Lerwick RC Parish Church
Welcome to the northernmost Catholic parish in the British Isles. The parish of St Margaret and the Sacred Heart, Lerwick covers the entire Shetland Islands and also serves the pastoral needs of the oil and gas industry, and ships putting in to Lerwick Harbour.
Mass Times for St Margaret's, Lerwick
Due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) all public Masses in Scotland will be suspended from the evening of Thursday 19th March 2020, the Solemnity of St Joseph, until further notice. In conformity with Government directives, St Margaret's will remain locked until at the beginning of May.
Online Resources
For those who are self-isolating during this present crisis here are some Catholic websites recommended by parishioners to sustain you in prayer while you are unable to attend Mass:
- The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in Song (YouTube)
- Live Mass from Knock Shrine (Ireland) at 12 noon and 7.30 p.m., beginning with the Rosary at 7 p.m. There is also a silent video of the Apparitions Chapel to help prayer and meditation.
- Church Services TV, a wide selection of live Masses and celebrations of the Divine Office from churches and monasteries in Britain and Ireland. Mass from Clonard in Northern Ireland at 7 a.m.
- Streamed Masses, daily Morning & Evening Prayer, Stations of the Cross and Sunday Homilies from Aberdeen Cathedral and Roman Catholic Parishes in the Diocese of Aberdeen.
- Pray More Retreat
- Stations of the Cross, with the SCIAF text and pictures of the Lerwick Stations of the Cross
- Shalom World, Live Mass at 10 a.m. every day from Portlaoise, Ireland
EWTN, Sky Channel 588, Masses at 12 Noon, 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. from Alabama, USA.
Daily Prayers at Noon during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
During the present crisis all parishioners are encouraged to pray three Our Fathers at Noon each day, one for health workers daily risking their lives to support the sick, one for the sick themselves, and one for God's protection. The verses are those highlighted by Pope Francis in his homily on 27th March 2020 in St Peter's Square. They are taken from the account of the Stilling of the Storm (Mark 4: 35-41).
V/. When evening had come, a great gale arose and the waves beat into the boat.
Our Father.
V/. "Master, do you not care that we are perishing?"
Our Father.
V/. "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"
Our Father.
Let us pray:
Almighty and eternal God, our refuge in every danger, to whom we turn in our distress; in faith we pray look with compassion on the afflicted, grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick, peace to the dying, strength to healthcare workers, wisdom to our leaders and the courage to reach out to all in love, so that together we may give glory to your holy name. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(A printable PDF of this prayer will be found on the "Sunday Bulletin" page).
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Parish Room & Chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa
The Czestochowa Chapel, which is located within the Parish Room adjacent to the Church, is currently closed to visitors because of the Coronavirus outbreak.
The Catholic Church in Shetland
View from near the site of St Magnus's Church, Tingwall, which in the Middle Ages was the seat of the Archdeacon of Shetland.
You will find a brief history of the Catholic Church in the Shetland Islands on the blog page. Links will be added to this Home Page as new blogs are added:
- 1. Early Christian Shetland - St Ninian's Isle
- 2. Celtic Missionaries to Shetland
- 3. The Norse Church in Shetland
- 4. The Medieval Church in Shetland
- 5. The North Pole Mission (1860-69)
- 6. The Herring Boom (1870-1914)
Africa Fund
The Parish has adopted four students in Ghana and is funding their tertiary education. More details can be found on the AFRICA FUND page (see link, right) and on the Blog.
