The Fifth Sunday of Lent - Year A

Sunday Sermon

Fr Jamie recorded his sermon in St Andrew's Church, Ravelston, this morning.

The Archbishop recorded Mass in St Bennet’s, Edinburgh

Watch here

A message from Fr Patrick

Dear Friends, 
I hope that you are all keeping well and staying safe indoors. Here at Cathedral House we are all still virus free (thank God) and we are continuing to function after a fashion! However, we miss you, our friends and parishioners, and we miss being able to celebrate the sacraments with you.

As you may know, Fr Jamie (being young and tech-savvy!) has arranged for Mass to be posted on our website and Facebook page every day, and I (being old and stupid) have managed to put up some material for meditation and even a thought for the week! The Archdiocesan website also has regular Mass with the Archbishop and, I believe, very soon will be posting a “Thought for the Day” by different priests from around the Diocese. Both websites are worth checking out!

We want you to know however that, each day, we are offering Mass and praying the Hours of Breviary throughout the day for all of you, for the church and the world. Right now, as we all know, our best service to the world around us is through prayer, supporting each other and neighbours or fellow citizens in need, and staying at home as much as possible so as to relieve any pressure from the NHS. 

Doing all this can become our sacrifice which we offer to God. Sacrifice does not just mean giving something up. For us Catholics it means much more. First of all, the Mass is the Sacrifice of Christ – what He did 2000 years ago in His Suffering, Death and Resurrection is made present today in every Mass. He offered Himself up for us in perfect love.

So how can what we are doing now become a sacrifice in the fullest sense? This is done by making a clear offering of everything I do, feel, think, give up, endure, enjoy – my whole self – each day to God. If we make a Morning Offering every day when we wake up, then it means that everything we do in the day, our entire life that day, becomes a gift to God, an offering to Him. At Mass we are normally meant to bring our offerings of the past week to the Lord to offer them with Him in His sacrifice being offered in the Mass. We worship God by offering Him our entire selves, our whole lives: that’s our sacrifice. By doing this each day, we make our daily lives a mini-Mass, if I can put it like that.

Jesus tells us that the Father wants true worshippers who will worship in spirit and in truth. The Morning Offering is our way of continuing what happens at Mass in our own daily lives. And throughout the day, we can keep offering all we’re doing to God out of love for Him: it is our daily worship of the Father, through Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit. One day, when we all are able to return to the public celebration of Mass, we will be able to say a very heartfelt Amen to that prayer which ends the great Prayer of Sacrifice, the Eucharistic Prayer: Through him, and with Him, and in Him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, for ever and ever.

This is a sample of a typical Morning Offering which we can use as soon we get up in the morning:

O my Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass being offered throughout the world this day, I offer you all that I do and say and think and feel and suffer and enjoy this day, my entire self, body, mind and soul: for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart, in reparation for my sins and those of the whole world, for [here you can mention you intentions that you wish to pray for], and for our Holy Father the Pope. Through you, Lord Jesus, may my offering be sanctified by the Holy Spirit; through you, Lord Jesus, may my offering give praise and love to our Father in Heaven. 

After this, you might want to pray slowly the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.

God bless you all and your families and friends, Fr. Patrick

The Telephone Apostolate 

From this week,  church volunteers will be available to call anyone over the age of 18 for a friendly chat and to check-in on general well-being.  

A regular and friendly natter on the phone can break up the day and can make you feel more in touch with the parish and the world generally.  If you think you might benefit from a telephone call from a parish volunteer or would like to know more, then please fill out the form on the website or get in touch with Deacon Peter. 

Read the newsletter for 29th March (pdf)
Read the newsletter for 29th March (doc)

The Fourth Sunday of Lent - Year A

No Masses this weekend

The Bishops Conference of Scotland announced a few days ago the news that all public Masses across the country are suspended due to coronavirus. As a consequence, there will be no further public liturgies in the Cathedral or in St. Andrews Ravelston until we have received more instructions from the Archbishop.

This means that:

• All Catholics are dispensed from their Sunday obligation to go to Mass until further notice;

• The clergy at the Cathedral will celebrate daily Mass privately in the Cathedral House Chapel from now on. We will each remember you all in our Masses;

• As usual, the church will be open every day from 8.00am to 6.00pm. I encourage you all, while we are without the Sacrifice of the Mass, to visit the Blessed Sacrament at the Cathedral to sustain yourselves and your families spiritually;

• Since the Cathedral is open, you will still be able to make the Stations of the Cross for Lent privately;

• Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals can go ahead but in the presence of close family who do not display coronavirus symptoms. Please contact the Parish Office about these services;

• There will be confessions at the usual times in our parish: on weekdays at 1.15pm and on Saturday mornings from 10.30-12 noon and on Saturday evenings from 5-6pm;

• The sick and the dying will receive the Sacraments when necessary. Contact the parish office if you need a priest;

• All families are encouraged to say the Rosary together at the time when you would usually be at Mass.

• While we are unable to be together at the altar, we can still be united in our prayers. You could read the readings that we would have had at Mass. You can also access Mass online;

• If possible, try to make a private visit with your family to the church on Sundays to pray for a time before Jesus in the tabernacle, even though you will not be able to receive Him in Holy Communion;

• The newsletter will still be printed. It can be accessed online or collected at the back of the Cathedral, please take it away with you;

• The Parish Council is working with me to coordinate a programme of parish outreach to those who are unable to leave their homes and who may need our help. In the meantime, if you need assistance or you know of someone who may need assistance, call the parish office on 0131 556 1798 to let us know.   

Read the statement in full in the post below

A spiritual take on coronavirus

There are a number of ways you can continue to lead a spiritual life during these times, in addition to the points above. We have published reflections on a spiritual communion on our website, please read and reflect on these passages during your Eucharistic fast. 

Prayers for a time without Mass are also available on our website, to be said whether you can visit the Cathedral or whether you are at home.

Mass intentions

Although all public Masses are currently suspended, the Cathedral Clergy continues to offer Mass for your intentions. To request a Mass intention, please put an envelope in the box at the back of the Cathedral as usual or contact the Parish Office. 

Gift Aid and other donations

These are difficult and unsettling times.  Under normal circumstances, we would be starting to distribute new gift aid envelope sets this coming weekend for the approaching new tax year.  However, these are designed to be used for donations into the weekly offertory collections, of which there will be none over the coming weeks.  In addition, many of you may be unable to visit and collect your envelope set for a while.

Unfortunately, despite the suspension of daily and weekly Masses, the running costs of our churches will continue to accrue.  For those of you who have moved to give by standing order, we thank you, for this provides the parish with a continuous source of income even in these uncertain times.  If you currently use weekly envelopes, please consider moving to standing order instead. Contact the Finance Office for more information.

Do You Need Help Getting Groceries Home?

Are you unable to get to the shops to buy food? Or would you like to join the team of volunteers who will be bringing groceries to our elderly and housebound parishioners? Please contact Marie McQuillan on 0131 332 6028.

A Big Thank You to Our Concerts in the Cathedral Organisers and Volunteers

The Concerts in the Cathedral weekend raised a fantastic £18,000 towards Cathedral funds and a generous donor has promised to match the income from the ticket sales! Thank you so much to Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham, Barbara Dickson and Nick Holland for giving of their time and talent. And a heartfelt thank you to our organisers and all of our parishioners who volunteered during the concerts – this really would not have been possible without your generosity!

Read the newsletter for 22nd March (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 22nd March (doc)

The Third Sunday of Lent - Year A

Update on Coronavirus

All Masses and liturgies at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral and St Andrew's, Ravelston are being celebrated as announced in the newsletter and on our website. We are currently reviewing all other parish activities: please expect all non-essential meetings to be cancelled over the next few days.

In order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, from now on until Easter:

1. Holy Communion under only one kind.

2. No sign of peace and no Holy Water.

3. No Communion on the tongue.

Stations of the Cross during Lent

Every week during Lent there will be Stations of the Cross in the Cathedral on Mondays at 7pm and on Fridays after the 12.45pm Mass. Stations in Polish will be on Fridays following Mass at 6pm.

In St Andrew’s , Ravelston, the Prayer Group will lead Stations of the Cross in the church on Thursdays at 7pm. Please do take the opportunity to come along to this special way of growing closer to Christ.

City Mobility Plan Council Consultation – ends 27th of March

The Council plans for the future of the City emphasise walking, cycling and public transport as the means of transport around the city. We are concerned that the needs of elderly, infirm and disabled people are not given due consideration. Travelling by private car is an absolute lifeline to many of our parishioners. Please support the disabled and infirm of this parish by responding to the Council’s consultation stating the need for any future transport plan to clearly set out how it will accommodate the housebound and those who have mobility problems or who cannot access public transport. You can respond until 27 March 2020 here.

Read the newsletter for 15 March (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 15 March (doc)

The Second Sunday of Lent

Precautions due to the Coronavirus

In order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the Cathedral & St Andrew’s, Ravelston are introducing the following precautions:

1) For the time being, Holy Communion will be given under only one kind.
2) The sign of peace and the use of Holy Water will be temporarily suspended.
3) We ask everyone to please receive Communion in the hand, rather than on the tongue.

Lenten Night of Recollection – 17th of March

On Tuesday the 17th of March, Fr. Jamie will lead a Lenten Evening of Recollection in Ravelston. There will be a talk on the theme “The Desert” in the Parish Rooms at 7.30pm, followed by a time of prayer.

Clergy Changes in the Parish

Fr Martins, who has been with us since September, has been assigned by the Archbishop to St Cuthbert’s Parish. We are very grateful to Fr Martins for all he has contributed to our Parish during this time. We are also happy to welcome Father John Peter Sippai Siluvappan, who is coming to us from Falkirk. Father Peter John will be full-time chaplain at the Western General, in addition to helping us in the Parish.

Stations of the Cross

Every week during Lent there will be Stations of the Cross in the Cathedral on Mondays at 7pm, and on Fridays after the 12.45pm Mass and at St Andrew’s, Ravelston at 7pm. Stations in Polish will be on Fridays following Mass at 6pm.

With Angels and Archangels – Schola Cantorum recording CD

This week our Schola Cantorum will embark on recording sessions with Delphian Records for our first CD album, With Angels and Archangels. The disk will present some of the best of our Cathedral music, including choral works by Palestrina, Rheinberger, MacMillan, and our own Michael Ferguson. The recording will be available for purchase at the end of the year, and you will have the opportunity pre-order copies soon! Due to the CD recordings, the Cathedral will close at 4pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. The Masses in Polish are moved to 9am.

Gender Recognition Bill consultation

The Scottish Government is consulting now on proposed changes to gender recognition legislation. These include removal of the current medical requirements and reducing the age limit for legally changing gender from 18 to 16. The Catholic Church believes that sex or gender cannot be reduced to a mere construct of society that is fluid and changeable. The Catholic Parliamentary Office has produced a briefing paper to help you understand the key issues. It is available at the back of the church and in the porch of the Cathedral and online at the Catholic Parliamentary Office website. Please make your voice heard in this consultation which can be completed by following this link. The deadline for responses is 17th March.

Read the newsletter for 8 March (doc)

Read the newsletter for 8 March (pdf)

The First Sunday of Lent - Year A

Concerts in the Cathedral – Tickets for Sale after all Masses

This is the last time we will sell tickets for the Aly and Phil and Barbara Dickson concerts in the Cathedral after Mass because they take place next weekend! Snap up the remaining tickets after all Masses - we take cash, cheques and credit/debit cards, buy them at Eventbrite and through the Parish Office. See you there!

Rite of Election

Today at 12 noon Mass the Archbishop will celebrate the Rite of Election for all those in the Diocese preparing to be received into the Church this Easter.

Stations of the Cross

Every week during Len Stations of the Cross will be held in the Cathedral on Mondays at 7pm and on Fridays after the 12.45pm Mass.

Stations of the Cross in Polish will be on Fridays following Mass at 6pm.

Guidance to Catholics on Coronavirus

Despite the low risk to the public from Coronavirus, the Archbishop is encouraging us to think about taking the following temporary precautions: Receive Communion in the hand; do not receive from the chalice; avoid shaking hands at the sign of peace.

Gender Recognition Bill consultation

The Scottish Government is consulting now on proposed changes to gender recognition legislation. These include removal of the current medical requirements and reducing the age limit for legally changing gender from 18 to 16. The Catholic Church believes that sex or gender cannot be reduced to a mere construct of society that is fluid and changeable. The Catholic Parliamentary Office has produced a briefing paper to help you understand the key issues. It is available at the back of the church and in the porch of the Cathedral and online at the Catholic Parliamentary Office website. Please make your voice heard in this consultation which can be completed by following this link. The deadline for responses is 17th March.

Read the newsletter for 1 March (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 1 March (doc)

Seventh Sunday of the Year - Year A

Ash Wednesday

Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. It is a day of fasting and abstinence which means that all Catholics are obliged to abstain from meat and all adults between 16 and 65 are obliged to fast. Ashes will be distributed at all Masses, which will be at 8am, 10am (School Mass), 12.45pm, 6pm (Polish) and 7.30pm in the Cathedral and at 9.30am and 6pm (Extraordinary Form) in Ravelston. The booklet Walk with Me with daily reflections for Lent is available after all Masses this weekend for only £1 each.

Concerts in the Cathedral – Tickets for Sale After All Masses

There are still a few tickets available for the fundraising concerts in the Cathedral. During the week we received the great news that an anonymous donor will double all that we make on the night. So the more tickets we sell the better! Tickets (£25/each) can be purchased after all Masses this weekend (we can take cash, cheques and credit/debit cards), at Eventbrite and through the Parish Office. Thank you for supporting this initiative to raise very much needed funds to care for our Cathedral!

Day of Prayer for Those who have Suffered Abuse

This Friday has been designated as a day of special prayer for those who have suffered abuse in the Church. All of us are encouraged to pray and fast for this intention on Friday. The Stations of the Cross after the 12.45pm Mass will also be offered for this intention.

Gender Recognition Bill consultation

The Scottish Government is consulting now on proposed changes to gender recognition legislation. These include removal of the current medical requirements and reducing the age limit for legally changing gender from 18 to 16. The Catholic Church believes that sex or gender cannot be reduced to a mere construct of society that is fluid and changeable.

The Catholic Parliamentary Office has produced a briefing paper to help you understand the key issues. It is available at the back of the church and in the porch of the Cathedral and online at the Catholic Parliamentary Office website. Please make your voice heard in this consultation which can be completed by following this link. The deadline for responses is 17th March.

Read the newsletter for 23rd February (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 23rd February (doc)

Sixth Sunday of the Year - Year A

Guidance to Catholics on Coronavirus

Despite the low risk to the public from Coronavirus, the Catholic bishops are taking people’s concerns seriously and have issued some guidelines. As during every ‘flu season, we ask anyone with cold or flu symptoms to not shake hands during the sign of peace, to refrain from taking communion from the Chalice and receive the host on the hand only. As things stand, the bishops have decided that there is no need for the Chalice to be withdrawn or the sign of peace suspended, such as was advised during the 2009 ‘flu pandemic. This advice would only come if we had a very serious epidemic in the UK and at the time of writing this is unlikely.

Concerts in the Cathedral – Tickets for Sale After All Masses

There are still a few tickets available for the fundraising concerts in the Cathedral. On Friday the 6th of March “Aly and Phil” will be performing and on Saturday the 7th of March our own Barbara Dickson will be singing. Both concerts begin at 7.30pm and doors open at 7pm. Tickets (£25/each) can be purchased after all Masses this weekend. We can take cash and credit/debit cards and contactless payment. You can also buy tickets on Eventbrite and through the Parish Office. Thank you for supporting this initiative to raise very much needed funds to care for our Cathedral!

Statue of Our Lady of Aberdeen in the Cathedral

As a part of the Scottish Bishops’ Conference’s program to pray for the re-evangelisation of Scotland, a statue of Our Lady of Aberdeen will be visiting our eight Cathedrals. It is now our turn to host the statue, which will stay in the Cathedral until the 17th February. Please do take this opportunity to pray in a special way that our friends, family members and neighbours may come to know Jesus in a personal way.

Contactless Giving

We have introduced a contactless giving device at the back of the Cathedral. It is very easy to use, with a mere tap of the screen, select an amount and then tap your card or your phone to donate to the Cathedral parish.

This may be of particular interest to visitors to Edinburgh who wish to contribute to the parish when visiting the Cathedral. Please do feel free to test it out and let us have any feedback on your experience by contacting the parish finance office.

Download the newsletter for 16th February (pdf)

Download the newsletter for 16th February (doc)

Fifth Sunday of the Year - Year A

CONCERTS IN THE CATHEDRAL – TICKETS FOR SALE AFTER ALL MASSES

As you know, we will have two fantastic concerts in the Cathedral this spring. On Friday 6th March the wildly popular Scottish Duo “Phil and Ally” will be singing in the Cathedral and on Saturday 7th our own beloved Barbara Dickson will be performing. Both concerts begin at 7.30pm & the doors open at 7pm. The performers are giving their time free to help the Cathedral and all profits from these events will go to the improvement, maintenance and preservation of our beloved Cathedral. Please do invite your family members and friends to come along for this very special occasion. Tickets (£25/each) can be purchased after all Masses this and next weekend (we can take cash and credit/debit cards), at Eventbrite and through the Parish Office. Thank you for your generosity and kind support!

‘Edinburgh’s Three Cathedrals’ Parish Talk on the 23rd of March

In early 1878 there were no cathedrals in Edinburgh. Within just five years there were three: St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral and St Giles' Cathedral. What prompted this? Was it an upsurge of religiosity in the city or was it something else? David Todd, Lay Reader at Old Saint Paul’s Scottish Episcopal Church and Theatre Chaplain to Edinburgh’s four major theatres explains in an illustrated talk in the Cathedral Café on Monday the 23rd of March at 7.30pm. All are welcome!

Safeguarding training

Thank you to everyone who volunteers in the Cathedral and/or St Andrews. Your help is essential for the parish to run effectively. If you are willing to help out in the parish then please get in contact (chris.mccabe@staned.org.uk). If you are volunteering for a regulated role that involves helping with children and/or vulnerable adults then you must undertake training. Part 1 training for new volunteers will take place in the parish rooms at Ravelston on Tuesday 11th February at 6.30 pm. If you have already had part 1 training, then you must undertake part 2 training 18 months later i.e. if you had part 1 training in 2018 or earlier. Part 2 training will take place in the parish rooms at Ravelston on 18th February and 10th March at 18.30. The is a limit of 30 people/session so please book up early by emailing chris.mccabe@staned.org.uk.

Download the newsletter for 9th February (pdf)

Download the newsletter for 9th February (doc)

The Presentation of The Lord - Year A

“The Perfect Valentine’s Gift for your Beloved…”

Instead of the boring old flowers and a box of chocolates why not buy your special someone a Valentines gift to remember?

On Friday 6th March the wildly popular Scottish Duo “Phil and Aly” will be playing in the Cathedral and on Saturday 7th our very own Barbara Dickson will be performing. Why not surprise your beloved with a night to remember? The performers are giving their time free to help the Cathedral and all profits from these events will go to the improvement, maintenance and preservation of our beautiful Cathedral.

Tickets can be bought through the Parish Office or at Eventbrite.

There will also be tickets for sale after all Masses next weekend. Please come along and please spread the word about these unique concerts.

Sick Visitations on Monday the 3rd February

The priests will be visiting all the sick and housebound in both parishes this week (all those who are on our Sick List). If you know any of the housebound – please let them know that we will be visiting. If you know of anyone who is sick and is not receiving regular visits from the clergy and from Eucharistic Ministers, do let us know by contacting the Parish Office.

Have you been Confirmed?

For many and various reasons, sometimes people never actually get confirmed. If you are an adult who has never been confirmed, the Cathedral will be running a course for you during Lent this year with a view to Confirmation at the Easter Vigil on the 11th of April. Meetings will take place on Monday nights at 7pm in the Cathedral Café. To register, please contact the Parish Office.

Pray for our Seminarians

Right now, our Parish is blessed to have three of our parishioners studying for the priesthood. Please keep Alessio Marchetti (second year), Peter Shankland (first year) and Paul Henderson (first year) in your prayers as they prepare to serve Christ and his Church.

This Sunday is the World Day for Consecrated Life, so please pray for the young men and women of our parish that God may grant them the grace to respond courageously to his call to the priesthood or religious life.

If you are thinking about your vocation, please talk to Father Patrick or Father Jamie, or contact Father Andrew Garden: vocations@staned.org.uk, or Sister Mirjam Hugens: religiousvocations@staned.org.uk.

Download the newsletter for Sunday, 2 February (pdf)

Download the newsletter for Sunday 2 February (doc)

Third Sunday of the Year - Year A

Maintaining, improving and preserving the Cathedral

We received the go-ahead from the Archdiocese last week to proceed with the updating of the Fire Alarm System in Cathedral House and for the installation of a Fire Alarm System in the Cathedral. This is a huge task which will cost £23,000. It is, however, a legal obligation for the House and highly desirable for the Cathedral. Work on this project will begin in the next months.

In the meantime, in the high winds over Christmas a sky light was blown out of the roof of 63 York Place. Unfortunately, this skylight cannot be repaired from the inside, so next week we will put up scaffolding so that the roofer can get access to the skylight. While we have the scaffolding up, we will also take the opportunity to repair and paint the windows in 61 and 63 York Place. This operation will cost in the region of £12,000.

Concerts in the Cathedral

In addition to fabric repairs, it costs £1000 per day to keep the Cathedral open and – in a good week – we take in about £4000.

For the first time in many years a group of innovative parishioners have organised a large-scale fund-raising event. The “Concerts in the Cathedral” would, if we sold out, raise a very considerable amount of money. The artists are very kindly giving their time and talent for free.

If you haven’t already done so, come to the concerts and think about inviting a few friends to come along too. Both concerts are at 7.30pm on 6th and 7th March. Tickets can be bought through Eventbrite.

Let’s all pull together to make this a great parish social event as well as a way of raising much needed funds.

Rite of the Presentation of the Creed (P4) – Sunday at 9am & 10.30am

On Sunday we welcome the children preparing for their First Holy Communion and their families for the Rite of the Presentation of the Creed, which will take place at 9am in the Cathedral and at 10.30am in Ravelston. Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare to receive Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist.

The Gospel of Matthew – Talk by Fr. Patrick Monday, 27th January at 7.30pm

As we will be reading through Matthew’s Gospel this year, Fr Patrick will give a short introductory talk on Matthew in the Cathedral café on the evening of Monday 27th January, 7.30pm, all are welcome.

Download the newsletter for 26th January (pdf)

Download the newsletter for 26th January (doc)