Liturgies & Devotionals This Week in Parish Churches

This week, is a busy one when it comes to devotional practices for Catholics.

Wednesday 1st February is the Feast day of St. Brigid – the Secondary Patron (next to St. Patrick) of Ireland. Her feast been growing in popularity in recent years, and Louth has a number of connections with this great saint. You can read more about St. Brigid here

There will be Mass (as usual) on The Church of Our Lady of The Nativity, Fieldstown, at 9.30am, and St. Brigid’s Crosses (made be volunteers) will be blessed at the Mass, and available for a suggested donation of €3.

Thursday 2nd February is Candlemass day – The Feast of the Presentation of The Lord. Today’s feast is celebrated in our Church forty days after Christmas, marking the day that Mary and Joseph would have brought Jesus into the Temple. 

Under Mosaic law found in the Old Testament Book of Leviticus, a Jewish woman who gave birth to a child was considered unclean (see 12:1-8). The mother of a newborn could not routinely go out into public and had to avoid all things sacred, including the Temple. If her child was a male, this exclusion lasted for 40 days. At the end of the days the woman presented herself at the Temple to be purified. If the baby was her firstborn male child, the infant was brought along to the Temple to be dedicated to the Lord. The law in Exodus specifies that the first male child belongs to God (see 13:2-16)

“Candlemass” is also a traditional name given to today’s feast because as early as the fifth century, the custom of celebrating this feast with lighted candles developed. The Gospel of Luke explains that the old prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna were at the Temple that day (see 2:22-38). They, like many others, had spent their lifetime waiting, longing for a Messiah, and the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Savior. The lit candles symbolized Simeon’s prophecy that Jesus would be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.”

Mass & the blessing of Candles will take place at 9.30am in The Church of The Immaculate Conception, Tenure. Candles will be available in both Churches after Mass for a suggested donation of €1.

Friday 3rd February is the Feast day of St. Blaise. He was a physician who eventually was ordained a bishop in the 4th Century and he worked hard to encourage the spiritual and physical health of his followers. His protection of those with throat ailments comes from a story of a woman whose son had a fish bone lodged in his throat. The woman brought her son to St Blaise who instantly healed him just as the boy was on the point of death.

After being made a bishop, a new persecution of Christians began and Blaise received a message from God to go into the hills and hide to escape persecution. He hid in the caves and during his time there, he developed a connection to wild animals. Many of them were sick whom he cured as he did with the boy.

One day, a group of men hunting in the mountains discovered the cave St Blaise was hiding in. He was instantly recognised as a bishop and taken hostage. The men took him back for a trial and, on the way, they passed a wolf who had stolen a pig which belonged to a poor woman. Having built a connection with wild animals, Blaise was able to talk the wolf into releasing the pig. This bought him some time when he was starved by his captor for the woman grateful for Blaise’s help sneaked food into the prison.

He refused to denounce his faith and upheld it, even when he was cruelly beaten. Eventually, Blaise was sentenced to death by the governor.

 On his feast day, traditionally two blessed candles are crossed over and pressed against either side of one’s throat as a blessing is said;

Through the intercession of St. Blaise,
Bishop and Martyr, may you be delivered
from all ailments of the throat and from
every other evil + Amen.

Throats will be blessed at the following times in Tenure; 8.45am – 9.15am; 1pm and after 7pm Mass
and in Fieldstown from 6.15pm-6.45pm

Moving Forward Together on the Synodal Journey

A Pastoral Message from Archbishop Eamon Martin, Bishop Michael Router and the Synodal Core Group for the Archdiocese of Armagh

Please click here for the full message:

The Archdiocese will collate feedback from parishes and gather again  a further gathering in the Carrickdale Hotel on Thursday December 1st. The diocesan feedback from that meeting will inform the national input at the Continental Ecclesial Assembly that will take place in Prague from the 5th to the 12th of February, 2023.

Plus there will be a Meeting about the whole process in the Pastoral Area, during Advent. Please check back for further details.

Christmas Arrangements 2022

At a recent meeting of the Pastoral Council, the dates for Masses for the Parish for Christmas Eve (Saturday 24th December) & Christmas Day (Sunday) were finalised.

We are pleased to be able to offer THREE Masses on Christmas Eve
5pm & 6.30pm – in The Church of The Immaculate Conception, Tenure
8pm – in The Church of The Nativity of Our Lady, Fieldstown

Christmas Day Masses are as follows;
9.45am – in The Church of The Nativity of Our Lady, Fieldstown
11.15am – in The Church of The Immaculate Conception, Tenure

Please note that demand is expected to be high, and while there will be NO booking ahead this year, please be aware that Churches may well be more full. Covid precautions (Masks, Hand Sanitising, etc) are encouraged. Please do not attend Mass if you are unwell. All Masses will be broadcast online.

There will be more updates here in the coming weeks about The Advent Mass Themes, as well as Carol Services and other special parish celebrations & events in the run up to Christmas.

Last year, Pope Francis encouraged us all to remember and contemplate that God did not choose to come into the world in grandeur, but as a humble child born into poverty.  Pope Francis said on Dec. 24.

“Brothers and sisters, standing before the crib, we contemplate what is central, beyond all the lights and decorations … We contemplate the child. In his littleness, God is completely present,”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249982/pope-francis-christmas-mass-god-comes-into-the-world-in-littleness

One thing we could do is decide to be more ethical in our Gift giving this year.
There are many worthy charities, but CAFOD (The international development charity and official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales) provides a wide range of special gifts.

Please visit their website for more information.

Blessing of The Graves 2022

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)

Easter Triduum in The Parish & Pastoral Area

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 @ 3pm Confessions 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.

Help for Ukraine

 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.

Local Gathering for Synod Feedback

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.

This process is called a Synod

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. 

https://www.synod.va/content/dam/synod/document/common/vademecum/Vademecum-EN-A4.pdf
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 webcam can be accessed through the Armagh Parish Website at www.armaghparish.net/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. 

 The video can also be accessible through YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch/S3scX2xCX0Y and many other resources for the synod can be found on www.armaghprays.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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. 

https://www.synod.va/content/dam/synod/document/common/vademecum/Vademecum-EN-A4.pdf
The Synod Logo

The Prayer for The Synod

Please share this information on your Social Media.

Blessings for the New Year

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.

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.

Christmas Blessings

Happy Christmas!

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!

Parish Arrangements for Christmas 2021

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 7470ONLY 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!