Season of Creation
Official Events

An online Season of Creation event will take place on Thursday 19 September with Fr Joshtrom Kureethadam at 7:00pm. Register at https://bit.ly/hopeactcreation. This event is hosted by the Bishops' Conference of Scotland’s Care of Creation Office.

St John Ogilvie's
Sacramental Programme 2024/2025

The Sacramental Programme will begin again in the Autumn. The preparation classes will be held on a Saturday morning in the church hall and are primarily for children who attend a non-Catholic school. However, children who are being prepared in their Catholic school and wish to receive the sacraments in St John Ogilvie’s church are very welcome to attend the sessions if they wish. The class dates will be issued in due course when we have confirmed class numbers.

The programme for 2024/25 will prepare children for the following Sacraments:

1. Reconciliation – Primary 3 and above


2. First Holy Communion – Primary 4 and above


3. Confirmation – Primary 7 and above.

If you wish your child to be enrolled in one of the classes, then please complete the enrolment form below and submit it online or print it off (click here to download a copy) and e-mail it to Laura Lang at sjotreasurer@virginmedia.co.uk or hand it to one of the passkeepers in the church after Mass. Paper copies are also available in the church from the passkeepers.

Please complete all questions on the form and return it no later than 15th September 2024. You will be contacted by one of the team when your form has been received. Thank you.

From the Archdiocese

MA in Applied Catholic Theology

The MA in Applied Catholic Theology is a two year, part-time course hosted by St Mary's University, Twickenham, at its Scottish Campus in Edinburgh. SAAS funding now available.
Find out more at www.stmarys.ac.uk/edinburgh, or email the course leader Dr Susan Longhurst, who will be happy to answer your questions - susan.longhurst@stmarys.ac.uk .

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”.

To help us prepare for for the Jubilee Year, the Holy Father has asked us to study the documents of the Second Vatican Council. "Being Catholic" has produced a new video series, suitable for parish groups or individual use, presented by Fr Tom Magill of Motherwell Diocese. The videos are available on the Archdiocesan website -click here.

Explore: a retreat for young women

Thinking about a vocation to the religious life? Join other young Catholic women to chat and explore God's will in monthly get-togethers in Edinburgh.

Led by Sr Mirjam Hugens FSO, the first one takes place on Sunday 28 January 2025, 4-7pm at St Columba’s, 9 Upper Gray Street.

It is a chance to pray, share and discuss in a relaxed environment, and refreshments will be served. The series continues each month at the same time/venue:
25 February 2025
17 March 2025
21 April 2025
12 May 2025
22 June 2025

To register or find out more, please email religiousvocations@staned.org.uk

Marriage Counselling
If you are concerned about your relationship and feel as a couple that you are unable to reach a conclusion alone, it is likely that you will benefit from marriage counselling. The Archdiocese has an arrangement with a qualified Catholic marriage counsellor who may be able to help you. For information or advice or to arrange counselling sessions please email in confidence marriage.counsellor@staned.org.uk or phone 07511928621 (Please note that counselling fees apply).

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.