SUNDAY 14th January 2024:
SECOND SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME:
In St John’s Gospel today Jesus invites two of the disciples, who are curious about where He lives, to ‘come and see’. He welcomes them into His home, and they stay with Him for the rest of the day. The example of Jesus encourages us to be welcoming, to offer the hand of friendship to others. The disciples who visited Jesus had a deep desire to get to know Him better. In summary, that is what our faith calls us to do. We can do so through personal prayer, through receiving the Eucharist regularly and through weaving Jesus’ loving presence into the fabric of our daily lives, living out the virtues of the Gospel. We ask today for the grace to respond to God’s call to be people of welcome to our brothers and sisters in Christ and to have a constant desire to get to know Jesus better in our lives.
MASS SCHEDULE THIS WEEK:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, 10.00am
Tuesday, 9.30am
(The Rosary is normally recited by the congregation 20 minutes prior to the midweek morning Mass). As always, you are invited to come along to this special time of parish prayer
and blessing in our church.
Saturday: Vigil Mass, 6.30pm.
Sunday: Mass at 10.00am
All Masses are livestreamed on our webcam; 10.00am Mass on Sunday is broadcast by Finn Valley Radio, 95.8FM
†
ANNIVERSARIES:
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they rest in peace:
Pat Duffy, Liskey; Robert French, Boyagh; John McFeely, Momeen; Sarah McBride, Scotland
Kaddy Gamble, Rossgier; Kevin Crawford, Burnley; Francis Devine, Castlefin; May Burns, Lifford
Thomas Harte, Corner House.
MASS INTENTIONS:
Sunday 21st January, 10.00am: Peggy Lafferty, Shannon.
CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME:
The children of our parish schools who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation this year participated in the online Diocesan Preparation Programme, Monday – Thursday of this week. Thank you to our schools for facilitating the children in participating in the programme and thank you to the Diocesan Catechetical Centre for providing and delivering such an enjoyable, informative and enriching programme. We pray for the children as they continue in their preparations to receive the sacrament.
DO THIS IN MEMORY:
We welcome the First Holy Communion Children to our Do This in Memory Mass this Sunday morning. The children are helping us this Sunday to pray for everyone who is sick and, as we know, many people in our parish are suffering from different kinds of sickness at this time. We thank the children for their prayerful support.
KATH AND QUMEN have been in contact again, asking how the children are getting on with their First Holy Communion preparations. They too know how many people are sick at this time and they are delighted to know that the children are thinking about and praying for all the people they know who are sick. They look forward to hearing how the children will get on in their last few months of preparation to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. They are especially excited for the children, that they will be receiving the sacraments in our Parish Jubilee Year.
THANK YOU for your generosity in recent collections: Sunday 24 December: €2,973; Sunday 31 December: €1,480; Sunday 7 January 2024: €1,620. As always, thank you to those who contribute by Standing Order.
The weekly collection is used to meet the routine costs of running the parish, including energy costs (heat and light), sanctuary candles, liturgical consumables (altar breads, altar wine), pastoral activities, office expenses (including telephone/internet/stationery), maintenance and repairs (of the church, the hall and parochial house), priest’s stipend and staff wages. We do our best to monitor costs at all times and to make the best possible use of the money which you so faithfully contribute each week. In February/March we will be in a position to publish the Financial Report for 2023.
If there is anyone who does not currently contribute to the collection but feels they are now in a financial position where they can start contributing to the cost of running the parish, please contact Lorna in the parish office and she will be happy to provide you with a box of envelopes or for you to arrange payments by Standing Order. Thank you very much.
CHARITABLE DONATIONS SCHEME (GIFT AID):
I am delighted that, once again, we are in receipt of almost €10,000 from this Scheme (for 2023). Thank you to all who contributed to this fantastic achievement.
Those eligible to sign up for the Scheme are those who:
a) contribute €250 or more to the parish in the tax/calendar year and
b) pay income tax / capital gains tax on €250 or more in the tax year.
The current rate payable by the Revenue is 31%, so your €250 contribution to the parish results in the parish getting an additional €112 (€362 in total).
If you are a tax-payer, pay €250 or more per annum (equivalent of €5 per week) to the weekly collection, and have not yet signed up for the Scheme, then I appeal to you, please, to consider joining. Please remember, it is at no extra cost to you! You can join by contacting Lorna in the parish office, who will be happy to provide you with the relevant Mandate. Thank you!
VISITATION OF THE SICK AND HOUSEBOUND will take place this week, starting each day at 11.00am:
Monday – Ballindrait, Tober & Cloughfin; Wednesday – Rossgier, Coolatee, Porthall & Cavan Hill;
Thursday – Murlog, Lifford & Coneyburrow; Friday – Letterkenny Road, Croaghan Heights & Drumboy.
Please let your family member, neighbour or friend know that I will be calling, and please note that those normally visited on Wednesday will be visited on Tuesday this month. If there is anyone who is currently not attended but would like to be included, please let me know and I will be more than delighted to call with you and to bring you the Eucharist.
DERRY DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES 2024:
Monday 1 July to Friday 5 July, from City of Derry Airport. Led by Bishop Donal McKeown. Full board £799, single room supplement £150. The pilgrimage office at 164 Bishop Street, Derry, will open to the public 11am to 1pm on Thursdays and Saturdays, starting Saturday 10 February. Telephone number 028 71260293, email derrypilgrim@outlook.com
As part of our Parish Jubilee celebrations 2024, it is hoped that a number of people from our parish will participate in the Diocesan Pilgrimage and, as part of that, we will hold our own parish celebrations while participating in the diocesan pilgrimage in Lourdes. I will be honoured to guide and lead parishioners in making it a very special time for us as a parish in our Jubilee year. If you have any queries at all (over and above booking arrangements above), please contact me.
DERRY DIOCESAN YOUTH PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORJE:
Young people, aged 16+, are invited to join in this pilgrimage, for nine nights, from 30 July to 8 August 2024. This will be a unique experience for young people and an opportunity to engage with peers from around the world, in a faith context. Up to 50,000 young people attend the Medjugorje Youth Festival each year. Cost is £800 and there will be a budget plan to help with this. Names and deposit of £100 are required as soon as possible to secure a place. For more information or to book in please contact lizzie.rea@derrydiocese.org 00 4428 71264 087.
‘COME AND SEE’:
In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites the curious disciples to “Come and See.” The Vocations Directors of the Northern Dioceses of Ireland offer a ‘Come and See’ invitation to anyone interested in serving the Church as a diocesan priest: you are invited to attend a retreat at the Drumalis Retreat Centre, Larne, from 8 – 10 March. Open to men aged 18 or over. Contact the Derry Diocesan Vocations Director, Fr Pat O’Hagan, at pgoh2111@gmail.com, providing your name, date of birth, and telephone contact details.
SACRAMENTAL DATES – CONFIRMATION AND FIRST HOLY COMMUNION:
Confirmation: Lifford N S and Murlog N S: Saturday 20 April 2024, at 11.00am
First Holy Communion: Cloughfin N S and Lifford N S: Saturday 11 May 2024, at 11.00am
Murlog N S: Saturday 18 May 2024, at 11.00am
Please keep the children and their families in your prayer as they prepare
to receive the sacraments.
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 X: @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