Newsletter

Sixth Sunday of Easter

May 22, 2022

 

My dear parishioners,

 

I hope this finds you and your families well. On Thursday of this week we will celebrate the beautiful Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus into Heaven, one of our Holydays of Obligation. I look forward very much to celebrating the liturgy of this feast with you and for you. You might like to reflect on the following paragraph from our emeritus Pope Benedict on this feast:

 

“What does the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord mean for us? It does not mean that the Lord has departed to some place far from people and from the world. Christ’s Ascension is not a journey into space toward the most remote stars; for basically, the planets are, like the earth, also made up of physical elements. Christ’s Ascension means that he no longer belongs to the world of corruption and death that conditions our life. It means that he belongs entirely to God. He, the eternal Son, led our human existence into God’s presence, taking with him flesh and blood in a transfigured form. The human being finds room in God; through Christ the human being was introduced into the very life of God. And since God embraces and sustains the entire cosmos, the Ascension of the Lord means that Christ has not departed from us, but that he is now, thanks to his being with the Father, close to each one of us for ever. Each one of us can be on intimate terms with him; each can call upon him. The Lord is always within hearing. We can inwardly draw away from him; we can live turning our backs on him. But he always waits for us and is always close to us.”

Pope Benedict XVI

 

I offer here the times of the liturgy in the days ahead: 

 

Saturday May 21st

Vigil at St. Paul’s at 4pm

Vigil at St. Mary’s at 5.30pm

 

Sunday May 22nd

Mass at St. Paul’s at 9.15am

Mass at St. Mary’s at 10.30am

 

Monday 23rd May Mass at St. Mary’s at 10am

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help at 7pm

Tuesday 24th May, Requiem for Mr. Brian Carolan at St. Mary’s at 11am

Wednesday 25th, Requiem for Mrs. Jane Grieve at St. Mary’s at 10am

 

Solemnity of the Ascension

St. Mary’s

Wednesday evening, Vigil at 7pm

Thursday, Mass at 10am and 12 noon

St. Paul’s, 

Mass at 10am

 

Saturday 28th May

Vigil at St. Paul’s at 4pm

Vigil at St. Mary’s at 5.30pm

 

Sunday 29th May

Mass at St. Paul’s at 9.15am

Mass at St. Mary’s at 10am

 

Monday 30th May, Requiem for Mrs Anne McMenemy, St. Mary’s at 10am

Tuesday 31st May, Mass at St. Paul’s at 10am

Wednesday 1stJune, Sacrament of Confirmation at 7pm

Saturday 4th June, Requiem for Jacob Clinton, St. Mary’s at 10am

 

Children’s Liturgy:some families have been asking if we can restore the special gathering for children during the liturgy of the Word at Mass. With the good help of Mrs Rona Honnett and friends we will be able to do this on the Sundays of June. Hopefully we will get some more volunteers to continue after the school holidays. Please consider volunteering.

 

CREDO,the parish prayer group meets this Tuesday, May 24th in the parish meeting room, beginning at 1pm and concluding with some tea at 2.30pm. The group welcomes prayer requests from parishioners and a box is available at the back of the church for you to place such requests.

 

Please remember in your prayers the pupils from St. Mary’s Primary who will receive the sacrament of Confirmation on Wednesday 1st June at 7pm

 

Please remember in your prayers:

 

Those who are ill: Rosemary Scanlan, 

 

Recently Deceased: Brian Carolan, Jane Grieve, Anne McMenemy, Jacob Clinton, James Cunningham, Willie Russell, Margaret Ross, Gilbert Dobbie, Andrew McGuire, Betty Colligan,

Jim Spiers, James Cannon

 

Special Remembrance: Moira Douglas, James and Sadie McGilvray,Harry and Patricia Doyle, Geraldine and John McCarthy, Rosaleen and Bernard Mournian, John, Elizabeth and James Fulton, John Whyte, James and Christopher Whyte and all our deceased relatives and friends and the benefactors of St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s, requiescant in pace.