Sacred Heart & St Gerard’s Children’s Liturgy

01/12/2024

A lovely first Children’s Liturgy in our new meeting room. Please encourage your children to join us at 10am and 11:30am ❤️💜

24/11/2024

A very emotional Children’s Liturgy for the final mass at St. Gerard’s. The children thanked Fr. Parkes and all the previous clergy, and all those who have supported the parish over the last 53 years. A special thank you to the Legion of Mary for the gifts they gave the children.

We now look to Tuesday, when we will join together again as a parish community in Sacred Heart for the reopening mass. ❤️💜

21/11/2024

A reminder that Children’s Liturgy will be on during 10:45am mass this Sunday in St Gerard’s. We will mark the closure of the church with the children. Please bring your children along as we share our memories of St. Gerard’s church 💜❤️

17/11/2024

A reminder that Children’s Liturgy will be on during 10.45am mass. We will mark the closure of the parish with the children. We hope all the children will join us 💜❤️

One week today we will gather in St Gerard’s for the Final Mass of Thanksgiving. Please join us to give thanks to God for all that has been during the last 53 years of the Church and pray for our parish at this time of change.

10/11/2024

A fantastic turnout at Children’s Liturgy this morning. Please join us at our Mass of Thanksgiving in St Gerard’s at 10.45am mass on the 24th of November. We plan to mark the closure of St. Gerard’s Parish with the help of our young people💜

24/12/2023

Wonderful to see so many people at our Christmas Masses this evening. Thanks to all who prepared and we’re involved in any way.

We wish you all a happy and holy Christmas.

24/12/2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At Christmas we enjoy singing Christmas Carols. We also enjoy listening to others singing them, particularly children and those in our parish and Diocesan Choirs. I express a special word of thanks, therefore, this Christmas to all our musicians and singers, and acknowledge the time and effort you put into preparing for the Carol Services, and most especially for the Christmas Liturgies.

In the Sacred Liturgy we celebrate the Mystery of the Incarnation, the Birth of Our Saviour, Christ the Lord, at Bethlehem. In recalling his birth, as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist we renew our faith in his living presence within and among us, and place our hope in life in Christ in its fullness in eternity. As Christians we desire to be “other Christs” as we journey through life and seek to show the love of Jesus in our relationships and activities. What we celebrate at Mass we strive to put into practice in who we are and in all that we do.

This year Christmas falls on a Monday. We have two important religious days – the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas – on top of one another. We have a fine opportunity to make it a particularly spiritual and holy Christmas by attending two Masses, from the time the Vigil on Saturday Evening to Christmas Day itself. We always have plenty to pray for and this Christmas will be a particularly good time to do so. St Paul offered us great words of encouragement last Sunday in his letter to the
Thessalonians:

“Be happy at all times; pray constantly; and for all things give thanks to God, because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus.”

Our Christmas Carols often refer to Bethlehem, O Little Town of Bethlehem being especially well known and loved. Our thoughts and prayers at Christmas this year are particularly for the people of the Holy Land, Palestinians and Jews, and for a lasting peace to end the war and hatred. May the Angels’ song as they appeared to the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem ring true:

“Glory to God in the highest Heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour”.

I wish you all a holy, and peace-filled Christmas, and the blessing of God for 2024.

Yours in Christ,
+ Joseph Toal

24/12/2023

Pope Francis appoints Motherwell Priest as new Bishop of Galloway

At 12 noon today (22 December 2023) in Rome (11am GMT) it was announced, that Pope Francis had nominated Fr. Frank Dougan as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway. He will succeed Archbishop William Nolan who was Bishop of Galloway from 2014 to 2022 when he became Archbishop of Glasgow, since when it has been administered by Fr. William McFadden.

Reacting to his appointment, Fr. Frank said;

“I am humbled and more than a little bit nervous that Pope Francis has asked me to take on this office. I feel confident however that I will not be alone in spreading the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I will be joining with every single person in Galloway Diocese all of whom have a role to play, my role being just one of them.”

“With God’s grace and the deep faith of the Church in Galloway we can continue to build on the solid foundations left by those who have come before us, stretching back to St. Ninian who first planted the seeds of the Christian faith in Scotland here in Galloway.”

Fr. Frank added;

“My mother was from Ayr, and I spent many childhood summers here, so you could say there is a little bit of coming home for me! But most importantly, we must proclaim a Church where everyone can feel at home and welcomed.”

Responding to the news Diocesan Administrator Fr. William McFadden said:

"On behalf of the community in the Diocese of Galloway, I am delighted to warmly welcome Fr Dougan as our new bishop. I can assure him of an enthusiastic welcome as he comes among us bringing his unique pastoral leadership and skills. I look forward to working with him, and in continuing the implementation in the diocese of the pastoral and prophetic vision offered by Pope Francis for the Church today. "

Reacting to the announcement, Bishop Joseph Toal, the Bishop of Motherwell said;

“I am very happy to hear that Fr Dougan has been chosen by the Holy Father as the new Bishop of Galloway. My thoughts and prayers are very much with him at this time. It is very good that Motherwell Diocese is again able to provide a Bishop for a Scottish Diocese, and it is quite something that another Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, East Kilbride, will become Bishop of Galloway.”

“We will miss Fr Frank in Motherwell as his ministry extended beyond the the Parish to St Andrew's and St Bride’s Secondary School and Hairmyres Hospital, along with his Canon Law responsibilities in the Diocese and with the Interdiocesan Tribunal. I am sure the wide pastoral experience gained here will be of great benefit in his episcopal ministry.”

24/12/2023

We hope you have a happy and holy Christmas with your families tomorrow. ✝️🎄

06/12/2023

We'd like to say a huge thank you to Catherine McLintock and Linda McInally for their continued support. Catherine and Linda knit beautiful baby clothing throughout the year, sell the items online and donate the proceeds to St Andrew's Hospice, among other charities. They popped in last week to present a cheque for £2000 to our Chief Executive, Joy Farquharson. Thank you so much for your continued support, ladies. These funds help us deliver vital care and support services to those living with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones, both in the Hospice and across Lanarkshire ☺️

06/12/2023

06/12/2023

This weekend we begin the Season of Advent and a new liturgical year. Please join us for Holy Mass this weekend as we begin to prepare spiritually for Christmas.