Bridget has been in a nursing home in Dalmellington for many years and Helen and her good friend May visited her faithfully
Father Gerald Donnelly who is parish priest at St Paul's in Ayr and also serves St Xavier's Parish at Waterside officiated at today's Mass assisted by our own priest Father Stephen. It was a beautiful Mass but then every Mass is beautiful. Father Gerry as we know him was our parish priest for around five years and it was good to see him.
When I was going on my pilgrimage around the diocese he was priest at Beith and Dalry. He made me very welcome at both Masses and dropped me off in Kilwinning to catch the wonderful no. 11 bus, [ every eight minutes between Kilmarnock and Ardrossan] you can't beat that for good service can you?
I had tea in the parish house in Dalry, but when I was at Beith, there was no time for tea as Father Gerry was going to meet friends in Glasgow for lunch and I was heading to Irvine to meet Josephine for lunch too. It was a bitter cold day with flurries of snow and when I got to Irvine I decided to buy an umbrella as I waited for my friend. I went into a pound shop and lifted the first one I saw, came out the shopping precinct, opened my brightly coloured umbrella and found it was a child's size. I felt like a right numpty standing waiting for Josephine but at least my hair was dry. Father Gerry likes a laugh and I don't think I ever told him about this.
Here I am back to thinking about my blog today,"Growing into Silence". There we were sitting in the Sanctuary of our beautiful church and Fran had brought copies of a lovely prayer, "The Path of Life"and after we read it, everyone just sat there in complete silence and prayed. We are certainly growing into silence. Theresa came along today, making nine of us and she enjoyed it and I think she will feel comfortable to come back. Thank you Lord for the lovely people we meet through life, seeing You in everything and in everyone we meet is what St Ignatius asks of us Lord.
Wednesday 12th.
I thought I had published this blog yesterday and only realized that it was still in drafts so I'll do it now.
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