Lenten Schedule and Fundraising Appeal
Novena in Honour of the Most Holy Face of Jesus
As announced at Masses on Sunday 16th February, we invite you to pray the Novena in honour of the Sacred Countenance of Our Lord, The Holy Face, beginning on Sunday 23rd February. These nine days of preparatory prayer end on Monday 3rd March with Shrove Tuesday being the actual Feast-day of the Holy Face. The prayers will be prayed in public after the 5.30pm Vespers, during Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, on Sunday 23rd February and Sunday 2nd March; on all other days the novena is intended to be prayed in private. The Fathers will remember all their spiritual and material benefactors as they pray the novena together after their evening meditation, in addition to their usual Oratory prayers. An Image of the Holy Face will be placed in the Sacred Heart side chapel, and will be offered for veneration at the 12.30pm Mass on Tuesday 4th March, concluding the Mass of the Feast-day.
Paper copies of this novena are already available at the Shrine of the Venerable Margaret Sinclair, as are explanatory leaflets regarding the Confraternity of the Holy Face, which we could encourage you considering joining. For more information click here.
“I firmly wish that my face reflecting the intimate pains of my soul, the suffering and love of my heart, be more honoured! Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me.”
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)
DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER
O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
(now mention your own petitions)
We now implore all the Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Shortened) LITANY OF THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us. Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us.
(After each of the following phrases, say “have mercy on us”)
O adorable Face, which was adored with profound respect by Mary and Joseph,
O adorable Face, at Bethlehem didst ravish with joy the angels, the shepherds and the Magi, O adorable Face, which was bathed in tears in Thy holy infancy,
O adorable Face, whose charms are so ravishing, and whose grace is so attractive,
O adorable Face, whose every feature is characterized by nobility,
O adorable Face, contemplated by angels,
O adorable Face, sweet delectation of the Saints,
O adorable Face, masterpiece of the Holy Ghost, in which the Eternal Father is well pleased. O adorable Face, delight of Mary and Joseph,
O adorable Face, ineffable mirror of the Divine perfections,
O adorable Face, whose beauty is always ancient and always new,
O adorable Face, which appeasest the wrath of God,
O adorable Face, which makest the devils tremble,
O adorable Face, treasure of graces and of blessings,
O adorable Face, exposed in the desert to the inclemencies of the weather,
O adorable Face, whose modesty and sweetness attracted both the just and sinners,
O adorable Face, which gavest a holy kiss to the little children, after having blessed them,
O adorable Face, troubled and weeping at the tomb of Lazarus,
O adorable Face, brilliant as the sun, and radiant with glory on the Mountain of Tabor,
O adorable Face, sorrowful at the sight of Jerusalem, and shedding tears on that ungrateful city, O adorable Face, bathed in a bloody sweat,
O adorable Face, kissed by the traitor Judas,
O adorable Face, defiled with spittle, and bruised by innumerable buffets and blows,
O adorable Face, humbled for us at the tribunals of Jerusalem,
O adorable Face, which didst preserve Thy serenity when Pilate pronounced the fatal sentence, O adorable Face, worthy of all our respect, veneration and worship,
O adorable Face, wiped with a veil by a pious woman on the road to Calvary,
O adorable Face, raised on the instrument of most shameful punishment,
O adorable Face, whose brow was covered with Thorns,
O adorable Face, whose eyes were filled with tears of blood,
O adorable Face, into whose mouth was poured gall and vinegar,
O adorable Face, whose hair and beard were plucked out by the executioners,
O adorable Face, which was made like to that of a leper,
O adorable Face, covered with the sad shades of death,
O adorable Face, washed and anointed by Mary and the holy women and wrapped in a shroud, O adorable Face, enclosed in the sepulchre,
O adorable Face, all resplendent with glory and beauty on the day of the Resurrection,
O adorable Face, all dazzling with light at the moment of Thy Ascension,
O adorable Face, hidden in the Eucharist,
O adorable Face, which will appear at the end of time, in the clouds, with great majesty,
O adorable Face, which wilt cause sinners to tremble,
O adorable Face, which wilt fill the just with joy for all eternity,
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Let us Pray
O adorable Face of my JESUS, so mercifully bowed down upon the tree of the cross, on the day of Thy Passion for the salvation of men, now again, incline in Thy pity towards us poor sinners; cast upon us a look of compassion, and receive us to the kiss of peace. Amen.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Amen.
Sit nomen Domini benedictum! Amen.
THE GOLDEN ARROW PRAYER
Dictated by Our Lord to Sister Mary of St. Peter:
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified, in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST THÉRÈSE
It is said that this devotion brought St Thérèse of Lisieux, “the Little Flower”, to her great sanctity. Her name as a Carmelite Nun was Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.
O Jesus, who in Thy bitter Passion didst become “the most abject of men, a man of sorrows”, I venerate Thy Sacred Face whereon there once did shine the beauty and sweetness of the Godhead; but now it has become for me as if it were the face of a leper! Nevertheless, under those disfigured features, I recognize Thy infinite Love and I am consumed with the desire to love Thee and make Thee loved by all men. The tears which well up abundantly in Thy sacred eyes appear to me as so many precious pearls that I love to gather up, in order to purchase the souls of poor sinners by means of their infinite value. O Jesus, whose adorable Face ravishes my heart, I implore Thee to fix deep within me Thy divine image and to set me on fire with Thy Love, that I may be found worthy to come to the contemplation of Thy glorious Face in Heaven. Amen.
The Litany of the Holy Face of Jesus along with the Golden Arrow prayer, is an important part of Devotion to our Lord in His Holy Face. Found in the Manual of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face (1887), which can be found here.
Friday 20th December Adoration and Confession
Unfortunately, due to illness, confession times have had to be reduced today. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. Adoration is still 8am – 7pm but the updated confession times are as follows:
- 8am – 10am
- 11am – 12:15pm (and after the 12:30pm Mass)
- 3pm – 4pm
- 6pm – 7pm
Outside of these times, if you cannot wait, then you may try at the Church house next door by ringing the bell.
Christmas at St Patrick’s
Please join us in celebrating the birth of our Saviour!
Advent at St Patrick’s
Prepare your hearts for the Birth of the Baby Jesus this Christmas and join some of our devotions.
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Christus vincit! Christus regnat! Christus imperat!
This past Sunday, the last before Advent begins, we celebrated the Solemnity of Christ the King with a sung Mass followed by a Eucharistic Procession around the local streets and finishing with Solemn Benediction.
Viva Cristo Rey!
99th Anniversary of the Death of the Venerable Margaret Sinclair
To commemorate 99 years since the passing from this life of the Venerable Margaret Sinclair, several pilgrims braved the Scottish snow to walk from her previous resting place in Mount Vernon Cemetery to her current tomb in our church. As they walked, they prayed 20 decades of the rosary, several litanies and sang hymns, stopping off at two churches en route to spend some time with Blessed Sacrament.
In the church, there was an extended period of Adoration before the 12:30 Mass to pray for the Canonisation of the Venerable Margaret.
250th Anniversary and Solemn Vespers of St John Henry Newman
“A cloud of incense was rising on high; the people suddenly all bowed low; what could it mean? The truth flashed on him, fearfully yet sweetly; it was the Blessed Sacrament – it was the Lord Incarnate who was on the altar, who had come to visit and bless his people. It was the Great Presence, which makes a Catholic Church different from every other place in the world; which makes it, as no other place can be holy.” St John Henry Newman
A great evening to celebrate a great Oratorian Saint and 250 years of St Patrick’s in the Cowgate.
Devotions in Honour of Our Lady of Fatima
Today, the first Saturday of October, the month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, has begun with a beautiful evening of devotions, all in honour of Our Lady of Fatima, Queen of the Holy Rosary.
Fr Gerard led the congregation in a prayerful recitation of the rosary in union with OurLady’s intentions. October 5th also happens to be the feast of Blessed Bartolo Longo, who is sometimes known as the ‘Apostle of the Rosary’ due to his great devotion to this prayer and its role in his wonderful conversion after a life drenched in the demonic. Hence, Fr Ninian preached on this holy man and the power of the rosary in converting hardened hearts and overcoming powers of darkness.
A candlelit procession in the vicinity of the church followed, with Marian hymns filling our end of the Cowgate. The evening concluded with a brief period of Adoration and then Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
Our Lady of Fatima, ora pro nobis.
There are a number of days later in the month that do not have a fixed intention yet, if you would like to have Holy Mass offered, please use the forms at the church entrance or speak to one of the Priests.
N.B. the £5.00 minimum for a Mass stipend was set in 1990. In real terms in 2024 this is closer to £15.00. We thank you for your generosity towards the upkeep of the clergy.
Please also consider donating to the Holy Souls boxes, when you cannot provide for a specific stipend. These Masses are offered monthly.