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 Kelly

We have entered the season of Advent, so once again we begin another year of faith, another year seeking to understand what Jesus asks of me when he extends the invitation to come follow him. In our year of faith we always begin with a few weeks of meditation and reflection preparing ourselves to celebrate the Birth of Jesus. Then we follow the mysteries of Our Lord's life on earth that takes us into the upper room for the Last supper, the Garden of Gethsemane for the beginning of his Passion and on to Calvary where his life on earth was cruelly ended. But not quite.

The convert Mary Magdalene, would discover Christ Risen from the dead and the Apostles would soon find this out as well and over forty more days they would be renewed by the Lord in Faith, Hope and Love to be given their world-wide mission on the Day of Our Lord's Ascension into Heaven. They were now to preach His Gospel. 

Now in 2019 in this Advent time we hear the Prophet Isaiah from the Old Testament times proclaim the wonder of the Messiah, we hear John the Baptist again ask us to make straight the ways of the Lord and we witness the quiet but firm faith of Mary as she answers the Angel's message "Let it be done to me according to Thy will". Quiet words of faith, hope and love that re-echo around the world at this time. They were brave words for a young girl in her time and culture. She was preparing for marriage, the Angel asks her to conceive a child. Who would believe the story. The penalty could easily have been sentence of death by stoning.

Another Quiet Man is revealed to us. He loves Mary, but does not know what has gone wrong, what she has been involved in. But he too responds to an Angel's message with an act of Faith and a heart full of kindness. He will take Mary home. This child will be their child and as a result of love and faith now he is our child also.

We think of our Faith today, what does Jesus ask me to accept when he says "Come follow me". Where is Jesus leading me and his answer again is "to the Father, whose home has many rooms". For his birth Jesus could find no room, His Gospel promises me a room in his Father's house. Every year of Faith hopefully leads us closer to this abundance of life. Let Mary be our way to trust.

Fr Hugh P Kelly

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.