Please click on the PDF link to see the full Bulletin – new items listed separately.
Bulletin 19th March 2023 (PDF)
TODAY’S SECOND COLLECTION: SCIAF SUNDAY – our Second Collection today is for the work of the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF). On this SCIAF Sunday, we pray for all Mothers around the world – that they may realise how special they are to us, their children. We especially give thanks for Mothers in Malawi who, despite living in poverty, are providing their children with the love and support they need to survive.
LENTEN STATION MASSES (@ 7pm): 24 March at St. Ninian’s, Inverness (*Bishop Hugh*); 31 March: St. Columba’s, Culloden.
NEXT SUNDAY, 26 March: Mary’s Meals ‘Brunch’ – this will take place in the hall after Mass. Come and join us for bacon & sausage rolls and a cuppa, and help support this great charity!
St. Mary’s 90 Club: DRAW NEXT WEEK, Sunday 26 March! Would you like to take part in this parish fundraiser? It only costs £30 for a whole year. There are monthly prizes, with a special bonus prize at Christmas! You too could be a winner! Please see Elaine or Fr. Domenico for further details!
Communion Dresses: any unwanted dresses can be donated to the Parish, where they will be gratefully received! Thank you!
Bulletin 12th March 2023 (PDF)
Next Sunday, 19 March: Mothers’ Day: don’t forget the special Mum in your life!
St. Mary’s 90 Club: Next Draw will take place on Sunday 26 March! Would you like to take part in this parish
fundraiser? It only costs £30 for a whole year. There are monthly prizes, with a special bonus prize at Christmas! You too could be a winner! Please see Elaine or Fr. Domenico for further details!
Lenten Station Masses in the Highland Deanery – Masses will take place each Friday in Lent at 7.00pm, at the following locations: 17 March: St. Anne’s, Thurso; 24 March: St. Ninian’s, Inverness (with Bishop Hugh); 31 March (St. Columba’s, Culloden).
St. Mary’s 90 Club: Next Draw will take place on Sunday 26 March! Would you like to take part in this parish
fundraiser? It only costs £30 for a whole year. There are monthly prizes, with a special bonus prize at Christmas! You too could be a winner! Please see Elaine or Fr. Domenico for further details!
Saturday 11 March: Annual Diocesan Mass of St. John Ogilvie, in his home town of Keith – everyone is invited to this special Mass, beginning at 12 noon, at St. Thomas’ church in Keith. The Mass will be presided by Bishop Hugh Gilbert, and the preacher will be Fr. James Bell, of St. Mary’s Inverness. There will be refreshments in the parish hall afterwards. Everyone is welcome.
Bulletin 26th February 2023 (PDF)
Congratulations to our inaugural 90 Club winners! – First Prize (£25): Blair Cruickshank; Second Prize (£15): Annemarie Mackenzie; Third Prize (£10): Mags Smith. Well done to our winners! Would you like to join hem? Only £30/year; please speak to Elaine for details!
Tuesday 28 February at 7.00pm: Lenten Flower-Arranging Presentation in our Parish Hall! – Ann Wilson will show us how to put together a simple pedestal arrangement. This event is for everyone; please come along and support it!
Friday 3 March: World Day of Prayer Service at URC – 10.00am: Refreshments; 10.30am: Service. Service at Whinnieknowe Home, Mill Road at 2.00pm.
Bulletin 19th February 2023 (PDF)
90 CLUB: INAUGURAL DRAW TODAY! – this will take place after Mass, in the hall, at approx. 12.45pm! Good luck to all who have a number(s)!! Would you like to join them?! There are still numbers available!
ASH WEDNESDAY, 22 FEBRUARY: Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent, and is a day of fasting and abstinence. This is a season of prayer, penance, and almsgiving, where we take stock of our relationship with the Lord and with one another. What will YOU do?
The Lent edition of the Walk with Me reflection booklets, both for adults and children, are available at the back of the church, priced £1.00 each. There is also a Lent calendar for children, at 50p.
Lenten Station Masses in the Highland Deanery – Masses will take place each Friday in Lent at 7.00pm, at the following locations: 24 February (St. Mary’s, Beauly); 3 March (St. Mary’s, Inverness); 10 March (St. Aidan’s, Aviemore); 17 March (St. Anne’s, Thurso); 24 March (St. Ninian’s, Inverness); 31 March (St. Columba’s, Culloden).
Saturday 1 April: Lenten Day of Recollection: “Thirsting for Our Saviour: Journeying with Jesus through Holy Week” – a Day of Recollection on Saturday 1 April, from 11.00am until 3.30pm. The day will include: two talks, quiet time for reflection, devotions, a ‘pot-luck lunch’ (bring along something to share!), Adoration, Confession, & more!
Friday 24 February, at 7.00pm: The Adoration and Prayer Group returns. Adoration and music before the Blessed Sacrament, Scripture reading and prayer, and good fellowship in our hall afterwards. Everyone is welcome!
Bulletin 12th February 2023 (PDF)
Today’s Second Collection – this annual mandatory collection is for the work of the Scottish Catholic Education Service (SCES).
‘90 Club’ at St. Mary’s: DRAW NEXT SUNDAY, 19 FEBRUARY – we now have some 55 members signed up! Would you like to join them?! Our parish rep will be standing at the back of the church, at the conclusion of Mass, to assist you!
Flower-Arranging Presentation at St. Mary’s! – On Tuesday 28 February at 7.00pm in our Hall, Ann Wilson will show us how to put together a simple pedestal arrangement. This event is for all interested gentlemen and ladies; please come along and support it!
Lenten Day of Recollection: “Thirsting for Our Saviour: Journeying with Jesus through Holy Week” – Fr. Domenico is proposing a Day of Recollection on Saturday 1 April, from 11.00am until 3.30pm. The day will include two talks, quiet time for reflection, Angelus, Rosary, a ‘pot-luck lunch’ (bring along something to share with others!), a penitential service with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, opportunities for Confession, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet – if there is enough interest!
Bulletin 5th February 2023 (PDF)
Today’s Collection is ringfenced for our Parish Development Fund. Thank you, as always, for your support.
‘90 Club’ at St. Mary’s – we have almost 25 members signed up, at a cost of £30/year, to our 90 club. Would you like to join them?! Our parish rep will be standing at the back of the church, at the conclusion of Mass, to assist you! Please have £30 ready in an envelope, with your name and contact details written on the front; this will greatly assist us. Please do support this fundraiser for the parish, and why not ask your family and friends if they would like to join in?! The more members, the larger the prizes! Our first draw will take
place in two weeks, on Sunday 19 February, in our hall; good luck to all who have a number!!
Friday 17 February at 7pm: Inter-Church Quiz Night at the URC church – why not come and join in the fun? Teams of four contestants are invited to participate (£10 per team). Everyone welcome. For further information, please speak to Catherine Delaney.
Parish Necrology: if you know of any parishioners who have passed away, please provide Fr. Domenico with their details.
Lenten Station Masses in the Highland Deanery – Masses will take place each Friday in Lent at 7.00pm, at the following locations:
24 February St. Mary’s, Beauly
3 March St. Mary’s, Inverness
10 March St. Aidan’s, Aviemore
17 March St. Anne’s, Thurso
24 March St. Ninian’s, Inverness
31 March St. Columba’s, Culloden
Bulletin 29th January 2023 (PDF)
Mary’s Meals: ‘Thank You!’ – last week’s Second Collection for Mary’s Meals took in £ 498.62! Thanks to the ‘Double the Love’ campaign, this will make a grand contribution of £ 997.24!! Thank you so much for your generosity and support!
‘90 Club’ at St. Mary’s – thanks to your enthusiasm, we are now ready to proceed! Elaine De Ste Croix has very kindly agreed to run this for the parish. She will be at the back of the church this Sunday, and for the following two Sundays. We will have our First 90 Club Prize draw on Sunday 19 February. Please do support this fundraiser for the parish. It only costs £30 for the entire year. Please have the total amount ready in an envelope for Elaine, with your contact details, and you can choose your favourite number(s)! Good luck!!
Servant Leadership Course – a course for lay people, in partnership with the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in Cambridge (https://www.mbit.cam.ac.uk//). The Institute provides courses and training for parishes and other institutions. Those who do their courses can eventually earn a qualification from the University of Cambridge or Anglia Ruskin University if they so choose. There are 6 to 7 sessions over the course of the year, at a cost of £60 per session. All teaching is conducted online. Further information can also
be obtained from Eric Hanna at ericthanna@googlemail.com
L’Arche Highland is seeking a full-time House Leader for Rosie Lovat House, Inverness. Pay: £27,336 – £28,431 a year. An SVQ Level 2 in Social Care is required as well as experience of supporting people with learning disabilities and some leadership experience. L’Arche is a place where you can bring your faith to work! For further details please contact Shirley Bannister, HR Lead via shirley.bannister@larche.org.uk or 01463 239615.”
Bulletin 22nd January 2023 (PDF)
Bishops Conference of Scotland: Commission for Marriage, Family and Life. Provision for Marriage Counselling in Scotland – In order to help provide married couples in difficulty, we are aiming to recruit a national network of counsellors who can assist those who seek help. At this stage we are appealing to those who are already qualified as counsellors and who would be interested in completing some further training to work in this area. If this is something that you believe you could use your skills for, please get in touch on 07706 063936, to have an initial chat.
‘90 Club’ at St. Mary’s – almost 30 parishioners expressed their interest in the idea of a ’90 Club’ being established in the parish. Now.. all we need is someone who would be willing to take on the relatively easy task of organising it! This involves keeping a record of the numbers, together with names and contact details of members, and their payment, and also drawing three of the numbers on the last Sunday of each month. This is not an onerous task! If anyone would like to consider the role, please speak to Fr. Domenico.
Friday 27 January, at 7.00pm: The Adoration and Prayer Group is returning, after the December break. We meet to worship God before the Blessed Sacrament on the last Friday evening of each month. This is not a traditional Adoration night; it includes semimodern reflective worship music and readings. We continue our worship of the Word afterwards, by gathering in the Church Hall to discuss a portion of Holy Scripture, and then we pray for each other, our parish, and the town of Nairn. Everyone is welcome!
Bulletin 15th January 2023 (PDF)
Today’s Second Collection is for Mary’s Meals a short presentation will be given at the end of our Sunday Mass by Peter Harkins, the Regional Representative for the charity. Please note that every £1 donated before 31 January will be doubled, as part of the ‘Double the Love’ campaign. This means that even more hungry children can be given a nutritious school meal, as well as an education – including those affected by natural disasters, disease, and conflict. Thank you.
Parish Pastoral Council – anyone who would like to be considered for a position on the Parish Pastoral Council should put their name forward to Fr. Domenico, or to Phil and Annmarie, by Monday 30 January at the latest.
‘90 Club’ at St. Mary’s – it has been proposed that a ‘90 Club’ be established here at St. Mary’s, similar to the one in operation in our sister parish of St. Columba’s. An annual payment of £30 is made, and a number (or numbers) is chosen by the participant. At the end of each month, three numbers are drawn from the ‘lucky bag’, to win cash prizes. The 90 Club is first and foremost a fundraiser, and it can generate a good income for a parish. Is this something in which you would be interested in participating? Can you please speak to/e-mail Fr. Domenico, so that he can gauge interest in this proposal? Many thanks!
Flower-Arranging – Emily is putting out a ‘call to arms’ for assistance with flower arranging. No specialist knowledge required; just enthusiasm and a creative mind! Any and all interested parties should speak to Emily Lamont or to Fr. Domenico.
Bulletin 8th January 2023 (PDF)
Today’s Second Collection is for Justice and Peace Scotland. The National Commission for Justice and Peace advises the Scottish Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in matters relating to social justice, international peace and human rights, and promotes action in these areas. For further information, see the website: www.justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk.
Mary’s Meals – next Sunday, there will be a second Collection for Mary’s Meals. Every £1 donated before 31 January will be doubled, as part of the ‘Double the Love’ campaign. This means that even more hungry children can be given a nutritious school meal, as well as an education – including those affected by natural disasters, disease, and conflict. Thank you.
St. Ninian’s CoS Guild Meeting – on Wednesday 18 January, at 2pm in the Church Hall. The Speaker is Mrs Judith McLeod, a trainee Minister with the Church of Scotland. The talk will last 30 minutes, followed by tea. To register your interest, speak to Emily.
Bulletin 1st January 2023 (PDF)
Extra Weekday Masses – our resident Priest, Fr. John Allen, has kindly offered to celebrate Holy Mass in the parish on Tuesday and Thursday, at 10.00am. Why not join him for the Holy Eucharist?
House Blessings – Fr. Domenico is very happy to visit your home and bless it at the beginning of the new year. If you would like to avail yourself of this, please have a word with him.
Have you ever wanted to play ‘Mastermind’ in 2023?! – We have two black leather swivel chairs in the Sacristy, which are looking for a new home / Mastermind Grandmaster (!). They are available for you to uplift any time. No charge.. but any donation offered to the parish would be gratefully accepted! Please speak to Fr. Domenico.
First Holy Communion June 2023 – Children of P3 age or above are invited to prepare for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Please speak to Fr. Domenico ASAP, or email him to request an application form
