SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM FR GREGORY
Dear Friends and Parishioners,
Our Church of St Joseph’s is now closed and all Public Masses and Public Liturgies in the Diocese of Dunkeld are now cancelled until further notice. It is a decision which is extremely sad for us all, especially at this holy time of year which leads us to the great Easter Feast, but I hope you will be in agreement with this prudent decision made by the Bishops of Scotland. Although there will be no public Masses, as from 21st May I will be celebrating the Eucharist each day at 10am for all of our parishioners, and this will be livestreamed on You Tube.
We are forbidden to carry out Baptisms and Weddings at present, and essentially private funeral services only at graveside or crematorium. Reconciliation can be celebrated by appointment, 1:1 at a safe distance.
Neither myself or Deacon Ron, nor Eucharistic ministers, can now visit with Communion, unless someone is in imminent danger of death, when it should be myself that is contacted. Phone numbers on this website and in the bulletin.
From 21st May, Holy Mass will now be live streamed on Sundays and Weekdays at 10.00am from our parish church St. Joseph’s, Dundee.
- St. Joseph’s is a parish community of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld in the east of Scotland. Our church is situated in Wilkies Lane, off Blackness Road, in the West End of the City of Dundee.
The Parish Priest is a member of the Dominican Order – Rev. Gregory Murphy
OP, and the Parish Deacon is Rev. Ronald Wylie BDiv. We are a thriving parish community and are delighted that we also include many members of the Polish Community and the Sri Lankan Community in Dundee. We are always ready to welcome newcomers, especially those who would just like to come and see what the church is like. We are proud of our church building, built in 1873. This web site will tell you something about our parish, but we would be even more pleased to welcome you into our midst and extend to you an invitation to walk with us in the way of faith. As members of the Church, the Body of Christ, we never forget that we exist in order to evangelise, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ’s sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of His death and glorious resurrection (Evangelii Nuntiandi 14). The Church exists so that we may share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone we meet. So, no matter who you are, or where you come from, we are here offer you a warm invitation to come and join our loving parish community of St. Joseph’s.
If you are making enquiries about the Catholic Faith we also run special information sessions for you. Please contact our Parish Priest or Deacon for any information or assistance you require. - —————————————–
Corona Virus – Covid-19
Good read from an immunologist at Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland.
Not really feeling sick and do not want to be..but if you are feeling confused as to why Corona-virus is a bigger deal than Seasonal flu? Here it is in a nutshell. I hope this helps. Feel free to share this to others who don’t understand… It has to do with RNA sequencing…. i.e. genetics. Seasonal flu is an “all human virus”. The DNA/RNA chains that make up the virus are recognised by the human immune system. This means that your body has some immunity to it before it comes around each year… you get immunity two ways…through exposure to a virus, or by getting a flu shot.
Novel viruses, come from animals…. the WHO tracks novel viruses in animals, (sometimes for years watching for mutations). Usually these viruses only transfer from animal to animal (pigs in the case of H1N1) (birds in the case of the Spanish flu). But once, one of these animal viruses mutates, and starts to transfer from animals to humans… then it’s a problem, Why? Because we have no natural or acquired immunity.. the RNA sequencing of the genes inside the virus isn’t human, and the human immune system doesn’t recognise it so, we can’t fight it off.
Now…. sometimes, the mutation only allows transfer from animal to human, for years it’s only transmission is from an infected animal to a human before it finally mutates so that it can now transfer human to human… once that happens..we have a new contagion phase. And depending on the fashion of this new mutation, thats what decides how contagious, or how deadly it’s gonna be..
H1N1 was deadly….but it did not mutate in a way that was as deadly as the Spanish flu. It’s RNA was slower to mutate and it attacked its host differently, too.
Fast forward.
Now, here comes this Corona-virus… it existed in animals only, for nobody knows how long…but one day, at an animal market, in Wuhan China, in December 2019, it mutated and made the jump from animal to people. At first, only animals could give it to a person… But here is the scary part…. in just TWO WEEKS it mutated again and gained the ability to jump from human to human. Scientists call this quick ability, “slippery”.
This Corona-virus, not being in any form a “human” virus (whereas we would all have some natural or acquired immunity). Took off like a rocket. And this was because, Humans have no known immunity…doctors have no known medicines for it. And it just so happens that this particular mutated animal virus, changed itself in such a way the way that it causes great damage to human lungs.
That’s why Corona-virus is different from seasonal flu, or H1N1 or any other type of influenza…. this one is slippery AF. And it’s a lung eater…And, it’s already mutated AGAIN, so that we now have two strains to deal with, strain s, and strain L….which makes it twice as hard to develop a vaccine.
We really have no tools in our shed, with this. History has shown that fast and immediate closings of public places has helped in the past pandemics. Philadelphia and Baltimore were reluctant to close events in 1918 and they were the hardest hit in the US during the Spanish Flu.
Factoid:
Henry VIII stayed in his room and allowed no one near him, till the Black Plague passed…(honestly…I understand him so much better now). Just like us, he had no tools in his shed, except social isolation…
And let me end by saying….right now it’s hitting older folks harder… but this genome is so slippery…if it mutates again (and it will). Who is to say, what it will do next.
Be smart folks… acting like you’re unafraid is so not needed right now.
Stay home … and share this to those that just are not catching on.
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