By giving, reflecting and acting with SCIAF during Lent, your parish is helping people like Lydia from Uganda to work their way out of poverty. By supporting SCIAF this Lent you can ensure this vital work continues.

SCIAF Wee Box

This year’s SCIAF Lent appeal focuses on Uganda and the thousands of vulnerable young people who, with your support, are being helped to create a brighter future for themselves. The SCIAF packs will be handed out on today. Please give to SCIAF this Lent, make big changes happen with your WEE BOX.

#RedWednesday in solidarity with persecuted Christians will take place on 28th November. Please join in prayer & wear something red in order to highlight the sufferings of so many Catholics today across the world.

The Fair Trade stall returns in time for Christmas! There will be stalls after Mass today and on the 9th Dec, with the usual fare, plus seasonal items. If you would like Advent Calendars, please come today!

Once again we have been invited to join with other churches in Edinburgh to provide a Christmas shoe box present for the young homeless, who will have to celebrate Christmas Day in one of our hostels. The boxes should be marked either male or female and contain a few useful gifts and treats. They must not contain money or vacuum sprays. A list of suggested gifts will be available at the back of the church. Last date for delivering your box to church is Sunday 9th December. Many of these young people cry when receiving their box as they are astonished that complete strangers can be so kind. Any queries please contact Maureen McGregor 0131 337 6346, e-mail mcgregor885@btinternet.com Mob: 07720783442.

All couples are invited to a meeting on Monday 26 November at 7.30pm in Ravelston, to find out more about Equipes Notre Dame, an organization that supports couples in their married and spiritual life. For more information, call Andrew and Rosemary Milligan (337 1385) and see www.teamsgb.org.uk.

This Monday Josh Littlejohn MBE will talk on the subject of Homelessness in the Cathedral Café. Josh, who is the co-founder of Social Bite, organized the world’s biggest sleep-out event in 2017, Sleep in The Park, which raised £4m to reduce homelessness. Please make the effort to come along.

We are not selling Aid to the Church in Need Christmas cards this year, but you can pick up a Christmas card brochure at the back of the church. An even greater choice of cards and gifts is available online at acnuk.org/shopACN has a good selection of religious cards and is a worthy cause.

Mount Vernon Cemetery Clear-Up: Saturdays in September from 10am-3pm. Contact Anna on 01316238906.

SCIAF Wee Box

You may have seen in the news the dreadful accounts of flooding in Kerala, where many of our Indian community have family and friends. Let’s pray in a special way for all those affected. If you would like to contribute financially to the relief efforts, know that SCIAF are providing disaster relief and would be very grateful for any donations. See their website: https://www.sciaf.org.uk/.

Race for Life

Fiona McDermott would like to thank all those who sponsored her in the Race for Life. Fiona raised Four Hundred and Thirty Seven Pounds and Fifty Pence in aid of Cancer Research.

L’Arche Edinburgh is a community for people with and without disabilities. They are currently looking for people who are interested in community life to get in touch. They have many ways to be involved, from living in the community, working full-time or part-time, casual relief work, as well as a variety of volunteering opportunities. If you think you might be interested and would like to find out more, please look at the L’Arche Edinburgh website or get in touch edinburgh@larche.org.uk

Project Truth is an award-winning youth outreach project run by SPUC Scotland. They travel round the towns and cities of Scotland, bringing the pro-life message to the streets. They run engaging monthly stalls as well as a weeklong pro-life Roadshow each August in various Scottish cities. To support their work, go to Go Fund Me Project Truth.

Takes place on Sunday, 9 September 2018 at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall at 2.00pm. To reserve free places, please visit marysmeals.org.uk/MarysMealsDay or call 0800 698 1212.

There is a letter at the back of the church from SCIAF thanking the parishioners of St Andrew’s for their Wee Box, Big Change donations, which were matched by the UK Government, especially to support families in Cambodia.

Thank you once again for all the clothes that have already been donated for the Russian appeal. The first box has arrived safely in Russia and the next box will be sent within a week’s time.