St John Ogilvie's

50th Anniversary of St John Ogilvie Canonisation

John Ogilvie’s noble Scottish family was part Catholic and part Presbyterian. His father raised him as a Calvinist, sent him to the continent for education. There he became interested in the popular debates going on between Catholic and Calvinist scholars. Debates gave rise only to confusion, John turned to Scripture, two texts became his particular focus:

"God wills all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth."
"Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you."

John concluded that the Catholic Church could embrace all people so at the age of 17 in Louvain, Belgium in 1596 he was received into the Catholic Church. In 1610 he was ordained a priest as a member of the Jesuit Order. Sent to Scotland as a missionary, where, due to penal laws, he posed as a horse trader and soldier but was betrayed. Brought before the courts, his trial dragged on until he had been without food for 26 hours. Deprived of sleep for eight days and nights he was dragged around, prodded with sharp sticks and his hair pulled out. Still he refused to reveal the names of Catholics. He underwent a second and third trial but held firm. Even on the scaffold he was offered freedom and a fine living if he would deny his faith. His courage in prison and his martyrdom was reported throughout Scotland

John Ogilvie was canonized in 1976, becoming the first Scottish saint since 1250.

EasyFundraising

You can help to raise donations for St John Ogilvie's through your online shopping at no cost to you. You can sign up to support St John Ogilvie's via this link or the QR code. Emily will explain the process to parishioners after Mass and the website also has all the information.

Sacramental Programme First Meeting - 7th October

Our first meeting for those taking part in the sacramental programme for First Reconciliation/First Holy Communion/Confirmation will take place on Wednesday 7th October at 7:00pm in the church.

£15 leadership event offer for young adults

Young people aged 17–35 are invited to attend two events for Christians - The Revival and The Calling - in Glasgow on 1-2 October. A limited number of tickets for both events, normally costing a total of around £125, are available for just £15. The events offer an opportunity for Christian worship, socialising, prayer and leadership development. To request a ticket, email gensec@bcos.org.uk by Friday 4 September. Places are first come, first served. More information about the events at thecalling.scot and therevival.scot.

P1 Admissions for Edinburgh parishes

The annual open day for primaries across the City of Edinburgh is on Wednesday 4 November. This is an opportunity to visit the school you would like your child to attend. If you would like your child to attend a Catholic primary school, you should ensure they have been Baptised prior to enrolment as a Baptismal certificate may be required.

Poverty in Scotland: can we do more?

An event to dive into the reality of poverty in Scotland. You'll hear from a range of speakers working on the frontline, discuss what’s being done and explore ways we can do more to help. It takes place on Saturday 3 October, 10:30am-4:00pm at, The Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1BB. This event is expected to sell out soon so please register now at bit.ly/povertyinscotland.