On Friday 1st April, the children of the parish presented a wonderful meditation on the Way of the Cross. A huge well done to the children who participated with enthusiasm and reverence. 

Thank you to Sheila who organised the children so meticulously, and thank as well to the parents of the children for being so supportive. 

As Fr Baji said this evening, these children are the future of our parish. To see so many children active and enjoying coming to St Joseph's speaks volumes about the vibrancy of our parish.

Photos, taken by Justina and James, and used with permission, can be seen below.

19th March is the Solemnity of St Joseph, our parish's Patronal Feast Day. In honour of the occasion, we had a wonderful parish celebration.

A solemn Mass began at 12pm, with music and images of St Joseph displayed on the large screen as a visual focus.

After Mass, we were delighted to be able to come together in the parish hall for a parish lunch. This was the first major parish social event to be held since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and it really felt like St Joseph's once again at it's best.

Thank you to all those who helped to make our Feast Day such an occasion. Particular thanks must go to Maureen & the Liturgy Committee, Angie & the St Monica's Guild and all those who provided food. A special word of thanks to Justyna from Just So Sweet Cakes who provided our celebration cake free of charge.

​Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, pray for us.

The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on 2nd March. On Ash Wednesday, Mass with distribution of ashes will be celebrated at 9.30am and 7.00pm. Throughout Lent, we have a full devotional programme, including Stations of the Cross and several mini-retreats.

Lent is a time of spiritual preparation and by engaging in some of the planned events you can make your Lenten experience a holy one.

Some of the key dates are in the image below, but you can see the full programme in the table underneath. There is also a version which you can download to your computer or print off for reference.

The Bishops of Scotland have announced that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass will be restored with effect from Sunday 6th March. This is in line with the "easing of restrictions in every other walk of life."

As always, the obligation does not apply to those who are sick and their carers or to those aware of their greater vulnerability to Covid-19. 

A full copy of the pastoral letter from the Bishops can be read below.

This takes place from 18-25 January. This year, the theme is We Saw His Star in the East. 
​
This year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service organised by EDINBURGH CHURCHES TOGETHER will take place at 7pm on Monday 24th January 2022 at City of Edinburgh Methodist Church, 25 Nicolson Square, Edinburgh EH8 9BX.   

In order to follow the current government guidelines regarding COVID 19, all those attending should take a lateral flow test before attending and wear masks (unless exempt) at all times when in the building.  Once seated, please remain in your seat unless directed otherwise.  Contact details for track and trace purposes will also be required as you enter the church.  With appropriate distancing for safety there is less capacity in the building than normal. 

To keep everyone as safe as possible you should only attend if you are feeling well and not demonstrating any symptoms of illness.  We very much look forward to seeing you there!

The service will be live-streamed on YouTube 
https://www.youtube.com/c/CityofEdinburghMethodistChurchOnlineWorship 
and you can also access the service using Zoom  
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83612285074?pwd=SXlRQTc0RCtCRmRyb3l1aVVKa0lpUT09 
​Meeting ID: 836 1228 5074 Passcode: 712240

Please note that Mass at St Joseph's on New Year's Day, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God will be at 9.30am, and NOT at 8.30am as incorrectly stated in the bulletin last weekend.

Apologies for any confusion caused by this typing error!

Did you miss the Advent mini-retreat which was held in our hall earlier this month? Fear not - we have put together a version which can be followed at home.

The document below contains links to various videos with songs and reflections. Click on the button below to download it, and then once you have opened the document, all you need to do is click the various links throughout to view the videos along with the Gospel readings. You may wish to follow the reflection alone or with other members of your family.

Christmas Eve, Friday 24th December
5.30pm (family Mass)
7.30pm (carol service)
followed by 8.00pm ("Midnight" Mass)

Christmas Day, Saturday 25th December
8.30am (quiet Mass)
10.00am

This year, no booking is required for our Christmas Masses.

Last year, while the church was closed, we introduced a series of virtual reflections for Advent. This year, we are delighted to say that we can do it face to face!

​We will be having an Advent mini-retreat in the parish hall on Saturday 11th December. This special event will begin at 10am and will consist of music, art and stories, as well as scripture, to guide us through the Advent season.

Festive refreshments will also be served in the spirit of the season. 

If you would be interested in attending, there is a sign up sheet at the back of the church (to help gauge numbers for the refreshments!)

​The 50th heavenly birthday of Blessed James Alberione, the Founder of the Society of St Paul, is celebrated on 26th November 2021. To celebrate the occasion, there will be a solemn Mass at 7 pm in the Church.

In the same we celebrated the Feast of St Augustine with the Augustinians, all parishioners are invited to join Fr Baji and Fr Shinto, members of the Society of St Paul, to thank Lord for the gift of Fr Alberione and to seek his intercession. The Mass will be followed by tea/coffee/snacks in the parish hall. Let us make this a true parish celebration.