St. Joseph's, Helensburgh

HABEMUS PAPAM!

We have a Pope! With seemingly the whole world watching and waiting, just after 17:00 (BST) on Thursday 8th May the white smoke from the Vatican chimney announced a new pope had been elected. Shortly after we learned that Cardinal Robert Prevost had been appointed and would take the name Leo XIV. It is fitting that on this Good Shepherd Sunday we are blessed with a new shepherd to tend the flock. We keep him in our prayers as he begins this new phase of his ministry, asking the Holy Spirit to guide him. You can read more about Pope Leo XIV on the Reflection pages of our website.

​

FAMILY MASS AND ​​​COFFEE MORNING

Thanks to all who were able to join us last weekend for our Family Mass and coffee morning. The next one will be on Sunday 1st June. 

​

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION

Congratulations to all our young people who have received the Sacraments this week. On Tuesday we welcomed Archbishop Nolan to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on 14 candidates and on Saturday 12 children received their First Holy Communion. We pray for them all as they continue in their faith journey. A huge thanks to all involved in the preparations and celebrations - teachers, catechists, families and parishioners. ​

​

DEVOTIONS

Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament will resume each Tuesday and Thursday morning before Mass, starting at 9am.

​

PARISH SYNOD

This weekend we will be sharing more about our Parish Synod (being held on Saturday 14th June, from 2-4.30pm) and inviting you to share in this journey. Everyone is asked to contribute their thoughts and hopes via a short questionnaire and we'll be looking for people to join us on the day. You can read more about it on our Parish Synod page of the website and if you'd like to know more please speak to Fr. Greg or Karen Morris. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will open our hearts to this opportunity and will guide and inspire us in our endeavours.​

​

JOY OF THE SPIRIT

On Sunday 8th June at 2.30pm we will be hosting an event marking Pentecost ... the beginning of the Christian Church. This will be an occasion to welcome parishioners from our wider pastoral area to St. Joseph's. There will be a short service in Church followed by a reception in the garden. Please come and join us for this celebration.​

​​​​​

SECOND COLLECTIONS
The Second Collection this weekend is for Vocation Sunday, coinciding with the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. 

​

CHRISTIAN AID

We are still looking for 3 volunteers to help with the street collection from 1.00-2.00pm on Saturday 17th May.  Please contact Aileen Baird on 01436 672487/07980331413 before Monday 12th May if you are able to help.

​

GIFT AID

Gift Aid is a way for tax payers to increase the value of their regular donations ... at no additional cost to themselves. Donating through Gift Aid means we can claim an extra 25p back from HMRC for every £1 you give. If you would like to gift aid your donations, there are forms at the back of Church.

​

NOTICES​​

If you have any notices for the bulletin or noticeboard, please send them to parish email address (see above) or give to Fr Greg no later than Thursday of each week.​​​​​​​​​​​

​

​​​​​​​​FOODBANK

April was a very busy month at the Foodbank with 303 Food Bags issued, providing a five-day supply of food to local individuals and families within our local community, all experiencing financial hardship and food poverty. This was a total of 6,366 food items distributed by the Food Bank. Most needed this month is Breakfast Cereals, Tins of Cold Meat, Vegetables & Fruit, and Long Life Milk. A full list is on the church noticeboard. Grateful thanks for continued support and thanks also to our parishioners who volunteer at the Foodbank.

​

We remember in our prayers​​

• the sick, including Janice Keeper, Margaret Cavana Mckechnie, Lesley O’Neill, Grace Dunn, Mgr. John Hughes, Tilda Evans, Anne Cunningham, Paul Letters, Louie Sims, Ernie Rutkiewicz, Catherine Bell.

• the recently deceased, especially Pope Francis, Frances Beaton, Anne Doig, Susan Corbett, Jim Toner, Joan Fraser, Michael McGlinchey, Maura O'Connor.

• all those whose anniversaries occur about this time, especially: Irene Lonnen, Gerry Gallagher, John O'Hare, Julia O'Hare, William Carney, Joseph Scullion, Isabella Brabender.

 

​

​