The Parish Bulletin 5 July 2020

14th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Date Details Private Mass Time Sunday 5 July

14TH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR CHURCH OPEN 16.00-17.00

Parish Mass Online Fr. James Private. Fr. Dominic

PRIVATE PRAYER

11.00 12.00 16.00

Monday

6 July Memorial of St Maria Goretti Parish Masses Fr. Dominic

Private. Fr. James 09.30 18.00

Tuesday

7 July 14th Week of the Year Parish Masses Fr. Dominic

Private. Fr. James 09.30 12.30

Wednesday 8 July

14th Week of the Year CHURCH OPEN 17.30-18.30

Parish Masses Fr. Dominic Private. Fr. James

PRIVATE PRAYER

09.30 12.30 17.30

Thursday 9 July

Solemnity of Our Lady of Aberdeen Parish Masses Fr. Dominic Private Fr. James

09.30 12.30

Friday 10 July

14th Week of the Year CHURCH OPEN 12.00-13.00

Parish Masses Fr. Dominic Private. Fr. James

PRIVATE PRAYER

09.30 12.30 12.00

Saturday 11 July

St Benedict Parish Masses Fr. Dominic Private. Fr. James

09.30 11.00

Sunday 12 July

15TH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

CHURCH OPEN 16.00-17.00

Parish Mass Online Fr. Dominic Private. Fr. James

PRIVATE PRAYER

11.00 12.00 16.00

Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Zechariah 9: 9-10 Psalm: 144: 1-2, 8-11, 13-14 2ndReading: Romans 8: 9, 11-13 Gospel: Matthew 11: 25-30 Gospel: John 9:1-41

St. Mary’s, Inverness 30 Huntly Street, Inverness, IV3 5PR.

Tel: 01463 233519 www.stmarysinverness.co.uk

Email: stmarysinverness@btinternet.com

An Act of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus,

I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love You above all things,

and I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,

come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if You were already there

and unite myself wholly to You.

Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

We invite you to WATCH ONLINE

Mass from St Mary’s www.stmarysinverness.co.uk

The Exposition Candelabra. As can be seen PJ has restored the Exposition Candelabra to a pristine condition. It gleams and when in its place below the Monstrance it is a worthy support to the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. There are now three opportunities each week [until we learn further] for us to come to St Mary’s for private and personal prayer in the Presence of the Lord of the Sacrament. Enthroned in splendour, high in the pinnacled chamber, the Blessed Sacrament is the attractive focus of our prayers. The Divine Mercy expresses itself from the Heart of Jesus, the wounded side being the source of our Sacramental life wherein we find healing for our souls. Catholics are naturally present at Exposition when we may gaze upon the Miracle of Love that transforms bread to Body and radiates the Divine Compassion. Our heartfelt desires find a consoling and encouraging Presence as we cherish the Lord and He cherishes us. Come to the Presence of the Lord, be still and know his Peace.

The Novena: Tuesday 7 July to Wed 15 July: Our Lady Untier [Undoer] of Knots

In recent years I have become aware of the complexity of the lives of so many young men. Their lives are all ‘knotted -up’, there are so many issues that contribute to real confusion about their personal identity and their purpose in life. There is suffering many families because of addictions [alcohol, drugs, illegal medicines, abusive life-styles]. I was asked recently when we were to have prayers for those caught up in such suffering. Traditionally on Monday evening our Mass and Rosary prayers were focussed on the work of the Cenacolo Community where traditional prayer, communal life and daily offering to the Lord provide healing for many young people. Lives that are all ‘knotted up’ begin to find a new poise and serenity. It is an arduous commitment of prayer for the suffering young. We can assist by sharing at least in the burden of prayer. The Novena will focus on the way in which Our Lady Untier of Knots can assist us to a less complex way of living and a more free openness to the problems of others, and a humbler acceptance of our own.

~~ From Fr James ~~

The Marian devotion entitled Mary Untier of Knots shares its name with a painting depicting Our Lady untying the knots of a white wedding ribbon. This painting played a significant role in the history of Mary Undoer of Knots Devotion. Its origins are to be found in the tradition that a German nobleman, Wolfgang Langenmantel was distressed when he found his wife Sophia was planning to divorce him. To save his marriage, Wolfgang sought counsel from the wise and pious Fr. Jakob Rem a Jesuit priest, who was known to have a strong devotion to Mary. Dedicated to his marriage Wolfgang brought Sophia to meet Fr. Rem four times in twenty-eight days. On their fourth visit on 28 Sep 1615, the Langenmantel’s brought their wedding ribbon. At that time, it was customary for the maid of honour to tie together the arms of the bride and groom. This uniting of arms with a ribbon symbolized their union for life. Before an image of Our Lady of Snows, Fr. Rem took the white ribbon and untied the knots one by one. When he finished the ribbon became dazzling white. This was taken as confirmation that Mary had heard their prayers. Fortunately, the divorce was averted, and the Langenmatels remained happily married. In 1700, more than eighty years later, Wolfgang’s grandson Fr. Heironymus Ambrosius Langenmantel donated a family altar. He commissioned Johann Melchoir Georg Schmittdner to provide a painting representative of the Langenmantel family. Schmittdner became inspired by the story of Wolfgang and Sophia and depicted the narrative within his painting. The original Baroque painting of ‘Mary Untier of Knots’, was completed and the image came to be venerated as Mary Undoer of Knots. The painting has survived wars and revolutions and continues to draw people to it. Today the original still hangs over the family altar found at the Church of St. Peter am Perlach in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. Pope Francis, when he was the young Fr Jorge Bergoglio SJ, studying in Germany saw the image Of Our Lady Undoer of Knots. On returning to Argentina he promoted her veneration, which is now widespread in Latin America. The painting portrays Mary dressed in a blue mantle with twelve stars above her head, standing on the serpent, crushing evil and untying the knots. Mary is seen as one who interceds for us to her Son, helping us to let go of what binds us, what ties us to this world, what causes discord, violence and despair, freeing us from the struggles and the "knots of our lives. This is an appropriate Novena for us to reach out in prayer for all those whose lives are ‘knotted up’, and in despair. We link our Novena with the Confident and Hopeful work of Cenacolo.

The Cenacolo Community was founded in 1983 by Sr Elvira an Italian nun. It is now world-wide. The UK house is near Kendal, and there is an Irish house at Knock. A Cenacolo house is a place of hope! It is not a “Detox” or a “Rehab”. It is a place of hope, certainly for those seeking to escape from addiction (drug/alcohol/gambling etc) but also for those disaffected by life who want to experience a simpler life in a Christian environment.

In Cenacolo there are no psychiatrists or social workers; this is a “peer-led” community where men [ and women, for there are some separate houses for women] live together, respecting each other, themselves and the firm rules of the Community.

They are among friends who will generally have gone through similar experiences to themselves.

The main foundations of the Community are: Friendship, Work and Prayer. In this way self-esteem and self-confidence grow. This is the work of the Lord, much assisted by the Prayers of Our Lady. Details of the Novena will be published on the Parish website and the Novena days will be sent in three three-day batches beginning on Tue 7 July to all on our distribution lists unless they opt out. From the imagination of the Holy Spirit, through the intuition of a consecrated woman, Sister Elvira Petrozzi, the Comunità Cenacolo was started in July 1983 as the response of the tenderness of God the Father to the desperate cry of many youth who are tired, disappointed, desperate, drug addicts and non-addicts, searching for joy and the true meaning of life. Collaborating with her are volunteers, consecrated religious and families who live and work full-time and gratuitously at the service of this good work. The Mother House of the Community is found on the hills of Saluzzo, a town in the province of Cuneo (Piemonte region-Italy). Other houses were begun, as well, in these years: there are presently 56 spread throughout Italy and the world. In the places where Providence guides us, we want to be a small but shining light in the darkness, a sign of hope, and a living testimony that death doesn’t have the last word.

To those who knock on the doors of the Community we propose a style of life that is simple, family-oriented, in the rediscovery of work seen as a gift, of true friendship and faith in the Word of God, made flesh in Jesus Christ dead and risen for us.

We believe that the Christian life, in its fullness, is the true response to every anxiety of man, and that no one other than He who created man, God the Father, is able to reconstruct his heart led astray in a life without meaning. Our strength must come from Love, that Love which comes from the Cross of Christ and

which gives life to the dead, freedom to prisoners, and sight to the blind. We are the first to be amazed by what the Lord is working in front of our eyes, and to thank Him because He makes us daily witnesses to His Resurrection, in the strength of which we see every day life return in the smiles of people who had lost all hope.

The Churches are now open for private prayer with all safety measures are in place. St Mary's will be open for private and personal prayer and exposition only on:

Wednesday 8 July from 1730 until 1830 Friday 10 July from 1200 until 1300 Sunday. 12 July from 1600 until 1700

There is restricted space within the Church. Today several of us allocated seating areas within the nave. Given the restrictions of social distancing there will be SIXTEEN seating spaces. If a small group [THREE]from the same household sit together in these locations this would give a maximum seating capacity of FORTY EIGHT. Strangers may not sit together. A group of THREE is the largest that will allow for social distancing.

Entry and exit will be by the main door, the front porch is divided by a partition, and on entry, by the left, those attending will, keeping social distance, enter the vestibule to the left of the porch. This will be the cleaning and disinfecting station [supervised].

Every visitor will be required to have face cover that prevents exhalation, from the nose or mouth, into the atmosphere. Face masks will be available if required [these will cost FIFTY PENCE]. Everyone entering the Church must have effective face covering- nothing 'token' will be acceptable.

There will be NO entrance/exit at the back door. The extension area is excluded from the seating arrangements. Entrance and exit by the front door only, from Huntly Street.

Visitors will be shown to a seating area. When leaving the Church, the route is to the front following the guide-lines. and turning at the font to enter the War Memorial corridor, thence to the rear of the Church, and exit as directed by the left of the main door. There will be a cleansing station at the door.

Visitors should not touch statues or any other aspect of the Church. Seating areas will be cleaned and disinfected between visitors. There is no provision for the lighting of candles. There is no entrance to the sanctuary area which is roped off from the font to the pulpit.

Collections and donations these may be placed in the standing collection box at the back of the church.

The WC/Lavatory is for emergency use. Visitors are requested to take appropriate measures before attending the Church. There is not a sufficiently large cleaning staff available to maintain the WC facilities.

If anyone would like to volunteer for being a 'cleaner', 'supervisory attendant', pass-keeper, then please let PJ in the Office know as soon as possible, and the registration of 'volunteers' can take place.

There will be further up-dates as the situation changes, in respect of the number of 'volunteers', and the pattern of attendance.

I hope that everyone will continue to stay safe, protect each other, and continue instantly in prayer for an end to this present pandemic. It is still there, and everyone is vulnerable; but, we can take hope from these initial measures, and make progress slowly and safely. No-one is under any pressure to volunteer and everyone is encouraged to remain patient and understanding yet persevering in faith and making use of all the means of grace available to us through the internet, television, radio and books. 'Every day, encourage one another', a telephone call helps.

aye

Fr James

St Joseph: The Icon of his Annunciation As you may recall a benefactor within the Parish, who wishes to remain anonymous, made a donation to provide for enhancement of the Statue of St Joseph at the west end of the Church. The statue has been cleaned and the surrounding area re-painted, and appropriate lighting renewed. To complete the wishes of the donor, a new Icon was commissioned which has been written by our own parishioner Jay Jay Gladwin, who has been generous with her time and prayerful skills. The Icon is now fixed on the wall beside the Sacristy door, and it depicts the reassurance given to Joseph in a dream - this message of Gabriel is called the Annunciation to Joseph.

It is in convenient place in the extension so that the children from St Joseph's Primary School may see it on their way in and out of the Church.

Like the other Icons in the Church, the stained glass windows, the statues and art work these are all aids to devotion and useful as visual aids in teaching us all about our Catholic Faith.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL:

We have a Parish YOUTUBE Channel (St Mary’s Catholic Church), but in order to live-stream we need to increase the number of parishioner subscribers. YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUFLV_B7MHKXkmeX0X7NhUA

FACEBOOK:

Also we have a Parish Facebook Page (St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church)

We would like to invite you to our official St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church Facebook page

at https://www.facebook.com/StMarysChurchInverness and like it if you haven't already done

so. Leave a message, comment on the posts, leave us a feedback. Your presence would be very

much appreciated and mean so much to us. And if you like what you see from time to time, do

consider sharing our posts and telling your friends about St Mary’s Church. Please speak to PJ

about this if you would like further advice. Thank you for being our supporters.

Following receipt of our bank statement for May, we are now able to provide an update of our present financial situation. This is the No.1 working account, the No.2 account is money held for specific purposes and cannot be used for any other purpose. Balance as of 30/04/20 1,640.53 Income Total Income 15,190.58 Expenditure Total Expenditure 7,142.44 Balance as of 29/05/20. 9,688.67 Grateful thanks to all who have sent in their offertory envelopes and Cash Donations over the past few weeks to help us maintain our finances. These are much appreciated A further update regarding the Parish finances will be given after the receipt of the June bank statement.

As you can see we have received all our gift aid tax rebates on our 2019/20 claim, this includes £7,418.55 from Gift aid envelopes and Gift aided direct debits and standing orders along with £2,000 from the Small gift aid donation scheme, which is the maximum we can receive annually from Sunday cash collections. This is vital income to the Parish, every year but especially in these difficult times for the Parish, financially. We are extremely grateful to all who participate in the Gift Aid scheme. If you are a UK taxpayer and have not yet considered helping the Parish in this way, we ask that you think about signing up to this scheme. It costs you nothing, but the Parish receives 25p for every £1 you contribute, no matter how small your contribution. If you wish details of the Gift Aid scheme please contact the Parish Office. Your ongoing gifts and donations are essential to the Parish during these difficult times. Many thanks for your generosity. Please consider creating a Regular Standing Order or Direct Debit. This is the easiest way of maintaining your regular contributions. Information can be obtained from Carol MacLean. Please leave a message with your contact details by contacting Fr. Dominic on the Presbytery telephone number 01463 233519. Please consider making donations to the Fabric Maintenance account (St Mary’s Inverness No 2 account). If any of you are in a position to make an increase in your giving, this will be welcomed. Please ensure that all your regular weekly plate offerings are continued. This can be done by sending in a cheque to the Parish office or posting an envelope through the letterbox. Please use the internal letterbox if the outer porch door is open. Please consider Gift Aid for any other giving if you are a U K taxpayer.

~~PARISH FINANCES~~

St. Vincent de Paul Society

(SVDP). Requests for assistance and support can be made by contacting Mark Jones in confidence or any SVDP member. Mobile number: 07988 670 997 Visit www.ssvpscotland.com

Magdalena Bargiel MPsych. Person - Centred Counsellor MBACP. MCOSCA. MBPsS.

MPPA I offer you a safe space to talk, to be heard and support you to build healthier relationships with self and others. I provide counselling in Polish and English I offer. Contact: magdalenabargiel.counselling@gmail.com or 07858129725.

Black Isle Garden – Market One of our Parishioners, Jay Jay Gladwin from Old Allangrange is selling Produce and Young Plants direct from the farm at present. All the produce is grown organically and the animals on the farm spend their whole lives there and are fed on the spent grain from the brewery. Each week what is produced will change slightly but this is what they have for sale at the moment. Produce: Beef, Lamb, Spinach, Salad greens, Lettuces, Rocket, Potatoes and all sorts of different Herbs and of course Beer. Young plants: curly kale, brussel sprouts, calabrese, salad greens, tomatoes, chills, courgettes, runner beans, french beans, mizuna, all sorts of different herbs and seed potatoes. If people would like to contact Jay Jay directly they can do so through this email address: blackislegardendesign.com

HIGHLAND FOODBANK Your donations help to provide emergency food and support to local people in crisis. Highland Foodbank is very busy just now, feeding an average of 30 people on a daily basis in the Inverness & Nairn areas alone. We are keeping in line with our normal practice of receiving referrals from partnering agencies for people who are in financial crisis and have no food, nor money to buy any. I’ve had a number of calls and emails asking what individuals and congregations can do to support Foodbank at this time, when people aren’t able to donate their usual food items on a Sunday. With normal drop off points in communities not being available, people not wishing to visit the supermarket too frequently to purchase donations and the current unavailability of some products we are suggesting that if people would like to continue to donate to Highland Foodbank, they can do so financially, no matter how small the amount. This can be done through bank transfer, cheque (made payable to Blythswood Care, with a covering note to say that it is for Highland Foodbank) or via the Blythswood Care website. Cheques should be posted to the address below, and if anyone would like to do a bank transfer they can give us a call on either number below and we will let them have our account number and sort code. This money will be in lieu of food.

~~GENERAL NEWS~~

A NEW BUT ALSO OLD PILGRIMAGE ROUTE

The Caithness Book Club boasts all of six regular members at its monthly meetings in St Anne's church hall, Thurso. One of its books was 'Together in Christ: Following the Northern Saints' by John Woodside. From this developed 'The Northern Saints Trails', listing 33 names and 32 sites linked to these names. The sites were organised into six circular routes, four starting in Thurso and two in Wick. For more information, see www.wickstferguschurch.org.uk/page16 . While doing the research for the Saints Trails, the group realised that there was enough historical evidence to re-create the medieval pilgrimage route linking the shrines of St Duthac in Tain and St Magnus in Kirkwall. So a second project was born. Much of the background work has been done and we are now planning some public events in the hope that this will encourage more people to come forward with offers of practical help and local folklore about the sites along the route. We are launching this stage of the project with a ‘Pilgrimage Event’ in Tain on 29th May 2021. There will be an ecumenical service in St Duthac’s chapel followed by refreshments and information on the Northern Pilgrims’ Way. Similar events will take place in Old St Peter’s Kirk, Thurso on 3rd July 2021 and in St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall on 20th August 2021

The Symbolism of our logo: The central cross is from the St Andrew's cross on the Scottish flag. The two lines represent the two saints – Duthac and Magnus The pointed curves are copied from the Ulbster Stone, a Celtic carved stone originally at the site of an early chapel dedicated to St Martin at Ulbster, on our Braid Three and the John o' Groat's Trail. The site is now marked by a mausoleum.

Evil never gives peace. It causes

frenzy first then leaves bitterness. Instead, God’s voice

never promises cheap, easily acquired joy. He invites us to go beyond our ego to find that true

good: peace.

Pope Francis – Pontifex Twitter

+ Sick + + Christopher Brown + Mary Cumming + Kate Fraser + George Taylor + Maureen Rattray + + Florian Alvaran + Ian Cameron + Leslie Allan + Evelyn Farry + Catherine Stewart + + Louise Hendry + Hilary Smith + Mary Grant + Leslie Murray + Sabrina MacAllen + + James Connelly + Ruth & John Huggett + Louise Bestau + Emmy MacNicol + + Claude & Hilary Hayward + Patrick Daniel Finnerty + Joyce Connelly + Margaret Carr + + Margaret Dow + Ann Cameron + Stewart MacLennan + Alexandra (Sandra ) MacDonald+ + Isobel Kelly + Winifred Kelly + Margaret Harrison + Roddy Corbett + + Tommy Robertson + Brian Lamond + Hazel Collins + Lynne Williams + + Tom Gillan + Marjory Trace + Ian Mackenzie + Rena Mackintosh + + Marion MacRae + John Daniel Peteranna + Mary Macdonald + Anthony Grady + + Marvia McCulloch + Dale Swanson +

+ Anniversaries + + Mona McCulloch + Mary Gordon + Ronald Middleton + Charles Pieracinni + + Hugh Sheilds + Herbert Anderson + John Knight + Anne Grant + + Julia Edwards + Anne Robertson + Colin Isaac + Ernest Snape + Hilda King + + Elizabeth MacIver + Henry Seich + Peter Baird + James Burns + Emmanuel Olloh + + Paul Carroll + Nan Ward + Alexander Chisholm + Rose Ann Macintyre +

+ R.I.P. + + Margaret (Rita) Regan + Rosemary MacGillivray +

~~FOR YOUR PRAYERS~~

Parish of the R.C. Diocese of Aberdeen Charitable Trust. A Registered Scottish Charity No SC 005122

Please contact the parish office if you require a visit or know of anyone who is sick, and housebound or in hospital and wishes a visit and or Holy Communion.

Sacrament of Reconciliation Sacrament of Baptism

Weddings Due to Government restrictions at present, we are unable to participate in these Sacraments at Present.

Please continue to pray for vocations to the Priesthood;

and for our Seminarians Malachy Eze, Christopher Doig

Aidan Matheson

WORDS OF ST FAUSTINA I strive to be faithful to God and to love Him to the point of complete forgetfulness of self. And He Himself looks after me and fights against my enemies. DIARY: 1720 Your Spirit O Lord, is the Spirit of peace; and nothing troubles my depths because you dwell there, O Lord. I do not fear anything, although the storm is raging, and frightful bolts strike all around me, and I then feel quite alone. Yet, my heart senses You, and my trust grows, and I see all Your omnipotence which upholds me. With You, Jesus, I go through life, amid storms and rainbows, with a cry of joy, singing the song of Your mercy. DIARY: 761 Love casts out fear. God is Love and His Spirit is peace. DIARY: 591

As Father James remains at home in Edderton, during the Government restrictions he can be contacted by; Telephone: 07841758409 or by email: jassbell@btinternet

Fr. James Bell Parish Priest 01463 233519

Fr. Andrew Niski

Priest for Polish

Community

01463 233519

Fr. Dominic Nwaigwe

Assistant Priest

01463 233519

Dcn. Patrick Darbyshire

Parish Deacon &

Prison Chaplain

01463 233519

PJ Fąferek Parish Office 01463 233519

Carol MacLean

Finance & Gift Aid Organiser

01463 233519

Stephen Dunphy

Safeguarding Officer

01463 233519

Daughters of Divine Love Convent (Sr. Grace)

01463 718690

St Joseph’s Primary School 01463 231837

~~SICK OR HOSPITAL VISITS~~

~~CONTACT DETAILS~~