SUNDAY 19th March 2023:
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
‘I only know that I was blind and now I can see.’
The Fourth Sunday of Lent is Laetare Sunday. A Latin word, laetare means “rejoice.” We reach the point in our Lenten journey when hope and consolation are offered in abundance as we celebrate God’s healing grace, conveyed to us in the account of Jesus restoring sight to the blind man.
MASS AND CONFESSIONS SCHEDULE THIS WEEK:
PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE NO WEEKDAY MASSES IN THE PARISH THIS WEEK:
Masses in neighbouring parishes are at the usual times,
for those who would like to attend weekday Mass.
Saturday: Confessions, 11.00am – 12.00noon and 5.30pm – 6.15pm (before Vigil Mass)
Sunday Masses: Vigil, 6.30pm; Sunday, 9.00am and 11.00am.
All Masses are livestreamed on our webcam; 11.00am Mass on Sunday is broadcast by Finn Valley Radio, 95.8FM
†
Gary McGinley, late of Moneen, Ballindrait
As a parish faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to all who mourn the death of Gary: to Cianán, Casey and Sarah, to Deirdre and Louie, to Lyndsay and Courtney, to Deirdre, and to the wider family circle and friends of Gary, whose Funeral Mass took place in St Patrick’s on Friday (St Patrick’s Day). May he rest in peace.
MASS INTENTIONS:
Sunday 26 March, 11.00am: John & Kathleen McGettigan, Ardnasool.
ANNIVERSARIES:
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they rest in peace:
Ethna Duffy, Liskey; Ellen McDermott, Drumbuoy; Sarah O’Donnell, The Diamond
Jim Harte, Coolatee; Mary Sarah Doherty, Porthall; Pat Gibbons, Tironeill; Kathleen Keeney, Legandara
Sarah Ann Hegarty, Coolatee; Margaret French, Gortgrannagh.
In the event of a ‘sick call’ this week (Sunday 19 – Friday 24 March, you are asked to contact one of the following priests:
Fr Declan Boland, 048 71883293, Fr Malachy Gallagher, 07500 426553, Fr Ciaran Hegarty, 074 9146183 or 087 7031847, or Fr Michael Doherty, 048 71882648.
THANK YOU as always for your generosity in last week’s collection, which amounted to €2,083.00. Thank you to those who contribute by Standing Order.
DONEGAL MARY’S MEALS seeks your old coins and notes – punts, euro, sterling, foreign coin & notes. There is a box in place beside the Baptism Tree in our church. If you have old coins or notes and would like to help the work of Mary’s Meals in this way, please drop the money into the box, which will be in place for another week. Thank you for your support. “We can provide a meal for 11cents and a meal each day in school for a year for €22.”
ST MARY’S CHURCH, CONVOY:
You are invited to St Mary’s, Convoy, today, Sunday 19 March, at 2.00pm for a special ceremony for the placing in the church of a first-class Relic of St Maria Faustina Kowalska, the saint of Divine Mercy, for permanent honour and veneration. The ceremony includes a Prayer Service, a Talk by Sr Benedetta of the Sisters of Merciful Jesus, and concludes with Benediction (at 4.30pm), with individual blessing with the Relic.
WORLD YOUTH DAY – Derry:
Diocesan Youth is taking a group on Pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, from 25 July to 7 August 2023. This pilgrimage is for over 18s. Contact Lizzie Rea on lizzie.rea@derrydiocese.org.
THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD is celebrated next Saturday, 25 March, nine months before the celebration of the birth of Jesus. With trust in God’s will for her, Mary said ‘Yes’ to God: On the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, we are asked to pray that more young men will be open to saying ‘Yes’ to God’s call to priesthood and that young men and women will be open to considering God’s call to Religious life.
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS:
Lord Jesus Christ, gentle Shepherd, You know Your sheep,
and You know how to reach their hearts.
Give to the people of our parish and our diocese
hearts that are open to the call of the Holy Spirit.
Speak especially to the hearts of young men,
so that they may hear and respond generously
to Your call to follow You and serve Your people as priests.
Give all of us the courage to answer: ‘Here I am, Lord, I come to do Your will’,
so that we will be true witnesses to our vocation in life, whatever that might be.
St John Vianney, pray for us.
Do This In Memory:
Thank you and well done to the boys and girls who came along to our Do This In Memory Mass last Sunday. It was lovely to see you. It is important that, as families, of the parish, we support each other in our preparation for First Holy Communion.
Kath and Qumen are continuing to prepare for First Holy Communion and are reminding us today that, in respect for Jesus, we do not consume food or drink (apart from water) for at least one hour before we receive Holy Communion.
‘LEARNING ABOUT THE MASS’ CORNER:
QUMEN: Did you know, Kath, that we have to fast for one hour before we receive Holy Communion?
KATH: Fast? You mean don’t eat or drink? What about my Coco Pops? And my fruit-shoot? I have to have them every morning, otherwise I’d starve with hunger!
QUMEN: But you can have them, Kath. It just means you need to get out of bed a bit earlier so that, after you’ve had them, there is still at least an hour before you receive Holy Communion.
KATH: I can’t be getting up any earlier! That wouldn’t be fair. Anyway, the priest wouldn’t know if I was drinking my fruit-shoot on the road to Mass – he wouldn’t see me.
QUMEN: Kath, it’s not about the priest or anybody else seeing you. The reason we allow the space is to show respect for the gift of Holy Communion that we are receiving into our bodies.
KATH: Oh right, that makes sense, Qumen, after all – it is right to show respect for Jesus.
KATH & QUMEN: It’s really not a big sacrifice to fast for one hour. We need to focus on Jesus, and how special it is for us to receive Him in Holy Communion.
Access the Readings on our parish website:
The Daily Mass Readings are also on our website: https://clonleighparish.com/todays-mass-readings/ . Alternatively, just google Clonleigh Parish readings.
The Daily Mass Readings are also on our website: https://clonleighparish.com/todays-mass-readings/ . Alternatively, just google Clonleigh Parish readings.
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
SAFEGUARDING NOTICE:
If you have any concerns about safeguarding children or adults in need of protection within the Church, please contact Marie Gormley, the Diocesan Designated Liaison Person, on 07596 500793 or by email on marie.gormley@derrydiocese.org