Sunday Missal:  Second Sunday of Advent – Year A – Page 38.

Teas and Coffees available after Mass on Sunday and Thursday.

SSVP Seniors Christmas Party – Sunday 14^th December 2:00pm.

Advent Reconciliation Service: Monday 15^th December, 7:00pm. An opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in preparation for Christmas. Fr Paul Lee will be with us to assist in the celebration.

Children’s Christmas Party – Sunday 21^st December 2pm-4pm. There is no charge for the party, but we ask parents to bring along some party food on the day. Please sign your child(ren)’s name(s) on the list in the porch and add the party food you can bring along. We look forward to seeing all the children there!

Votive Candles: In the interests of safety, please do not put votive candles onto the foil tray underneath the candle holders. This is a fire hazard. Thank you.

Christmas Mass Times: Vigil Mass of Christmas on Wednesday 24^th December at 5:00pm (with carols from 4:30pm); Christmas Day Mass at 10:00am.

Parish Social: The next parish social event in the church hall takes place on Saturday 3^rd January 2026, starting at 6pm (just after the Vigil Mass).  We will have a Chip Shop Supper, with tea/coffee and biscuits/chocolates provided (and you are welcome to bring your own bottle of juice or alcohol).  The cost will be £10 per head.  All ages welcome. This is something to look forward to, as the festive period comes to an end.  A sign-up sheet is available and members of the social committee on hand after Mass on Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning to take an advanced order for the chip shop, along with the £10 per head.  

Exhibition of Ukrainian Icons: Saturday 27 December, 11 am to 4 pm - We are privileged to have chance to show 11 icons painted by Ukrainian artists onto Ammunition box lids that have come from the war zone in Ukraine. Free entry to the exhibition, cash donations invited. Donations after expenses go to medical charities working in Ukraine; for any icon sold 30% goes to the artist. The exhibition needs volunteers to set up, take down and staff it – if you can do an hour or two on 27 December, please get in touch!   Enquiries and volunteering: revelaine212@gmail.com

Diploma in Catechetics - register now: Explore the richness of the Catholic faith in 2026 by taking the Diploma in Catechetics. The popular course is run by the Archdiocese and takes place at 7:30pm each Thursday on Zoom, starting on 22 January. Be quick, places limited to 100. Cost £220. Registration and details at bit.ly/diploma2026 

Shalom World has 400+ hand-picked Christmas TV shows, including inspiring talks, music, children’s stories and reflections for all ages. It's completely free - no pay walls or adverts - simply a gift to help families experience Christ this season. Go to shalomworld.org/christmas

Justice & Peace: Justice & Peace Scotland’s latest newsletter is now available www.jandpscotland.org.uk. Read about the latest advocacy and actions on the situation in the Holy Land, at-home poverty and the disregard for human dignity in the UK’s immigration detention practices. 

Anecdote: Gaudete Sunday smile: A number of years ago, a young college student was working as an intern at his college’s Museum of Natural History. One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, he saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair. As he looked more closely at this girl, he saw that she was kind of perched on her chair. The student realized that she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and torso. She was wearing a little white dress with red polka dots. As the couple wheeled her up to the checkout counter, he turned his head toward the girl and gave her a wink. Meanwhile, he took the money from her grandparents and looked back at the girl, who was giving him the cutest and the largest smile he had ever seen. All of a sudden, her handicap was gone, and all that the college student saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted him and almost instantly gave him a completely new sense of what life is all about. She took him from being an unhappy college student and brought him into her world, a world of smiles, love and warmth. — With the lighting of the rose candle, the third on the Advent Wreath, among the purple candles, and the priest’s wearing the rose vestments, we are reminded that we are called to live with joy in our world of sorrows and pain. (Fr. James Farfaglia) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

Have a good week. Take care. Fr James