St Francis of Assisi - Port Glasgow

13/06/2026

12/06/2026

Feast of St Anthony - 13th of June

Fresh lilies are in place ready for blessing for tomorrows feast!
——
Most images of the Wonder-Worker of Padua depict him holding the Child Jesus and with lilies. Now, it is a part of tradition in Christian art to use lilies as a symbol of purity when portraying Our Lady or the Saints and even Angels.

With Saint Anthony lilies have special significance. Lilies are in bloom around much of the world in the month of June, the month of his Feast Day [the 13th]. Of even more import there are two incidents hundreds of years old relating to the Saint of Padua and these magnificent flowers:

In 1680, on June 13, in the church at Mentosca d'Agesco in Austria, someone placed a cut lily in the hand of his statue. For an entire year the lily remained fragrant and fully alive, without wilting. Then the following year it grew two more blooms, so that the church was filled with the fragrance of the flowers.

A little over a century later, during the anti-clerical, anti-Catholic French Revolution, on the island of Corsica, the Franciscans were forced to leave their parishioners. The people refused to give up their devotions although they had no choice in the matter of the Sacraments because they had no priests. They invoked the intercession of Saint Anthony. On June 13 they erected a shrine to the Saint in the deserted church; the shrine included lilies in his honor. Months later the blooms were still fresh as if they had just been placed there.

Permission to bless lilies in honor of the Saint was given by Pope Leo XIII. Many favours have been granted through this devotion, such as help to the sick who have been touched by the petals of the blessed flowers. The Church holds that these blessed flowers are sacramentals, and even when dried and faded they are holy, like the palm fronds we receive on Palm Sunday. In fact, what is called "St. Anthony's Oil" is the extract from pressing the blessed blooms.
The reason why this Franciscan Saint is often pictured with a book along with the Infant Jesus, as he is above, is that when the Child Jesus appeared to St.Anthony, the Saint happened to be reading a book and as he was reading the Christ Child appeared on the Saint's arm and spoke to him because the Words which Saint Anthony was reading caused the Saint to become enraptured and thereupon the Child Jesus appeared on his arm and spoke so lovingly to him.

When he is portrayed alone it is often with a book as well because he is a Doctor of the Church.

11/06/2026

JUNE – MONTH OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS

During this month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we will make the Act of Consecration after Friday morning Mass.

The prayer was written by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, to whom the Lord appeared and revealed His Heart and the depths of His love for humanity.

As St Margaret Mary wrote: “Behold this Heart which has so loved men that It has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify to them Its love.”

All are warmly invited to join in this act of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at morning Mass and at home.

Copies of the Act of Consecration are available in the porch.

---

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I give myself and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person and my life, my actions, pains and sufferings, so that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being other than to honour, love and glorify the Sacred Heart. This is my unchanging purpose, namely, to be all His, and to do all things for the love of Him, at the same time renouncing with all my heart whatever is displeasing to Him. I therefore, take you, O Sacred Heart, to be the only object of my love, the guardian of my life, my assurance of salvation, the remedy of my weakness and inconstancy, the atonement for all the faults of my life and my sure refuge at the hour of death. Be then, O Heart of goodness, my justification before God the Father, and turn away from me the strokes of His righteous anger. O Heart of love, I put all my confidence in you, for I fear everything from my own wickedness and frailty, but I hope for all things from your goodness and bounty. Remove from me all that can displease you or resist your holy will; let your pure love imprint Your image so deeply upon my heart, that I shall never be able to forget you or to be separated from you. May I obtain from all your loving kindness the grace of having my name written in your heart, for in you I desire to place all my happiness and glory, living and dying in bo***ge to you.
Amen

08/06/2026

27/05/2026

This Sunday 🙏

MASS FOR MARRIAGE

Bishop John Keenan warmly invites all engaged and married couples, along with their families and friends, to Saint Mirin's Cathedral Paisley on Sunday 31st May, The Solemnity of The Most Holy Trinity, to celebrate the gift of marriage!

The celebration begins with Mass at 11am, followed by a reception in the Cathedral Hall.

Please note children and family members are most welcome!

The details of those celebrating any significant anniversaries this year can be emailed to Rebecca Harrison at the Marriage and Family Office.

[email protected]

19/05/2026

Just a little reminder of our upcoming fundraiser for the parish youth to Assisi pilgrimage!

For ticket info. Contact Ian on: 07957 586 004

17/05/2026