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NEWSLETTER

of

St. Ninian's, Inverness

The Immaculate Conception, Whitebridge, and

Sts. Peter and Benedict, Fort Augustus

7th March 2010

Third Sunday in Lent, Year C

St. Ninian's

Sunday Collection: £718, Flowers: £9.20, SCIAF: £35 – Many thanks.

Next Sunday is SCIAF Sunday. There will be a second collection at all Masses for SCIAF (Charity No: SCO12303).

There are teas and coffees in the hall after Sunday morning Mass. Easter cards are on sale in the hall.
There is no Cake and Candy stall this month: the next one will be in May.

This year Bishop Peter will celebrate the Diocesan Chrism Mass at St Mary’s, Inverness on Tuesday 30 March at 1pm. All welcome.

The next session of the post-Confirmation class for secondary pupils will be on Monday 15 March at 7pm in the presbytery. Seven young people have come so far. Others are still very welcome to join in.

The remaining programme of deanery Station Masses (all on Friday evenings at 7pm) is:-

Confirmation classes will start after the Easter holiday. There will be a parents’ meeting on Monday 12 April at 7pm in the hall.

St Ninian’s SVP Conference is running an Easter raffle to assist SVP overseas projects. Prizes include approximately £80-worth of prime organic beef divided into 6-8 lots and an assortment of other prizes, as shown in the photo in the porch. Tickets at £1 a strip will be on sale after both Masses next weekend and the two following weekends. The draw will be on Easter Sunday.

Catechism Classes will meet again on Monday 8th March and Tuesday 9th March. For all enquiries, please contact Alison Francis, tel. 01463 226511.

The Youth Club will meet again on Monday 8th March at 7pm in the hall. Contact Agnes Macdonald, tel. 01463 794510. The Youth Club is planning a Bingo evening soon to raise funds for the club and would be very grateful for donations of items for prizes.

The Mothers and Toddlers Group will meet again on Friday 12th March. Contact Nichola Langlands, tel. 01463 792069.

The Parish Finance committee (clergy, Paul Crowe, Janet Webb) met recently to review parish finances. The balance in the parish account at 31 December 2009 was £33,668. The improvement over the 30 September figure of £24,679 was due to receipt of the Gift Aid tax rebate of £9,864 in November. It is now expected that the windows at the front of the church will need to be replaced, hopefully during the coming summer, as some of the wood framework is rotting and there are considerations of safety and of improved heating during the winter months. The likely cost is of the order of £15,000. Funds will need to be raised for this. The committee has agreed that the first step should be to launch a ‘Gift Day’ appeal in early May seeking one-off donations to parish funds. Other fund-raising projects will need to follow.

The Knights of Saint Columba meet on the first Monday of every month at 7.30pm in the Marian Room at St Mary’s, Inverness. The Catenians meet on the second Monday of each month in the Glenmoriston Hotel, Ness Bank at 7.30pm.

The St Vincent de Paul Society meets on Mondays at 209 Drumossie Avenue, Inverness, at 7pm. If you would like a visit, or to become a member of the SVP, contact Peter Birrell, 01463 223040.

The next Drop-in afternoon will take place on Wednesday 10 March from 2-3.45pm. For further details, contact Joan Kelly, 01463 713302 or Rosa Finlayson, 01463 238560.

Please pray for the sick of the parish, for vocations and for the repose of the souls of Agnes Woods, Andy Hay, Catherine Aird, Jean McIntyre, Catherine MacDonald, Carol McGuire and James MacRae, whose anniversaries occur at this time.

Immaculate Conception, Stratherrick and St. Peter's & St. Benedict's, Fort Augustus

Sunday Collection: £156.40, Donations: £6 - Many thanks.

Fr Stuart will lead three sessions on the Passion Narratives at Fort Augustus on Tuesdays 9, 16 and 23 March. The sessions will contain Scripture commentary, discussion and prayer.

There will be a fund raising whist drive at Fort Augustus on Friday 26 March and a coffee morning on 27 March. Donations of whist and raffle prizes plus biscuits and home baking will all be much appreciated. Please let Carmelita know if you can help serve coffee etc.

News for all Parishes

There will be an evening of Taize prayer and singing at St Mary’s, Inverness at 7pm on Thursday 11 March, led by two female representatives from Taize. All welcome.

The BBC is looking for home movie footage of Pope John Paul II's visit to Scotland in 1982 for a new social history series. Anyone who has such footage is invited to contact Joyce Webster in the Bishop's office (01224 319154 or e-mail joyce@rcd-abdn.org)

The Knights of St Columba are holding a St Patrick’s Night Dance on Saturday 20 March at 7.30pm in St Mary’s Hall. Tickets, price £7, are available from Ali McDonald (241420) or Gary Fraser (710868).

SPUC is running its 3rd International Youth Pro-Life Conference (for ages 16-35 years) on 19-21 March in the Beardmore Hotel, Glasgow – see leaflet in the porch. If you are interested in going, please speak to Fr Stuart.

Priests for Scotland is offering a vocations enquirers' weekend on Friday 7th May to Sunday 9th May 2010. This weekend experience is offered to all men over 17 years, who may welcome the opportunity to pray and reflect with others on the Lord's to ordained service as a diocesan priest. The retreat is offered at no cost to enquirers with no commitment. For more information register, please call the Priests for Scotland office on 0141 554 6936 or e-mail office@pfs.org.uk.

Contact details