Your Parish Newsletter for Sunday 18th July 2021:
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B) GOSPEL: ST MARK 6:30-34
JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD
There are many references in Scripture to Jesus ‘taking time out’ from His active ministry to be by Himself, to be with God the Father in prayer. In this, He found the peace and solace that would restore and renew His relationship with God, enabling Him, once more, to feel refreshed and replenished for His daily life of activity and ministry.
We are not always good at taking time out to be in focussed presence with God – there are many distractions, many other calls on our time. Sometimes we are so busy with the demands of life that we allow ourselves to ‘wander’ from God’s fold and, in the words of Jesus, become “like sheep without a shepherd”.
For ourselves and all who wander from God’s fold – we ask God today for the grace to follow the example of Jesus, to stay close to God the Father through prayer so that, like Jesus, we will be refreshed in our mission, reaching out in love to others, especially those who are in greatest need, those who have wandered from God’s fold.
Mass Schedule for the Parish this Week:
For those who are unable to come out to church, all our Masses will continue to be available on our parish webcam, and our 11.00am Mass is also broadcast live each Sunday on Finn Valley Radio: 95.8FM
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: Mass at 10.00am
Tuesday: Mass at 9.30am
Saturday, Vigil Mass: 6.30pm Sunday: Masses at 9.00am and 11.00am
The Rosary will be recited Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 9.40am, before Mass.
The Rosary will be recited on Tuesday at 9.10am, before Mass.
Everyone attending church is asked to wear a face covering, use the hand sanitiser that is available and maintain social distancing. Please enter the church by one of the back doors and leave by the side door that is closest to you. It is important that everyone attending feels safe and welcome in our church. The church continues to be ‘fogged’ and cleaned each day, after use. Thank you very much for your co-operation.
†
Laura Connolly, late of 101 Croaghan Heights
As a parish faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to Rosemary and Jimmy, to Jamie and Joe, to James and Jmi, to Theresa and the wider family circle and friends of Laura, whose Funeral Mass took place in St Patrick’s on Thursday. May she rest in peace.
MASS INTENTION THIS WEEK:
Saturday 24 July, 6.30pm: Paddy McCay, Ardnasool – Month’s Mind Mass.
ANNIVERSARIES:
We remember in prayer the souls of those whose anniversaries occur at this time….
Fergal McDonald, Coneyburrow; Mary French, Glenfad; Paul Doherty, Porthall; Bridget Gallagher, Coneyburrow
Madge O’Doherty, Tober; Kevin Porter, Tober.
May they rest in peace.
COLLECTION:
THANK YOU for your generosity to the collection last week, which amounted to €1,322. Envelopes / weekly contributions can be left in the baskets inside the doors any morning of the week at Mass time. For those unable to attend Mass you can drop your envelope into the Parochial House letter box at any time. Your ongoing generosity to the weekly collection is very much appreciated.
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.
FOR ATTENTION OF THE PARENTS OF THE SACRAMENTAL CHILDREN:
Dear Parents of the Sacramental Children,
It is lovely to see our sacramental children out at Mass. As part of the children’s preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation, I encourage you to continue to bring them along each week to one of our three Sunday Masses or to weekday Mass. Many thanks. Fr Colm.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EILEEN
Huge birthday greetings and good wishes from all of us here in the parish to the lady herself, Eileen Mc Devitt, on the occasion of her 101st birthday last weekend. We hope you had a wonderful day, Eileen, and may God continue to bless you with good health, friends and happiness.
Fr Colm.
IRISH CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER:
IRISH CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER is available in the church this weekend for sale. Cost €2.
THE LOUGH DERG PILGRIM PATH:
THE LOUGH DERG PILGRIM PATH is now open daily. The full route is a 12km loop, with a shorter 8km option, and several information boards highlight features of particular interest. Leaflets are available at the Visitors Centre.
A Guided Walk experience will be offered on Sunday 25 and Saturday 31 July, with Mass outdoors, weather permitting. Further dates for these guided walks will follow for late August and early September.
For bookings and further information, email info@loughderg.org or telephone 0035371 9861518.
OUR PARISH – GROWING IN FAITH TOGETHER:
In the 2,000+ years since the days of the first disciples to our own time, the world has been constantly changing, with people ‘finding different ways’ to do things, giving up old ways and embracing new ways. Even in our own time, we are aware of the changes in lifestyle from our grandparents’ time, to our parents’ time, to our own generation, to that of our children and our grandchildren.
In all of that time, the one thing that has not and will not change is the message of Jesus in the Gospels. The message is constant; it is the root and heart of all that we do and are, as believers. However, what does need to change and develop is the way in which the message of the Gospel is proclaimed and delivered, in the context of meeting the ever-changing circumstances of the Church and those who serve its mission in our fast-moving world. And so, from time to time, not just at national Church level, but at local parish level, we need to examine our structures and practices, our current ways of doing things, and to develop strategies for making sure that the Gospel is ‘made real’ in our own lives and those of our children. Change involves developing our sense of ‘ownership’ and responsibility in our parish, building on the already-strong roots of faith and commitment that are there. The words that Jesus repeated so often in His message was, “Do not be afraid.” And so, with these words of encouragement and hope, we are asked to positively and proactively commit to playing our part in building the kingdom of God in our parish, to being open to where the Holy Spirit is guiding us and alert to what Jesus’ message means to us as a parish community, here, in Clonleigh, in 2021 and beyond.
Remembering that prayer has to be at the heart of all we do, say and think, I encourage you to pray for one another and for our parish at this time. I invite you to make this Parish Prayer part of your daily prayer.
PARISH PRAYER
God our Father,
pour forth Your Holy Spirit on our parish.
Guide us in Your ways, grant us Your vision. Be our wisdom.
Open our hearts and minds to Your Holy Word,
strengthen us with the Holy Eucharist,
our food for the journey.
Help us to be people of prayer,
trusting in Your constant presence
in the challenges that we face.
With Your help,
may our parish always be a place where
Your love is known, Your light shines
and our parish families grow together in faith and mission.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
St Patrick, pray for us.
Next Sunday, 25 July, is the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), with our Scripture readings on the theme of ‘Christ, who feeds us’. If you would like to have a look through the Readings in advance, you can access them on our parish website:
https://clonleighparish.com/sundays-mass-readings/
I hope that having the Readings available on our parish website is also helpful to our Scripture readers, for the purpose of checking them out in advance. The Daily Mass Readings are also on our website: https://clonleighparish.com/todays-mass-readings/ . Alternatively, just google Clonleigh Parish readings.
ONLINE CONTRIBUTIONS:
You can donate to the Church via The Parish Envelopes or by Standing Order. Download this easy to fill form: Standing Order Form – & send to or email the Parish Office: clonleighparish@derrydiocese.org
Parish Contact Details:
Parish Priest: Fr Colm O’Doherty Parochial House: 074-9142022
Mobile: 0833665530
Parish Office – Secretary: Lorna Porter @ 074-9142001
Email: clonleighparish@derrydiocese.org
Parish website: www.clonleighparish.com
Follow us on Twitter: @clonleighparish
Find us on Facebook:. Clonleigh Parish
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.
SAFEGUARDING:
The Derry Diocesan Liaison Person, to whom any safeguarding concerns or allegations should be
communicated is: Ms Marie Gormley, Email: marie.gormley@derrydiocese.org Tel: 07596 500 793