PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING VERY CAREFULLY:

The following are the Mass times available for booking in St. James’ & St. Matthew’s from Wednesday 15th July to Sunday 19th July inclusive. The limit remains for six people in St. James’ at any one time and fourteen people in St. Matthew’s at any one time. Social distancing requirements stand as does the necessity of wearing a face-covering / mask when in the church (only to be removed when receiving Holy Communion). Hand sanitiser will provided at the door as has already been the case.

You will be required to contact Fr. Martin directly in order to book a place at Holy Mass and this should be done either by e-mailing Fr.MartinPletts@gmail.com or texting 07540534480 or leaving a message on the parish landline: 01577 863329. I ask that you use only these methods as it is sometimes difficult to track messages via Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, etc. I will not take bookings for future weeks, as this may prohibit others who want to come being able to come, bookings will only be taken for the dates listed here. It is important when you book, each time, that you provide me with your name, your contact number and your address – for purposes of contact in the unlikely case of there being an outbreak. You will not be guaranteed a place until you have heard back from Fr. Martin to confirm that your place has been booked.

Masses will remain brief for the moment, and there will be no ‘sign of peace’, no singing or music, no hymn books or Mass sheets, no Holy Water at the door, and people may be instructed when they may come forward to receive Holy Communion. In other words this will be very similar to how things were immediately prior to “lockdown”.

Despite all of these restrictions at the moment it will be wonderful that we can come together for Holy Mass, to join in Christ’s sacrifice, to be nourished with His Body and Blood, and to be able to worship the Lord as He has commanded us to do: ‘Do this in memory of me’.

I have chosen to allocate the earlier times on Sunday to Auchtermuchty and to give a Saturday afternoon/evening time to St. Matthew’s because this church has the greater capacity for people to come and these are generally the busier times. St. James’, of course, will also have opportunity for Mass throughout the week, which St. Matthew’s will not. I encourage people from both churches, then, to be flexible in travelling in order to attend Holy Mass.

For the foreseeable future the Bishops of Scotland have chosen to continue to suspend the Sunday Obligation, so that we incur no sin by not attending Holy Mass on Sunday for the moment. This means that we can come to Holy Mass any day of the week that is available.

These, then, are the available days and times for Holy Mass:

St. James’ Church: (6 people at each Mass)

Wednesday 15th July – Masses at 10.00a.m. & 7.00p.m.

Thursday 16th July – Masses at 10.00a.m. & 7.00p.m.

Friday 17th July – Masses at 10.00a.m. & 7.00p.m.

Saturday 18th July – Masses at 10.00a.m. & 12 noon

Sunday 19th July – Masses at 11.00a.m. & 3.00p.m.

St. Matthew’s Church: (14 people at each Mass)

Saturday 18th July – Mass at 4.00p.m.

Sunday 19th July – Mass at 9.00a.m.

Please stick strictly to the ways of booking requesting above, as failure to do so may result in your request not being received and a place not being booked. Please also keep looking at this website and at the parish Facebook Page in order to keep up-to-date with what is happening, and do pass this information on to other parishioners.God bless you, Fr. Martin