1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

Call of the King!
For the Parishes of St Anthony, Rumford, St Francis Xavier, Falkirk and
St Mary of the Angels, Camelon Scottish Charity # SC008540
Contact: St. Francis Xavier's, 1 Hope Street, Falkirk, FK1 5AT
Tel: 01324 623567 or email: office@falkirkcatholics.org
Clergy: Fr Jamie Boyle, Fr Andrew Garden, Fr John Peter Siluvappan
March 22nd, 2015. Fifth Sunday of Lent B. We find our Liturgy on page 169 of the
teal book. ‘If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies it yields a great harvest.’
The reading from Jeremiah today is one of the most beautiful
in Scripture. God explains to the Hebrews the difference
between the Old and the New Covenant. In the beginning
Israel was treated as a child; God acted as their disciplining
but loving Father. When He led them from the slavery to the
freedom of the Promised Land, He expected their
faithfulness, their love, their gratitude, their service, just as a
husband in those days would expect. But, God says, there is
now a new, adult relationship, a Covenant based on love and
equity. So our liturgy describes a movement in understanding,
growth, a change from childish to mature faith. In prayer we
offer God today our awareness of where we are in this
process, praying that the maturing faith He wants for us be
seen more fully in our lives.
One beautiful way to take stock of our progress towards God is the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Sometimes a hurtful experience of the Sacrament, or guilt over past wrongs, keeps us from
turning to God in confession. Our psalm today says, ‘Give me again the joy of Your help’ and
Christ shared the ‘joy in Heaven at the return of one sheep’. There will be confessions available
all day at St Francis Xavier’s next Saturday, 28th March. Please use this opportunity to
experience the love and forgiveness of God in preparation for Easter. Be sure to tell the priest
you are returning, to allow him to better support you. And please pick up one of the guides which
will be available, which include a useful Examination of Conscience and the Act of Contrition.
What’s Happening This Week?
Sunday: Fifth Sunday in Lent.
Tuesday: Bible Study St FX House, 7.30 pm. No bible study the Tuesday of Holy Week,
March 31st.
Wednesday: Solemnity of the Annunciation. RCIA meets at 7.30pm in St FX church
house.
Thursday: Penitential Service St Francis Xavier’s, 7pm.
Friday: A Seder Meal will be celebrated in St FX Hall at 7.30 pm.
Saturday: Catholic Men's Society meets Saturday 28th March at 9.00 am in StFX hall.
Further information can be obtained from Robert Short on 556483
Next Sunday: Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.
Called to Worship
Mass Schedule
St Francis Xavier’s
10:00am Every Day
7:00 pm Mon to Wed
7:00 am Thurs & Friday
Sunday Mass St FX (Vigil) St
FX 6.30pm; 10, 12 noon and
7pm;
Polish Mass – 1.30pm
St Francis Xavier’s is open
all day for prayer
St Mary of the Angels
Sunday – 9.30 am;
9:30am Tues, Wed, Thurs
St Anthony’s
Saturday 10:00am
Sunday 11:00am
Called to Reconciliation
Confessions in St FX on
Thursday 7 to 7.25 pm;
Saturday 10.30 -11.15 am,
5.45 - 6.25 pm; St A’s after
mass Sat 10 am
Called to Prayer
Morning Prayer at 9.30 a.m.
Rosary after 10 am Mass
(Mercy Devotions –
Tuesday; Stations of the
Cross – Friday)
Stations of the Cross
7pm on Monday in St Mary
of the Angels
7:30pm on Thurs@ St FX
7:30pm on Thurs @ St
Anthony’s
This Week’s Big
Question: What ‘grain of
wheat’ do I sense needs to
be ‘let die’ in me?
Welcome to new
parishioners – please let us
know who you are by filling
out a registration form, to
be found in the porch. Join
us for tea/coffee in the hall
after 10 a.m. Mass at St FX
Called to Give
Last Sunday’s offering: St FX: £1795.13, Special
Collection £1112.50; St A’s; St M o A
Father Kerr sends his grateful thanks for everyone’s
generosity on the occasion of his recent presentation. He is
most grateful for the gift of the cheque and the beautiful
painting and for ‘all the kindness that was shown him in so
many ways.’
News & Upcoming Events
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Can Holy Week readers at St FX please collect the rota from the Sacristy?
The new Offertory Envelopes are now available at all parishes. Gift Aiders are reminded of the importance of picking
up their envelopes too. The new envelopes are to be used as from the 12th of April, after the start of the new
financial year.
The National Youth Gathering is on Palm Sunday, 29th March 2015 at Motherwell Cathedral at 2pm. Please preregister individually or as a youth or school group by 20th March. irene.furlong@staned.org.uk
Children’s Gospel Quiz - should be completed and brought back to mass each week. There will be a prize draw at
the end of mass (10:00am @ St FX, 9:30 am @ St M o A, 11:00am @ St Anthony’s). Please encourage your children
to collect a quiz sheet and remember to bring it back each Sunday.
Flowers: Please speak to any of the priests if you would like to volunteer to adorn the altar with flowers once a week
at St FX
Hallkeeper & Cleaner for St Mary of the Angels: we are looking for someone to take on this role. Please speak to Fr
Jamie if you are interested in helping out.
Walking Group – Tuesday 24th March Plean Country Park. Cars leaving St FX at 9 30am.
Tickets for the Jay Jackson Musical Afternoon on Thursday 9th of April at 2pm are now available, priced £4, after
the vigil mass and ten mass on Sunday at St FX. Raffle Prizes greatly appreciated.
A few seats remain in the minibus for the Chrism Mass – please speak to George Herriott at St FX.
Registration and uptake of the new tri-parish website and facebook page have been very good. Please can everyone
who hasn’t yet done so register online through the website as soon as possible. We need a new, up-to-date,
genuinely useful database for all three parishes. Registrations will automatically be filtered to the right parish and
information will only be seen by the priests and parish secretary. Paper forms are available for those not online.
Please complete a separate form for each member of your household. Please check our new Facebook page
www.facebook.com/pages/Falkirk-catholics/423922477775344
This is the last week before Passion Week. We are almost at the end of our Lenten season. A kind reminder to make any
plans we need in order to participate as fully as we can in the ceremonies of Holy Week, from the triumph of Palm
Sunday, through our remembrance of Christ’s death on Good Friday to the most important liturgy of the year next
Saturday night at the Easter Vigil. This beautiful liturgy reminds us of the whole journey of salvation, from Adam and Eve
to the Resurrection. Holy Week for us as Catholics means offering God time, commitment, our whole selves, as we too
journey each year through life to death and our final victory with Jesus.
Called Home
Anniversaries: Mary Hylands, Syd Devlin, Eddie Clafferty, Brenda Harris (Clafferty), Cormac McNelis, Bridget McNelis,
Walter Marshall, Landa Notterangelo, Elizabeth Hainey, Thomas Hendrie, Francis Fitzpatrick, Marion Fitzpatrick, John
Ciumming, Annie Quigley, Roger McPeake, John Waugh, Gerald Walsh, James Cogans, Dolly McKenna, Tony Dodds,
Louise McGhee, Neil Molloy, Norah Savoy, Mary Dickson, Hannah Farrell, James Bell, May they rest in peace.