EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE DEANERY

PASTORAL AREA OF CUMBERNAULD, JOINT PPC MEETING MINUTES 2nd SEPT 2024  |  SAINT LUCY’S CHURCH HALL  |  7PM

Sederunt: Fr John McGrath, Deacon Kenny, John McKenna, John & Heather Cannovan, Thomas Graham, Yvonne Frizzell, Ashleigh Fargher, Natalie Hutchison, Sandra McGeachie (minutes).

Apologies: Fr John Campbell, Paul Hansen, Chris Stewart, Kathleen Leach, Judy Ferrie and Jackie Hutchison.

  Chaired by Deacon Kenny

 Opening prayer - Psalm 133

 Welcome and introductions

Everyone went round the table and introduced themselves

 1.       Messenger System - how are we progressing? - Ash Fargher is producing an EXCEL spreadsheet/Database with names and contact details of all in the parish. A work in progress. Once completed we need to identify volunteers for delivering our new Directory and bulletin. It was suggested that parishioners could share the load by simply delivering to the houses in their street.

Ash offered to share a template of the Directory with St Joseph’s.

 2.       What is the next step in uniting our parishes? Parish Feast Days - all agreed that it was a good idea to make the Feast Day the only morning Mass that day in Cumbernauld. We would need to be mindful of the schools also attending Mass. There would be breakfast in the respective hall for the parishioners afterwards. ‘Carpooling’, for those without transport, was also discussed. Fri 13th Dec, St Lucy’s Feast Day, would be the first, with St Joseph’s, 19th Mar ’25 and Sacred Heart 7th June ’25.

 Tommy Graham from St Joseph’s spoke of the open invitation for the visit of 
St Padre Pio’s Relics on Mon 23rd September at 10am mass in St Joseph’s, with tea in the hall afterwards. Natalie offered to advertise it on St Lucy’s FB page and sharing it on Sacred Heart’s FB page and to take a note of numbers interested in attending to pass on to St Joseph’s for catering purposes. It has already been in SH and SL’s bulletin.

 Day trips and Parish holidays - could be advertised in both parish bulletins - ‘the more the merrier!’

 There are monthly coffee mornings in St Joseph’s with proceeds going to the homeless and Mary’s Meals - dates could be advertised in both bulletins.

 ADVENT - 4 Week season in preparation for Christmas. John McKenna proposed an Adult Education topic of a ‘Slow Motion Mass/Mass Explained’ - Why do we do this at Mass? Say that etc… Could there be evenings in the Church/hall or after Mass in the Café? A further thought was to run this through Lent 2025 instead of Advent, perhaps to deliver it in segments within masses over the 6 weeks.  Fr McGrath asked for some time to consider this proposal.

Fr McGrath spoke of Bishop Robert Barron’s DVD series ‘Catholicism’, which will be running on the Thursdays of Advent in St Joseph’s Hall that would be open to all. We could put this in our bulletins and encourage attendance.

 Ash spoke of parish social nights that could be advertised in both parish bulletins. The next one being the anniversary of the opening of Sacred Heart Church on Sat 28th Sept with a meal in the hall after Mass.  It was noted however that this event is already heavily subscribed and probably best just to keep for Sacred Heart and Saint Lucy’s parishioners this time. 

 John Cannovan spoke of St Joseph’s next event - Fri 29th Nov - a 70’s music night, BYOB and £5 at the door. Again, can be advertised in both bulletins.

  The Blue Square Analysis - notes from St Joseph’s parishioners were fed back to the joint PPC. Paul Hansen will be asked to add them to the master copy.

 AOB - John McKenna wanted to raise the issue of security of the St Lucy’s Church and hall as doors had been found unlocked. Could a reminder go into SH/SL bulletin to remind people to be vigilant.

 Next Meeting

Our next Joint meeting is Monday 24th Feb 2025 in St Joseph’s Hall at 7pm. The week before the start of Lent.