SUNDAY 13 MARCH 2022
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
GOSPEL: ST LUKE 9:28-36 ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One, listen to Him’
Today we move from Jesus’ retreat and temptation in the desert to the glory shown in His Transfiguration in the presence of Peter, James and John. The Transfiguration was a special event in which God allowed these apostles to have a privileged spiritual experience that would strengthen their faith, in anticipation of the challenges they would later endure. God’s love for us is revealed to us in the Scriptures. Nourished by the Word of God, we pray that, in this Lenten season, we will gain fresh glimpses and understanding of God’s loving presence in our lives, and precious moments of transfiguration that will help strengthen our faith and sustain us in the challenges of our journey.
God of light and everlasting covenant, who revealed Your love for us through Your Chosen One, Jesus,
may we, like our father in faith, Abraham, place all our trust in You
and in the blessings, as many as the stars in heaven, that Your promise holds out for us.
MASS SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK:
Today, Sunday 13 March, 5.00pm:
Penitential Service, with neighbouring priests available to hear Confessions.
Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 10.00am. Tuesday: Mass at 9.30am
St Patrick’s Day Masses: Vigil (Wed), 7.00pm; Morning (Thursday 17 March): 10.00am
The Rosary starts 20 minutes before weekday Masses. Please come along for the Rosary, if you can.
Sunday Masses: Vigil, 6.30pm, Morning, 9.00am and 11.00am
Saturdays of Lent: Confessions (in the sacristy of the church), 11.00am – 12.00noon
7.00am Mass is celebrated in Melmount and in Strabane, each morning of Lent (Monday – Friday).
For those who are unable to come out to church, all our Masses continue to be available on our parish webcam:
and our 11.00am Mass is also broadcast live each Sunday on Finn Valley Radio, FM95.8.
†
Rachael Brennan (nee Lafferty), late of 15 Dublin Road, Strabane, formerly of Ballindrait
As a parish faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to Rose-Mary, Andrew and Gabrielle, to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and to the wider family circle and friends of Rachael, whose Funeral Mass took place in St Patrick’s on Wednesday. May she rest in peace.
MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK:
Wednesday 16 March, 7.00pm: Ellen and John F McDermott, Drumbuoy
Thursday 17 March, 10.00am: Pat Gibbons, Tironeill
Friday 18 March, 10.00am: Neily Doherty, Gortgrannagh and John Friel, Coolatee
Saturday 19 March, 6.30pm: Hugh and Margaret Crossan, Porthall
Sunday 20 March, 11.00am: First Anniversary Mass for Kathleen Keeney, Legandara.
ANNIVERSARIES:
We pray for the following, whose anniversaries occur at this time:
John and Kathleen McGettigan, Ardnasool; Annie McGranaghan, Tober; Mary Sarah Doherty, Porthall
Maisie Matthewson, Lurganshannagh; John Tourish, Albert Terrace; Hugh McCormack, Coneyburrow.
May they rest in peace.
COLLECTION:
THANK YOU as always for your generosity to the collection which, last week, amounted to €2,296.00
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.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY COLLECTION:
There is an envelope in your Envelope Box for the annual Clerical Education & Ongoing Formation collection, which is taken up at our St Patrick’s Day Masses. The proceeds of this collection go towards the various costs of educating the student priests (seminarians) for our diocese. It is also used for ongoing formation costs for priests of the diocese.
CANDLE SHRINES: Please note that, due to a significant increase in the cost of the various types of candles that we purchase for use in the church, including our shrine (votive) candles, the cost to light a candle at our candle shrines will now increase from 30 cents to 50 cents, with effect from this week. I regret this increase in cost but trust that you will understand the reason behind it. The lighting of candles for special prayer intentions remains a very important part of our prayer tradition and it is always very encouraging to see lighted candles in our church. I encourage you to keep up this prayerful practice and, in particular, to hand on the practice to our young people and children. ‘Christ be our light, shine in our hearts, shine through the darkness’
PARISH WEBCAM:
Please note that, while all our Masses are live-streamed, they are no longer routinely recorded. If a family wishes a particular Mass to be recorded, eg a Funeral Mass, Wedding Mass, Month’s Mind or Anniversary Mass, please let me know at least 24 hours in advance, if possible, so that I can make suitable arrangements with our provider, MCN. I will do my best to facilitate you. Thank you.
PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYER the children of our parish who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in just under two weeks’ time (Saturday 26 March). As they make the final preparations for this very important step in their faith journey, we ask God’s blessing on them and their families.
LEGION OF MARY Meetings take place in St Theresa’s Church, Sion Mills, each Monday at 7.00pm Non-members are welcome to come along to take part in the Rosary, especially during Lent.
LOUGH DERG PILGRIMAGE SEASON:
Lough Derg is delighted to announce that it is opening up its Pilgrimages and Day Retreats again. Poster with dates of Retreats and Pilgrimages is located at the back of the church.
RINKA Kids Fitness Classes:
Community Centre, Lifford, every Thursday: 5pm for age 3-5 and 6pm for age 5-12. Booking essential, to secure a place. Contact Eibhlin on 086 8473188 or Facebook RINKA kids fitness with Eibhlin.
SACRED SPACE IN THE HOME FOR LENT:
If you haven’t already done so, you may like to create a Lenten Sacred Space in your home. If there are children in your home, involve them in creating it. Send us in a photo of your Sacred Space for our parish Facebook page.
FRIDAY PENANCE is also a traditional observance, not just during Lent but throughout the year. Like so many religious observances, it is one that is often overlooked in our busy life schedules. Penance is done in memory of Christ’s Passion and death – as a sharing in His suffering, as an expression of inner conversion, as a form of reparation for sin. During Lent we are asked to make special commitment to renewing our practice of Friday Penance. It just means making a little extra effort for one day of the week, eg abstaining from meat or some other favourite food or drink ∙ abstaining from social media ∙ making a special effort to attend Mass or visit the church for quiet prayer ∙ making a special effort to spend time together in family prayer (eg pray the Family Rosary / pray from your ‘Prayers for my Family’ booklet) ∙ help / visit / contact someone who is sick, old or lonely.
TRÓCAIRE LENTEN CAMPAIGN:
This year, Trocaire highlights how Covid-19 has impacted communities in Zimbabwe who were already facing significant challenges due to climate change and food insecurity. Trocaire Boxes are available at the back of our church, if you have not already picked one up.
On St Patrick’s Day, when we honour our Patron Saint, we thank God for the gift of faith in our lives and for the witness of generations of people who handed on the gift of faith. As the disciples of our time, we pray that we will proclaim the faith, and draw others to Christ, by our way of living.
It is also a day when we remember in a special way all who have emigrated, especially our own family members, friends and the members of our parish community. We pray, through the intercession of St Patrick, that their experiences will be positive and joyful. We remember especially those for whom emigration is or has been a challenging experience, especially those who may not be in a position to return to their homeland.
We also remember our immigrants at this time – those who have travelled from other lands to make Ireland their home, especially the immigrants in our own parish community. Just as we would hope and pray that our family members would be warmly welcomed wherever they go, we pray too that those who have travelled here from other lands will be warmly welcomed amongst us.
P r a y e r F o r E m i g r a n t s
Loving God, bless all those who have left our country to live in other lands.
Console those who are lonely and those for whom emigration has not been a positive experience.
Bless those who are sick and all who are unable to return to their homeland.
Bless all our missionaries who are working far from home to make Your love known. Amen.
St Patrick, pray for us.
‘Christ be beside me, Christ be before me; Christ be behind me, King of my heart.
Christ be within me, Christ be below me, Christ be above me, never to part.’ From St Patrick’s Breastplate
UPCOMING DATES OF NOTE:
Thursday 17 March – Feast Day of our Patron Saint, St Patrick
Saturday 26 March: Sacrament of Confirmation in our parish
Saturday 21 May: First Holy Communion in our parish
Monday 13 June, at 7.00pm: Blessing of Graves in our parish
Sunday 19 June, Feast of Corpus Christi:
Corpus Christi Procession for the First Holy Communion Children of our parish.
You can access the Readings on our parish website:
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.
CHURCH 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: 0044 7596 500 793