ST ANDREW’S ST PETER’S ST PHILIP’S ST THERESA’S Admin Office:

126 Victoria Street 9 Carmondean Centre The Lanthorn Kilronan Park

Craigshill Deans Kenilworth Rise 41 Main Street

Livingston Livingston Dedridge, Livingston East Calder

EH54 5BJ EH54 8PT EH54 6NY EH53 0ES

T: 01506 432141 T: 01506 438787 T: c/o 01506 880918 T: 01506 880918

Pastoral Team:

Fr Kenneth Owens, Fr Simon Hughes, Fr Peter Krakowiak SAC & Fr John Semnanke

Email: catholic126@gmail.com PPC Email: livingstoneastcalder_ppc@hotmail.com

Fr Peter Mobile: 07460 676 278 (text only) Email: katolicylivingston@gmail.com

Facebook: Livingston and East Calder Catholic Parishes

Website: www.livingstoncatholicparishes.co.uk

SVDP Contact Numbers:

St Andrew’s & St Theresa’s: 07342 793611 St Peter’s: 07796 662264 St Philip’s: 07502 031701

Confession:

St Andrew’s: Sat 9am & 4.30pm

St Peter’s: Sat 10am

St Philip’s: Sat 9am

St Theresa’s: Sun after 11.30am

Mass

Adoration:

St Andrew’s: Tue 10am to 11am

Thu 7pm to 8pm

Sat 4.30pm to 5pm

St Peter’s: Sat 10am to 10.30am

St Philip’s: Sat 9am to 9.15am

Morning Prayer:

St Philip’s: Tue, Thu & Sat

9.15am

Charismatic Prayer Group

St Andrew’s: Tue 7.30pm

SUNDAY 1 DECEMBER 2019

First Sunday of Advent - Year A

Some say that the two sure

bets in life are paying taxes and

dying. The readings this

Sunday and over the Advent

and Christmas season remind

us of another certainty – the

coming of Christ.

Today we are given two quite

different visions of the future

but both are equally biblical.

Isaiah tells us that “In the days

to come, the Lord will reign

from Zion. The small hilltop on

which Jerusalem is built will be

raised up, all nations will come

to the Lord and all will live in

peace”.

In contrast Matthew’s account

of the end times suggests

conflict, violence and turmoil as

well as a call to persevere and

to look forward to deliverance.

We are reminded of the figure

of Noah, truly an Advent man –

who knew how to listen to

God’s word and so be prepared

for whatever comes.

Today we too are invited to

“stay awake”, to listen and to

be ready to welcome God’s

Kingdom. The signs of God’s

coming presence are already

among us if we have “ears to

hear and eyes to see”. Advent

is given to us to renew our

vision and our hope in the

coming of Christ, the Word

made flesh, both in our

celebration of Christmas and at

the end of time.

Parish office opening hours:

Mon, Tue, Wed & Thu

9.30am to 12.30pm

Advent Hour of Prayer: St Peter’s will be open for prayer on the four Sundays of Advent between 3.00pm and 4.00pm. An open invitation is

extended to all parishioners in our four parishes to come and experience quietness amidst the noise and busyness.

One World Group Peace Service: This year’s service will take place in St Andrew’s on Tuesday 3 December at 7.00pm.

St John’s Hospital Mass: Fr Kenneth will celebrate Mass in the hospital on Friday at 5.00pm. The annual carol service in the hospital will be

on Wednesday 18 December at 7.30pm in the hospital chapel with coffee and mince pies to follow.

RCIA: Will meet on Friday 6th at 7.00pm in St Peter’s.

CIC: The next class will be on Saturday 7 December at 10.15am in St Andrew’s church hall.

Men’s Breakfast: This event is open to all men over 18 years and will take place on Saturday 7 December from 7.45am - 9.30am in St

Peter’s. Cost is £2.50. Guest speaker to be announced nearer the time. If interested, please contact Brian Rolfe (Tel: 07538 153 582 or

email march2ndjuly19th@gmail.com).

Rome & Assisi Pilgrimage - October 2020: We could be doing with an additional 10 - 12 people to make this pilgrimage viable. Publicity

material is available at the back of all four parishes or contact the parish office.

PPC: The next meeting will be on Thursday 5 December. Our joint PPC has now been in operation for 3 years. It is time for some members

to retire and some have already stepped down due to personal commitments. We would invite anyone who is interested in serving on the

PPC to speak to Fr Kenneth or Fr Simon.

Volunteers: Anyone who is willing to make sandwiches in the high school at lunchtime for hungry children, please contact Fr Simon or Karen

in the parish office.

Bishops’ Conference General Election Letter: You can read a copy of this letter on our website (under ‘Resources’ tab) or on our Facebook

page.

Next Sunday’s Readings (08.12.19): Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 71; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12.

Recently Deceased: Osemedua Kachikwu, Charles Purdie, Maria Adeline Long, Catherine Edgar Anniversaries (December): David Rennie,

Alice McGinlay, Freddie Comerford, Sadie Queen, Brian Cullion

Shared News …

ST ANDREW’S ...

Parish Loan: I received a letter from the Diocese thanking us for

having paid off the loan. Well done to everyone! Any other

fundraising activity will now be for St Andrew’s 2020 project.

Thank You: To the family of Osemedua Kachikwu RIP who donated

the collection from the Thanksgiving Mass to our St Andrew’s 2020

project. The amount was £476.68. Also, Mary Anderson would like

to thank everyone who bought one of her knitted hats. Thanks to

your support she raised over £1,000 for Mary’s Meals. Any money

now raised will be given to Project Ghana.

Project Ghana Winning month for the snowman’s birthday was

November. The sum of £96.00 was raised for Project Ghana. Thanks

to everyone who participated.

Petition to Lourdes: Paper and envelopes are available at the back of

the church if anyone wishes a petition to be taken to Lourdes on 5

December.

Christmas Nativity Cribs: Available from Joe & Jenny McDermott (Tel:

779 871).

Last Sunday’s Collection: £946.11; Building Fund: £276.73; Candles:

£292.85; 200 Club: TBC; Sanctuary Candle: Alice Russell RIP

Anniversary

ST PETER’S ...

St John Ogilvie PFA: The monthly meeting takes place

on Monday 2 December at 7.00pm in the school.

Everyone is welcome and it would be great to see

some new faces.

Adeline Long RIP: The funeral will take place on

Wednesday at 11.00am in the Co-op Parlour,

Lvingston, followed by burial at Loaninghill Cemetery

at 11.45am. May she rest in peace.

Rosary Group: Will meet after Mass on Wednesday

morning.

Knit & Natter: Until further notice, will meet at

1.00pm on Wednesdays.

Rosminian Mission in India: The raffle raised £110.00

towards the seminary in India. Many thanks to those

who donated prizes and bought tickets.

Congratulations to the winners Elizabeth Garvin (2

prizes), Moraig Boyle and Lucy Gregory.

Cleaners: Urgent, we need more helpers to clean the

church on Friday after mass. If anyone can help

please contact Fr Simon.

Last Sunday’s Collection: £1,015.15; Church Stall:

£89.60

Advent & Christmas traditions around the world,

including Poland, are full of magic and meaning.

In our Polish tradition the customs, which have

been passed down through the centuries, are

deeply rooted in religion, family tradition and

connected to nature full of snow during winter. I

will share a few of them with you…

People prepare for this big holiday during the

four weeks of Advent. In Poland this is still a

time of fasting, prayer and of spiritual

preparation for Christmas. The name, from the

Latin word Adventus, means “coming”. In the

church it is a time of waiting and preparing for

the Nativity of Jesus. As we know, Advent

opens the liturgical year in the Church. Those

four weeks before Christmas are full of folk ritual

which are still present, especially in villages, but

in some city parishes too…

The common Advent custom in Poland, still

practiced today, is to take part every day in

the early morning Mass for the Holy Virgin

Mary, known as Roraty (from the first word of

a song imploring for the coming of the Saviour

of the world: Rorate coeli desuper – let the

heaven send down dew to us). During these

Masses we start in dark, only a huge roratnica

candle is burning, as a symbol of Our Lady,

while the faithful (especially children with their

parents) come to the service with their own

burning candles or lanterns. Roraty processions

are liked by children and adults, who remember

waking up at 6.00am in time for these

celebrations. Prizes are given to the best, so

some parents have to be there every single

morning, Saturday’s included!

In the past in some villages, long autumn

evenings of Advent were the time when female

neighbours met and worked together at the

same time chatting about current news and

telling stories. Today those traditions are

replaced by Wigilia Parties with Oplatek to be

shared and best wishes to be shared. Now, they

are more like the Christmas parties celebrated

here in Scotland but they still start with prayer

and sharing of the oplatek – white host-like

bread, which we share during our Wigilia

Supper just before Christmas. We share it

among our families in Scotland as well.

Our many beautiful Christmas Carols were

traditionally played and sang only from the Vigil

of Christmas through the Nativity period. With

the western commercialisation of Christmas in

Poland, we now hear Jingle bells and other

English carols during the whole of Advent in our

shopping centres, restaurants, and even in

schools. Polish carols are still considered “for

Christmas time only”, but because there are so

many people who like them so much, we have

a custom to sing them until February 2nd - the

Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas), when we

officially finish singing them.

You are welcome to take part in our Advent

Roraty procession every weekend during our

Polish Masses with lots of children and their

home made lanterns. We will also sing our

Polish Carols during our joint Midnight Mass in

St Andrew’s sharing our traditions.

Let us all prepare well for Christmas in this

Advent season.

Fr Peter

ST THERESA’S…

Rosary: The rosary will be

recited every Monday

morning after 9.00am Mass.

Everyone is welcome.

Scouts Christmas Carol

Service: Is on Monday 2nd at

7.00pm in St Theresa’s. All

welcome.

Friday 6th: The primary

school children will join us

for Mass on Friday morning.

Last Sunday’s Collection:

£643.02; Catholic Education:

£145.47; Bonus Ball Winner:

No 31 C O’Donnell

ST PHILIP’S ...

Fairtrade: Stall today,

Sunday 1st. There will be no

stall in January.

St Ninian’s Primary: Are

holding a Christmas Fair on

Thursday 5th from 5.30pm -

7.00pm. They will also have

‘Cake & Carols’ on Friday

13th at 11.15am. Everyone

is welcome.

Last Sunday’s Collection:

£513.50; Catholic Education:

£181.31; 200 Club: TBC;

Sanctuary Candle: Catherine

Mulligan (God’s Blessing)

Christmas Mass Times 24 December 5.00pm St Theresa’s (Carols at 4.30pm) Fr Kenneth 7.00pm St Andrew’s Fr John 7.00pm St Peter’s Fr Simon 7.00pm St Philip’s Fr Kenneth 9.30pm St Peter’s (Polish) Fr Peter Midnight St Andrew’s (Carols at 11.30pm) Fr Kenneth/Fr Peter/Fr John 25 December 9.30am St Andrew’s (Polish) Fr Peter 9.30am St Philip’s (small chapel) Fr Kenneth 9.30am St Peter’s Fr Simon 11.00am St Peter’s (Polish) Fr Peter 11.30am St Andrew’s Fr John 11.30am St Theresa’s Fr Kenneth 26 December 9.30am St Andrew’s Fr Kenneth/Fr John 11.00am St Andrew’s (Polish) Fr Peter

DATE ST ANDREW’S ST PETER’S ST PHILIP’S ST THERESA’S FEAST DAY

Sun 1 Dec 9.30am Polish PK 11.30am Mass KO Ann & Paul Bradford

9.30am Mass SH People of the Parish

5.30pm Mass SH Fr Philip Kerr

9.30am Mass JS People of the Parish

11.30am Mass JS Charles Jarvis RIP

1st Sunday of Advent

Year A

Mon 2 Dec No Service No Service No Service 9.00am Mass JS Owen Mullen

Monday 1st week of Advent

Tue 3 Dec 9.30am Mass JS May Irvine

6.00pm Mass SH Donor’s Intention

9.30am Mass KO Donor’s Intention

No Service Memorial of St Francis Xavier

Wed 4 Dec 9.30am Mass JS Donor’s Intention

9.30am Mass SH Donor’s Intention

No Service 6.00pm Mass KO Donor’s Intention

Wednesday 1st week of Advent

Thu 5 Dec 9.30am Mass JS Donor’s Intention

9.30am Mass SH Donor’s Intention

9.30am Mass KO Donor’s Intention

No Service

Thursday

1st week of Advent

Fri 6 Dec No Service 9.30am Mass SH Donor’s Intention

No Service 9.00am Mass KO Donor’s Intention

Friday 1st week of Advent

Sat 7 Dec 9.30am Mass JS Donor’s Intention 5.30pm Vigil JS

9.30am Mass SH Donor’s Intention

6.30pm Polish

9.30am Mass KO Donor’s Intention

No Service Memorial of St Ambrose

Sun 8 Dec 9.30am Polish 11.30am Mass JS Mrs Marzella

9.30am Mass SH People of the Parish

5.30pm Mass SH Robert Harris RIP

9.30am Mass KO Thanksgiving Sr Expeditus

11.30am Mass KO People of the Parish

2nd Sunday of Advent

Year A

WIADOMOŚCI POLSKIEJ WSPÓLNOTY W LIVINSTON

Drodzy, prorok Izajasz nawołuje nas do nawrócenia i duchowego wysiłku życia w światłości:

Chodźcie, domu Jakuba, postępujmy w światłości Pana! Psalmista zachęca, byśmy czas

adwentowego oczekiwania przeżywali radośnie: Idźmy z radością na spotkanie Pana. Wszystkich

Rodziców proszę, by przychodzili regularnie z dziećmi – niech one przyniosą ze sobą lampiony i

biorą udział w procesjach światła, bo wtedy- zaangażowane będą mówić jak psalmista: Ucieszyłem

się, gdy mi powiedziano: Pójdziemy do domu Pana… Paweł mówił do Rzymian słowa, które

odnoszą się także do mnie i do Ciebie: Odrzućmy więc uczynki ciemności, a przyobleczmy się w

zbroję światła. Żyjmy przyzwoicie… Jezus przypomina nam, że Adwent to nie tylko oczekiwanie na

Boże Narodzenie, ale przygotowanie na spotkanie z Bogiem twarzą w twarz: bądźcie gotowi, bo w

chwili, której się nie domyślacie, Syn Człowieczy przyjdzie.

Cała liturgia pierwszej niedzieli Adwentu wzywa nas do czuwania, do odrzucania uczynków

ciemności i do dobrych postanowień osobistych i rodzinnych. Zapraszam Was do udziału w

Procesjach z lampionami! Poświęcone opłatki – wypieczone z modlitwą przez Siostry w Polsce

- są dostępne po liturgiach, podobnie jak świece Caritas na Wigilię! Od Pt 6-7-8.12 w

Edynburgu i Livingston będą rekolekcje adwentowe - zapraszamy! Ks.P