The sun shone on Barra for the 2009 Fishermen’s Mass on the 12th July.  The celebration began as the three o’clock bell rang out from the tower of the church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea.    A young reader delivered St Bernard’s reflection on the image of Our Lady, Star of the Sea before the pipers led the procession through the enormous congregation.  A banner dedicated to Our Lady went before them and the servers and clergy followed on.



Barra priests Canon MacQueen and Fr Michael were joined for the festive occasion by Mgr James MacNeil (Portree) who preached at the Mass on the “Storms of Life”, Fr Tony Bancewicz (Knightswood, Glasgow) and Fr George Bradburn (Dumbarton).  The Mass, which was filmed by a German film crew for a programme to be shown in Germany later this year, concluded with the all important blessing of the fishing fleet of Barra and Vatersay.  Bottles of Holy Water, blessed by the Canon at the end of Mass, were distributed.