On Friday 13th May we celebrated a memorial Mass for Monsignor Tom O’Hare led by Bishop Toal, supported by four priests from the Diocese.
Following the Mass, the Bishop presented Sandra, the Monsignor’s housekeeper, with the Bene Merenti medal in recognition of her years of sacrifice and hard work for the Monsignor in particular and the Church in general.
For more photos click here to visit the parish Facebook page.
SYNOD 2021 – 23
A page has been added under the “Ministries and Groups” tab which contains information on the Synod exercise and details of the four meetings that have been held.. There are five entries: one summarises how and when the process was developed and the others give the Reports that will be sent to the Diocese as the outcome of the four meetings which were held on Saturdays 26th February, 26th March, 2nd April and 30th April. To go to the page directly click here .
PARISH CENSUS
Please complete a parish census form to add your details to the new Register being created for the Parish. You can complete and submit the form online by clicking here. Blank copies can be picked up in the porches of both churches or you can download/print a copy by clicking here. Hard copies can be returned to boxes that have been placed in the porches of both churches, delivered to St Mark’s House, or handed to Father Coyle.
Monsignor O’Hare
Our Parish is in mourning; Monsignor O’Hare died just before 10.00am Mass on the Feast of St John Ogilvie. During his long service in our Diocese, he served in many parishes, and was also Vicar-General. Upon his retirement, he moved into St Anthony’s Church House, and for the rest of his life, as you know, he dedicated his life to the care of all of us in the Parish. As he became more and more unwell, it then became our privilege to care for him. Although we are heartbroken, we continue to be inspired by his faith, and will endeavour to honour his memory by placing our trust in the LORD, by deepening our faith and by growing as a Christian Community.
We offer our condolences to his family, especially his sister Mairi, and his nieces and nephews, especially Pauline. We thank Sandra for her dedication to the Monsignor’s care, and all those people who worked tirelessly to ensure his comfort. We will always be grateful that he spent his years of “retirement” with us, and we will always pray for the repose of his soul. May he Rest in Peace.
His mortal remains will be received into St Anthony’s Church at 6.30pm on the 20th of March. His Requiem Mass will then be at 12 noon on the 21st of March in St Anthony’s.
A reception at the Burnside Hotel has also been organised following the Requiem Mass . You are of course welcome to attend, and the family will join us following the burial.
The parish is in the diocese of Motherwell and is a merger of two parishes.
St. Mark’s parish was founded in 1956 and the church was formally opened in 1961 by Bishop James Scanlan.
St Anthony’s parish was established in 1965 and the church was formally opened in 1970 by Bishop Francis Thomson.
Father Coyle’s initial message
I am absolutely delighted to be your priest. I grew up in Rutherglen and my grandparents lived in this parish; I also spent time here one summer during my seminary training, so I am familiar with the parish. I know many of you and I am looking forward to getting to know many more of you. I also know Fr Frank very well and I know he loved working here. I am looking forward to building upon the great work he has done here.
Church Closures & Reopening
The reopening of the churches is still a gradual process and we have to face the fact that it will still be a while before things go fully back to the way they were before but we are almost there.
Our two churches are opening as normal and details are given in the weekly Bulletins and in the Services menu.
Please continue to pray for each other, for the most vulnerable, and for those seeking to navigate a way out of this crisis.