INSIDE OUR BEAUTIFUL CHURCH
A Message from Fr Duncan
Dear Visitors, Friends, and Parishioners,
Welcome to Saint Peter in Chains’ website! I am so glad you found us on the web and I hope that you will visit Saint Peter’s Church soon in person. We can’t wait to welcome you! Saint Peter’s is a Community of Faith. Our patron, Peter, the first of the Apostles, made a witness of faith and followed Christ right to the end. He denied Christ in a moment of weakness and despair but gave his life for him when he was crucified upside down. That is what our Parish Family is all about – the path of discipleship through words and through our daily lives!
Our community celebrates the Holy Mass with reverence and active participation. The joy of Christ is evident within the hearts of the assembly when we raise our voices in praise and song! The Mass is at the centre of all that we do.
Opportunities for involvement and spiritual growth abound through our many ministries, activities and outreach programmes. We strive to reach out to those in need around us and we take seriously the Church’s call to Works of Mercy and Works of Justice. We love to help others grow in faith and friendships and have fun in the process!
At Saint Peter’s, we value life-long learning. Part of growing closer to Christ means continually opening our hearts to learning more about the beauty and depth of our Catholic Faith! In our children’s ministry, Sacramental Programme, pastoral care in our Primary Schools and many adult learning opportunities, we strive to never stop growing in faith!
Please take time to check out our website and see some of what we have to offer. We are always open to ways to serve you better, so please do not hesitate to contact me, or our ministry leaders by phone or by email. For details, please see our Contacts page.
We hope to hear from you soon!
In Jesus and Mary,
God bless,
Father Duncan
Parish Priest
Pope Francis appoints new
Bishop of Galloway
At 12 noon today (22 December 2023) in Rome (11am GMT) it was announced, that Pope Francis had nominated Fr. Frank Dougan as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway. He will succeed Archbishop William Nolan who was Bishop of Galloway from 2014 to 2022 when he became Archbishop of Glasgow, since when it has been administered by Fr. William McFadden.
Reacting to his appointment, Fr. Frank said;
“I am humbled and more than a little bit nervous that Pope Francis has asked me to take on this office. I feel confident however that I will not be alone in spreading the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I will be joining with every single person in Galloway Diocese all of whom have a role to play, my role being just one of them.”
“With God’s grace and the deep faith of the Church in Galloway we can continue to build on the solid foundations left by those who have come before us, stretching back to St. Ninian who first planted the seeds of the Christian faith in Scotland here in Galloway.”
Fr. Frank added;
“My mother was from Ayr, and I spent many childhood summers here, so you could say there is a little bit of coming home for me! But most importantly, we must proclaim a Church where everyone can feel at home and welcomed.”
Responding to the news Diocesan Administrator Fr. William McFadden said:
“On behalf of the community in the Diocese of Galloway, I am delighted to warmly welcome Fr Dougan as our new bishop. I can assure him of an enthusiastic welcome as he comes among us bringing his unique pastoral leadership and skills. I look forward to working with him, and in continuing the implementation in the diocese of the pastoral and prophetic vision offered by Pope Francis for the Church today. “
Death of Fr Martin Chambers –
10 April 2024
The Bishop of Galloway, Bishop Frank Dougan has today announced that Fr. Martin Chambers, a priest of the Diocese of Galloway who was shortly to be ordained as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Dunkeld, has died.
Bishop Dougan said:
“It was with a heavy heart and the deepest sadness that I learned today of the death of
Fr. Martin Chambers, a priest of the Diocese of Galloway and the Bishop-Elect of the Diocese of Dunkeld. I know his family and the people of Galloway diocese who knew him and loved him will be deeply shocked and dismayed at his untimely death. Together we give thanks for the selfless service he gave to our diocese; we recognise the enormous contribution he made to support some of the poorest communities in Ecuador and we pray for the repose of his soul.”
“To know Martin was to know a man of love, enthusiasm, humour and a deep faith which enlivened all that he did.”
Bishop Dougan added:
“On behalf of the Diocese of Galloway I offer our deepest condolences and the promise of our prayers to Martin’s family as they come to terms with his loss, our prayers too are with the people of the Diocese of Dunkeld, who were preparing to welcome him as their bishop in two weeks’ time on 27 April. We give thanks to God for the great service of a selfless priest and pray for his eternal rest.”
Support your Parish if you can
Our Parish Communities of St Bride’s and St Peter’s work tirelessly to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in a culture bent on pushing God to the margins. I am very grateful for all your financial contributions and donations, however, I would ask you that you consider making a Standing Order to aid our critical mission. Also if you pay tax, please consider signing a “Gift Aid Form” – this will not cost you anything, but contributes an extra 25% added to your donation. Both forms are available at the back of Church or from the Parish Office. Another, and relatively new way of giving, is by clicking on the QR Code below. This will take you to the Online Parish Offertory at the Galloway Diocesan Website. There, you can sign up online for either St Bride’s or St Peter’s. As a Catholic Charity, we very much rely on your support to sustain our ministry. Each year, our efforts help many people to come to a closer knowledge of Jesus Christ and to deepen their relationship with him in the Church. Please consider a regular Standing Order and Gift Aid so that we can continue to proclaim Christ in the culture in new and engaging ways. Please have a look at Bishop Nolan’s Appeal Message.
For St Peter in Chains Parish, Ardrossan
https://tinyurl.com/rcardrossan
LATEST NEWS
Requiem Mass for Matilda Harvey
Please pray for the Repose of the Soul of Matilda Harvey, who died on 13th April 2024, aged 96 years.
Her Funeral Service will be on Tuesday, 7th May 2024 at 1.30pm, in Holmsford Bridge Crematorium.
May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
Cost of Living Crisis
Anthony Horan has pulled together a guide to some of the key benefits available from the UK and Scottish Governments along with some suggestions of further support as people navigate the cost-of-living crisis.
There may be parishioners and others in the community who may not be aware of what help is available. Anthony aims to update the guide as and when there are major developments. Any updates will be reflected on the online version here: Cost of Living Crisis: UK and Scottish Government Support – Catholic Parliamentary Office (rcpolitics.org)
Galloway Diocese Synod Summary now available
In September 2021, a Diocesan Synodal Team was formed, consisting of three lay women, one lay man, and one diocesan priest whose primary role was to provide spiritual direction to the lay team. A period of intense preparation followed as the format of synodal encounters was prayerfully decided on and developed, facilitators for these encounters were identified and trained, and the ten thematic nuclei provided by the Vatican were circulated with short reflective videos to encourage participation across the diocese. The Summary of all the hard work and efforts is now available on all our websites.
You can download the document here.
If you need paper copy, please ask in the Sacristy. Thanks!
Parish Centre News
Our Parish Centre has now been opened for approximately 26 years and is used by hundreds of people, young adults and children on a weekly basis. We have secured funding to help carry out a full refurbishment of our Kitchen, Ladies, Gents and Disabled toilet facilities. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following organisations and charities in helping us carry out these works: –
- National Lottery Community Fund
- Scottish Landfill Communities Fund
- Benefact Trust
- Robert Barr Charitable Trust
- The Hugh Fraser Foundation
- North Ayrshire Council Common Good Fund
We are now embarking on an extensive project to carry our major renovations to the Church Building in the new year and have already secured funding from: –
- National Churches Trust
- The Wolfson Foundation
More News
A Physician’s Open Letter to Fellow-Catholics on COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments
The public debate over COVID vaccines, their efficacy and their morality has been seriously distorted by disinformation, often passed along the internet and social media by well-intended individuals. Gwyneth Spaeder offers answers to some Frequently Asked Questions and presents constructive criticism on the incomplete or incorrect assertions and conclusions we frequently hear. She writes as a physician who has spent the last 20 months working with COVID patients and their families. She also writes specifically as a paediatrician who has watched children lose parents and grandparents, months of education, and sometimes their own health to this virus. And she writes also as a mother who has tried to balance her vocational call as wife and mother with her duty to her patients; to reconcile what she knows to be scientifically valid with her desire to return her family life to normal, and to continue to work with her husband to raise their children in the Catholic faith, using the challenges of this historical moment to emphasise that Catholicism honours both faith and reason.
Free Booklet on the Meaning of the Eucharist now available
“God works through all these messy human realities and wants to encounter us at every Mass.”
The Lord wants to deeply encounter everyone in the Mass and especially in the Eucharist. However, it can be hard for us to recognise his presence. By learning about the deeper meaning behind what Catholics do at Mass, we left the veil between the human and divine. In this excerpt, Dr. Edward Sri (a founding leader of FOCUS and professor at Augustine Institute) discusses what the Mass is and the three ways that every Catholic should know the Eucharist.
Letter to a Suffering Church from Bishop Barron now available
Feeling hurt, angry, or demoralised about the sexual abuse crisis plaguing the Catholic Church?
Our parish wants to help, and that’s why we’ve made available a downloadable version of a new book on our Parish websites.
It’s titled “Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis” by the well-known American Bishop Robert Barron.
We invite you to download your free copy (click the link below).
I think you’ll find it helpful and uplifting.
Bishop Barron provides clear insight on the crisis and where we should go from here.
So please make sure to take a copy of the book and know that the Parishes of St Bride’s and St Peter’s care deeply
about helping you navigate these stormy waters.
SCIAF Letter from Bishop Toal
“I write on behalf of the Bishops of Scotland on this the fourth Sunday of Lent to thank you for your generous and prayerful support for SCIAF – the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund – over the past year. In the Gospels, we hear of many occasions when Jesus heals the sick, reaching out with love and mercy to the most marginalised and the poorest, both in action and in spirit…
The Prayer of the Rosary in Time of Pandemic
The Rosary eBook aims at helping the faithful to contemplate the Gospel with Mary, our Mother, in the light of a world in crisis generated by COVID-19 and open our hearts to the hope of the Good News of Jesus-Christ. You will find real testimonies from people affected by the pandemic, in several ways…
Scotland’s Catholic Bishops publish letter of hope
In a National Pastoral Letter to Scotland’s Catholic Community, the Catholic Bishops of Scotland have highlighted “reasons for hope, as we live through these difficult times”. The document, suggests society has begun to rediscover universal human dignity, pointing out that when citizens were asked “to make difficult and prolonged sacrifices for the sake of the most vulnerable and they willingly responded.” The letter describes this genuine concern for the vulnerable as “obvious and beautiful”…
Living in Faith in the age of COVID-19
The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has published a Newsletter, which has emerged from the work of the Pastoral Ministry Working Group. Much of the material has arisen from the Pastoral Ministry survey which the group had invited parishes to complete by the end of July. It is hoped that the contents will prove to be informative and useful to clergy and laypeople…
Free eBook on the Promises of the Sacred Heart
In the 17th century, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French Visitation nun, had a personal revelation involving a series of visions of Christ as she prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. Christ emphasised to her His love and His sorrow caused by people’s indifference to this love…
CATHOLICISM in the time of CORONAVIRUS
The COVID-19 pandemic has been, for countless people around the world, a great and unexpected trial. But for Catholics, who were already struggling with the abuse crisis and a dramatic rise in disaffiliation, this trial is not only economic, social, or medical—it is spiritual. Plunged into a time of darkness and separated from the sacraments and their parish communities, the faithful are feeling isolated, disheartened, and uncertain about what the future holds…
Pope Francis’ Prayers: “Strong in the Face of Tribulation”
The Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See has made available a downloadable book entitled “Strong in the Face of Tribulation”, containing prayers, supplications and the Pope’s homilies as “a sure support in time of trial”, to help sustain the Church’s sense of communion amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Strong in the Face of Tribulation” is available for download here.
Free Booklet on Christ the King
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe marks the end of the Church’s liturgical year. Pope Pius XI said that the many evils in the world—including secularisation, communism, and atheism —were “due to the fact that the majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives.” Instead of following the ways of the world, Pope Pius said that Christ should reign as King in every aspect of every Christian’s life. That’s wonderful advice for each one of us. In the 1920s, Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King. The Pope knew that, as Christians, we should make Our Lord preeminent in every aspect of our lives. With these prayers and meditations on Sacred Scripture, we hope you will deepen your relationship with Christ the King.
Click here to download Christ the King: Prayers and Meditations.
Pope Francis-Moment of prayer 27-03-2020
From the Sagrato of St Peter’s Basilica, Moment of Prayer and the Urbi et Orbi Blessing, presided over by Pope Francis
Mission Statement
The Church of Saint Peter in Chains is a Catholic Church in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, Scotland. Saint Peter in Chains belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galloway. It is a relatively young Church having been opened in 1938. Most Churches in the surrounding towns are well over a hundred years old. The Parish hopes to re-energise the local Church through authentic witness that can inspire people to rediscover the message of Catholicism.
We hope to play an active part in the New Evangelisation by striving to be “missionary disciples”. This website exists for two reasons. Firstly, it informs the community of Church services and other events and secondly, it records the history of the parish. These aims form our mission statement.
Contact:
| Parish Priest | 01294 464063 | duncan.mcvicar@gallowaydiocese.org.uk |
| Fr Stephen McGrattan | 01563 521832 ext:2 | crosshousehospital@gallowaydiocese.org.uk |
| Fr. Benjamin Mkeri | 01655 882145 | ayrhospital@gallowaydiocese.org.uk |
| Parish Centre Bookings | 01294 606424 | ardrossan@gallowaydiocese.org.uk |
| Parish Finance | 01294 464063 | ardrossan@gallowaydiocese.org.uk |
| Safeguarding Coordinator | 01294 464063 | ardrossan@gallowaydiocese.org.uk |
| Saint Matthew's Academy | 01294 606680 | stmatthews@ea.n-ayrshire.sch.uk |
| Saint Peter's Children's Centre | 01294 473030 | |
| Saint Peter's Primary School | 01294 462554 | stpeters@ea.n-ayrshire.sch.uk |