Your Parish Newsletter for Sunday 26th April 2020.
Anniversaries:
We remember in prayer those whose Anniversaries are at this time:
John McGill Cavan
Patrick & Susan McCrory Springhill
Celly Melaugh Gallows Lane
Natasha Melaugh Letterkenny
Paddy McCullagh Ballinabreen
Annie Clarke Coolatee
Next Sunday 3rd May
Months Mind Mass for Tessie Melaugh Gallows Lane
Thank you to all our parishioners who left in their envelopes this week, total amount collected was €4038.00
THE MESSENGER: Messenger Publications are offering a free online copy of the May edition of The Messenger, given that it is impossible to distribute the paper copy in the usual manner.. To access the online May edition, visit:
https://issuu.com/messengerpublications/docs/05_messenger_may_2020
Even if you do not normally receive The Messenger, you are welcome to access this link and to read it. If you have any difficulty accessing the link or if you have any further queries please email: c.henry@messenger.ie
PART-TIME CERTIFICATE in Religious Education (Primary) with Online delivery: St Angela’s College, Sligo, is inviting applications for this course, which begins Autumn 2020. The course is open to: Qualified primary school teachers and Qualified post-primary school teachers who wish to transfer to primary school teaching. Parents, sacramental preparation teams and parish catechists who have a specific interest in the area of primary religious education may also apply. Closing date for Applications is Friday 15 May 2020. For further information and application forms contact Mary Kearns, Education Department, St. Angela’s College, Lough Gill, Sligo: mkearns@stangelas.nuigalway.ie
or visit Website: www.stangelas.nuigalway.ie
On Friday of this week we enter into the month of May, month of special devotion to Our Lady. It is a tradition of our faith that we express in some way the importance of Mary, model in faith, in our homes during May. We can honour Mary in a variety of ways in our homes – perhaps by making special effort to pray the Family Rosary or recite other Marian prayers or short Aspirations (eg: ‘O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee’). Many of you join with me already, from your homes, in reciting the Angelus and the Rosary each day at 12noon and, for the month of May, I ask parents to encourage their children to participate, if they do not already do so.
Traditionally also, families honour Our Lady by creating a May altar. You are encouraged to keep up this tradition. The May altar is a great way for children to become actively involved in honouring Our Lady at home. They can help with choosing a sacred space for the altar and creating it. May altars can be created very simply, with a clean white cloth, a statue of Our Lady, Rosary beads, holy water and some flowers (especially wild flowers that children can pick). Family members can place written petitions on the May altar and, again, parents are encouraged to involve their children in this practice. In this time of pandemic, when we pray God’s protection on everyone, it is particularly relevant that, as families, we ask our Holy Mother to intercede.
Mary, Queen of the May, pray for us.
OPEN LETTER FROM FR. COLM:
Dear Parishioner,
I write to you at a time that is strange and challenging to all of us, with great change in our daily routine and worries for our families and loved ones. We are having to think creatively of ways to keep in touch with each other and that has led to a whole new set of challenges as some of us grapple with technologies that we previously tried to avoid!
This is true also for our parish family, whose routines and way of life have been affected in ways we could never have imagined. I am particularly disappointed not to be able to have direct contact with the sick and housebound in the parish. Visiting them in their homes is part of my ministry that I particularly enjoy and, although we can keep in contact by telephone, this is a poor substitute for a personal visit and the sharing of the sacraments. It is strange to celebrate Mass each day with no congregation present in Church, and it goes against the grain completely to restrict numbers attending funerals. Having said this, complying with the public safety requirements and social distancing is critical at this time.
Thankfully, the use of technology has made it possible for us to remain connected as a parish family. Many people share in our Sunday and daily liturgies through our webcam, not forgetting those who join us for Sunday Mass on Finn Valley Radio. It is also so heartening to know that families are praying together in their homes. I encourage you all to continue to take time to pray.
Since the middle of March, as you know we have been unable to gather in our churches for Mass. Given all the health, family, employment and financial worries and concerns that families had and have to deal with, the cessation of your weekly contributions to the church was certainly not an immediate consideration or priority. It goes without saying that, while we are still in the midst of this pandemic, money remains a sensitive issue for me to raise with you, especially when many individuals and families are facing financial insecurity and anxiety. It is vital to make home and family our priority at this time. However, I know you will understand that the day-to-day expenses of the parish still have to be met. We have been trying to keep expenses to a minimum and have made use of the Wages Subsidy Scheme offered by the government in relation to staff. Many people have, very kindly, been asking in the past few weeks about how to pay the weekly envelopes and have expressed their desire to continue to contribute. To facilitate this, as you know, in the past week, opportunities were made available for parishioners to leave their envelopes in the church and I am extremely grateful to you for your very positive and generous response to this initiative.
I have met with the Parish Finance Committee this week to discuss options for those of you who wish, and who are able to contribute. We would like to stress that whichever option you may choose, please exercise caution on the amount you contribute and do not put yourself under financial pressure. If you find yourself unable to make a financial contribution under the present circumstances, then please support our parish and its mission with your prayers.
Contribution Options:
Parish Envelopes– For those who wish to continue paying by envelope, I will make myself available in the church on specified days every two weeks, so that you can bring your envelopes along. Alternatively, you can drop them through the letter-box in the Parochial House.
Standing Order– You may wish to set up a Standing Order from your bank which would allow direct payment from your account to our parish account, Clonleigh Parish (BIC: ULSB IE 2D IBAN: IE78 ULSB 9860 1018 817799). If you do online banking, most online banking platforms allow you to set up Standing Orders online, or you can download this form here:
SO_Mandate_Lifford_23-04-2020Download
or, I can also provide you with a paper form if required; just let me know and you can pick one up at the Parochial House or the church. In turn, you may forward the completed form to your bank or return it to the Parochial House. We would ask parishioners setting up a standing order to ensure that you provide a name and envelope number (if you have one) so that we can identify your contribution from our bank statement.
Online Banking– You may wish to contribute electronically via online banking using the parish account details as above. Again, please make sure that you include your name (and/or envelope number if you have one).
Website Donation– we are arranging to introduce a secure “Donate Now” button on our parish website and will provide full details on this in the next week or so.
For any parishioners who are taxpayers and have not signed up for Charitable Donations and who wish to do so now, a Charitable Donations declaration can be given to you. This allows the parish to reclaim an extra 33% in tax on every eligible donation you make.
The current crisis will pass, and we trust in the power and love of the Risen Christ who journeys with us during this Easter season and always. I thank you for your commitment and generous spirit and assure you of my continued prayers. I am looking forward to the day when we can gather again, safely, in our beautiful church, to pray as a parish family.
With every blessing,
Fr. Colm.
ACCORD:
COVID-19 has changed every aspect of family life – all of our familiar ways of living have had to be adjusted.
You may have had to self-isolate due to the virus; you may be finding it difficult to get space for yourself within the confines of the family home; you may be trying to combine working from home with efforts to provide a home-schooling environment; or it may be that the fear and stress caused by these exceptional circumstances are causing high levels of concern and anxiety. Whatever impact the spread of COVID-19 has had on the quality of your couple and family relationships – we are here to provide information and support.
As one of the largest providers of couples and relationships counselling in N. Ireland our experienced, professional, couples and relationships counsellors have made themselves available to listen to your concerns.
We have established a Relationships Support Line 048 9568 0151 offering support to those who are trying to reduce distress within their personal relationships at this time. We are also using our Facebook page Accord Catholic Marriage Care Service and to provide links to material designed to increase understanding of, and support for handling challenging couples and relationships situations.
COVID-19 Support Line for Older People:
ALONE has launched a national support line and additional supports for older people who have concerns or are facing difficulties relating to the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Professional staff are available to answer queries and give advice and reassurance where necessary. The support line is open seven days a week, 8am – 8pm, by calling 0818 222 024.
FREE PARISH TEXT SERVICE ON WHATSAPP:
We have now set up a Clonleigh Parish Text Service.
If you know anyone who doesn’t use Facebook or sometimes you just don’t have the time to log in for these updates, and would prefer to receive texts when we update our communication channels, (our Website, Facebook & Twitter).
Then follow this link to receive updates to your mobile:
WhatsApp group text
https://chat.whatsapp.com/JgVd2VgJmmq8kFKaoGiNzK
We will send you a text when we update our website with the Parish Newsletter etc. And you can link in to read the latest updates.
You can easily join/mute/leave/rejoin the group whenever you please.
Online WebCam Masses This Week:
Saturday 25th: 6.30pm – Vigil will be for the 1st Anniversary for Annie Clarke, Coolatee.
Sunday 26th: 11.00am – Mass will be for Paddy McCullagh, Ballinabreen.
Monday:
9.00am Mass
12.00pm Angelus & Rosary
Tuesday:
9.00am Mass
12.00pm Angelus & Rosary
Wednesday:
9.00am Mass
12.00pm Angelus & Rosary
Thursday:
9.00am Mass
12.00pm Angelus & Rosary
Friday:
9.00am Mass
12.00pm Angelus & Rosary
Saturday:
6.30pm Vigil Mass
Next Sunday 3rd May:
11.00am Mass –
Months Mind Mass for Tessie Melaugh Gallows Lane
(The Sunday Mass will also be broadcast on Finn Valley FM on the frequency 95.8FM and can also be streamed worldwide from their website).
In addition to our schedule, and in case you are unable to log on and watch during our Mass times, here is a list of all the Mass times in the Lifford Strabane area that can be followed online on each Churches respective website or alternatively on the MCN Media website.
Monday – Friday
Clonleigh 9.00am
Sion Mills 9.00am on Melmount webcam
Leckpatrick: 9.30am
Melmount: 10.00am
Camus:10.30am
Saturday Vigil
Leckpatrick: 6.00pm
Clonleigh : 6.30pm
Camus: 6.30pm
Melmount: 7.00pm
Sunday Morning
Sion Mills 9.30am on Melmount webcam
Camus: 10.00am
Melmount: 10.30am
Clonleigh: 11.00am
Leckpatrick: 11.30am