Various groups and agencies are associated with St Joseph’s parish, among them are the following:
PPC - The Parish Pastoral Council is a group of men and women from St Joseph’s parish who meet regularly with the parish priest to share their thoughts on how best the needs of the parish may be met. Theirs is a consultative role but never the less a vital one in representing, as they do, the wide variety of opinions and needs present within the parish community. Originally formed by election, each year about a third of the PPC’s members step down and new members are appointed in an effort to maintain a degree of continuity while allowing for new ideas and personalities to have an influence.
SSVP - St Joseph’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference meets fortnightly, on a Monday, usually from 6.45, finishing before 8.00pm. Meetings open and close with set prayers, and a Spiritual Reading may be followed by a short discussion. Business is conducted in a spirit of friendship, and members may offer suggestions for providing aid to those in need. Charity funds may not be allotted to other organisations, so donations to our Conference are used locally within the SSVP. Records are maintained, and a statement of Income and Expenditure is published at the end of the financial year. If you know anyone who may benefit from a visit, or assistance in any way, please pass on details to a Conference member, or to any member of the parish clergy.
At the Wednesday Coffee Morning, thanks to volunteers in the kitchen, people are given an opportunity to meet and chat with Vincentians and with friends over a “cuppa”. Some receive a bag of groceries, and some may also be given a small amount of money, but for many, the greatest gift is being listened to, and treated with dignity and respect. It is our privilege and duty as Vincentians to give thus of our love, talents and time, but as a Conference, we thank sincerely the parishioners of St. Joseph’s whose generosity enables us also to provide material help.
“The Society is open to all who seek to live their faith loving and committing themselves to their neighbour in need.” -SSVP Manual.
UCM - In 1942 the Union of Catholic Mothers was introduced in Scotland by his Grace Archbishop McDonald to unite all Catholic women who aim to follow the Christian way of life.
By joining the UCM through membership, you can be more aware and better informed about Moral and Social issues affecting the Christian way of life. Spiritual and social events offer the opportunity for Christian action, interesting discussion and friendships to develop.
St Joseph's UCM meets every Thursday at one o'clock in the hall. New members would be most welcome. The present committee consists of the following people.
CMS - The Catholic Men’s Society, formerly the CYMS, was founded in Limerick in 1849 by Dean O’Brien. Its purpose then, in the words of its founder was: “....to restore some dignity, learning, hope and self respect to a people who had suffered persecution and famine.”
As social conditions improved and education was provided by the state, the Society flourished in Great Britain and Ireland and the emphasis became the formation of Catholic men. The importance of such formation was stressed by various Popes.
Pope Pius X in 1905: “ Only when we have formed Jesus Christ in ourselves, shall we be able to restore him to family life and society.”
These sentiments were repeated by Pope Benedict xv in 1915 and by Pope Pius xi in 1927. Thus the CMS was well prepared for the Decree on the Laity from Vatican 11 and later for Pope John Paul 11’s Christifideles Laici, for in the CMS Handbook the first page states quite clearly:
“The purpose of the CMS is to encourage, to help and to prepare Catholic men so that they may be able to assume the role of laymen in the Church today.”
The CMS in St Joseph’s Parish
The St Joseph’s branch of the CMS was formed a mere six years after the foundation of the Society and has the honour of being the oldest branch in Scotland. In 2005 the 150th anniversary was celebrated on a grand occasion attended by Cardinal O’Brien, Bishops Taylor and Cunningham, The Presidents of Great Britain and the Scottish National Council and many members from branches in Scotland and England.
The branch continues to embrace the aims of the Society. After a Gospel Enquiry the main part of the meeting is a study of the Plan, a series of bulletins written by members of the Society in Scotland and England. The Plan for 2009-2010 is entitled “ Encountering Christ in Today’s World,” a title which indicates its relevance to the society in which we live. In addition, members have recently embarked on a short course of Apologetics related to the Incarnation, Death and Resurrection of Christ.
St Joseph’s Branch meets every second Thursday after the evening Mass and would be happy to welcome anyone interested in joining the Society.
Ceilidh Dancing - There are two Irish dancing classes which run in the Church Hall. Saturday morning at 10am is the junior class for children, boys and girls, from 5years and above. All aspects of Irish dance are covered. from solo step dancing to ceili and figure dancing. This class caters for all levels from beginner through to open championship and dancers are taught at their own pace with individual tuition. There are opportunities to take part in local and national competitions (called Feiseanna) and to take part in short performances and entertainment for the local community.
The Adult class takes place every second Monday at 7.30 in the Hall. This class concentrates mostly on ceili (team) dancing although you can try some Riverdance style if you wish, and is more of a fun class and great exercise. You can come with a friend or by yourself - a partner will be found for you. No prior knowledge of Irish dance is necessary although it does help if you know right from left!
Youth - In 1907 Robert Baden Powell, a former soldier, wanted to do something to engage and develop the lives of young people so he set up a camp on Brownsea Island for eight days full of adventurous activities. This was such a success that the Scout movement was created. At first this was only for boys but so many girls wanted to join that in 1910 he set up the Girl Guide movement.
In our Parish we have: Beavers for boys and girls aged 6 to 8 years, Cubs for boys and girls aged 8 to 11 years, Scouts for boys and girls aged 11 to 14 years, Brownies for girls aged 7 to 10years and Guides for girls aged 10 to 15years
All sections wear a uniform and take part in lots of activities including games, crafts, outdoor activities such as camps and hikes and indoor activities such as archery and the climbing wall.
These activities help our young people grow in confidence and develop an awareness of the needs of others. Each year the Scouts and Guides assist at the annual pilgrimage to Whithorn by clearing the beach and assisting the pilgrims to negotiate the difficult walk to St. Ninian’s cave.
Children’s Liturgy - On Sunday mornings during 10am Mass the children of Primary school age are invited into the Hall to hear the Scripture readings of the day and have them explained to them in a way they can understand and relate to. There is a dedicated team of volunteers who carefully prepare this liturgy every week. Sometimes it is delivered by means of colouring in, craft work, role play and even mime or dance. The children also prepare a short summary of what they learned to tell the rest of the congregation when they return.
We are always looking for volunteers to help with this Ministry. It is very rewarding working with the children who often come up with some excellent and perceptive insights into the Gospel readings. You do not need special qualifications and there are several very good books to assist you. There are also occasional trainings run by the Diocese.
Since there are always two volunteers on duty each Sunday you will not abandoned on your own with the children! If you do not feel you could lead the Liturgy, perhaps you would consider being the “second volunteer” who sits in mainly as an observer and second pair of hands.
The Children’s Liturgy runs during the school terms.
Altar Servers - Some children serve our parish as altar servers and we will always be grateful to any children who have been confirmed and are willing to help in this way.
Contact: Any member of the parish clergy.
Readers & Ministers - Each one of us has special gifts given by God to use in the service of God and of each other two ways in which we can use these gifts are as a reader and/or Eucharistic minister. The more variety there is at Mass the more everyone can gain from it, and feel more involved in the service.
The fundamental task of the reader is to give life to the Word of God, to be clear and precise to ensure everyone can hear. Training is available for those who wish it, and frequency of availability is suited to the individual.
Eucharistic ministers serve the parish in two ways, by helping in the distribution of communion during Sunday and weekday liturgies, when there is a shortage of priests and deacons and by taking communion to the sick and the housebound whenever convenient to all concerned. It is important to the housebound that they are still members of the community and still involved in it. It is a humbling privilege and a joyful ministry emphasising the truth that we are all related to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ’s body.
St Joseph’s Choir - The musical tradition at St Joseph’s has been a long and rich one. There has been a choir at St Joseph’s since its opening in the middle of the 19th century, accompanied since 1903 by the Harrison and Harrison tracker-action pipe organ still in use today. Presently the choir sings at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, at the Easter Vigil and the 12 o’clock Mass on Easter Sunday, and at the Christmas Midnight Mass. Preparations begin several weeks in advance with practices on Sunday evenings in the church at 6 p.m. There is an emphasis on preparing choral music (SATB as well as unison) which is dignified and relevant for the respective liturgies. Consequently, music has ranged from Palestrina motets and Bach chorales all the way to John Rutter carols and modern Mass settings by Bernadette Farrell. In recent years, highlights for the choir have been singing Mozart and MacMillan during St Joseph’s 150th anniversary Mass in 1997 and the singing of Haydn’s Mass of St John of God in both St Joseph’s and Our Lady and St Meddan’s, Troon, to honour the Great Year of Jubilee in 2000. St Joseph’s Choir has flourished over the years precisely because it creates a social space for parishioners to meet, chat, and, above all, share a love of music and a desire to contribute to the enhancement of our parish’s celebrations of the great feasts of the Church’s year. New members are welcome: there are no auditions.
Grief Ministry - All love leads to loss. If we commit ourselves to another person, form an attachment, we will surely have to relinquish that attachment, through death or some other form of separation and that often leads to an almost overwhelming feeling of grief, which can affect not only ourselves but those who are closest to us
Unfortunately, based on my ministry experience in Canada with the Hospice movement, I know that many cannot deal with their grief alone, and this understanding led me to start a grief ministry in the parish when I arrived. During the last three years it has taken root and grown, to the extent that last year a parishioner, Patricia Carlo, offered her help. Now, it is not only a ministry for the parishioners of St Joseph’s, but also for the wider community through my work with various charitable organisations in Kilmarnock.
No one is immune from grief. When separation occurs we will grieve, and we will suffer, but at some point we must face, and deal with, that separation. The Grief Ministry at St Joseph’s offers support and a ‘listening ear’ to make the process of healing easier, enabling the person in grief to eventually take control of their lives once more. The sense of loss will always be there but it needs to become a part of our lives and memories, rather than dominating our thoughts and actions.
St. Joseph’s Players - The St. Joseph’s Players is an amateur dramatics group, affiliated with St. Joseph’s Parish, whose main aim is to entertain audiences with various productions of comedy, drama and even the occasional festive pantomime.
The St. Joseph’s Players are part of the history of St. Joseph’s Church. Now revived after a hiatus over several decades, the current group cover a range of ages and theatrical backgrounds – from the semi-professional to the untried to the enthusiastic members who simply want to have fun with their creative ideas.
Already the group has become well known for witty dialogue, confident portrayals of characters and strong camaraderie off-stage. There are several parishioners who are already members and anyone interested is free to join. The transformation from rehearsal to performance is often tricky and would be impossible but for the invaluable members who work solely backstage to build sets, make props, choreograph movement and much, much more; this is why not only are actors needed – there is much more to the creative process than learning lines!
There is a place for anyone interested (in acting, directing, singing, designing and any form of aiding) to join a rapidly growing drama group. And, above all, there is the very important role of watching! An audience is always required at the summer and winter performances, in June and December, respectively. Their recently relaunched Web Site can be found at http://www.stjosephsplayers.co.uk
R.C.I.A. - Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a programme and process that people who wish to become members of The Catholic Church go through. Individuals who wish to become members of The Catholic Church broadly come under two categories. These categories are referred to as:Catechumens: defined as individual who have never been baptised by any Christian denomination and, Candidates: individuals who have already been baptised.
To assist individuals in their “journey” of faith many churches formed RCIA groups. In St. Joseph’s Kilmarnock the RCIA group comprises of six parishioners guided initially by Fr. Philip and now by Fr. Stephen. The group meet once every week from September to Easter. Over the past year the group have had the privilege of assisting two candidates in their preparation to become members of the Catholic Church. Whilst the meetings are structured following an RCIA text, discussions are comfortable and informal.
There are various stages in the process, the first of which is referred to as “Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens” and takes place on the First Sunday of Advent. At this stage the parish priest or deputy asks for a formal declaration by inquirers of their wish to become catechumens or candidates. The next stage is The Election & Enrolment of Names. This took place recently on the First Sunday of Lent at a Mass held in St. Margaret’s Cathedral Ayr, presided over by Bishop Cunningham. Here catechumens and candidates signed their names in the book of enrolment and are now referred to as “The Elect”. The third stage is The Celebration of The Sacraments of Initiation and takes place at the Easter Vigil Mass. Our two candidates from St. Joseph’s will be fully received into the Catholic Faith at this Mass.
Over the last six months the RCIA have assisted the candidates in their preparations to fully receive the sacraments. It would be wrong however to assume that the RCIA process is one of only giving. The two candidates this year have impressed and at times humbled the group by their commitment, enthusiasm and faith. It has been a genuine pleasure and privilege to have been of assistance to them. The RCIA group on behalf of all St. Joseph’s parishioners look forward to welcoming our candidates fully to the Catholic Faith and indeed to the community here at St. Joseph’s. The group look forward to assisting new catechumens or candidates in the future.
St. Joseph’s RCIA
As well as these formal groups our parish relies on the ongoing support of our parishioners for which we are all very grateful. Many help in all sorts of ways; arranging flowers in the church, counting the collections, cleaning, and of course through prayer.