.

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Youth Club - Secondary School Youth Club meet fortnightly in

St. Ninian’s Hall.  Contact 01463 794510.

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Inverness Catenian Group - Meet at 7.30 pm, every 2nd Monday of the month in the Glenmoriston, Inverness .  New members and visitors welcome.

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Knights of St Columba - Meet on the first Monday of every month in the Marian Room at 7.30pm.  Contact Neil Munro 01463 232095

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Mass at  Raigmore Hospital- Every Wednesday at 4.00pm

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Secular Franciscan Order- Meet every 2^nd Saturday of the Month. Contact Helen MacGilp  01463 792149

Everyone should be aware of Diocesan Policy on the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults.  If you have a concern, contact a member of the Parish Clergy or the Parish Child Protection Officers, Stephen Dunphy (01463 225496)

or Helen Macdonald (Culloden).

The Bulletin

St Mary’s, Inverness

& St. Columba’s, Culloden.

Parish Office: 30 Huntly Street,

Inverness , IV3 5PR

 Tel: (01463) 233519

email: stmarysinverness@btinternet.com

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

~~~21 February 2010~~~

~~First Sunday of Lent~~

~Year c~

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

~~Contact Details~~

St. Mary’s:- 32 Huntly Street , Inverness , IV3 5PR

St. Columba’s:- Tower Road , Smithton, Inverness . IV2 7PW

~~~~~~   ~~~   ~~~~~~

Parish Priest:

 Fr. James Bell

Assistant Priest & Hospital Chaplain

Fr. Anil Gonsalves

Assistant Priest & Polish Chaplain:

Fr. Piotr  Koczorowski

Deacon:

Rev. Jacques Cooke

(01463 230670)

Deacon:

Rev. Patrick Darbyshire

 (01456 450154)

Deacon:

Rev. Peter Simpson

(01463 798075)

Sacred Heart Sisters

 (01463 226953)

Sister Barbara Campbell LSU

(01463 793127)

St Joseph ’s Primary School

(01463 231837)

~~~~~~   ~~~   ~~~~~~

RC Diocese of Aberdeen Charitable Trust.

 A Registered Scottish Charity No. 005122

~This Week’s Liturgical Calendar~

21       Sun                 First Sunday of Lent

22          Mon                       Feast of the Chair of St Peter

23          Tue                        Tuesday in 1^st Week of Lent

24          Wed                       Wednesday in 1^st Week of Lent

25          Thu                        Thursday in 1^st Week of Lent

26          Fri                         Friday in 1^st Week of Lent 

27          Sat                         Saturday in 1^st Week of Lent 

28       Sun                 Second Sunday of Lent

~~FOR YOUR PRAYERS~~

Sick:-

Louise Hendry + Moira Cooke + Manus Gallagher + Isabel & David +

Peggy Johnstone + Vincent Lowe + Frank McDermott +

Douglas  Taylor  + Canon Duncan Stone

Anniversaries:-

Moira McGoogan + John Armstrong + Margaret & William Donnelly +

Donald John Macmillan +Maria Louisa Rizza + Liam Joseph fraser +

Helen Jane Robertson + James Melviile Sutherland + Adrienne Bierman + Elizabeth MacTaggart + Robert Wing Sun +

R. I. P:-

 Mary Hardie + John MacDonald + Annagh Fraser (Baby)

~~Sunday Collections~~

St. Mary’s - £ 695

St. Columba’s - £ 224.11

 Building Fund £ 41.58

Thank You for your generosity

Yellow gift aid envelopes available

~~~SERVICE TIMES ~~~

~~St Mary’s~~

Mass Times:-

Sundays -               11:00 am and 6:30 pm

Mondays-            10.00 am followed by Exposition

 until 11.00 am & Mass 6.00 pm

Tuesdays -                    7:00 am & 10.00 Am

Wednesdays -     10:00 am followed by Exposition

 until 3.00 pm

Thursdays -                      10:00 am

Fridays -                 12:30 pm

Saturdays -                    10:00 am followed by Exposition

 until 11.00 am and 6:30 pm Vigil Mass

Polish Mass -      Sundays at 1.00 pm

Sacrament of Reconciliation:  - Saturdays from 10:30 am to11:00 am & on request; if there is a Priest available

Baptisms:  - Sundays - during or after 11:00 am Mass

or before Vigil

Weddings:  - by arrangement (six months notice requested)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~St Columba’s~~

Mass Times:-

Sundays -                9.30 am

Wednesdays -       10.30 am, followed by Exposition.

Thursdays -                       7.30 pm

Sacrament of Reconciliation:  - Sundays before 9.30 am Mass or by arrangement.

Baptisms:  - Sundays during or after 9.30 am Mass

Weddings:  - by arrangement (six months notice requested)

~~~News in General~~~

Lenten Station Masses

All Fridays at 7.00pm

26 Feb- St Ninian’s, Inverness

05 Mar- St Columba’s, Culloden

12 Mar- Christ the King, Brora

19 Mar- St Joseph’s, Invergordon

26 Mar- St Mary’s, Inverness

Transport from St Mary’s.

Please enter your names on the list

provided at the Church Door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Penitential Service- St Mary’s, Inverness with Fr Tony Nye SJ on Wednesday 03 March from 7.00pm till 8.00pm, or as required.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Youth Club-The Youth Club are planning a bingo night for the club funds. We would be grateful for any donations of prizes. Date will be announced nearer the time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Knights of St Columba- are hosting a St Patrick’s Night Dance on Saturday 20 March, 7.30pm for 8.00pm, in St Mary’s Parish Hall. Tickets are £7, available from KSC members or contact 232095

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deanery Young People’s Programme- The following are the planned deanery Youth Events. 06 March St Columba’s, Culloden- 10 April St Mary’s, Beauly- 15 May Our Lady & St Bean, Marydale, Cannich- 11 till 13 June, a weekend away, it is hoped that this might be on Orkney.

~~~St. Mary’s News~~~

Stained Glass Window- Please see blue papered letter at door of Church

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bible Alive-Lenten issue now available.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pastoral Visits- Please contact Deacon Patrick if you know of any sick or housebound people who aren’t already receiving

a home visit.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tea / Coffee- Every Sunday, in the Church Hall, after the 11am Mass.

~~~St. Columba’s News~~~

Stations of The Cross- Every Thursday during Lent at 7.00pm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pray & Praise Group - Every Thursday, after the 7.30pm Mass

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First Holy Communion Classes- Every Monday at 5.15pm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Piety Stall - Open every Sunday after Mass.

2010 Diocesan Calendars, last few, still available;

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Church Cleaners-Helpers required to keep our Church clean. Contact Don if you have an hour spare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tea / Coffee- Every Sunday after Mass.

Next Bacon / Sausage rolls on 07 Feb.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dates for your Diary- 07 May Family Quiz - 09 June Dedication of our new St Columba’s statue – 02 July Family BBQ – 18 Sept Fete.

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Dear Brother Bishops,

I extend a warm welcome to all of you on your ad Limina visit to Rome . I thank you for the kind words that Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien has addressed to me on your behalf, and I assure you of my constant prayers for you and for the faithful entrusted to your care. Your presence here expresses a reality that lies at the heart of every Catholic diocese – its relationship of communio with the See of Peter, and hence with the universal Church. Pastoral initiatives that take due account of this essential dimension bring authentic renewal: when the bonds of communion with the universal Church, and in particular with Rome , are accepted joyfully and lived fully, the people's faith can grow freely and yield a harvest of good works.  It is a happy coincidence that the Year for Priests, which the whole Church is currently celebrating, marks the four hundredth anniversary of the priestly ordination of the great Scottish martyr Saint John Ogilvie. Rightly venerated as a faithful servant of the Gospel, he was truly outstanding in his dedication to a difficult and dangerous pastoral ministry, to the point of laying down his life. Hold him up as an example for your priests today. I am glad to know of the emphasis you place on continuing formation for your clergy, especially through the initiative "Priests for Scotland". The witness of priests who are genuinely committed to prayer and joyful in their ministry bears fruit not only in the spiritual lives of the faithful, but also in new vocations. Remember, though, that your commendable initiatives to promote vocations must be accompanied by sustained catechesis among the faithful about the true meaning of priesthood. Emphasize the indispensable role of the priest in the Church's life, above all in providing the Eucharist by which the Church herself receives life. And encourage those entrusted with the formation of seminarians to do all they can to prepare a new generation of committed and zealous priests, well equipped humanly, academically and spiritually for the task of ministry in the twenty-first century.  Hand in hand with a proper appreciation of the priest's role is a correct understanding of the specific vocation of the laity. Sometimes a tendency to confuse lay apostolate with lay ministry has led to an inward-looking concept of their ecclesial role. Yet the Second Vatican Council's vision is that wherever the lay faithful live out their baptismal vocation – in the family, at home, at work – they are actively participating in the Church's mission to sanctify the world. A renewed focus on lay apostolate will help to clarify the roles of clergy and laity and so give a strong impetus to the task of evangelizing society.  That task requires a readiness to grapple firmly with the challenges presented by the increasing tide of secularism in your country. Support for euthanasia strikes at the very heart of the Christian understanding of the dignity of human life. Recent developments in medical ethics and some of the practices advocated in the field of embryology give cause for great concern. If the Church's teaching is compromised, even slightly, in one such area, then it becomes hard to defend the fullness of Catholic doctrine in an integral manner. Pastors of the Church, therefore, must continually call the faithful to complete fidelity to the Church's Magisterium, while at the same time upholding and defending the Church's right to live freely in society according to her beliefs. The Church offers the world a positive and inspiring vision of human life, the beauty of marriage and the joy of parenthood. It is rooted in God's infinite, transforming and ennobling love for all of us, which opens our eyes to recognize and love his image in our neighbour (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 10-11 et passim). Be sure to present this teaching in such a way that it is recognized for the message of hope that it is. All too often the Church's doctrine is perceived as a series of prohibitions and retrograde positions, whereas the reality, as we know, is that it is creative and life-giving, and it is directed towards the fullest possible realization of the great potential for good and for happiness that God has implanted within every one of us.  The Church in your country, like many in Northern Europe, has suffered the tragedy of division. It is sobering to recall the great rupture with Scotland's Catholic past that occurred four hundred and fifty years ago. I give thanks to God for the progress that has been made in healing the wounds that were the legacy of that period, especially the sectarianism that has continued to rear its head even in recent times. Through your participation in Action of Churches Together in Scotland, see that the work of rebuilding unity among the followers of Christ is carried forward with constancy and commitment. While resisting any pressure to dilute the Christian message, set your sights on the goal of full, visible unity, for nothing less can respond to the will of Christ.  You can be proud of the contribution made by Scotland's Catholic schools in overcoming sectarianism and building good relations between communities. Faith schools are a powerful force for social cohesion, and when the occasion arises, you do well to underline this point. As you encourage Catholic teachers in their work, place special emphasis on the quality and depth of religious education, so as to prepare an articulate and well-informed Catholic laity, able and willing to carry out its mission "by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God" (Christifideles Laici, 15). A strong Catholic presence in the media, local and national politics, the judiciary, the professions and the universities can only serve to enrich Scotland's national life, as people of faith bear witness to the truth, especially when that truth is called into question.  Later this year, I shall have the joy of being present with you and the Catholics of Scotland on your native soil. As you prepare for the Apostolic Visit, encourage your people to pray that it will be a time of grace for the whole Catholic community. Take the opportunity to deepen their faith and to rekindle their commitment to bear witness to the Gospel. Like the monks from Iona who spread the Christian message throughout the length and breadth of Scotland, let them be beacons of faith and holiness for the Scottish people today.  With these thoughts, I commend your apostolic labours to the intercession of Our Lady, Saint Andrew, Saint Margaret and all the saints of Scotland. To all of you, and to your clergy, religious and lay faithful I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and joy in the Lord Jesus Christ.