Our School Prayer
O, St. Andrew, hear us pray.
Sail over the sea to give us faith.
Let us have hope
Let us help one another
O, St. Andrew, hear us pray.
Let us share our kindness
Let us share your miracles
O, let us respect our classmates and teachers
O, St. Andrew hear our prayer,
O, St. Andrew, hear us today.
Amen
By Chloe, P6, 2022
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Parish Information
Our Parish is St Matthew’s Parish (Rosewell, Bonnyrigg and Gorebridge)
Father Olufemi Michael Akintolu is our Parish Administrator (St. Matthew’s RC Church, 36 Carnethie Street, Rosewell, EH24 9AT, 0131 440 2150).
Weekend Mass Times are as follows:
Saturday Vigil Mass: 6pm, St. Matthew’s Church, Rosewell
Sunday: 9:30am, St. Margaret’s Church, Gorebridge (this Mass has weekly Children’s Liturgy, as well as a weekly coffee bar after Mass, in the church hall).
Sunday 11:30am: Our Lady of Consolation, Bonnyrigg
Sunday 2:30pm: Nazareth House, Bonnyrigg
For more info re weekday Masses/Confession please click the link below to find this information on the Parish Website. You can also see info on Parish News and Events on their Facebook page.
https://m.facebook.com/stmatthewsparishrosewell/
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Sacramental Information 2024/25
We will soon begin our Sacramental Preparation in school. Mrs Green, Mrs Emsley and Mrs Briggs prepare the children for their Sacraments. Please keep an eye on our website, Twitter/X feed and newsletters for all information regarding Sacramental Preparation and key dates for parents/carers.
Reconciliation – This year 6 of our P3 children we be enrolled for their Sacraments. Children will be enrolled on either Saturday 26th October 2024 (6pm, St. Matthew’s RC Church, Roswell), Sunday 27th October 2024 (9:30am, St. Margaret’s RC Church, Gorebridge) or Sunday 27th October 2024 (11:30am, Our Lady of Consolation RC Church, Bonnyrigg). They will make their Sacrament of Reconciliation on Sunday 15th December 2024 in St. Matthew’s RC Church, Rosewell at 5pm. A information evening for all parents/carers of children who are to make their Sacrament of Reconciliation will take place on Tuesday 29th October 2024, 7pm, Our Lady of Consolation RC Church Hall, Bonnyrigg. If you are unable to attend this meeting then you should meet with Father Michael to discuss your child’s readiness to make their Sacrament. Please keep the Sacramental children in your prayers as they continue through their faith journey.
First Holy Communion – This year 8 of our P4 pupils will make their Sacrament of First Holy Communion. The Sacrament of First Holy Communion will take place on Saturday 10th May2025 (6pm, St. Matthew’s RC Church, Roswell), Sunday 11th May 2025 (9:30am, St. Margaret’s RC Church, Gorebridge) or Sunday 11th May 2025 (11:30am, Our Lady of Consolation RC Church, Bonnyrigg). A information evening for all parents/carers of children who are to make their Sacrament of First Holy Communion will take place on Tuesday 25th March 2025, 7pm, Our Lady of Consolation RC Church Hall, Bonnyrigg. Please keep the Sacramental children in your prayers as they continue through their faith journey
Confirmation – This year 8 of our P7 pupils will make their Sacrament of Confirmation with Archbishop Leo Cushley. Dates for Confirmation and Parental Meetings will be sent out soon. Please keep the Sacramental children in your prayers as they continue through their faith journey
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LAUDATO SI’ SCHOOL
We will be continuing our promise of being stewards of God’s creation and working towards becoming a Laudato Si’ School. Our goals for this year are: Community Involvement & Ecological Spirituality. Please keep an eye on our website and Twitter/X feed to see what we get up to.
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POPE FRANCIS FAITH AWARD
This year the opportunity to participate in the Pope Francis Faith Award will be available to all our P6 pupils. The Pope Francis Faith Award is designed to help children to show ‘signs of love’ in their daily lives and to be active members of their local church. The Faith Award invites young people to use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and to see how they can bear fruit in their homes, schools and parishes.
Information regarding the PFFA will be sent out shortly.
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FIRST FRIDAY ADORATION & BENEDICTION
As part of the parish’s efforts to help us achieve more spirituality, the parish will be having Adoration & Benediction in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus every first Friday of the month at 7pm. This will be in rotation in all of their three churches (Rosewell in September, Bonnyrigg in October, Gorebridge in November and so on ).
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PASTORAL CARE AT NAZARETH HOUSE, BONNYRIGG
Arrangements have been made to continue with Pastoral care to Nazareth House, as before. Therefore, there will be afternoon Mass every Sunday at 2:30pm, a vigil Mass the day before every Holy Day of Obligation at 6:15pm, and Mass at 11am on every First Friday of the month. These and other spiritual programs at the House will be published in the parish bulletin. All welcome.
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PARISH SOCIAL GROUP
The next Social Group meeting will take place soon, time TBC. All welcome!
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GARDEN FETE 2024
Thank you to everyone who supported the annual garden fete – this event raised over £8,000 which will go towards the upkeep of the parish.
Thank you for your continued support.
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PARISH AGM
The annual Parish AGM will take place on 22nd September 2024 after Mass in Our Lady’s Church Hall, Bonnyrigg. SAVE THE DATE!
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RCIA
The RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) is the pathway for adults who wish to come into full Communion with the Catholic Church. The programme runs once a week from Oct until just after Easter and covers the main tenets and practises of the faith. Candidates are then received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. If you or someone you know would be interested in completing the RCIA, or if you would like to be part of the team supporting the candidates on their journey, please contact Father Michael or Linda Gordon for further information.
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ALPHA GROUP
An Alpha Course will start on Saturday 7th September at 2pm-3:30pm (once a week for 11 weeks) in St. Margaret’s RC Church Hall, Gorebridge. Alpha is open to all and encourages discussion on life and faith. They share some food, watch a film and have a chat. CHECK IT OUT – if you decide it’s not for you, there is no obligation to stay. It’s FREE. You can find out more on: https://alpha.org.uk or have a chat with one of the Parish Alpha Team (Pat McGeever, Linda Gordon, Mairead Gilhuly and Marie-Alice Quigley).
PILGRIMAGE OF HOPE: PREPARING FOR THE JUBILEE YEAR 2025
Pope Francis declared 2025 a Year of Jubilee. Come along to an Archdiocese event to explore what a Jubilee Year is in the context of the year’s theme: ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. The event will be on Saturday 9th November, 10:30am-3:15pm at the Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh EH9 1BB. There will be inspiring talks on preparing spiritually. To register, please visit: https://bit.ly/PrepareJubilee2025
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THE WAY OF ST. ANDREW’S SCOTTISH PILGRIMAGE
Enjoy being a pilgrim in Scotland! Try one of the eight great pilgrim ways wending their way quietly through Scotland’s diverse and scenic landscape to St. Andrew’s great trails, great scenery and a great opportunity for reflection. To plan your pilgrimage route and get more information please visit: https://www.thewayofstandrews.com/
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Sunday Gospel and Reflection
Sunday 1st September 2024 – 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B
This is the Gospel according to Mark.
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile. “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”
Reflection
Jesus invites me to consider how I follow God in my heart and cautions me against being distracted by human traditions. I review my habits and patterns of activity, asking God to help me to recognise where they lead me to life. Prayer is time given to God, and this is good. But not the end of the story! Prayer-time introduces us to the side of ourselves which wants to honour God, and purifies us so that we honour him in the way we live as well as in the way we pray. We know whether prayer is fruitful or sincere by the way we live our lives.
Gospel and reflection taken from: sacredspace.ie and https://catholicreadings.org/
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Our Parish Mission Prayer
Holy Spirit be our guide as we journey towards our Father’s house.
Help us to work together so that our time of mission may enrich our parish of Our Lady’s, St. Matthew’s and St. Margaret’s.
With our friends and neighbours in other churches, help us to bear witness in our community to the love of Jesus Christ so that all people will be drawn to him.
Amen