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)
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.
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!
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!
In our parish, we had hoped to commemorate him with a Triduum of Prayer, however, in recent weeks, as Covid numbers continued to rise, we felt it wouldn’t be good to be promoting gatherings for extra events. Hopefully we will have an opportunity to do something more significant in the spring/summer.
However, we didn’t want to let the moment pass without some commemoration, therefore we have decided to hold the following;
1. Sunday 5th December – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 7pm, from the Church of The Nativity of Our Lady, Fieldstown – commemorating the life of St. Buithe. Available on the ‘Fieldstown’ tab of this website https://www.churchservices.tv/monasterboice
2. Monday 6th December – Online reflection on the life of St. Buithe and the prayer and work of Monasterboice in the 6th Century – at 7pm on Zoom. Meeting ID: 862 9538 8975. Passcode: 730302
3. Tuesday 7th December – Rosary from the Round Tower at Monasterboice – at 7pm, live on the Monasterboice Parish Facebook Page.
We would like to invite you – and anyone you wish to share the information with – to join us for any/all of the events
He was born in 445, and probably met St. Patrick as a youth. Leaving Ireland, he was trained and ordained in Italy, and after a stay in Germany travelled to eastern Scotland, where he encountered King Nectan of the Picts
It is said that Buithe raised Nectan from the dead, and in gratitude the king gave the saint the land for the Church of Buithe (Kirkbuddo).
Returning to Ireland in about 500 AD, Buithe was given land at Monasterboice by the local King Eoin O’Cassidy, and founded a monastery and school at Monasterboice. This was one of the most important sites in ireland for six centuries, becoming known as An Manistair (The Monastery)
This school was known for its sculpture; the Crosses of Monasterboice are world renowned. They incorporate representation of Biblical subjects directly on the Crosses, visual lessons for the faithful and less likely to be destroyed than were books. Two of these crosses, including the Muireadach Cross dating from 923, survive at Monasterboice.
Around 1097, there was a massive fire at the site, and many of its treasures of books and art were destroyed. And in the year 1142, a new Monastery was established at Mellifont.
St. Buithe/Boice died on 7th December 521, & foretold the birth of St. Colmcille, who was born on the day Buithe died.
We have close ties with the people of through the work of Rev. Allan Webster, a Church of Scotland mInister and historian, who worked with Fr. John Hanratty, PP, and along with the local communities they set up a twinning between Monasterboice and Letham (nearest town to Kirkbuddo). Most recently visitors from Letham visited Monasterboice.
You can hear/see Maria Callery (Monasterboice) speaking about St. Buithe here
This weekend (10th October), Fr. Paddy spoke about the terrible news which emerged during the week about the revelations of Clerical abuse in France.
He reminded us of the words from Pope Francis in 2018 condemning these crimes;
“Looking back to the past, no effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm done will ever be sufficient. Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated. The pain of the victims and their families is also our pain, and so it is urgent that we once more reaffirm our commitment to ensure the protection of minors and of vulnerable adults”. (Pope Francis)
He went on;
“With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial community that we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a timely manner, realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives. We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them”.
Finally, the Holy Father said;
“I am conscious of the effort and work being carried out in various parts of the world to come up with the necessary means to ensure the safety and protection of the integrity of children and of vulnerable adults, as well as implementing zero tolerance and ways of making all those who perpetrate or cover up these crimes accountable”…”It is essential that we, as a Church, be able to acknowledge and condemn, with sorrow and shame, the atrocities perpetrated by consecrated persons, clerics, and all those entrusted with the mission of watching over and caring for those most vulnerable. Let us beg forgiveness for our own sins and the sins of others”.
If you, or anyone reading this has been affected by the issues raised here, please find help and support in the ‘Towards Healing’ organisation. The Towards Healing Counselling and Support Service reflects the commitment of the Catholic Church in the thirty two counties of Ireland to meet the support needs of survivors of Religious, Institutional and Clerical Abuse and their families. The Towards Healing Counselling and Support Service was established in February 2011.
Monasterboice Parish 