Easter Programme 2024
 
Easter And Holy Week Services At St. Bride's and St. Peter's is now available. 
 
       
 
Coach For The Chrism Mass From St. Peter's
 
Lorna, from St Mary’s, has booked a coach for this year’s Chrism Mass with the new Bishop at St Margaret’s Cathedral in Ayr. The Chrism Mass during the Holy Week will be on Tuesday, 26th March at 7.30pm. The coach will pick up St Bride’s and St Peter’s parishioners at St Peter’s at 6.15pm prompt. The cost is £5 per person. If you wish a seat on the coach please add your name and contact number to the list in the porch.
 
St. Bride's SCIAF Emergency Appeal
 
We have received a letter of thanks for the £444.50 raised a few weeks ago for our sisters and brothers affected by the conflict in Israel and Palestine. Please see the letter of thanks on the noticeboard.
 
Let Your Light Shine This Lent 2024
 
Please make sure you get your Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer as a possible resolution for Lent this year. The specially made cards will be available after Mass. You are welcome to take some along for neighbours, friends and family.
 
HCPT Lourdes Group Appeal
 
We are looking for donations of bars of chocolate or biscuits to take to Lourdes on our Easter trip. We are travelling this year with a group of 10 adults who need additional support. A box will be available in the porch, or donations can be handed in to toddler group. Thanks Esther Coulter.
 
CHANA (Churches' Homeless Action North Ayrshire)
 
During March, we hope to collect toiletries for homeless people in North Ayrshire. In particular, soap, shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes and disposable razors would be useful. Please leave any donations in the basket in the foyer. Many Thanks.
 
Stations Of The Cross For Vocations
 
The Stations of the Cross, which follow the path of Christ from Pontius Pilate's praetorium to Christ's tomb are a popular devotion in our parishes during Lent. In the 16th century, this pathway was officially entitled the "Via Dolorosa" (Sorrowful Way) or simply Way of the Cross or Stations of the Cross. We can pray the Stations together this Lent every Tuesday at 9.30am at St Bride’s and also at St Peter’s.
 
Big "Thank You" For Soup Sunday
 
A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped and donated to Soup Sunday. The soup was delicious and the friendship palpable. £460 of donations were raised on the day and a further £115 has since been added to that sum, all to support Child Poverty in North Ayrshire. Thank you.
 
St. Bride's Monthly Draw
 
Congratulations to Veronica McTeer (No: 20) who wins £26.50 in the March draw.
 
Bridie's Blethers - December 2023 Edition
 
The October 2023 edition of Bridie's Blethers is now available. We hope you enjoy it!
 
Thank You
 
We would like to acknowledge a very generous anonymous donation of £2000 for St Bride’s. Sincere thanks for your support and generosity it is very much appreciated.
  
St. Bride's Music System
 
Our Just Giving fundraising appeal to raise funds for the new Music System has now closed and through Just Giving, Donations and Collections we have raised £955.72 towards the installation of the new music system. Can I take this opportunity to thank everyone for the kind help and support.
 
New Alter Signature
 
Thank you to Nick Monir of Zebra Signs for the new wording on the alter canopy. The words are a quote from St. Bride.
 
    
Sacramental Programme for 2023-2024
 
There will be a Meeting of all the parents who are bringing their children to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion on Wednesday, 11th October at 3pm in St Peter’s Primary School. The Meeting is for parents of the P3 and P4 Classes.
 
St. Bride's Family Fun Day 
 
A huge thank you to everyone for the success of the Family Fun Day. A great day of unity and fun.
 
 
  
Sisters of Saint Paul Of Chartres
 
We are delighted to announce that the contract for the sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres who serve in the Three Towns has been renewed for another 5 years. We thank Sr. Marie Monique and Sr. Ursula for assisting in our parishes. 
            
Cost Of Living Crisis - Support Guide
 
Anthony Horan of the Catholic Parliamentary Office has pulled together a guide to some of the key benefits available from the UK and Scottish Governments along with some suggestions of further support as people navigate the cost-of-living crisis. There may be parishioners and others in the community who may not be aware of what help is available. Anthony aims to update the guide as and when there are major developments. 
     
In And Around St. Bride's Church
 
I’m very grateful to all our Parishioners who have contributed to the maintaining of our Parish. The Notice Board at the front of the Church has been updated with the new information; the garden wall and fence will be repainted soon and the railing from the steps will be repaired. The damaged carpet at the bag doors has been repaired....Fr. Duncan.
 
  
 
Christians Against Poverty - Irvine and Thee Town Debt Centre
 
Are a Christian Organisation that helps people struggling with personal debt issues to begin a journey out of debt. This service is free and will see clients face to face at the Connexions centre, Irvine or at any office location. Please call the freephone number 0800 328 0006.
  
Galloway Diocese Synod Summary Now Available
 
In September 2021, a Diocesan Synodal Team was formed, consisting of three lay women, one lay man, and one diocesan priest whose primary role was to provide spiritual direction to the lay team. A period of intense preparation followed as the format of synodal encounters was prayerfully decided on and developed, facilitators for these encounters were identified and trained, and the ten thematic nuclei provided by the Vatican were circulated with short reflective videos to encourage participation across the diocese. The Summary of all the hard work and efforts is now available. You can download the document here. If you need paper copy, please ask in the Sacristy. 
 
Further information on the Synod 2021 - 2023 and the themes/questions.
  
St. Bride's Readers
 
Please add your name to the list at the back of the church if you can help out at any point of the week. 
 
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
 
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is available in St Bride’s church every Tuesday and Friday at 9.30am. It’s a wonderful chance to sit a while with the Lord and encounter him again in the Real Presence. Why don’t you make an appointment with our Lord and “waste” some time with him! 
 
A Physician’s Open Letter to Fellow-Catholics on COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments
 
The public debate over COVID vaccines, their efficacy and their morality has been seriously distorted by disinformation, often passed along the internet and social media by well-intended individuals. Gwyneth Spaeder offers answers to some Frequently Asked Questions and presents constructive criticism on the incomplete or incorrect assertions and conclusions we frequently hear. She writes as a physician who has spent the last 20 months working with COVID patients and their families. She also writes specifically as a paediatrician who has watched children lose parents and grandparents, months of education, and sometimes their own health to this virus. And she writes also as a mother who has tried to balance her vocational call as wife and mother with her duty to her patients; to reconcile what she knows to be scientifically valid with her desire to return her family life to normal, and to continue to work with her husband to raise their children in the Catholic faith, using the challenges of this historical moment to emphasise that Catholicism honours both faith and reason.
 
Free Booklet on Christ the King
 
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe marks the end of the Church’s liturgical year. Pope Pius XI said that the many evils in the world—including secularisation, communism, and atheism —were “due to the fact that the majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives.” Instead of following the ways of the world, Pope Pius said that Christ should reign as King in every aspect of every Christian’s life. That’s wonderful advice for each one of us. In the 1920s, Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King. The Pope knew that, as Christians, we should make Our Lord preeminent in every aspect of our lives. With these prayers and meditations on Sacred Scripture, we hope you will deepen your relationship with Christ the King. Click here to download Christ the King: Prayers and Meditations
 
Waiting on the Father's Promise: A Novena to the Holy Family
 
Devote some time daily with your family for the next nine days to reflect, read and respond to God in prayer with this novena to the Holy Family.
Please CLICK HERE to get a copy of the Novena.
 
Free Booklet on the Meaning of the Eucharist now available
 
"God works through all these messy human realities and wants to encounter us at every Mass." - The Lord wants to deeply encounter everyone in the Mass and especially in the Eucharist. However, it can be hard for us to recognise his presence. By learning about the deeper meaning behind what Catholics do at Mass, we left the veil between the human and divine. In this excerpt, Dr. Edward Sri (a founding leader of FOCUS and professor at Augustine Institute) discusses what the Mass is and the three ways that every Catholic should know the Eucharist. Learn about the Eucharist as: 
  • the memorial of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross
  • the real presence of Jesus
  • Holy Communion with Our Lord
Ready to learn more about the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? Click here to get your FREE copy.
 
Letter to a Suffering Church book from Bishop Barron Now Available
 
Feeling hurt, angry, or demoralised about the sexual abuse crisis plaguing the Catholic Church? Our parish wants to help, and that’s why we’ve made available a  downloadable version of a new book on our Parish websites. It’s titled “Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis” by the well-known American Bishop Robert Barron.  We invite you to download your free copy. I think you’ll find it helpful and uplifting. Bishop Barron provides clear insight on the crisis and where we should go from here. So please make sure to take a copy of the book and know that the Parishes of St Bride’s and St Peter’s care deeply about helping you navigate these stormy waters
 
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
 
The Novena in honour of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all Novenas, since it was first made at the direction of our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light, strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian, especially in these challenging times. We hope that you will be prompted to ask the Holy Spirit to empower, encourage, and embolden you to follow His lead. We pray the Novena from Ascension Thursday, 13th May until the Solemnity of Pentecost, 23rd May 2021. Come, Holy Spirit!
 
With a Father’s Heart Booklet - now available

In a new Apostolic Letter entitled “With a Father’s Heart”, Pope Francis describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows. The Letter marks the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To celebrate the anniversary, Pope Francis has proclaimed a special “Year of St Joseph,” beginning on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 2020 and extending to the same feast in 2021. The Holy Father wrote “With a Father’s Heart” against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which, he says, has helped us see more clearly the importance of “ordinary” people who, though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day. In this, they resemble Saint Joseph, “the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence,” who nonetheless played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation.” 
 
Support Your Parish If You Can
 
Our Parish Communities of St Bride’s and St Peter’s work tirelessly to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in a culture bent on pushing God to the margins. I am very grateful for all your financial contributions and donations, however, I would ask you that you consider making a Standing Order to aid our critical mission. Also if you pay tax, please consider signing a “Gift Aid Form” - this will not cost you anything, but contributes an extra 25% added to your donation. Both forms are available at the back of Church or from the Parish Office. Another, and relatively new way of giving, is by clicking on the QR Code below. This will take you to the Online Parish Offertory at the Galloway Diocesan Website. There, you can sign up online for either St Bride’s or St Peter’s. As a Catholic Charity, we very much rely on your support to sustain our ministry. Each year, our efforts help many people to come to a closer knowledge of Jesus Christ and to deepen their relationship with him in the Church. Please consider a regular Standing Order and Gift Aid so that we can continue to proclaim Christ in the culture in new and engaging ways. Please have a look at Bishop Nolan’s Appeal Message.
 
Or scan QR Code:
 
 
Galloway Diocese New (Dec 22)
 
 
Lenten Meditations 2022
 
 
 
Prayers Christ the King
 
 
Waiting on the Father's Promise: Novena to the Holy Family
 
 
Scottish Catholic Magazine (Sample Edition)
 
 
World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (Sunday 25th July, 2021)
 
 
Novena to St. Joseph in the Year of St. Joseph
 
  
Meaning of the Eucharist
 
 
Letter to a Suffering Church (from Bishop Barron)
 
 
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
 
 
With a Father's Heart
 
 

Rosary eBook