Your Parish Newsletter for Sunday 3rd October 2021:
TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)
GOSPEL: ST MARK 10:2-16 – ‘WHAT GOD HAS UNITED MAN MUST NOT DIVIDE’
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
Please note, there is no Mass on Monday of this week (4 October)
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 10.00am. Tuesday: 9.30am
The Rosary will be recited on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 9.40am (before Mass)
and, on Tuesday, at 9.10am
Saturday, Vigil Mass: 6.30pm Sunday: Masses at 9.00am and 11.00am
†
Margaret Doherty, late of 7 Cluain Laoi, Lifford, and formerly of The Fields, Porthall
As a parish faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to the sisters and brother, Phyllis, Kitty and Sonny, and the wider family circle and friends of Margaret, whose Funeral Mass took place in St Patrick’s on Saturday of last week. May she rest in peace.
†
Angela O’Connor, late of The Roughan, Lifford
As a parish faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to Kevin, Declan, Maura and Brian, to Celine, to the grandchildren, great-grandchildren and wider family circle and friends of Angela, whose Funeral Mass took place in St Patrick’s on Wednesday, with burial afterwards at Ardmore. May she rest in peace.
MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK:
John Canny, Rossgier.
ANNIVERSARIES:
Arthur McNally, Finnside Close; Eleanor Clarke, Porthall; Cassie Murray, Tamnawood
Margaret Friel, Braide; Paddy McGowan, Edenmore.
May they rest in peace.
COLLECTION:
THANK YOU for your ongoing generosity to the weekly collection which, last week, amounted to €2,062; Standing Order and Online payments for the month of September amounted to €530. Thank you! Envelope Boxes for the coming year start today. If there is anyone who has not received their envelope box yet, please contact Lorna in the parish office.
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.
PLEASE NOTE: that, starting tomorrow (Monday), for the winter months, the church will close in the evenings at the earlier time of 5.30pm. The gates to the graveyard will remain open but, as the evenings grow darker, I would ask that anyone wishing to visit their loved ones’ grave(s) later in the evening should take great care. Thank you.
WE WELCOME the Choir back, next week, Sunday 10 October, for 11am Mass. There will be a practice at 10.15am for all members. New members are very welcome! Please note: all Covid guidelines will be strictly adhered to.
GROWING IN FAITH TOGETHER:
You may recall that, over the summer weeks, our parish newsletter included an introduction to how we might grow in faith together in our parish in the coming weeks, months and years. We also launched our Parish Prayer, which we now regularly pray together. The newsletter articles suggested some possible ways in which we might engage together in building and developing our parish and gave some suggestions as to how parishioners might be part of a team that contributes to the various aspects of the life of our parish, in new and existing ways. To take this venture forward, I am proposing that we have an initial Parish Assembly in the Parish Community Hall, Lifford, on Sunday 17 October, at 3pm and finishing in less than one hour. Our Guest Speaker on that afternoon will be Mr Brian McKean, from the Diocese of Raphoe, who will help us to launch our Growing in Faith Together project.
This is an open invitation to all parishioners to come along on that afternoon so that, together, with the support of Brian, we can start to consider the priorities and direction of our parish at this time and for the future. We are already indebted and very grateful to those who currently give of their time and talents to various aspects of parish life.
OCTOBER is a month of special devotion to Our Lady and, in particular, to praying the Rosary. The Rosary invites us to reflect on the great mysteries of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, whose Mother, Mary, said ‘Yes’ to God’s will and, in so doing, became a model in faith for all of us. You are encouraged to make special effort to recite the Family Rosary in your homes during this month. Parents are encouraged to teach and pray the Rosary with their children. Also, you may wish to make a special effort this month to join our Rosary Group to recite the Rosary, each weekday, starting twenty minutes before Mass. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.
DAY FOR LIFE 2021:
Theme – ‘The Good Samaritan: A Model of Compassion’
Day for Life is celebrated in the Catholic Church in Ireland today. In the context of recent proposals to introduce assisted suicide, the Day for Life Message from the Catholic Bishops of Ireland invites Catholics to consider a more positive and compassionate response to the care of people who are in the final stages of life:
“Jesus gave us the image of the good Samaritan as the model for our compassion and our solidarity with those who find themselves vulnerable and who fear being abandoned in their final illness. The Good Samaritan is one who “crosses over”, who “binds up wounds” and who, most important of all, “stays with” the person for as long as is required……The attitude of Jesus towards the sick and towards those who are in any way marginalised, has much to teach us about the value of time spent caring for one another. Many of us, at times, are called to be carers in our own circle of family and friends. The bonds of friendship and solidarity that are developed and strengthened in caring relationships, extend beyond the carer and the one who is cared for to the whole of society.” From the Message of the Irish Catholic Bishops for Day for Life.” See full Message on www.catholicbishops.ie
O C T O B E R – MONTH OF MISSION:
Pope Francis has chosen, in his Message, the theme:
“We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20)
‘Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations’ (Matt 28:19), the final words of Jesus to His disciples, are addressed to us today. In days gone by, ‘mission’ and ‘missionaries’ were very much understood by us to be words associated with other people (not us!) going abroad to countries where the Church was not yet strong, or to places where people suffered from poverty and conflict and needed our help. While we know that mission always had outreach to others at its core, we have gradually begun to understand our own role as missionaries, serving the mission of the Church in our own parishes and communities, as well as reaching out to those less fortunate than ourselves. Addressing the Amazon Synod, Pope Francis said, “The Church is always on the move, always going out and never withdrawn into itself. Jesus did not come to bring a gentle evening breeze, but to light a fire on the earth.”
A series of presentations on Mission Today – what mission means in today’s society – will be available online, by Zoom, on the Tuesday and Thursday evenings of the month of October. Each presentation is free and will consist of a short talk, discussion on the topic and a chance to ask questions. For more information on the individual presentations, the speakers and to receive the Zoom links, visit derrydiocese.org/mission-month
SEASON OF CREATION: 1 SEPTEMBER – 4 OCTOBER (FEAST OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI)
Tomorrow, Monday 4 October, the last day of Season of Creation, is the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of the environment and animals. Francis’ devotion to God was expressed through his love for all of God’s creation. Reforming himself by repenting of his pride and materialism, and surrendering his whole life to the providence, the will and purpose of God, Francis publicly lived in radical detachment from the goods of the world. He cared for the poor and sick, he embraced poverty and simplicity of life. Francis redefined authority, away from power and towards service; he put into action Christ’s command to “love one another”. We pray his prayer:
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light, where there is sadness, joy:
O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love:
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
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.
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
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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.