Sunday 30th November 2025 First Sunday of Advent (Year C)

"Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord."
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UPDATE ON MASSES/SERVICES 
Due to Fr. John being on Sick Leave, the following schedule of Masses/Services will continue and be reviewed at the end of January 2026;
· St Andrew's, Bearsden.

• Masses - Thursday and Friday - 10a.m.
• Eucharistic Services - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - 10a.m.
• Vigil Mass (Saturday) - 5.30p.m.
• Mass - Sunday morning - 10a.m.
• Confessions - Sunday - 9.10a.m. until 9.40a.m.
• It may be of help in Bearsden on Sunday mornings if you wish to speak to Fr. Michael to do so after morning confessions which end at 9.40a.m.

· St Joseph's, Milngavie.

• Mass - Monday - 10a.m.
• Vigil Mass (Saturday) - 4p.m.
• Confessions - Saturday - 3.30p.m. until 3.50p.m.
• Mass - Sunday morning - 11.30a.m.

· Many thanks for your understanding and please keep Fr. John in your prayers. There is a little flyer in the porch and below with these details on it. If you haven't already done so, pick one up and for anyone you know or send the image below. ​

Mass will take place in Bearsden

• Monday, 1st December at 10a.m. when we honour St. Andrew.
  
• The school will be with us.
  
• Please note, there will be no Mass that day in Milngavie.

 
Funeral arrangements for Margaret Burns

• Reception: Tuesday, 2nd December at 6p.m.
  
• Funeral Mass: Wednesday, 3rd December at 10a.m.

 
For the diary.

• There will be a second collection the weekend of 13th/14th December.
  
• This is the St Nicholas Fund (Caring Sunday) and helps those who are in need.
  
• When they arrive, there will be Advent Boxes from the St. Nicholas Fund.
  
• You are asked to take one away, fill it up and return to the parish when full.

 
Parish Foodbank appeal – 29th and 30th November - The Caritas group are asking you to support the Drumchapel Food Bank this Christmas by bringing a non-perishable food item to Mass on the weekend of the 29th/30th November and donate it to the parish food bank.
Good things to donate would be:

• Cans or packets of soup
• vegetables
• hot dogs
• pies, or tomatoes
• Packets of pasta, rice, couscous, spaghetti
• Biscuits, crackers, oatcakes
• Cereals or porridge
• UHT milk, tea, and coffee.
• It will be possible to make cash donations too. Many thanks.

 
THE PARISH PADRE PIO GROUP

• Meets for prayers in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at St Andrews, Roman Rd at 7p.m. on the first Monday of every month.
  
• Next meeting tomorrow, Monday 1st December 2025.  

LUNCH CLUB

• The next meeting of the lunch club is this Thursday, 4th December 12.30-2.30p.m. in the Upper Hall.
  
• As always everyone is very welcome.
  
• Come along bring a friend, a neighbour, a family member and enjoy lunch “in a warm friendly environment".

 
LAST COFFEE MORNING OF THE YEAR

• Sunday 14th December. 
  
• Please join us for mince pies, tea/coffee/mulled wine in the Upper Hall after 10a.m. Mass.
  
• This month we will be raising funds for the St Nicholas Care Fund. Last month we raised an amazing  £527 for The White Lily Fund!
  
• Thanks to all our wonderful bakers/helpers/parishioners for your continued support and generosity.
  
• We wish you all the compliments of the season, Veronica and David Maguire

 
Children's choir dates:

• 14th December
  
• 21st December
  
• 25th December.
  
• If your child is not in St Nicholas and would like to join, please contact Annamaria Strachan ([email protected]) 07749 715514 for details.

 
Advent Appeal for Christmas Gifts  - your help needed to make it happen! 
Please leave in the porch 7th – 17th December: 
Glasgow’s Homeless men or women.

• Either a gift bag with all items below OR in box provided, any of items below:
  
• Socks/underwear
  
• Scarf/gloves
  
• Toiletries - toothbrush/paste, shampoo, shower gel, shaving foam/ razor, deodorant,
  
• Selection box
  
• Book
  
• Christmas card
  

Refuweegee supports people forced to flee their home within the asylum system. 
In box provided please donate for all or all ages and sexes:

• New pants and socks
  
• Water bottles
  
• Backpacks
  
• Nappies
  
• Toilet roll 

Thanks to everyone who supported this year’s Christmas Fair.
The following was raised:

• The White Lily Fund - £524.00 (entry money, raffle and sale of jigsaws)
  
• SPRED - £450.00
  
• Sales of knitted baby clothes for Alzheimer Scotland - £95.00
  
• Men Matter Scotland - £120.00
  
• Piety Stall - £428.38 (profits for 2025 will be transferred to parish funds at the end of the year).

Newman Association:
A Better World is Possible (Where all people survive, thrive and flourish with human dignity) -

• A talk by Lorraine Currie. CEO SCIAF
  
• The Parish Hall, Immaculate Conception Church, 2049 Maryhill Road, Glasgow, G20 0AA
  
• 7.30p.m Thursday 4th December 2025.
  
• All welcome. Refreshments provided.

 
FORMED Youth Group;
Friday 5th Dec from 5.30p.m. to 7.30p.m. RCAG Youth Office (G1 4JY).

• Run monthly by the RCAG Youth Office, FORMED is a faith-filled evening for young people in S1–S6 to explore their faith and grow in relationship with Jesus, the Church, and one another through engaging activities, talks, prayer, and small group sharing – with pizza included!
  
• Find out more and register at www.tinyurl.com/formed25

 
RCAG Young Adults:
Advent Reflection Evening with Archbishop Nolan, Monday 8th December, 7p.m. to 9p.m. St. Andrew’s Cathedral G1 4JY.

• Young adults (16+) are invited to a special Advent evening to gather, pray, and prepare for the coming of Christ this Christmas.
  
• Stay after for festive treats and a chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.
  
• Find out more and register at www.tinyurl.com/rcagadvent25

 
Save the date!

• Friday 19th December at 6.30p.m. we shall have an Advent Service for Peace when our parish family can come together to pray for our world.
  
• The service will be followed by a short festive celebration in the hall.
  
• Please take an hour out of your Christmas preparations to join us. The more the merrier!

 
Pop-up singers
To prepare the music for the Advent Service on 19th December:

• Pop-up Choir will have a practice: 3p.m. on Sundays 30th November and 14th December.
• All are welcome.
  
• If you enjoy singing, come along! 

 
The first draw of your 29 Club

• Sunday, 14th December at the Christmas Coffee Morning in the hall.
  
• If you wish to be in with a chance of winning the main prize of £1000 and additional prizes of £100, then please go to [email protected] no later than the end of this month.
  
• Good luck to all and our thanks to all those who run it .

 
There maybe some Advent "Walk With me" Booklets left in the porch.
​One per family and free of charge

Catholic Social Teaching Thought for the Week –Sunday 30th November  2025
(World AIDS Day is observed on 1st December)
"Our response to persons with AIDS must be such that we discover Christ in them and they in turn are able to encounter Christ in us. Although this response undoubtedly arises in the context of religious faith, even those without faith can and must look beyond suffering to see the human dignity and goodness of those who suffer."
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Called to Compassion and Responsibility: A Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis, 1989
 
Laudato Si’ - On Care for our Common Home – 
Any approach to an integral ecology, which by definition does not exclude human beings, needs to take account of the value of labour, as Saint John Paul II wisely noted in his Encyclical Laborem Exercens.
According to the biblical account of creation, God placed man and woman in the garden he had created not only to preserve it (“keep”) but also to make it fruitful (“till”). Labourers and craftsmen thus “maintain the fabric of the world”. (#124) 

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery - Tuesday 2nd December

• The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
• You can do something about this scourge by learning about modern slavery at http://www.endslaverynow.org

 
SSVP at the Ozanam Centre 

• Are looking exclusively for boy’s/men’s jackets, jeans and trainers as these are in high demand just now.  
• They must be clean and wearable, not ruined.  
• The sort of thing that has just been grown out of.
• Contact [email protected] and we will come and uplift. 

 
SCIAF Real Gifts 

• It’s that time of year again!  
• If your children want a puppy for Christmas, surprise them with a GOAT from SCIAF!  
• Give your loved ones an ethical gift that makes a real difference to people who need it the most.  
• Visit sci-fi.org.uk/realgifts  or see the catalogue on the notice board.

Parish Bulletin

• Items for inclusion should be sent to [email protected] by 5p.m. on the Tuesday before publication, maximum 80 words.
• The Parish Bulletin is available weekly on our website/by email for all those on our Parish database (subscribe here to have it emailed weekly) and on the noticeboard in the Church porch.

Please remember in your prayers those in need, those who are sick and housebound and those in hospital.
Recently Deceased: Margaret Burns, Margaret Cameron, Gloria Kelly and Irene McCluskey.
Anniversaries: Anne McSherry, Christine Moran, Michael and Mary Moss, Henry Rossi and Margaret Tierney.