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

frkelly2CORPUS CHRISTI

In the Gospel for our feast Jesus tells the wondering apostles to feed the crowd of over five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish. This moment came just after the apostles had returned from their first mission to proclaim God's kingdom and to heal the sick.

Now we might reflect on the first glimpse of Jesus we know of in the same gospel of St Luke. We find him in the manger, the feeding trough in the stable. The infant in the stable newly born into our world has a mission from the Father, a mission of Good News, news of the Father's eternal love and mercy, a mission of reconciliation and redemption, a mission of healing.

Jesus would give this same mission to the Church when in turn he told St Peter "Feed my lambs, feed my sheep". The Jesus who first rested in the animal's feeding trough now asks His Church to feed His flock and the food is the Bread of Life Jesus gave us at the Last Supper with the command "Do this in memory of me".

Today we rejoice in the God of Love who knows us in a precious way and continues to give us life and strenghth to follow Him by accepting His gift, Take and Eat, This is my Body, Take and Drink this is my Blood.

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.