Fr Stephen McGrattan met his new parishioners at Our Lady & St Cuthbert’s Church, Maybole at the weekend for the first time. He told them, “Already it feels as if I am entering a community which has life, or -better said- a community which is very much alive. I look forward to praying, working and sharing our lives together as I begin to serve in Maybole as your priest.” Fr Stephen trained for the priesthood in the Royal Scots College, Salamanca and he was ordained in his home parish of St Peter-in-Chains, Ardrossan on 6th July 2003. After a temporary appointment at St Michael's Kilmarnock, Fr Stephen was appointed the assistant priest at St Paul's Ayr before moving to Maybole to succeed Fr Jim Hayes.  Ayrshire Post. December 2004 .

Fr Jim had left a note for parishioners saying,

“Friends,
I cannot begin to say how overwhelmed I have been for the many gifts, cards, telephone calls and visitors to the door I have received full of good wishes for my move to Saltcoats. In the last six years and three months your love and support for me - even when we have sometimes disagreed with each other - has been marvellous. Your faith, effort and love of your Church and town community are an inspiration and as your priest I was very proud to often hear the positive comments made about our community from our visitors. The support we give to our young people and children is a treasure that I urge you to continue and to our young people and children I say, like any parent as your "Father" I wanted the very best for you and Jesus is the best I could give - remain close to Him always. One of the charms I shall miss about Maybole is the ability to be straight talkers - no one ever missed their target - that only comes from realising you have good, honest and solid relationships with each other - never lose that!!

I must say a special word of thanks to our brothers and sisters in the other Churches, to all at our great wee primary school and of course to the wonderful PPC without whom much would never have been even done - they have been a true source of strength and support to me personally. Realising that only God is perfect, my sincere apologies for any hurt I may have caused any of you. I hope you may find it in your heart to forgive me. On my side I leave with lovely, happy and wholesome memories of a community of faith that does itself proud. I have no doubt that you will support your new pastor, Fr Stephen. I know he will soon become a very good friend to you all.

God Bless you, one and all.

Love,

Fr Jim”

IT was a memorable Easter Sunday for young Robert Mackie, who celebrated two Sacraments for the first time. Robert was first of all Confirmed during morning Mass at Our Lady and St Cuthbert's Church in Maybole. Then he received the Eucharist, or Communion, for the first time. Robert is a P4 pupil at St Cuthbert's Primary School in the town. And schoolmates formed a special choir for the occasion, with guitar accompaniment by Mr Gerry Murphy. Father Jim Hayes conducted the Mass wearing robes he received when attending a Millennium celebration in Rome, when the Pope blessed nearly two-and-half million young people. From the Ayrshire Post 12th April 2002.