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Parish Groups

There are many groups and associations in our parish. Some of these relate to the liturgical life of the community, while others are concerned with devotions and the pastoral outreach of the parish. All groups would warmly welcome new members.
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Liturgy Group

Liturgy, with its recurring rhythms and movements, is to draw us into a deeper experience of God.

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​Co-ordinator: Karen Morris

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The responsibilities of a Parish Liturgy Group include: preparation, coordination, formation and evaluation.

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The Liturgy group met on 13th October to review activity to date an begin planning for Advent and Christmas. Notes of the meeting to follow.

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Readers

The ministry of the word calls us to be servants of the Living Word of God.

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​Co-ordinator: Claire Thomson 

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Rota for the next few weeks

14th/15th March: 6pm Anne Horan   11am Judith France and Esther

21st/22nd March: 6pm Mary McGinley  11am Sheena Savage and Thomas

28th/29th March: 6pm Leandra Robertson  11am Maurice Taylor

4th/5th April: Easter Weekend - readers TBC

Eucharistic Ministers

Through the gift of ministry, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion serve Christ’s Church through bringing the gift of Jesus Christ himself to their brothers and sisters. In this we join Christ in a life poured out in loving service of his kingdom.

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​Co-ordinator: tbc 

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Rota 

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​We are in the process of restarting the rota for Eucharistic Ministers. If you are a commissioned minister and would like to join the rota for the weekend masses, please contact Fr. Greg

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WELCOME MINISTRY

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7)

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Co-ordinator: Aileen Baird

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Rota for the next few weeks​

​​​​14th/15th March: 6pm Mary & Kathleen McGinley  11am  Stephen Egan

21st/22nd March: 6pm Stephen Egan  11am Claire Thomson

28th/29th March: 6pm Mary & Kathleen McGinley  11am Aileen Baird

4th/5th April: Easter Vigil Mary & Kathleen McGinley  11am Aileen Baird

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YOUTH MINISTRY

Young people are called to be leaven in the world — but we cannot be leaven without first being filled with Christ. (Pope Francis)​​

 

Co-ordinator: tbc​​​​​

 

Deanery Youth Group

​Theology on Tap – 26th February, 7pm

Be ambitious for the higher gifts. 

 

The monthly series of talks for 16–30 year olds in West Dunbartonshire returns for a Spring season.

 

Come along for a relaxed evening of faith and friendly conversation at the Abbotsford Hotel, Dumbarton.​​

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For more information about the group contact:  CatholicYoungAdults.WD@gmail.com

or follow us on Facebook (Catholic Young Adults in West Dunbartonshire) and Instagram (@CatholicYAWD). 

St. Vincent de Paul Society​
Tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need.
Co-ordinator: Mary McGinley
Our parish SVdP group is active throughout Helensburgh. If you or anyone you know is in need of support, please get in touch on 07954-163267

Contact

Parish Pastoral Council​
Members:
Fr. Greg Zungdet
Linda Shields 
Claire Thompson
Kerry Mathers
Anne McKelvie
Kevin Johnstone
Karen Morris
Paul Lyden
Aileen Baird
 

Contact

MUSIC MINISTRY​
To sing is to pray twice.

The parish choir leads the music for liturgy at the Sunday 11am mass as well as for our celebrations at Christmas and Easter.
They would love to welcome more members - singers and anyone who plays a musical instrument!
 

Contact
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Healing of the Blind Man

In many commentaries on this passage in the gospel of John the writers  focus on the themes of light and dark, seeing and not seeing. It is easy to understand why. Those are two major themes throughout the book of John, and it’s seen so clearly here. And they’re beautiful metaphors. They have their place and time.

But there’s more to this story than just a brilliant use of metaphor and some dramatic irony. Instead, there’s also an important message here about listening and stories.

In this story, Jesus gives sight to a man who was born blind. At the beginning of the story, when Jesus and his disciples meet the blind man, they ask Jesus why this man was born blind. They want to know: What were the reasons—the causes—behind this man’s impairment? Who is to blame? The disciples want to know whether it was the sin of the man himself or his parents, or someone else in his family that led to his blindness. While that may seem like an odd question to us today, In first-century Palestine, it actually made a lot of sense. It was understood that impairment was a punishment from God because of a person’s sins.

Jesus, though, is uninterested in fully answering their questions. He barely gives those questions the time of day. Jesus is uninterested in finding fault and pointing fingers. It’s hard to see that in our Bibles, but in the Greek, it’s much clearer.  Our English translations say that he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.  But it doesn’t actually say that in Greek: that little phrase—the “so that” was added  later into translations.

 

According to scholars, it could actually be translated as something like this:

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. [FULLSTOP] In order that God’s works might be revealed in him, we must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.”

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As we can see here, Jesus isn’t concerned with the “Why?” of the situation. Instead, Jesus is concerned with the reality of the situation. He’s concerned with the person standing in front of him. In his refusal to go into the details of how and why this man is blind, Jesus is actually doing something else. He is sneakily asking a better question. Instead of “Why” or “How come?” Jesus asks, “what now?” He asks, “In the face of this reality, what now? What can I do in the here and now to support and love the person before me?”

 

The technicalities of the disciples’ nitty gritty theological questions are not, at this moment, important. Following down that line of questioning will only get us lost in the weeds and cause us to ignore those in our midst who demand our attention. Jesus’ response, while not a question itself, helps point us to what’s really important—to our neighbours—and nudges us towards asking questions about who they are instead of what they are.

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But after Jesus cures the man, those who had known him just as the “blind beggar” are only interested in the “Why?” and the “How?” They started hounding him with all sorts of questions. Are you that same guy we’ve known for so long? What happened to you? How did this happen?? Do your parents know about this? Is this real, or are you just messing with us? And question after question, he tells them the same thing. He says, “The man named Jesus cured me; I was blind, but now I see. And that’s all there is to say!” He must have been exasperated by answering the same question over and over and over again. Verse 27 is the best example of this. You can just hear his frustration coming off the page. Verse 27 says:

They asked him how it happened, and “He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

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In this season of Lent, in this season of spiritual spring cleaning, we are called to ask ourselves those same questions posed to those Pharisees. So , let us ask ourselves: Who’s story are we not listening to? Who’s witness are we ignoring? What are the questions we should be asking? Do we have the vision—the imagination—to see the unexpected ways God is working in the world in and through our neighbours?

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Let us pray that during this Lenten season, may we tend to our own stories and the stories of others. Because God has given each of us a story—each of us is a witness—may we listen as Jesus listened. May we ask better questions. May we listen with empathy and compassion to the stories of our neighbours. May we recognize the preciousness of those stories.  And may we be sensitive to how God has worked and is currently working in the lives of our neighbours.

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Adapted from Sarah R. Mayer, Calvary Baptist Church in Hopewell, NJ.

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