The St Vincent de Paul Society (SSVP)
Do you need support? Call or text us on 07765 488257.
The St Vincent de Paul Society (SSVP) is an international Catholic charity dedicated to helping those experiencing material, financial, or social hardship. We work locally, discreetly, and in complete confidence.
Our support takes many forms, including providing food vouchers, topping up prepayment power cards, doing wellbeing visiting, and offering short-term assistance to people who may have fallen on difficult times or simply “slipped through the net”.
While we are a Catholic society, our help is offered to everyone who needs it. We do not discriminate based on faith, background or circumstance and assistance is given freely to all who ask, in keeping with the Society’s mission to serve anyone in need.
A core principle of the Society is that we do not approach people directly. Instead, we encourage anyone who may need support to contact us. When someone gets in touch, two members will usually arrange a visit to have a chat, understand their situation, and discuss how we can help. We often describe our role as providing a “hand up, not a handout.”
The Broxburn Conference, which serves Broxburn, Uphall, Dechmont, and Uphall Station, meets approximately every two weeks after Sunday Mass (around 10:30am) over a cup of tea or coffee.
Becoming a member of the SSVP is a rewarding way to live out your faith through service to others. If you would like to find out more, please speak to the Parish Priest, talk to one of our members (you will usually find us collecting after weekend Masses), or call or text our duty phone on 07765 488257.
Through the work of the SSVP, our parish reaches out to those on the margins with the gentle hands and compassionate heart of Christ.
Altar Servers
We are always delighted to receive new and enthusiastic altar servers! We will measure you for robes and give you some basic training before you get started. The three most important things for any altar server are:
- commitment (you need to be at Mass every Sunday. The priest is relying on you!)
- calmness (if you make a mistake, don’t panic!)
- communion (you need to have made your first holy communion)
Choir and Music
St Nicholas and John Cantius is fortunate to be one of the very few churches left to have a pipe organ which was once the practice instrument in Yorkminster.
There is a piano which is used occasionally and our other great asset is the Broxburn Silver Band who as well as playing in competitions and undertaking local engagements play once a month at mass.
New hymns and other pieces are taught first to the choir and then introduced to the congregation.
The choir practices once a week and new members are always welcome as well as organists or other instrumentalists.
Scout Group
The 17th West Lothian (St Nicholas) Scout Group meet at Canon-Hoban Hall and have Five Sections
1. Squirrels (4-6 years) – Fri, 6pm to 6.45pm
2. Beavers (6-8 years) – Mon, 6.15pm to 7.15pm
3. Cubs (8-10 years) – Mon, 7.30pm to 8.45pm
4. Scouts (10-14 years) – Fri, 7pm to 9pm
5. Explorers (14-18 years) – Fri, 7.30pm – 9.30pm
The Group is sponsored by the Church but are an ecumenical group and have members from Broxburn, Uphall, Uphall Station, Dechmont, Pumpherston and the surrounding communities (both girls and boys) in our group.
The aim of Scouting is to help Young People develop mentally, physically, socially and spiritually so that they can play a constructive role in society.
Activities include camping around Scotland, in Northern Ireland and North Wales, hiking, climbing, go-karting, ten-pin bowling, international trips to Denmark and Norway, and much more. We also offer the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme for Explorers.
So why not come and join us on an adventure in scouting; follow this link to fill out an online form or contact the Scout Group Lead Volunteer, Philip, on 07785 525 466 or info@17thbroxburnscoutgroup.co.uk. Why not check out our web site www.17thbroxburnscoutgroup.co.uk.
Youth Club
The Youth Club meets every second Sunday in the Canon Hoban Hall at the SS John Cantius & Nicholas Church in Broxburn. It was formed to cater for children from P4 – P7 to come together to have a couple of hours of fun & games.
The Youth Club starts at 6.30pm and finishes at 8pm. The type of activities the kids participate in are Arts & Crafts, Science Experiments, Baking, Table Tennis, Board Games, and more. At each meeting we make time for some prayer and reflection.
Children of all faiths or none are welcome. To register your child, scan the QR code on our Youth Club posters or leaflets.
The Senior Youth Club (S3 onwards) meets on alternate Sundays at 6pm and finishes at 7.30pm.
New Groups
The following two groups are being set up and more details will be shared here
Bereavement Group
Children’s Sacraments Group