Your Parish Newsletter for Sunday 25th July 2021:
SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B) GOSPEL: ST JOHN 6:1-15
THE MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES
For the next five Sundays the Gospel we listen to is John 6 and the Bread of Life discourse. Today we hear the miracle with which we are all familiar, the loaves and fishes. When telling of the miracles of Jesus, John uses the word ‘sign’, rather than ‘miracle’, to highlight not so much the power of Jesus but His identity. The signs point to who He is as the One sent by the Father. The loaves and fishes miracle/sign is symbolic of Jesus’ desire to nourish His followers as they journey with Him on the road of faith. The Eucharist does precisely that and is central to sustaining us on our faith journey and drawing us closer to God.
We remember in prayer at this time the children from our parish who are preparing to receive the Eucharist for the first time. Just as the people recognised Jesus in the miracle of the loaves and fishes, we pray that the children will recognise the importance of staying close to Him in the Eucharist.
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.
MASS INTENTION THIS WEEK:
Saturday 31 July, 6.30pm: Willie Curran & Susan Lafferty, Ballindrait
Sunday 1 August, 11.00 am: Emmet McGhee, Gortin North.
ANNIVERSARIES:
We remember in prayer the souls of those whose anniversaries occur at this time….
Maurice Brennan, Coneyburrow; John Barron, Ballyshannon; May Doherty, Ardnasool
Sean Tinney, Ardnaglass; Tommy Campbell, Coneyburrow; Bertie McCosker, Ballyduff.
May they rest in peace.
COLLECTION:
THANK YOU for your generosity to the collection last week, which amounted to €1,457. 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.
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.
VISITATION OF THE SICK AND HOUSEBOUND:
VISITATION OF THE SICK AND HOUSEBOUND of the parish will take place this week, as follows:
Wednesday (28 July) starting at 11.00am: Areas to be visited –
Murlog; Lifford; Coneyburrow; Letterkenny Road; Croaghan Heights.
Thursday (29 July), starting at 2.30pm: Areas to be visited –
Ballindrait; Tober; Cloughfin; Rossigier; Coolatee; Porthall; Cavan Hill.
I would be very grateful if family members, friends or neighbours could let those whom they know to be visited aware of the arrangements, if possible. If there is anyone who is normally part of the visitation but does not wish to be visited for any reason, please let me know. Likewise, if there is anyone who is not normally visited but would like to be visited, please let me know and I will be more than happy to bring you the Eucharist.
Please note: I will wear a face covering, use sanitiser and observe all the recommended Covid precautions, during visitation, in the best interests of everyone’s safety. Thank you. Fr Colm
WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY – SUNDAY 25 JULY 2021:
Pope Francis has established World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, choosing the Sunday closest to the Feast Day of Sts Joachim and Anne, (24 July), grandparents of Jesus, for the celebration of this Day. The theme chosen by the Pope for this inaugural year, ‘I am with you always’ (Mt 28:20), reminds us to value the lifelong gifts and legacies of grandparents and the elderly in our lives. The theme highlights the closeness that generations share with each other. Today is an opportunity for us to celebrate the great contribution of grandparents and the elderly to the church and, in particular, their important role in the lives of grandchildren and young people in handing on the treasure of faith. Our ‘domestic churches’ are always enriched by the inclusion of grandparents and elders and, in particular, since the start of the pandemic the domestic church setting has led to many new faith practices in homes, under the guidance, wisdom and support of grandparents and elderly family members and friends.
Pope Francis has written a special prayer for the occasion. It is posted on our parish Facebook page. You can access the prayer and other resources for the Day on www.catholicbishops.ie.
Sts Joachim and Anne, pray for us.
IRISH CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER:
IRISH CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER is available in the church this weekend for sale. Cost €2.
OUR PARISH – GROWING IN FAITH TOGETHER:
Pope Francis has made it clear that the path the Church must take is synodality. Synodality is essentially a technical term for a process of listening and sharing, ensuring the maximum involvement of people in arriving at decisions that are going to affect them. Pope Francis wants this synodal approach to happen at all levels in the Church. It has already begun. There are indeed plans to hold a synod of the Church in Ireland.
To be effective, of course, synodality must go beyond listening, talking and coming to decisions. In practical, simple terms, at parish level, it also means ‘doing’ and working together to enhance the pastoral, liturgical, spiritual and administrative life of the parish, taking into account the realities of where we are today, as Church in general and ‘on the ground’, especially in the context of where we all are as parish and in meeting the needs as we go forward. It means not being afraid to face the challenges together.
There are many people in our parish who already play an active part in different aspects of the life of our parish and, for that and to them, I am extremely grateful. In any parish and, so, in our own, different people have different skills, interests, areas of expertise, ideas, spiritualities, enthusiasm etc. We must work together, guided by the Holy Spirit, to blend these and make them fruitful in meeting the needs of our parish, going forward.
How might we to do this? I propose, to start the process, that we set up some Working Groups that we consider to be relevant to the different aspects of the life of our parish. Next week I will set out some suggested areas in which parishioners might consider becoming involved. If you have any ideas on this, please feel free to let me know. This is your parish. Its future is in your hands.
Together, through prayer, through reflection, through dialogue and through working together, we can discern what the Holy Spirit is calling us to do to make our parish as vibrant as it can be. Please pray for one another and for our parish. Please pray the Parish 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, 1 August, is the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), with the readings continuing on the theme of ‘Jesus, the Bread of Life’. 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