We were delighted to be able to hold all three of the Blessings of the Graves in beautiful summer sunshine. Thanks so much to everyone who prepared for and participated in the liturgies, and all who came from near and far to attend the blessings. Thanks especially to Joe Finnegan who recorded them – they are linked here, and on our parish Facebook Page. Please share with family and friends who weren’t able to attend or who live abroad, and please God, we’ll see you all again in Summer 2023.
Mullery was on Sunday 24th July @ 12noon;
The Blessing of Mullery on 24th July 2022
Ballymakenny was Sunday 31st July @ 12 noon
The Blessing of Ballymakenny on 31st July 2022
Monasterboice was Sunday 7th August @ 12noon(NB Change of Time)
The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord: is part of the resurrection. Resurrection emphasises that Jesus has entered a new life and not just that he recovered his previous life.
The ascension emphasises that the risen Jesus is together with the Father, that he shares the place and dignity of the Father. This important feast – in the past celebrated on the 40th day after Easter – reminds ourselves that when Jesus left us he gave us a very important mission.
That mission was and is to continue his loving and redemptive presence in the world. Let us ask him today to help us, together with him, to carry out that huge responsibility in the way he wants.
The Feast of Ascension is celebrated in connection with World Communications Day. We are invited to reflect upon the diversity of media of social communication and how they influence our lives.
The Holy Father says; “Every dialogue, every relationship begins with listening. For this reason, in order to grow, even professionally, as communicators, we need to relearn to listen a lot”
During Holy Week, the Church celebrates the mysteries of salvation accomplished by Christ in the last days of his life on earth, beginning with his messianic entrance into Jerusalem. The Lenten season lasts until the Thursday of this week. The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday.
Times are as follows;
Holy Thursday – Mass of The Lord’s Supper
Church of St. Michael, Clogherhead @ 7.30pm (Adoration at Altar of Repose until Night Prayer at 9.20pm)
Church of The Immaculate Conception, Tenure @ 8pm (Adoration at Altar of Repose until Night Prayer at 10pm)Confessions available
Church of The Immaculate Conception, Termonfechin @ 7pm (Adoration at Altar of Repose until Night Prayer at 9.30pm)
Church of St. Colmcille, Togher @ 7pm (Adoration at Altar of Repose until 9pm)
Good Friday – Celebration of The Lord’s Passion
Church of St. Michael, Clogherhead @ 3pm Stations of the Cross in The Church of Ss Peter & Paul, Walshestown @ 7pm (Collection for The Holy Land in both Churches)
Church of The Immaculate Conception, Tenure @ 3pmConfessions 4-5pm Stations of The Cross in The Church of The Nativity of Our Lady, Fieldstown @ 8pm Confessions available afterwards
Church of The Immaculate Conception, Termonfechin @ 3pm Stations of The Cross in The Church of The Assumption, Sandpit @ 7pm
Church of St. Colmcille, Togher @ 3pm Stations of The Cross in The Church of St. Finian, Dillonstown @ 7pm
Holy Saturday – The Easter Vigil
Church of St. Michael, Clogherhead @ 8.30pm
Church of The Immaculate Conception, Tenure @ 9.30pm
Church of The Immaculate Conception, Termonfechin @ 9pm
Church of St. Colmcille, Togher @ 8.30pm
Easter Sunday – Mass
Church of St. Michael, Clogherhead @ 10am Church of Ss Peter & Paul, Walshestown @ 11.30am
Dawn Mass outside The Church of The Nativity of Our Lady, Fieldstown @ 5.30am Church of The Nativity of Our Lady, Fieldstown @ 9.45am Church of Church of The Immaculate Conception, Tenure @ 11.15am
Church of The Assumption, Sandpit @ 9.30am Church of The Immaculate Conception, Termonfechin @ 11am
Church of St. Colmcille, Togher @ 10am Church of St. Finian, Dillonstown @ 11.30am
In conjunction with the Pastoral Councils of our Parishes, we wish all our parishioners every blessing for Holy Week, and joy in the Resurrection of The Lord.
A special collection for the People of Ukraine will taken up at all Masses in Ireland this weekend.
People are also invited to support the charitable initiatives of Aid to the Church in Need, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and Trócaire, which is currently responding to the crisis through its partners Caritas Ukraine and Caritas Poland which have a strong presence in the region and can use resources strategically to the greatest effect.
A fundraising ‘bring and buy’ is being organised by PPC members & others in Drumshallon Forge on Sunday 27th from 2.30 to 5.30, all proceeds going to The Irish Red Cross Ukraine Fund – please lend your support.
You are invited to gather – in person – at The Forge, Drumshallon on Wednesday 23rd February, 2022 at 8pm – to participate in a consultative process. All Welcome.
As many of you already know, Pope Francis has called on the Global Catholic Church to engage in a process of ‘Listening’ in a new way to the voice of the Spirit, about how the Church is to face the challenges of the future.
Each Country, and each Diocese has been asked to organise opportunities for all people to participate in the process;
Together, all the baptised are the subject of the sensus fidelium, the living voice of the People of God. At the same time, in order to participate fully in the act of discerning, it is important for the baptised to hear the voices of other people in their local context, including people who have left the practice of the faith, people of other faith traditions, people of no religious belief, etc. For as the Council declares: “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts” (GS, 1). For this reason, while all the baptized are specifically called to take part in the Synodal Process, no one – no matter their religious affiliation – should be excluded from sharing their perspective and experiences, insofar as they want to help the Church on her synodal journey of seeking what is good and true. This is especially true of those who are most vulnerable or marginalized.
The Synodal Process is first and foremost a spiritual process. It is not a mechanical data-gathering exercise or a series of meetings and debates
Our Country has a website dedicated to the process – you can find it here
The Armagh Diocesan Synodal Core Group is very mindful of the difficulties Covid-19 has posed for parishes. It has organised a virtual consultation that will broadcast twice a day 3pm and 8.30pm, Monday to Friday, from the 7th February to the 25th February on the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Webcam.
The video can be tuned into at those times by anyone who wishes to learn more about the synod and to take time to reflect on the questions posed. It lasts approximately 45 minutes and can be used by individuals, family groups, parish groups and indeed any group or organisation who wants to be involved.
Finally, our Pastoral Area, St. Colmcille’s (The parishes of Clogherhead, Monasterboice, Termonfechin and Togher), all have the chance to gather – in person – at The Forge, Drumshallon on Wednesday 23rd February, 2022 at 8pm – to participate in a consultative process. All Welcome.
In this sense, it is clear that the purpose of this Synod is not to produce more documents. Rather, it is intended to inspire people to dream about the Church we are called to be, to make people’s hopes flourish, to stimulate trust, to bind up wounds, to weave new and deeper relationships, to learn from one another, to build bridges, to enlighten minds, warm hearts, and restore strength to our hands for our common mission (PD, 32). Thus the objective of this Synodal Process is not only a series of exercises that start and stop, but rather a journey of growing authentically towards the communion and mission that God calls the Church to live out in the third millennium. This journey together will call on us to renew our mentalities and our ecclesial structures in order to live out God’s call for the Church amid the present signs of the times. Listening to the entire People of God will help the Church to make pastoral decisions that correspond as closely as possible to God’s will (ITC, Syn., 68) The ultimate perspective to orient this synodal path of the Church is to serve the dialogue of God with humanity (DV, 2) and to journey together the kingdom of God (cf.LG, 9; RM, 20). In the end, this Synodal Process seeks to move towards a Church that is more fruitfully at the service of the coming of the kingdom of heaven.
Fr. Paddy is asking you to consider joining him in taking on this course. It will be good for anyone, but especially for those who – as he says in this video – have found themselves drifting away from the Church, or disillusioned by it or the scandals, or if you simply dont know what faith teaches.
Would you consider spending 11 Tuesday evenings investing your time in exploring how Faith can relate to your life in normal but powerful ways? This can happen online from the comfort of your own home for just 1 hour each night
What is it? The Alpha Course is a friendly, engaging, non-judgemental approach to exploring the ‘big’ questions of life from a Christian standpoint. Why are we here? Does God really guide us? Where does Faith and Prayer fit in? Why is there Evil in the World?
Who is it for? It can be for those who are already heavily involved in their Parish of for those who would like to be involved or more involved. Whatever about involvement, it certainly is for those who are seeking and searching for deeper meaning in life which can easily relate to Life to Faith.
What can I expect? 25 Minutes of a thought provoking DVD followed by group discussion with a facilitator. This Course is not a heavy learning session but about reacting to the clip you’ve seen and sharing your thoughts.
For the first time, this Alpha is being run on a Nationwide basis with each parish having its own small group of 7 to 8 people.
Course starts Tuesday 18th January @8pm
If you’re interested please check out alphaireland.org/refocus for more details and online Registration.
On behalf of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), and indeed all involved in our parish community, Fr. Paddy extends prayers for the blessings of health and happiness to all our parishioners, and indeed the whole community. May the New Year be a peaceful and joy-filled time for us all.
Fr. Paddy shared part of this reflection for the first Masses of the New Year.
God of all time, help us enter the New Year quietly, thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others, mindful that our steps make an impact and our words carry power.
May we walk gently. May we speak only after we have listened well.
Creator of all life, help us enter the New Year reverently, aware that you have endowed every creature and plant, every person and habitat with beauty and purpose.
May we regard the world with tenderness. May we honor rather than destroy.
Lover of all souls, help us enter the New Year joyfully, willing to laugh and dance and dream, remembering our many gifts with thanks and looking forward to blessings yet to come.
May we welcome your lavish love. In this new year, may the grace and peace of Christ bless us now and in the days ahead.
Vinita Hampton Wright; Offered by Douglas Ruschman from the http://www.xavier.edu website
With the help of God, in 2022 we will deepen our faith in God, and come closer together as a community of faith.
There are some exciting projects in the pipeline for this year, so please do continue to connect with us and thank you for your support of our Parish.
Hope you enjoyed this special time of the year – despite the difficulties in the country and the world at this time.
Fr. Paddy used a reflection at his Christmas Masses, and some people have asked for it to be shared;
A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE INCARNATION
The Incarnation is no mystery, Jesus. You make it easy to understand. Because you walked our earth, we are to see the face of the Divine in every person we meet:
the friend who betrayed; the family gathered for a meal; the mother on welfare; the man on death row; the server in the store; the teenage thug on the corner; those society tells me are different from me, and my enemy and trains me to treat that way.
Every time I love, the mystery of the Incarnation happens. Every time I love, I birth you on earth, Jesus.
I fall on my knees and beg you, Jesus, deepen my living of the Incarnation.
Slightly adapted from ‘Prayers for A New Millennium’, by Mary L .Kownacki
Fr. Paddy also acknowledged all those who helped in the parish throughout the year;
I think of all those who have helped keep our parish going this year; You, our Parishioners; Our Sacristans; The Parish Pastoral Council; The Parish Finance Committee; The Covid-19 Committee; Stewards; Ministers of the Word & Eucharist; our Secretaries; and all those who helped in any way.I am so grateful for your support.
Happy Christmas
So, on behalf of all, may you and your families experience the many blessings of Christmas and have a joyous and grace-filled new year!
Yes, Pope Francis went to Confession, publicly, in St. Peter’s Basilica, after leading a penitential service.
The Holy Father said the Christian way begins with taking a step backward, with removing oneself from the centre to make room for God.
This same criterion, this same outlook, applied to confession, can provoke a revolution in the life of each person: I am no longer at the centre of the sacrament of penance, humiliated with my list of sins — perhaps always the same ones — to be told with difficulty to the priest.
At the centre is the encounter with God who welcomes, embraces, forgives, raises up.
“One does not go to confession,” the Pope explained, “as chastised people who must humble themselves, but as children who run to receive the Father’s embrace.
And the Father lifts us up in every situation, He forgives our every sin. Hear this well: God always forgives! Do you understand? God always forgives!” One is not going to a judge to settle accounts, but “to Jesus who loves me and heals me”.
Confessions for Christmas
Tuesday 21st – 7-8pm, Church of The Immaculate Conception, Tenure
Thursday 23rd – 7-8pm, Church of our Lady of The Nativity, Fieldstown
Friday 24th – 1-2pm, Church of The Immaculate Conception, Tenure
Update – as of 12.30am Saturday 18th December 2021;
The first two Masses of Christmas Eve – 5pm & 6.30pm Tenure)- are now completely booked out. Please DO NOT turn up without having booked a ticket. Capacity limits will be in operation. Nb – There is a waiting list, and we appeal to anyone whose plans have changed to release their tickets back into the system for re-distribution, thank you.
The third Mass (8pm, Fieldstown) is 80% booked (Only 20 tickets remain)
The final Mass for Christmas Eve (9.30pm in Fieldstown) still has 75% Availability
The Christmas Day Mass (9.45am in Fieldstown) is only 12% booked (88 Tickets remaining)
The 11.15am Mass in Tenure on Christmas Day is 42% booked (87 Tickets left)
Post of 11th December 2021
Covid-19 continues to impact on our lives, especially when considering large gatherings. After some reflection, and adhering to Government guidelines, the following times are proposed;
Christmas Eve (Friday 24th) Masses:
The Crib in The Church of The Immaculate Conception, Tenure
Tenure – 5pm & 6.30pm – max 150 at each Mass Fieldstown – 8pm & 9.30pm – max 100 at each Mass
Christmas Day (Saturday 25th) Masses:
Fieldstown – 9.45am & Tenure – 11.15am
This schedule will facilitate 750 people to attend Mass for Christmas (almost 5 times the number that attend each week currently). While I understand that you may not find the time/Church that you normally attend. Please try to be flexible and you must follow all guidelines.
You must book a FREE ticket to attend.
As with last year, tickets will be available online at Eventbrite and will be released on Wednesday 15th December at 9am. Bookings will close on Tuesday 21st December at midnight.
The Sanctuary of The Church of The Nativity of Our Lady, Fieldstown, Advent 2020
For those without internet access, please contact the Parish Office (Mary/Ann 087 379 1443 or Fr. Paddy 086 880 7470) ONLY on Tuesday 14th December from 2.30 – 5.30pm.
The most important thing is that we continue to do everything we can to keep each other safe over Christmas. Thank you for helping to achieve this.
May the peace of the Christ-child be in your hearts and homes this Christmas. Happy Christmas!
Monasterboice Parish 