From the Archdiocese

Jubilee 2025
The Holy Father has announced that 2025 will be a year of Jubilee. The theme is Pilgrims of Hope. For more information, visit the official website https://www.giubileo-2025.it/en. A Facebook page has been set up that will highlight resources and events in Scotland - search ‘Holy Year Scotland 2025’. To help us prepare, the Holy Father has established 2024 as a Year of Prayer dedicated “to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer, prayer in personal life, in the life of the Church, prayer in the world”. Resources will be available soon.

Bishop-Elect of Dunkeld Fr Martin Chambers (1964-2024)
Fr Martin Chambers, a priest of the Diocese of Galloway who was shortly to be ordained as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Dunkeld, has died aged 59.

Bishop Frank Dougan, of Galloway Diocese, said: “It was with a heavy heart and the deepest sadness that I learned today of the death of Fr Martin Chambers, a priest of the Diocese of Galloway and the Bishop-Elect of the Diocese of Dunkeld.

May he Rest in Peace

Cardinal Winning Lecture 2024
The title of this year's Cardinal Winning Lecture is Catholic Schools: In an increasingly secular context, who are we and what is our role? The speaker is Philip Robinson, Chief Inspector of Catholic Schools for England & Wales. It takes place on Saturday 20 April 2024 from 11.15am -12.30pm at the Saltire Lecture Theatre 438AB, James McCune Smith Building, University Avenue, Glasgow. Holy Mass will precede the lecture in the University Chapel at 9:30am. Reserve your place: click here.

Vocations Mass
The next Mass to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the Archdiocese is on Monday 22 April at Our Lady & St Andrew, 63 Stirling Street, Galashiels, TD1 1BS at 6:00pm.

National Pro-Life Chain
Take part in Scotland's Pro-Life Chain in Lothian Road, Edinburgh on Saturday 27 April at 11am. Beforehand, Rosary at 10:00am at Sacred Heart Church on Lauriston Street.

The event is organised by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children.

Events in the Archdiocese
For a full list of forthcoming events in the Archdiocese visit https://archedinburgh.org/news-events/.

Please see other news items from the Archdiocese in this week's Parish Newsletter.

Please also visit the Archdiocesan website for up-to-date information from the Archbishop.

Fresh Start help people who have experienced homelessness set up their new home through the provision of goods and services. They work to end the cycle of homelessness and for a better life for those living in poverty.

Fresh Start are open for donations Monday to Thursday 9-4pm, and Fridays 9-1pm.

Please note that donations of approriate goods should NOT be brought to St John Ogilvie's. Your donations should be taken to the Fresh Start warehouse at 22-24 Ferry Road Drive, Edinburgh EH4 4BR. Tell them you are from St John Ogilvie's. You can ring them first on 0131 476 7741.

To learn more about Fresh Start and its work, please click here.

Free Debt Help in Scotland - Christians Against Poverty (CAP)

For over 20 years, CAP has been providing free debt help in Scotland. CAP Scotland helps hundreds of people get out of debt every year, equipping them to withstand whatever storms may come their way in the future.

All CAP services are run through local churches. Our local CAP centre is based at Holy Trinity Church in Wester Hailes serving the west side of Edinburgh, including our parish area.

CAP also run a Job Club service. The Job Club is a friendly place where clients can get practical help as they seek employment. It's a relaxed environment with the chance to meet other jobseekers, get support and gain the tools they need to find work.

For more information visit capscotland.org.

Join OLIO – and help reduce food waste

OLIO is an app designed to reduce the amount of food (and non- food) items going to landfill. You can download the free app which allows you to request and collect free food within your local area.

Food is collected by OLIO ‘Food Waste Heroes’ from local supermarkets/stores when ‘Use By’ or ‘Best Before dates are reached. OLIO ‘Food Waste Heroes’ then post items on the app and anyone can request them. You, too can share free food and non-food household items with local people through the app.

OLIO can be downloaded, free, from whatever app store you normally use. More information is available at the app store or at www.olioex.com.

LINKnet Mentoring (Scottish Charity Number: SC029440) is the first and the only direct mentoring organisation that is established to serve minority ethnic communities in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Scottish Borders and Fife. It was established in 2000 to serve disadvantaged ethnic minorities in their pursuit of development. Over the years thousands have taken part in various mentoring programmes, education and employment mentoring being the core programme.

For more information visit LINKnet's website by clicking here.

Prayers

A prayer for peace in Ukraine

O Loving God, your Son, Jesus Christ, came into the world to do your Will and leave us His Peace. Through the intercession and example of our Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Peace, grant us the wisdom and humility to reflect that peace to the world. Inspire our thoughts, words and deeds to bear witness to your presence in our hearts. May your Holy Spirit fill us with every grace and blessing so that we may pursue what leads to peace for all humanity. Amen

We pray for all those in our country and throughout the world suffering from the Coronavirus. May its victims and their families be strengthened by the support of our community of faith and restored soon to full health. We also pray for our leaders and medical personnel who deal with the virus. May we keep calm and may we join together in solidarity with care and compassion to tackle this scare. This we ask in confidence though Christ our Lord.

Special Prayers to use
when you cannot attend a funeral

These Special Prayers can dowloaded as a PDF document by - clicking here.