Welcome to St Brigid's Roman Catholic Church

St Brigid's Church

Welcome to St Brigid's Roman Catholic Parish in the Diocese of Motherwell, Scotland.

St Brigid's is a thriving parish of some 1,600 people, with a proud history in Newmains that stretches back to 1871.

Indeed the chapel/school established here in 1871 is still standing - though it is now a Parish Centre serving the social needs of the whole community.

We became a Parish in 1896 and our present Church was built in 1933. Now we gladly carry the Gospel of Christ into the third millenia.

Visit the heritage section of the website to find out more about the history of St Brigid's.

Words from Father Stephen

Welcome to our Parish web page.

This year as certainly been a strange year.  2020 is all about change.  What we knew has changed and that may make us feel uncertain and uneasy.  But if we have faith and trust, then we have nothing to fear.

This year has been about change for me also, on a personal basis.                                                                                                                                                                        In February I took up my new appointment to St Ignatius Parish in Wishaw, then within  a matter of weeks, we moved into lockdown which meant more changes.  Celebrating Holy Mass, without a congregation being present, became the norm.  Then change again came in July when we were allowed to have parishioners being in the Church.  Then at the end of September more change came with Fr Kelly retired after 14 years and I was asked to succeed him as Parish Priest.  My sincere thanks to him for his care for the people of this parish over the years.  We have entered into a new era for the parish as it has become twinned with St Ignatius, Wishaw.  Again what if required is faith and trust.

"Jesus, I trust in you."

Fr Stephen

Parish Prayer to St Brigid

Saint Brigid
You were a woman of peace.
You brought harmony where there was conflict.
You brought light to the darkness.
You brought hope to the downcast.
May the mantle of your peace
cover those who are troubled and anxious,
and may peace be firmly rooted in our hearts and in our world.
Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.
Brigid you were a voice for the wounded and the weary.
Strengthen what is weak within us.
Calm us into a quietness that heals and listens.
May we grow each day into greater
wholeness in mind, body and spirit.

Amen

St Brigid's Cross

The Saint Brigid’s cross is a custom that marks the feast day of St. Brigid, which falls on the 1st of February, the beginning of spring.

The making of the cross has many meanings and stories; one ritual is that the cross is hung over the door as a way of protecting the household from evil spirits and energies.

Another tradition that is practiced is that a new cross is made each year on St. Brigid's day, and the old one hanging from the year before is then burned to keep fire from the household.