It was a delight last weekend to see us now needing to use the lower hall as a second overflow area for Mass. It has been great there being a steady increase over the weeks in the number of people coming to Mass.  With large screens in both halls, across the three weekend Masses, we can seat well over 300 people.  If you haven’t already, go to standrewsbearsden to register for the booking process for vigil and Sunday Masses. No need to book for weekday Mass. Just turn up. If you can’t manage along, Mass is live streamed daily on our YouTube channel at 10am.  A huge thanks to all the parishioners for your cooperation, support and patience while we settle into the new queuing system that's in place. A huge thanks, too, to all our many volunteers for their help and support in the many areas of parish life.

We’ve got our thinking caps on for Masses for Christmas. Usually, we have around 1,800 people attending our Christmas Masses. Hard to gauge what the attendance will be this Christmas.  We’ll keep you informed re arrangements.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, well at least a little anyway - get ready for the big day with a selection of Advent Calendars and Christmas cards from our online piety stall.   Go online to standrewsbearsden.co.uk.    All orders can be collected from the organisers’  homes in Bearsden, but if that’s not possible we will arrange local delivery.   We have limited stock, so best to place your orders sooner rather than later.  As always, all profits go directly to Church funds.  Many thanks,   Annamaria Strachan and Anne MacIntosh https://www.standrewsbearsden.co.uk

Live streamed October Devotions – Rosary and Benediction today Sunday at 4.30pm.  Find us on our YouTube channel on this link.

Urgent Appeal from SPUC Scotland.   The Scottish Government is holding a consultation on whether to continue the practice of sending dangerous abortion pills to  women to undergo abortions at home. We need as many pro-life people as possible to complete the Scottish Government’s questionnaire in order to stop dangerous DIY abortions becoming permanent. SPUC has prepared a briefing which gives a step by step guide to completing the questionnaire. Please go to www.spuc.org.uk/Scottish-Consultation
 
First Holy Communion Masses will take place on Sundays November 1, 8 and 15 at 2pm. Please keep the boys and girls, and their families, teachers and catechists in your prayers.  An instructional video has now been sent out to all families.  
 
First Communion & Confirmation cards/gifts are available on request from the piety stall. Please email a.strachan@dunelm.org.uk for options.
 
Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation for S1 pupils will be on 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th November at 7pm. A letter has been posted to all families advising of all the arrangements. Please keep the candidates in your prayers. Online catechesis for home learning has also been sent out, and we’ll soon be posting to all an instructional video.
 
First Holy Communion & Confirmation - As I am sure you will appreciate, these liturgies will be very different from what we are normally used to, but they will be no less special occasions of celebration for the boys and girls. Remember, face coverings will need to be worn for all these occasions.
 
RCIA - If you or someone you know isn’t baptised or baptised in another Christian tradition and would like to enquire about becoming Catholic, please get in touch. Email standrew@rcag.org.uk
 
Catholic Social Teaching Thought for the Week - 25 October   We cannot remain spectators before the suffering of so many people who are worn out by hunger, violence, and injustice. ... If I do not draw near to that man, to that woman, to that child, to that old man or that old woman who is suffering, I do not draw near to God.                                               
Pope Francis, Audience on 27 April 2016 
 
As seating capacity in the church is much reduced due to current social distancing guidelines, a booking system is required.  To register to use the booking system, please go to www.standrewsbearsden.co.uk  Please note that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass continues to be suspended. It is still fine not to go to Mass during these circumstances.

Here's some helpful guidance from the Bishops' Conference of Scotland
 Please familiarise yourself with it ahead of attending Mass.
➡️ Read: bit.ly/BackToMass (includes video)
➡️ Phase 3 guidance: bit.ly/Phase3ScotGov

Drumchapel Foodbank - Thanks to all of our Parishioners who are donating food and toiletries to our collection point in the Chapel House porch to be delivered to Drumchapel Food Bank.  Regularly your donations are dropped off at the foodbank by our parish volunteers. Thanks for continuing to help.

Our parish’s soup-run’s volunteers continue to collect food donations form M&S Byres Road for delivery  to Drumchapel and St Gregory’s Foodbanks and the Wayside Club.
 
Parish Website – Bulletin - Just to say that on the latest page and the bulletin page, a subscribe button has been added which allows users to have a daily summary sent each morning with the previous day's posts. If you don't use social media, but would like to be kept posted, then all that's asked for is your email address  – you can unsubscribe at any time – it's all clearly marked.
 
Parish Bulletin: Any items for inclusion in the bulletin (including names for recently dead, month's mind and anniversary lists) should be put through the letter box of the Chapel House or sent by email: standrew@rcag.org.uk by12noon on the Wednesday before publication. Copies of the bulletin are available on Facebook, Twitter and on the parish website

Recently Dead –  Michael Franchetti, Patrick Gallagher, Mary Glen,  Grant Hayward, Nancy McAdam, Frank McIntyre, Keith McVicar, Brendan Parker,
Anniversaries –  Agnes F Allan, Leanne Dobbin Clark, Maureen Morton, Elizabeth O’Hara Murray, Isabelle Whitelaw, Charlie Whitelaw, 

September Flourish: The new edition of Flourish is now out in digital format, with a striking question on the front cover. “I was a stranger and you made me welcome … or did you?”
This month’s paper focuses on the upcoming Day of Refugees and Migrants called by the Holy Father and contains the Pope’s easy-to-read letter, inviting us all to do something to help those who find themselves far from home and in difficult circumstances. 
Also in the new edition: a seminarian’s story of life in the parish during lockdown; coverage of our newest Deacon’s ordination; Papal reservations about Medjugorje; Fr Raphael on how new visa rules and ideas for meditation using the Pope’s favourite painting! 
Full edition available to read now at http://www.flourishnewspaper.co.uk/
 
Catholic Social Teaching Thought for the Week - 6 September
We need to go forth from our own communities and be bold enough to go to the existential outskirts that need to feel the closeness of God. He abandons no one, and he always shows his unfailing tenderness and mercy; this, therefore, is what we need to take to all people.
Pope Francis, Message to Pilgrims gathered at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 16 November 2013
 
RCIA - If you or someone you know isn’t baptised or baptised in another Christian tradition and would like to enquire about becoming Catholic, please get in touch. Email standrew@rcag.org.uk
 
Masses have now resumed with 5pm Vigil and 10am and 12noon.
As seating capacity in the church is much reduced due to current social distancing guidelines, a booking system is required. To register to use the booking system, please go to https://www.standrewsbearsden.co.uk/ Please note that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass continues to be suspended. It is still fine not to go to Mass during these circumstances.
 
Here's some helpful guidance from the Bishops' Conference of Scotland
 Please familiarise yourself with it ahead of attending Mass.
➡️ Read: bit.ly/BackToMass (includes video)
➡️ Phase 3 guidance: bit.ly/Phase3ScotGov
 
10am Weekday Mass Monday to Friday has started back. 
No Saturday morning Mass. Please arrive earlier than usual, as contact details have to be taken, hands sanitised, and you will be led to designated seating. Remember and bring your face covering with you.
 
Our 10am Mass each day is now live streamed. You can access it via our parish website homepage.
 
Sacrament of Reconciliation - if you would like Confession, that can be done using the gazebo in the Church grounds observing social distancing. Phone or email beforehand to arrange a time. 
 
Wednesday Private Prayer time – Please note new time – 
Now 2pm – 3pm
 
Parish YouTube Channel – A reminder that the Parish has its own YouTube Channel, which can be accessed from the website and directly on this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZPDUavaAGd6yOZ4xer2oSA
 
SPRED – It is likely to be some time before our parish’s SPRED Group is able to resume. We keep all our friends in SPRED in our prayers.
 
First Confessions, which had to be cancelled earlier in the year have now been rearranged. They will be from 10am until 11am on Saturdays 3rd and 10th October. 
In order to assist with arrangements for social distancing, it would help if you could please email standrew@rcag.org.uk, if you haven’t already done so, to state your preferred date. Many thanks.
 
First Communions have also been rearranged and they will be celebrated on Sundays 1st, 8th and 15th November at 2pm. A letter has been sent to all families with the lists of communicants for each Sunday, which has been based on the lists drawn up previously.
 
Halls The Archdiocese’s advice just now remains that halls should not be used (except for the limited purposes previously allowed). Many activities – dancing, exercise classes, bingo, etc. remain prohibited – and even those things that are permitted risk distracting our volunteers from the ongoing work of keeping churches open in accordance with the cleaning regime. The Government previously stated their plan to allow some more activities later this month – although whether recent events will change that remains to be seen. The archdiocese hopes to update parishes further on the possibilities of using halls later this month, if the Government goes ahead with loosening these restrictions. 
 
Drumchapel Foodbank - Thanks to all of our Parishioners who are donating food and toiletries to our collection point in the Chapel House porch to be delivered to Drumchapel Food Bank.  Regularly your donations are  dropped off at the foodbank. Thanks for continuing to help.
 
Our parish’s soup-run volunteers continue to collect  supermarket food donations for delivery to Drumchapel and St Gregory’s Foodbanks and the Wayside Club.
 
With our piety stall remaining closed, we are offering individual cards for posting, or collection from the chapel house porch. We have a full range of cards for almost every occasion, all £1 or 40p each. P&P is £1 per order (up to 4 cards) or free if collected from the chapel house porch. Email Annamaria (a.strachan@dunelm.org.uk) to place an order. Payment is by bank transfer or cheque.
 
Parish Website – Bulletin - Just to say that on the latest page and the bulletin page, a subscribe button has been added which allows users to have a daily summary sent each morning with the previous day's posts. If you don't use social media, but would like to be kept posted, then all that's asked for is your email address  – you can unsubscribe at any time – it's all clearly marked.
 
Parish Bulletin: Any items for inclusion in the bulletin (including names for recently dead, month's mind and anniversary lists) should be put through the letter box of the Chapel House or sent by email: standrew@rcag.org.uk by 12noon on the Wednesday before publication. Copies of the bulletin are available on Facebook, Twitter, the parish website and on our new exterior noticeboard.  

Recently Dead: Wilfred Cook and Mary Murphy
4 Months’ Mind: Maurice Boyce