Your Parish Newsletter for Sunday 15th August 2021:
THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VERGIN MARY
On this Feast Day we celebrate Mary’s Assumption, body and soul, into heavenly glory, honouring the fullness and blessedness that was Mary’s destiny. The Assumption looks to eternity and gives us hope that we will follow Our Lady into eternal glory at the end of our earthly journey of faith. We pray today that one day we may be found worthy to enter that place in heaven which God has prepared for those who love him.
In today’s Gospel, we listen to St Luke’s account of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth, and we hear Mary’s Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving, the Magnificat.
Mary, Ark of the Covenant, pray for us. Mary, Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us.
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.
PLEASE NOTE:
The parish office is currently closed. It will reopen on Thursday 26 August. Mass Intentions and Anniversary requests can continue to be sent by email to clonleighparish@derrydiocese.org or booked through Fr Colm or Hugh in the sacristy before or after any of our Masses (no later than Thurs). Thank you.
MASS INTENTION THIS WEEK:
Saturday 21 August, 6.30pm: Philomena Gallagher, Guystown, Ballindrait (Anniversary)
ANNIVERSARIES:
We remember in prayer the souls of those whose anniversaries occur at this time….
Sarah McIntyre; The Breslin Family, Lifford; Raymond Gallagher, Ballindrait
Gerry Cassidy, Coneyburrow; Annie McKinney, Ballindrait; Rosaleen Doherty and Tommy Doherty, Porthall.
May they rest in peace.
COLLECTION:
THANK YOU for your generosity to the collection which, last week, amounted to €1,751. 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.
CHARITABLE DONATIONS SCHEME (GIFT AID):
I am delighted to inform you that we received the proceeds of our first Gift Aid claim this week, which amounted to a fantastic €7,019. Well done, and thank you very much to all who signed up for the scheme and helped make this possible – this achievement is down to your generosity. It is a great boost to our parish income and, as you know, this money is paid by the Revenue Commissioners at no extra cost to the participants.
THANK YOU:
Each weekday morning, prior to our Mass, a group of parishioners gather in our church to pray the Rosary. This special time of prayer in honour of Our Lady is a great blessing for us and our parish and, I have no doubt, brings many graces upon all of us. It is a beautiful start to the day and I am very grateful to all who come along so faithfully and keep this prayerful tradition alive in our parish. Thank you for your witness. If anyone would like to join us for the Rosary, please come along to the church twenty minutes before Mass, any weekday. You would be most welcome!
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION – SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION DAY:
Parents, please note, a special Preparation Afternoon for the Confirmation children will take place today Sunday, 15 August, starting at 2.30pm and finishing at 4.30pm, in the parish community centre in Lifford (beside Lifford National School).
All children who are presenting for Confirmation are asked to attend this event. It will also be the time when they will be registered for the sacrament. The children are asked to bring their own pen or pencil, as there will be some writing exercises to be undertaken. Due to Covid restrictions, the children are also asked to bring their own refreshments. Please note: it will be essential that the children will already have chosen a name of a Saint as their Confirmation name, as this will form part of the afternoon exercises.
The Confirmation Ceremonies will be held on Saturday 4 September at: 10.30am for the children of Murlog National School and 1.30pm for the children of Cloughfin National School and Lifford National School.
For the Confirmation ceremonies, Covid-19 protocols will mean that each family will be allocated one full pew. The maximum number will be 8, which includes the child for Confirmation and also the sponsor (if the sponsor is not one of the parents).
As an ongoing and integral part of the children’s preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation, I encourage the parents of the children to continue to bring them along each week to one of our three Sunday Masses or to weekday Mass. Many thanks. Fr Colm.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION:
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION will be held on Saturday 11 September at: 10.30am for the children of Cloughfin NS and Lifford NS and at 1.30pm for the children of Murlog NS.
PRAYER FOR STUDENTS:
Please remember, in prayer, all our young parishioners, family members and friends who will be making important choices and decisions in these coming weeks: We pray:
Lord, pour out your blessings on all students who will have important choices to make in these coming weeks.
Grant that they will be guided by the Holy Spirit as they seek to plan their future,
at school, university or in the workplace, and may whatever path they choose bring them fulfilment.
Thank you for the many talents and gifts You give to our young people
and for the opportunity of education.
May Your love be upon them, O Lord, as they place all their trust in You. Amen.
OUR PARISH – GROWING IN FAITH TOGETHER:
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, 22 August, is the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). 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