A Parish Booklet from 1994. Much
of it will be dated but it is still of interest.
Front cover
Introduction
| This booket came from the work of the pastoral council going
round the various parish organisations to make contact with them
and encourage them in their work.
I hope that you will find it useful in being aware of what
goes on in the parish. As Catholics we are called to worship
and serve God together in the Church. We do that in the parish
of St. Patrick's, Kilsyth. I hope that this booldet helps you
feel that you belong to this parish.
Many people in the parish give freely of their time so that
the life of the parish can go on. Please read this booklet so
that you can encourage them to continue, and perhaps you will
find something in it that you want to be part of. Ring the contact
person to find out more.
Some organisations are mentioned which are not parish organisations,
but in which parishioners are active, and whose activities we
want to note in our parish list of events. If you think others
should be mentioned in a future edition please get in touch
with me.
Of its nature this is a booklet that is concerned with organised
activities. I would like to dedicate it however to the many
people who quietly and in a deeply committed way care for their
families, the sick and those in need in their day to day lives.
Gerard R. Hand |
Page 1
ADMINISTRATION
Money Counters
This group of three women has been doing the task for seven years.
They meet weekly to count the collection and prepare it for banking.
House
The parish house is the home of the priests, but it also doubles
as office accommodation, meeting place for various groups and
where people meet the priest on a one to one basis. It also
contains the prayer room where The Blessed Sacrament is exposed
for adoration thirteen hours a day. To help in the running of
the house there are women, who work a total of 32 hours per
week. Their duties are domestic, but they also welcome people
at the door and on the telephone.
Parish Records
There are a variety of parish records to be stored and kept
available for consultation. Correspondence between parishes
about marriages and baptisms has also got to be entered into.
Miss Maly McCann gives several hours of her time per week to
help in this.
Parish Draw
The draw started in September 1993, the work of the 50 promoters
is co-ordinated by a committee of 6. The promoter keeps at least
1 book of subscribers and brings it down to the church on a
Monday evening. The committee has the task of being in the church
on a Monday evening to take the money and to supervise the draw.
It is also responsible for the general supervision of the draw.
There are 1,080 subscribers approx., who subscribe £1
per week. As of writing in early 1994 the prizes were £300,
£100, £50 plus a promoters prize of £20 once
per week. Contact person : Therese Symons, 20 Murray Avenue,
824273.
Financial Administration
In a large parish like Kilsyth there is a large amount of parish
financial administration ranging from payment of cheques to
maintaining records. Vara Canavan gives 6 - 7 hours per week
to do the book keeping of the parish. |
Page 2
Fabric Committee
This group has operated for two and a half years. We have 7 members
and meet on a regular basis. The purpose of the group is to plan
and co-ordinate the repair, maintenance and restoration of the
church property. This ranges from the smallest item through the
works being organised for the hall to the major works about to
commence in the church. To help in this work there is a group
of volunteer workers who do work on the various properties under
the stewardship of the parish. If you have any skills in the various
aspects of building these would be very useful to the parish and
also much welcomed.
Building Fund Group
We have existed as a group since April 1993. We have 6 members
and our function is to co-ordinate the various fund raising activities
within the parish. Our major endeavour to date is the establishment
of the very successful parish draw.
Christmas Fair
We organise the Christmas Fair which acts both as a successful
fund raiser and as an opportunity for the parish to get together
socially.
Repository
A wide selection of religious objects including statues, crucifixes,
mass cards and many other items is available from the repository.
The running and care of the shop is done by Mrs Anna Harkins.
Finance Committee
We have existed as a group for 6 months with meetings taking
place as and when required in the parish house. Our membership
is 3 plus the chairman (Fr. Hand). Our purpose is to plan and
co-ordinate the overall finances of the parish.
Covenant Group
The Covenant has operated since 1969, organising the covenant
scheme in the parish. This allows the church to claim back the
Income Tax paid by tax paying givers on their donations. Clearly,
this benefits the church at no cost to the individual member
of the scheme. The scheme is run on a strictly confidential
basis and to find out more about it call ........................ |
Page 3
| CLEANING AND DECORATION
Plants
The lovely plants that you see about the church are taken care
of by Sr. Angela. They are tended to after Sunday masses using
materials provided by Sr. Angela. Anyone with green fingers
interested in helping can call .......................
Posters
The posters at the back of the church, designed by Margaret
Brady have consistently provided excellent information over
many years.
Flowers
These have been arranged and tended by Agnes Hacket for the
last 10 years. Agnes would be interested in help from anyone
particularly those with flower arranging skills. Donations are
also gratefully accepted. Contact ........................
Church Cleaners
When we attend services we can sit in clean tidy surroundings
thanks to the efforts of our band of church cleaners. There
are 30 cleaners divided into three groups cleaning on a rota
basis every Wednesday mornings afternoons, & evenings. New
members would be most welcome. If you can help call ...................
Brass Cleaners
The brassware in the church is kept to a high standard by a
group of ladies from Queenzieburn. We meet on a Tuesday morning
after mass to do the job. We have been involved in this service
for 15 years. If you would like to help call ..............................
Sacristy
........................ looks after the practical side of the
Sacristy by taking care of vestments, altar linen and Sacred
Vessels as well as ensuring that the altar is prepared prior
to each service. |
Page 4
Grounds man
One of the parishioners, ................, looks after the garden
part of the church grounds. He also helps to keep the rest of
the ground tidy. Parishioner Hugh Johnstone is at present landscaping
the garden at the front of the church
St Patrick's Hall
The hall plays an important role in the life of the parish,
being used regularly by many Parish Organisations and is also
used on a variety of occasions as required. For additional information
contact ..........................
SOCIAL LIFE
St Monica's Guild
Our guild has been in operation for about 20 years. We meet
each Thursday afternoon in the lesser hall. We have almost 40
members, all female. Our purpose is to provide recreation for
the more mature generation. We organise various socials and
outings throughout the year. We would urge anyone interested
to come along and enjoy our tea and company. Contact ...............................
Senior Citizen's Bowling Club
We have been operating as a club for 20 years and meet each
weekday morning during the months between October and April.
We meet in the lesser hall. We have more than 30 members, all
men, from all faiths and none. This is an ideal opportunity
to stay healthy and meet friends old and new. Come along any
morning.
Women's Guild
We have been operating for 40 years and meet on Tuesdays in
the lesser hall from 8 until 10pm. Our function is purely social
and we provide a meeting place for Catholic women of all ages.
We have 32 members at present but are always looking for more.
One of our activities is the making of goods for the Christmas
Fayre. If you are interested in our activities, including our
famous Halloween party then contact ............................
Youth Club
Our club has been running for 2 years. We operate in 2 groups
on Monday evenings, Juniors (8-11)runs from 6 until 7.40pm,
Seniors (12-17) runs from 8 until 10pm. We provide many activities
for 300 members. These include Pool, football, cooking and many
others. the Club is an excellent opportunity for the youth of
the parish. Because of the vast numbers involved many helpers
are needed. At present we are short of helpers particularly
men, so please see this as an appeal for your help and come
along or call ................................... |
Page 5
| SPIRITUALITY
Eucharistic Adoration
The prayer room in the parish house has been open for adoration
of the Blessed Sacrament from 9.00 am - 10.00pm daily since
December 1992. Many people commit themselves to an hour a week,
while others pray at various times in the week. Although this
prayer is done individually, it is prayer for the whole parish
and the life of the people. Prayer is at the heart of any parish
and this is an important way of sharing in the prayer life of
the parish.
Contact:
Eucharistic Ministers
There have been eucharistic ministers in the parish for a number
of years. There are about 25 ministers at the moment. The purpose
of the ministers is to help the celebration of the mass by assisting
in the distribution of communion, and to take communion to those
house-bound who want it on a weekly basis. This service helps
the house bound to remain part of the parish sacramental community,
and at the same time shows that the parish wants to remain in
personal and pastoral contact with them. The eucharistic ministers
commit themselves to several evenings of formation, and then
to several evenings in the year when they try to deepen their
appreciation of what they are doing.
Contact: .........................................
Thursday Prayer Group
This group has been in existence for 10 years. of 6-8 people
who meet in the convent on evening at 8.00 pm to pray together.
Contact : ......................................................
Readers
There are 18 readers, who take turns reading at the mass. The
task of the reader is to proclaim the word of God with faith
and understanding. To help in this there is a core group of
3 that helps organise the rota, and prepares several evenings
of formation in the course of the year.
Contact: .............................................. |
Page 6
Children's Liturgy
The children's liturgy takes place at 12.00 noon Mass every Sunday.
Its purpose is to help the children appreciate the Word of God
and speak and pray about it at their own level. A secondary effect
is to help the parents to take part more fully in the Liturgy
of the Word. There are 2 groups of 80 children altogether, with
12 helpers. The helpers meet on a monthly basis to prepare the
liturgy.
Contact: .................................................
Music
Since music plays such an important role in enhancing the liturgy,
we have various music groups for different services. These include:-
Choir - consisting of 22 members, covering all age ranges. The
choir normally sing at the 6.30p.m. mass on Saturday and other
occasions. Rehearsals are held every Wednesday evening.
The Guitar group, plays at 9.30 mass on Sunday and rehearses in
the church on Fridays at 8p.m.
At the 12 o'clock mass on Sunday there is an organist & cantor
to lead the congregation.
If you are interested in singing or as an instrumentalist please
come along to rehearsals or contact
..................................... . Choir: ....................................
Vocations Group
This group has existed for 5 years and has 2 members who meet
4 or 5 times yearly with the group from the deanery. The purpose
of the group is to promote vocations. A vocations mass is organised
annually. The parish can help by praying for vocations and becoming
more aware of the need for vocations world-wide and supporting
any initiatives within the parish.
Charismatic Prayer Group
We have been meeting for the pat year each Tuesday evening at
7.30 pm in the convent. Our numbers vary between 6 and 10. We
meet to pray. We see ourselves as "prayer warriors"
who pray in aid of many causes ranging from personal to world-wide.
We are a purely spiritual group. Please come along or contact
.......................................... |
Page 7
PASTORAL
Pastoral Council
The Pastoral Council has 16 members made up of the pastorall team,
and 13 members of the parish.
Some of the groups were selected at parish meetings and others
were co-opted to ensure that all sections in the parish were reasonably
represented. The purpose of the group is to prompt and co-ordinate
all aspects of life in the parish, and to encourage the development
of a sense of community and belonging in the parish. The group
meets normally on a Sunday 5 - 6 times a year. Within the group
there are sub-groups for special tasks.
Pastoral Team
The pastoral team as a particular way of working, has been in
existence since 1987. The 3 members, ..............., meet weekly
to pray together and to discuss both the business of the week
and to plan on a long term basis. The team provides spiritual
and pastoral leadership. They encourage and support the laity
to take responsibility for many aspects of parish life, and they
help all of us to pray and work together to build up St Patrick's
parish.
Deanery
We are 1 of 13 parishes in St Ninians deanery. A deanery exists
to help us realise that we belong to a diocese, and that the
diocese arranges itself in smaller units to help people pray
and work together. St Patrick's has been taking active steps
to work with Denny and Banknock to develop formation for eucharistic
ministers and readers. Co-operation in youth training is a possibility
in the near future. Fr. ............. is the dean.
Sisters
Sister Michael and Sister Angela are the 2 sisters in the parish.
Sr. Michael is retired after ministry in Nigeria and at home.
Sr. Angela is an active member of the pastoral team in the parish.
They see their purpose as being a presence of people living
a dedicated religious life in the community. Contact: .................
Evidence for Marriage Tribunals
The appointment of lay auditors to gather evidence particularly
for marriage annulments came about in the parish in 1992. At
the moment there are 4 auditors from the parish, and they are
officially recognised by the diocese. Their purpose is to interview
witnesses to gain evidence with regard to petitions for annulment.
The interview takes place on a one to one basis, following which
the evidence is signed and forwarded to the tribunal. The evidence
is totally confidential in keeping with the sensitive nature
of the situation. It is hoped that the service of auditors will
help reduce the years of delay that as is the situation at present. |
Page 8
EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS
St Maurice's School Board
The board was formed in 1989 and meets monthly in the school.
Our remit is identical to that of the St Patrick's School Board.
Contact ..............................
St Patrick's Parents Association
The association has been in existence for 10 years. We meet on
the first Wednesday in the month in the school. We try to raise
funds for the good of our children in the school and we have provided
computer equipment, funded trips and other things.
We also provide practical help and support to the school staff.
We always need more parents to take an active part in our activities
as without this support we could not continue to provide this
much needed service. Contact ....................................
St Patrick's School Board
The board was formed in 1989 and meets on the last Wednesday of
each month at 7 pm in the school library. Our task is to support
the school by addressing issues of concern to parents. We have
to discharge various statutory duties all aimed towards promotion
of contact between the school parents and the community as well
as having a voice in the selection of senior staff. There are
parent members as well as a member nominated by the Archdiocese.
Contact ........................................
St Patrick's Primary School
The school is an integral part of the life of the parish as
the children of today are the adult parishioners of tomorrow.
We would hope to engender awareness of all the work taking place
in the school. Also we try to foster as many links as possible
between the school and the parish generally e.g. the use of
prayer partners during sacramental preparation.
Our Head teacher is ............................................. |
Page 9
| GROUPS
RCIA
We are a group of 4, comprising 3 lay people and 1 member of
the pastoral team. We offer support, information and encouragement
to adults thinking of becoming or in the process of preparing
to become Catholics. We meet on Tuesday evenings in the Parish
House. Our meetings include discussions of readings from Scripture
within the context of the modern realities of the church. If
you know of anyone who would be interested in becoming a Catholic
or finding out more about the faith they can contact either
of the
priests on 822136
Advent/Lent Groups
The parish is trying to develop house groups during Lent and
Advent. The purpose of these is to encourage a sharing and growth
in faith within the parish, and to encourage prayer together,
so that we can grow spiritually. The gatherings also provide
the opportunity to provide Christian hospitality and friendship.
The groups have not happened at every Lent and Advent until
now, but the intention is to develop them, so that we can give
parishioners an opportunity to share their Catholicism on a
more personal level than is available normally to some of them.
Rainbows
The Rainbows are part of the Guide and Brownie movement. It
is for girls aged 5-7 years. They meet in the hall on Tuesdays
5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Contact person: ......................................
Brownies
Girls between the ages of 7 & 10 are provided with many
activities aimed at social and educational development. These
range from games to more formal activities. Presently we have
24 members with a waiting list for places. We meet each Thursday
in the lesser hall from 6.30pm to 7.45pm. Our fund-raising is
similar to that of the Guides. More leaders are required.
Contact ......................................
Girl Guides
Girls aged from 10 to 15 years are given the opportunity to
develop social skills, community values and self discipline
through the character building activities offered by our company.
Presently there are 12 members of the group who meet weekly
in the church hall on Tuesday evenings from 6.30 pm to 8.00pm.
We run coffee mornings as a means to supplement the small weekly
subscription.
Anyone interested in the Guides either as a helper or prospective
member contact ............................... |
Page 10
Young Adults (previously Damascus Group)
Our group provides a forum for young people to find out more about
themselves and their faith. We organise and take part in various
activities ranging from discussion weekends to youth masses, Taize
nights and social events. We are frequently involved in charity
fund-raising events such as band nights. We have about 40 members
ranging in age from 16 to 35 (2/3 female). We have room for many
more at the inn! For further information contact .....................................
Chaplain to St Maurice's Fr. .................is chaplain to
St Maurice's High School, which around 300 of the parish attend.
The chaplain tries to provide spiritual leadership and education,
religious services, and pastoral support in the school. He encourages
a sense of Christian conununity in the school,
and also tries to help local parishes and school to develop
their common interest in the growth in faith of the pupils and
staff. The chaplain would find it useful if he was informed
of any activities being planned for the youth e.g. youth Masses,
because he could help the planning from the school. Contact
Fr. ...........................
OTHER
ACROSS
Parishioners are involved in this charity which helps sick people
travel to Lourdes and other continental destinations by the
Jumbulance. Across has been involved in the parish fund-raising
and providing helpers.
Contact: ..........................
Knights of St. Columba
The organisation encourages its members to take part in the
Church's work of evangelisation through retreats and works of
charity. The Kilsyth members are members of Council 603, Kirkintilloch.
They meet 2nd and
4th Sundays in
St. Ninians Church Hall.
Contact: .......................................................
Columban Singers
The Columban Singers are not a parish organisation, but many
parishioners take part in it. They were founded in 1950 and
are a male voice choir. They do a lot of charity work, and do
some club work to raise funds for the choir. They practise in
Kilsyth Academy at 7.30 p.m. on a Thursday evening. Contact:
..............................
|
Page 11
Amnesty International
Our group in Kilsyth has existed for 2 years. There are 8 of us
who meet on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7.30 p.m. in the
parish house. We organise as a voice against human rights violations
throughout the world. Our group is open to all on a non-denominational,
non party political basis. We are a local branch under the guidance
of a head office in London. If you or anyone you know would like
to become involved please contact .........................................or
come along to a meeting.
CARING
Pro Life
Our group has existed in Kilsyth for 25 years. We meet on the
first Friday of each month at 7.00 p.m. in the Convent. We have
6 members and many supporters. We try to raise awareness of Pro
Life issues through caring and education. We also provide support
and practical, confidential help to mothers. We also are a political
pressure group affiliated to national organisations. We are very
dependant on the parish for support both financially and by prayers.
For further information contact ...................................
Saint Vincent De Paul
The society has been in existence for a very long time. Our purpose
is to offer practical help to the poor and needy. The group at
present has 3 members who meet on Sunday's at 1 p.m. Within any
caring Christian community there must be provision for the needy.
S.V.D.P. goes towards making that provision.
Passkeepers
Our group, consisting of 20 men & 1 woman, endeavours to ensure
the smooth running of all services by co-ordinating and organising
the seating of the congregation. We also organise the collection
of the Offerings. If you feel that you would like to help out
at any of the services please contact ...................................
Altar Servers
We are a group of boys & girls ranging in age from 8 upwards.
Our job is to help at all the services assisting the priest. In
addition to the formal parts of the job there are also social
activities. Parents, why not encourage your children to become
involved? Contact Fr. .................................
Justice & Peace
Our group was formed in 1988 to promote ideas of justice and peace
with particular interests in the works of SCIAF and SPUC. We are
a campaigning organisation focusing on social injustice. At present
we have 10 Members, all female, and meet monthly. New members
are always made welcome irrespective of religion, age or Gender!!.
For further information contact .......................................
Nearly New Shop
The shop has operated in the Hall gallery for 3 years. We sell
good quality nearly new goods to raise money for charities. We
always need donations of such items. Our team of 8 ladies sort,
display and sell the stock. Any help you can give either in goods
or in time would be much appreciated. This shop provides a very
worthwhile service. For further information contact .................................
Funeral Teas
Our group has been in existence for 5 years. We are 30 in number
and divide ourselves into 3 work groups. We provide a catering
service for bereaved families. This is of practical help but also
shows parish support in times of greatest need. Work groups respond
as required on a rota basis co-ordinated by Sr. Angela. Although
membership is all female at present any men wishing to become
involved in setting up tables and so on in the hall would be most
valuable as would anyone else interested in helping in this invaluable
service |
Page 12
PASTORAL TEAM
PARISH COUNCIL
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Back cover
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