Your Parish Newsletter for Sunday 22nd August 2021:
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)
Last Sunday, when we celebrated the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we reflected on the depth of Mary’s faith and how she always said ‘Yes’ to God’s will for her. In stark contrast, in the final reading from St John’s Gospel today, we hear that, ‘Many of His disciples left Him and stopped going with Him’. These words of the disciples from the generation of Jesus’ time are indeed, as we know, applicable to our generation too. It is often challenging for us to follow God’s ways and accept His will. It is sometimes easier to walk the other way.
Faith is not about saying ‘Yes’ to a set of rules or practices. To be fruitful, faith needs to be a living and ongoing relationship with Jesus, in which we open our hearts and minds to deepening our understanding of His teachings in the Scriptures and making them relevant to our everyday lives. We are nourished and sustained on our journey by the everlasting gift of Jesus, the Bread of Life, the Eucharist, which is central to all that we believe.
We pray today for the grace to use Our Lady as our role model in accepting God’s will and following the Ways of Jesus.
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 Thursday: Mass at 7.30pm
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 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:
Monday 23 August, 10.00am: Rebecca Farmer (Anniversary)
Thursday 26 August, 7.30pm: Wilma Dolan (First Anniversary)
Saturday 28 August: 6.30pm, Stephen McBrearty (Anniversary)
Sunday 29 August: 11.00am, Paddy Chaney – Month’s Mind Mass.
COLLECTION:
THANK YOU for your generosity to the collection last week. The amount will be published next week. Please note: 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.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION:
THANK YOU to the Confirmation children for coming along and participating so actively in our Preparation Day last Sunday. Thank you also to the parents for bringing them along. It was lovely to see you all and, I hope you agree, it was a very worthwhile day of preparation. It is great to see so many of the children out at our Masses. I encourage parents, grandparents and family members to continue to help the children in their spiritual preparation for the Sacrament. Confirmation, as you know, will be held on Saturday 4 September at: 10.30am for the children of Murlog NS and 1.30pm for the children of Cloughfin NS and Lifford NS. 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).
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.
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, 29 August, is the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). You can access the Readings 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