Your Parish Newsletter for Sunday 24th January 2021:
SUNDAY 24 JANUARY 2021 – THIRD SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME –
GOSPEL: MARK 1:14-20
‘At once they left their nets and followed Him’
‘Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men’
Jesus’ invitation to the four fishermen, is open to all of us. Leaving behind old ways, taking on a new mindset and embracing new challenges is not always easy but it is something that has been forced upon all of us and on our lifestyles in the past year. Embracing ‘the new’ can bring with it uncertainty, doubt and fear – fear of the unknown.
Responding positively to the call of Jesus does not mean leaving behind our everyday lives and responsibilities to go on some unknown journey, but it does mean that, in ‘the new’ of our everyday lives, we place our trust in the vision that God has for us. We pray today for the courage to disentangle from the things in our lives that prevent us from following Jesus, and to place our confidence in the knowledge that He will lead us down a road of true discipleship that will one day lead us to the endless horizon of God’s kingdom.
Mass Schedule for the Parish this Week:
With our church being closed, you are invited to participate in our Masses via our parish webcam: WebCam – WATCH LIVE
Our 11.00am Mass is also broadcast live each Sunday on Finn Valley Radio, 95.8FM
SUNDAY MASSES:
Vigil: Saturday 6.30pm, Sunday Morning: 11.00am
(Note: there will only be one Sunday Morning Mass – 11.00am – while the church remains closed.
WEEKDAY MASSES:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 9.30am.
The Angelus and Rosary will be recited each day at 12.00noon. Please join in via webcam.
PLEASE NOTE: THE CHURCH WILL BE OPEN EACH DAY FOR PRIVATE PRAYER
(OTHER THAN WHEN MASS IS BEING CELEBRATED OR THE ANGELUS/ROSARY RECITED).
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT THE CHURCH FOR QUIET PRAYER AND TO LIGHT A CANDLE.
†
Katty Gamble (nee McGinley), late of Rossgier
As a parish faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to Catherine, Desmond, Martin and Anne, to the grandchildren, and to the brothers, sisters and wider family circle and friends of Katty, whose Funeral Mass took place last Sunday. May she rest in peace.
MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK:
Friday 29 January, 9.30am Mass: Noel Gillespie, Porthall (Anniversary)
Saturday 30 January, 6.30pm Mass: John Dooher, Coneyburrow Road (Month’s Mind)
Sunday 31 January, 11.am Mass: Caroline McBride, Croaghan Heights (Month’s Mind)
ANNIVERSARIES:
We remember in prayer the souls of those whose anniversaries occur at this time….
Joe Colhoun, Coneyburrow; Denis McGranaghan, Tober; Theresa Lynch, Ballinabreen;
John and Tommy Doherty, Block Five; Kathleen McConnell, Coneyburrow; Tim Boyle, Rossgier Close.
May they rest in peace.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION – 2021:
As parents of our National School children will know, Confirmation 2021 in our parish was scheduled for Saturday 13 March. Unfortunately, with the ongoing closure of our schools and church, and lack of opportunity for the children to adequately prepare for the Sacrament, Confirmation will not be able to proceed on 13 March.
There is much uncertainty at this time for all of us, as you know too well, but as soon as it is feasible to rearrange, a revised date for Confirmation will be set and you will be informed immediately. This is most disappointing for me, as it is for you, but the safety of everyone is paramount as, of course, is the proper preparation of our children for this very important day in their faith journey. Thank you very much for your patience and support. Fr Colm.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2021:
Normally, a date for First Holy Communion would be set by now but, as with Confirmation, arrangement of a suitable date is far from straightforward and, unfortunately, it is not feasible to arrange a date at this time. As soon as it is possible to do so, parents will be advised of the date.
NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF LOURDES: 3 – 11 FEBRUARY:
In our parish this year, we will pray a Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes, from 3 – 11 February, for the Sick. The 11th February is Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and is World Day of Prayer for the Sick.
A Novena Prayer will be published in our parish newsletter next week – paper copies of the newsletter will be available in the church and/or you can access it on our parish website and Facebook page. It will be prayed each day at Mass in the morning and during a special short liturgy each evening for the nine days of the Novena. You can participate online, on our parish webcam, www.clonleighparish.com. Each day, we will have a different prayer intention. A facility will also be available for you to place your own prayer intentions in the church and to pray the Novena privately in the church, if you so wish.
In particular, I ask that you bring this Novena of Prayer for the Sick to the attention of anyone you may know who is suffering from any form of sickness at this time, to give them the opportunity to participate in this special time of prayer in our parish. Thank you.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK – 24-31 JANUARY:
The theme this year is Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith and Resilience. There is no doubt whatsoever that our school communities – staff, children and parents – have had to be resilient in the incredible challenges they have had to face in the last year, with no immediate let-up in sight. The normal activities associated with Catholic Schools Week are not feasible this year, but I propose to celebrate the 9.30am Mass on Wednesday of this week, 27 January, for the intentions of everyone who is part of our three school communities in the parish – the children, the teachers, ancillary staff, and the parents, grandparents and family members who have supported the children in so many ways during the Covid pandemic, and continue to do so. I ask you to join me on the parish webcam for this Mass. In particular, I ask that parents make special effort for their children to participate in the Mass.
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY: 18 – 25 JANUARY: THEME, ‘ABIDING IN CHRIST’
Heavenly Father, Your Son, Jesus, calls us to abide in Him, as branches of the true vine.
He calls us to bear the fruit of Your healing and reconciling love.
He calls us to draw closer to You and to one another, in Christian unity, as we offer this love to the world.
May Your loving Spirit guide us in responding to the challenges of the call.
This we ask through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
COLLECTION:
THANK YOU for your generosity to the collection last week, which amounted to €1,530. I continue to be available in the church each day after the Rosary for those who wish to bring along their envelope. Envelopes can also be left through the door of the Parochial House. Thank you also to those who contribute by Standing Order. Download our Standing Order Form here.
You can also request envelopes by simply clicking on this link: ‘Get in Touch‘ and then select Parish Envelopes from the drop-down menu.
SUNDAY SCRIPTURES: NEXT SUNDAY, 31 January, is the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel we will listen to is St Mark 1:21-28: ‘He taught them with authority’. You can check out the Readings on our parish website:
https://clonleighparish.com/sundays-mass-readings/
The Daily Mass Readings can also be accessed on our parish website: https://clonleighparish.com/todays-mass-readings/ . Alternatively, just google Clonleigh Parish readings.
CATECHESIS CORNER:
CATECHESIS CORNER
Q. What do the Scripture references at the top of Scripture Readings mean?
A. Each book of the Bible is divided into chapters, and each chapter is made up of a series of numbered verses: eg,
Genesis 1:1 means The Book of Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 1;
Mark 1:14-20 (today’s Gospel) means St Mark’s Gospel, Chapter 1, Verses 14 to 20;
1 Corinthians 7:29-31, (today’s Second Reading) means the first letter (epistle) of St Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 7, Verses 29 to 31.
TODAY, THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, WE CELEBRATE SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD:
It was Saint Jerome who famously said: “Not to know the Scriptures is not to know Christ”. Pope Francis invites us today to get to know Christ through deepening our understanding and knowledge of the Bible. Familiarising ourselves with the Word of God before we hear it at Sunday Mass is a good way of gaining a better understanding of what God is saying to us in the Scriptures and it is my hope that as many of you as possible will commit to devoting some sacred time and space each week to taking a look through the Readings each week this coming year, in advance of Sunday Mass. Each week in the newsletter, I give the reference for the Gospel reading for the following Sunday, so that you can check it out, either in your bible or on our parish website.
Remember, in the words of Pope Francis: “The Bible is not just a beautiful book to keep on a shelf. It is the Word of life to be sown, a gift that the Risen Jesus asks us to accept in order to have life in His name”.
So, if you have a Bible in your home, please take it out to help you in getting to grips with the information provided in our Catechesis Corner each week. Parents are asked to share the Questions & Answers with their children or, vice versa!
ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION:
This is the version that we recite during each of our Masses – you are encouraged to pray it
and to teach it to children.
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
Covid-19 Protocols: Clonleigh Parish:
The current Clonleigh Parish protocols can be viewed by following the link to this page on our website and we recommend that you regularly check this page for any new updates:
ONLINE CONTRIBUTIONS:
Donate to the Church in the following ways:
1. Parish Envelopes
2. Online donation via our website. Click the Donate button below.
3. Standing Order. Set up a standing order through your online banking portal or – Download this form: Standing Order Form and we can set it up on your behalf. Send to or email to the Parish Office: clonleighparish@derrydiocese.org
Download our Standing Order Form
Parish Contact Details:
Parish Priest: Fr Colm @ 074-9142022
Fr Colm Mobile: 0833665530
Parish Office – Secretary: Lorna Porter @ 074-9142001
Email: clonleighparish@derrydiocese.org
Parish website: www.clonleighparish.com
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Join our free Clonleigh Parish Text Service on WhatsApp. We will text you when we update our website with the Parish Newsletter etc. And you can link in to read the latest updates.