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About our Patron Saint Gregory Barbarigo About Our Patron Saint Gregory Barbarigo Gregory Barbarigo, born at Venice of a very old family, obtained his degree in canon and civil law magna cum laude at the College of Padua. While attending the peace congress of Munster at the age of nineteen, he met the papal legate, Fabio Chigi, and with his encouragement decided to become an ecclesiastic, and was admitted to holy orders. When Fabio Chigi became Pope under the name of Alexander VII, he appointed Gregory bishop of Bergamo, and soon raised him to the college of cardinals, transferring him to the see of Padua. In entering upon his episcopal duties, he strove to model himself on St. Charles Borromeo. It was his life-long endeavour to extirpate vices and cultivate virtues in obedience to the warnings and decrees of the sacred synod of Trent. In both dioceses he enlarged the seminaries. At Padua especially he improved the library and the press, which published books for distribution among the peoples of the Near East. He strenuously fostered catechetical instruction, and zealously travelled to every village of the diocese to teach and preach. He was distinguished for his works of charity and the holiness of his life. So generous was he to the needy and poor that he even gave away his household goods, his clothes and his bed to help them. Finally, after a brief illness, he fell asleep peacefully in the Lord on June 18, 1697. Renowned for his merits and his virtues, he was inscribed among the Blessed by Clement XIII and among the Saints by John XXIII. St. Gregory's Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) In accordance with the Code of Canon Law No 536, Archbishop Mario Conti, in his Pastoral Letter dated September 7, 2003, has instructed all parishes of the Archdiocese of Glasgow to form Parish Pastoral Councils (PPC). The PPC is a structure which enables participation between the lay faithful and the priests of the parish in the Pastoral Life and Mission of the Church. It is the coming together of the priests and the laity and it assesses, identifies priorities and works together to effectively respond to meet the liturgical, catechetical, social and pastoral needs of the parish. The purpose of the PPC is to help and provide in the development of the parish and all its pastoral matters. The PPC examines and investigates pastoral matters, reflects and considers them, reaches a conclusion and recommends and offers practical solutions to the Parish Priest. The role of the PPC is a consultative body only rather than a decision-making body. The Parish Priest looks for advice and consults with the PPC, but ultimately the Parish Priest is the one who makes the final decisions. The Constitution comprises the basic rules that govern the operation of the Parish Pastoral Council’s business giving details of its aims and objectives, rules and procedures. Every parish is given freedom to assess its needs, and designs its aims and objectives according to these. The guidelines governing the establishment and conduct of St. Gregory’s Parish Pastoral Council are stated in the PPC Constitution. St. Gregory’s PPC normally meets every 2 months. Meeting times and dates are as advised in the weekly parish bulletin / newsletter. For the past few years, various pastoral matters have been discussed and recommendations made for the good of the parish. To know what has been previously discussed and decided with regard to parish matters, please read PPC Minutes. If there are any matters that you would like discussed by the Parish Pastoral Council, please contact St. Gregory’s PPC Members or e-mail the parish office at barbarigo130@tiscali.co.uk. St. Gregory's Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) Today, men and women from a variety of backgrounds are responding to the call to follow Christ and celebrate the sacraments of the Church. Before sharing in the sacramental life of the Church, you will embark on a journey getting to know Christ better and deepen your relationship with Him. On the journey, you will meet people who are seeking Christ in their lives. You will meet Christians who are witnessing to their faith, to the teachings of Christ and His Church. The whole parish community journeys with you and supports you with prayer as you prepare to be welcomed into the worshipping community. St. Gregory’s Parish has a programme of instruction and preparation for adults who are interested in becoming Catholic, called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). RCIA is a group of members of the parish, which accompanies those on their journey wishing to be received into the Catholic Church. St. Gregory’s RCIA will meet every week from after the summer until Pentecost. If you are interested in discovering what is involved in becoming Catholic or know someone who would like to be received into the Catholic Church, please e-mail Fr Mackle or talk to one of the St. Gregory’s RCIA Group Members. |
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