Congratulations to two wee boys who were baptised today in St. James’, and prayers and best wishes for their respective families:
David Mark Thornber, son of Benjamin and Aisling Thornber
and
Daniel Alexander Firth, son of Elliot and Kathleen Firth (Green)
What a privilege to be able to celebrate this great Sacrament of Baptism for these lovely wee boys and to join with their families in thanking God for the gift of Faith. Please keep them all in your prayers,
God bless,
Fr. Martin
Monday 2nd August – No Mass
Tuesday 3rd August – Requiem Mass of Mr. Murray MacDonald R.I.P. at 11.00a.m. in St. James’, Kinross (the congregation will only be of those invited by the family, given restricted numbers in current circumstances).
Tuesday 3rd August – Holy Mass at 7.00p.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Wednesday 4th August – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Thursday 5th August – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Thursday 5th August – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, time for silent prayer from 3.00-4.00p.m. in St. James’, with an opportunity also for Confession
Friday 6th August – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Saturday 7th August – Holy Mass at 3.00p.m. in St. Matthew’s, with opportunity for Confession beforehand from 2.30p.m.
Saturday 7th August – Holy Mass at 5.00p.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Sunday 8th August – Holy Mass at 9.00a.m. in St. James’
Sunday 8th August – Holy Mass at 11.00a.m. in St. James’
Sunday 8th August – Holy Mass at 1.00p.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Please note that we are generally able to accommodate many more people at Holy Mass now, so if you haven’t managed along for a while you are encouraged to try to start coming back to Holy Mass – we very much look forward to welcoming you back!
There is a curtailed schedule in the parish this week because the church will be closed for a few days while paintwork is being carried out and I am having a few days break. While I am on my break should there be a pastoral emergency please call Canon Steven Mulholland in Perth on: 01738 259371. Please only call him in case of emergency.
Monday to Wednesday inclusive St. James’ will be closed.
A good friend of mine, Monsignor Tom Monaghan of Paisley Diocese (and now retired) has kindly agreed to come and offer Holy Mass in St. James’ on Thursday 29th July at 7.00p.m. and then on Friday 30th July at 10.00a.m. Please do all you can to make Mgr. Monaghan welcome while he is with us. If you ask Monsignor, I’m sure he would also be happy to hear Confessions.
The weekend schedule will be as normal:
Saturday 31st July – Holy Mass at 3.00p.m. in St. Matthew’s, and at 5.00p.m. in St. James’ with Confessions available before Mass in St. Matthew’s and after Mass in St. James’.
Sunday 1st August – Holy Mass at 9.00a.m., 11.00a.m., and 1.00p.m. in St. James’, with Confessions available after 1.00p.m. Mass.
Remember that now distancing is down to 1 metre in the churches and Holy Communion is being distributed at the proper time, with the priest coming to you at your pew. Please kindly observe all instructions given you by stewards at the door as this will ensure both smooth running and proper adherence to current protocols.
Please also check the previous post about the parish barbecues, the times have been updated. Please be in contact with Mr. Sid Grant as soon as possible to show your interest in attending the barbecues.
Please share the above information with people who may not have internet access.
Have a blessed and peaceful week,
In Christ,
Fr. Martin
Dear parishioners, of your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of Peter Flounders R.I.P of Kinross Christian Fellowship. I received the sad news today from Rev. Alan Reid of Peter’s death which sadly happened while he was on holiday with his wife Sheila and his son Owen. May the Good Lord comfort Peter’s family and loved ones, and Our Blessed Lady and St. Joseph pray for them at this difficult time. Requiescat in pace. Amen.
(Please note a correction to the times of the barbecues)
After speaking with several parishioners Mr. Sid Grant has kindly agreed to co-ordinate arrangements for parish barbecues in the near future. I emphasise, for Sid’s sake, that he will co-ordinate, but will need the assistance, practically, of willing helpers to look after the running of the barbecues and helping with setting-up, serving, and clearing-up. So please don’t be shy in volunteering to help!
This is what Sid has passed on to me, for your information:
“Now that we are allowed to meet in groups of up to 15 from 15 households, I think it is a good time to start meeting up with our fellow parishioners. I know I have missed the ability to socialise and spend a little time with parishioners. So, I am proposing we have a couple of BBQ’s on the week of Friday 6th August and Sunday 8th August in the Parish gardens. The idea is to have the first BBQ on Friday 6th at 2.30 pm and the second BBQ on Sunday 8th August at 3.00 pm. Due to number restrictions I would ask that everyone lets me know which day and time is best for you. If we use both back and front gardens, we will be able to accommodate up to 30 people at each event. If any day looks like it will exceed the numbers, we can try to fit in an additional day or time, but I would love to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy some food and a friendly catch up with our fellow parishioners. Children under the age of 12 do not count towards the 15 and if we use both gardens that means 30 people each day and if we follow the rules and keep to 15 it is possible to move from front to back garden and speak to everyone.
In order to encourage people to come along, Fr. Martin has kindly agreed that the Parish will meet the cost of this event . However, it has been suggested that if you wish, you could bring some non perishable food or toiletries to be donated to Broke Not Broken or alternatively a donation in a bucket to help SSVP with their work.”
Any further suggestions or volunteers to help, please contact Sid Grant on 07713 582628 or sid.j.grant@gmail.com
Please take careful note of changes this week to our normal times because of extra commitments supplying for other priests, and the Bishop’s Mass on Wednesday:
Monday 19th July – No Mass
Tuesday 20th July – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
(Tuesday 20th July – Holy Mass in St. Patrick’s, Lochgelly, at 6.00p.m.) – supply
(Wednesday 21st July – Holy Mass in St. Patrick’s, Lochgelly, at 10.00a.m.) – supply
Wednesday 21st July – Holy Mass at 12 noon in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Wednesday 21st July – Holy Mass at 7.00p.m. in St. James’ for the award of the Bene Merenti to Mr. Bob Corrieri – invited attendees only, because of restrictions on numbers.
Thursday 22nd July – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Thursday 22nd July – Holy Hour in St. James’ from 3.00-4.00p.m. with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, time for silent prayer, and the opportunity for Confession.
Friday 23rd July – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions.
Saturday 24th July – Holy Mass at 3.00p.m. in St. Matthew’s, Auchtermuchty (opportunity for Confession from 2.30p.m.)
Saturday 24th July – Holy Mass at 5.00p.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Sunday 25th July – Holy Mass at 9.00a.m. in St. James’
Sunday 25th July – Holy Mass at 11.00a.m. in St. James’
Sunday 25th July – Holy Mass at 1.00p.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
(From Monday 19th July, according to government regulations we move to social-distancing of 1 metre in church, this will still mean that our maximum capacity will remain at around 30 individuals per Mass, masks are still required to be worn, congregational singing will be permitted with masks still worn, strict sanitising protocols will still be observed).
Monday 12th July – No Mass
Tuesday 13th July – Funeral Mass of Mrs. Silvia Panetta R.I.P. at 10.30a.m. in St. Matthew’s, Auchtermuchty (the congregation will only be of those invited by the family, given restricted numbers in current circumstances).
Tuesday 13th July – Holy Mass at 7.00p.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Wednesday 14th July – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Thursday 15th July – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Thursday 15th July – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, time for silent prayer from 3.00-4.00p.m. in St. James’, with an opportunity also for Confession
Friday 16th July – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Saturday 17th July – Holy Mass at 3.00p.m. in St. Matthew’s, with opportunity for Confession beforehand from 2.30p.m.
Saturday 17th July – Holy Mass at 5.00p.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
Sunday 18th July – Holy Mass at 9.00a.m. in St. James’
Sunday 18th July – Holy Mass at 11.00a.m. in St. James’
Sunday 18th July – Holy Mass at 1.00p.m. in St. James’, followed by Confessions
(From 19th July we move into a 1 metre social-distancing in church)
Please pray for a dear parishioner of St. Matthew’s, Auchtermuchty, who died recently: Mrs. Sylvia Panetta. Her Requiem Mass will take place in St. Matthew’s on Tuesday 13th July at 10.30a.m. Given restricted numbers at the moment only those invited by Sylvia’s family will be able to attend. Sylvia’s remains will be interred in the cemetery in Auchtermuchty after the funeral Mass. Please pray for the repose of her soul, and for the comforting of her family in this time of grief. St. Matthew, pray for her!
Requiescat in pace.
Dear parishioners, thanks be to God we seem to be moving forward now in returning to some form of normality in our lives and in our ability to come together to worship God in Holy Mass!
As of July 19th the social distancing regulations will mean that a 1 metre distance is required between parishioners when attending Holy Mass, which consequently means we should be able to accommodate more people, without in any way being crowded. In my estimation the protocols we have been asked to put in place have been some of the most stringent, especially compared to social venues where there may be comparable gatherings of people. Our adherence to the guidelines should fill those coming to church with a sense of ease and confidence about their well-being. I want to thank, again, all those parishioners who have been making the implementation of these guidelines possible and who have given generously of their time and energies. I appreciate that the demands made haven’t always been easy and that many have felt worn down by this whole situation and the changes that have been imposed upon us.
Coming to Holy Mass:
I earnestly encourage you to now return to Holy Mass, and if you haven’t been managing on Sundays, when there is perhaps a slightly greater demand, to come during the week. You are missed and you will be made most welcome! Although the bishops have not yet re-instated the Sunday Obligation we should be trying, if we are physically able, to make the effort to come now to Holy Mass and begin to enter once more into a regular pattern of worship. The Lord Jesus is waiting here for us to give Himself to us in the Sacrament of His Divine Presence, the Most Holy Eucharist. Whilst virtual “participation” online may have been a helpful lifeline during times of total lockdown we all know that there can never be a substitute for actual participation and the reality of receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
You will know that I have struggled at times to know how to approach encouraging people to come to Mass and have moved from a booking system to a system where people simply turn up and try to get a place on the day – both of these approaches have their pitfalls, and I apologise to anyone who has felt inconvenienced or upset at the fact of having to book, or who may have been turned away because we had reached our “legal capacity” so-to-speak. Turning people away from Holy Mass or doing anything to discourage them from coming is that very last thing that I would want to do, and I do hope you understand this. Perhaps my choice of “first-come, first-served” when attempting to come to Mass was ill-advised, but not at all intended to put people off, or to make the situation seem any more awkward or unusual than it already is. I would happily say more Masses, within the limit of what I am canonically permitted to say, if I knew the demand was there, in order to accommodate everyone, but you will appreciate that I was saying 7 “Sunday Masses” at times between the Saturday Vigils and Masses on Sunday itself.
We are in this together, and I would therefore encourage you to also gently and lovingly speak to fellow parishioners, tell them of how good it is to be back to Mass, and encourage them to come along, too, if they haven’t been managing to do so. Sometimes all it takes are a few positive words and a bit of loving encouragement.
Parish Barbecues:
You may have seen, already, that I hope to hold a series of barbecues over the next while when the weather is hopefully a bit better, and this is with the aim of building up those ties of friendship which already exist within the parish communities of St. James’ and St. Matthew’s. If you would be interested please send me an email to stjames@dunkelddiocese.org.uk telling me who would like to come (i.e. names and number of those wishing to attend). We will them be back in touch with you to let you know when your barbecue will be. We will have several small gatherings to keep in line with what is currently permitted.
Building Maintenance Fund:
On a completely different note I am now going to establish a “Building Fund” for the specific general maintenance of the church properties. We have engaged in ongoing maintenance, which you will appreciate can be quite costly, but in addition to this we will soon be having compulsory health and safety checks (looking for things like asbestos, etc., checking fire precautions…) also the diocese will require the properties to be properly surveyed and necessary maintenance worked to be carried out in order to keep everything up to scratch. With this is mind I think it is important to establish a dedicated Building Fund to which parishioners may wish to contribute above their normal giving to the parish. This fund will be ring-fenced for works to the property alone. If any of you are homeowners you will understand the demands of maintaining any property and especially properties the size of St. James’ and St. Matthew’s. I will leave a box or tray at the back of the churches and donations for our building fund can be handed in at any time in envelopes marked “Building Fund Donation”. Thank you in advance for your generous contributions, and for the way in which you continue to support your church financially throughout the year. As I have said before our sole income is from your weekly contributions, so God bless you for the generous sacrifices you make to support the church in our area.
Let us, as always, keep each other in prayer and remember that the bond we have together in Christ is very great. I pray that the Good Lord will bless you and keep you, that Our Lady will pray for you and protect you, and that all God’s holy angels and saints will intercede for your needs and those of your loved ones at this time.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Martin
Mass Times, etc. for the week of Monday 5th July to Sunday 11th July, 2021:
Monday 5th July – No Mass
Tuesday 6th July – Holy Mass at 7.00p.m. (Confessions available after Mass) – St. James’
Wednesday 7th July – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. (Confession available after Mass) – St. James’
Thursday 8th July – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. (Confession available after Mass) – St. James’
Friday 9th July – Holy Mass at 10.00a.m. (Confession available after Mass) – St. James’
Saturday 10th July – Holy Mass at 3.00p.m. (Confession available after Mass) – St. Matthew’s
Saturday 10th July – Holy Mass at 5.00p.m. – St. James’
Sunday 11th July – Holy Mass at 9.00a.m. – St. James’
Sunday 11th July – Holy Mass at 11.00a.m. – St. James’
Sunday 11th July – Holy Mass at 1.00p.m. – St. James’ (Confessions available after Mass)
As stated above, bookings will now not be required for any of these Masses.
Dear parishioners, I hope you are all keeping well and have been enjoying the good weather we have been experiencing recently.
In an effort to try to bring us together again socially as a parish community I would like to extend an invitation to you to join us in the near future for a parish barbecue in the church grounds. My hope is that we might come together socially in small numbers over several occasions to help parishioners see each other again and help to strengthen those bonds of friendship and support which already exist between us.
Whilst the weather is a bit better (and we know how changeable it can be), I thought we might have a number of barbecues over several weeks in order to provide this opportunity to gather together for those who would be happy to take up the opportunity.
My plan is ask you, first of all, to e-mail me in order to express you interest, you can do this using the parish e-mail address only, please, which is: stjames@dunkelddiocese.org.uk. Once we know how many people are interested in coming (so please indicate in your email who would be coming, e.g. Bob Jones, Mary Jones, and 3 children) then we will issue an invitation to you giving you the day and the time, just so that we can keep the numbers to what is currently permitted. The likelihood is that the barbecues will be held at the weekend in the afternoon or early evening.
Please be in touch as soon as possible so that we can get the ball rolling!
God bless you,
Fr. Martin
St. James', Kinross 