R.C. DIOCESE OF MOTHERWELL

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope this finds you and your family and friends well.

I heard someone remark in recent days that it has been a year-long Lent since last February. We have indeed come through an extraordinary period, marked for all of us by some deprivation and anxiety; an extended communal penance inflicted upon us by the coronavirus. For some the suffering has been more acute, because of personal illness, the illness of others, or the death of a loved one. We continue to hold each other in prayer, even when separated by the lockdowns, and we reach out to God for protection and healing. As we begin therefore the liturgical season of Lent and accompany the Lord in his suffering and death, we look forward to Easter and the hope of new life promised by his Resurrection.

The season of Lent mirrors the forty days Jesus spent in the desert in prayer and fasting, and these days also reflect the forty years the Jewish people spent wandering in the desert before they were able to reach the “Promised Land”. The Old Testament books tell us of the difficulties of these years – the deprivations of food and water, the tensions and conflicts, the crises of leadership, the loss of hope for the future as they looked back to their past life, and, yes, anger at God and times of apostasy and loss of faith. It was a hard, almost brutal experience, but they survived it as a people and came at last to the “land of milk and honey”. My thought as we begin this Lent is that the reality of life for us in the times ahead may be more akin to the forty years than the forty days, and it may take a long time and a lot of hardship before we fully recover from the travails of the past year. Our faith encourages us not to lose hope, and indeed we have the Lord Jesus within and among us to help us persevere, strengthening and protecting us through the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

In the reading at Mass today from the Book of Deuteronomy Moses instructed the people as they were about to enter the promised land after their long years in the desert:

“Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live, in the love of the Lord your God, obeying his voice, clinging to him; for in this your life consists, and on this depends your long stay in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob he would give them.”

God wants us to cling on to him, whatever happens, and in doing so we will experience and know his love within us and the life of grace and goodness he offers us when we obey his voice and place our hope in his promises. While we seek security and consolation here in our earthly homeland, we also trust that we will share eternal life with the Lord in our heavenly homeland, and that the way there is through, with, and in the Lord himself. Through Lent then let us cling to the Lord and ask him to cleanse and purify us of all that would keep us apart from him and from showing his love to all our brothers and sisters with whom we share our time here on Earth. This is our time – “The day of salvation” as St Paul told us on Ash Wednesday - and we must make the best of it. With the Lord Jesus we can do so, without him we may lose hope and patience. Let us cling on to Him!

Wishing a you a fruitful and holy Lent, full of faith, hope and love,

Yours in Christ,

+ Joseph Toal

We are now open for liturgical services.

Our Bishops have confirmed the following guidance to promote the safety and wellbeing of everyone:
·       All visitors, in line with our existing arrangements, should sanitise their hands when entering and exiting the church. 
·       Social distancing remains in place and must be observed.
·       Face coverings are required to be worn by those attending (except under 5's).
·       A maximum of 50 people per service is being imposed for now. We, therefore, have introduced a booking system for mass.  Requiem Masses continue to be limited to 20
·       For each service, the parish must retain the names and contact details of all attendees.

Confirmation of arrangements for the reopening of our parish for the public celebration of Mass.
 
The numbers attending Mass require to be strictly controlled to ensure that we comply with the Scottish Government guidance of a maximum of 50. We, therefore, are required to operate a booking system.  Parishioners can request a place via our on-line system:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mass-at-st-leonards-east-kilbride-registration-113399436768. 

Please remember to cancel your booking if you no longer need it by returning to eventbrite and clicking 'Contact Event Organiser'.

Individual bookings, in the first instance, will be limited to 3 people from the same household. We recognise that this is not ideal, but this is necessary to ensure that we can maintain social distancing within the church and adhere to the Government’s instruction of a maximum of 50. We would request that, where possible, the booking is made on-line. This will enable us to keep an up-to-date record of bookings. If you know someone who does not have access to the internet, would you please inform them of these arrangements and, if necessary, place a booking on their behalf. In exceptional circumstances, a telephone booking request can be made by phoning St Leonard’s Pres.  01355247471. At the time of booking, personal information of name and contact details will be required.

Mass will be celebrated in St Leonard’s Church on the following days and times as published on the Eventbrite booking portal:

The chapel will be opened 30 minutes before Mass to allow time to be seated. There is a designated area for wheelchair users and those less mobile. Please note that the toilets are closed except for emergencies.

Having now resumed the celebration of Public Mass, there will be no further opportunities for private prayer in the church.

Making a Booking.
 
While our numbers remain so limited, we are requesting that parishioners book only one Mass at a time to allow as many as possible the opportunity to get to mass. Parishioners who can be more flexible may wish to place a booking for a weekday mass to relieve pressure on the places for a Sunday. 

To place a booking log on to:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mass-at-st-leonards-east-kilbride-registration-113399436768. 

Please remember to cancel your booking if you no longer need it by returning to eventbrite and clicking 'Contact Event Organiser'.

Do you have a few minutes to spare?
 
To safeguard everyone, pews are sanitised after use whether for private prayer or Mass. Should you feel able to volunteer to assist in the cleaning of the church and the sanitising of pews please speak to Father Dominic or email stleonard@rcdom.org.uk with your contact details and we will get back to you. Gloves, sanitising spray and cloths will be provided.  We would welcome your support.

Arrangements for the distribution of Holy Communion.

Holy Communion will be distributed at the end of mass following the directions given by Father Dominic.

As recipients of Holy Communion approach Father Dominic, face coverings should continue to be worn.

Holy Communion will be placed on the recipient's hands who should then take a few steps to the side, remove his/her face mask  to receive communion, reposition the face mask and leave the church.

It is important that social distancing is maintained until parishioners are well clear of the entrance porch. Parishioners should sanitise their hands on exit, in line with our existing arrangements.

https://www.mygivinghub.com/detailed/donate?charity_id=1086524&type=2&hidden_amount=&amount=&reference=RCDOM35

https://www.mygivinghub.com/detailed/donate?charity_id=1086524