No. 2050 ~ THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
PARISH CONTACT DETAILS
Fr. Peter Madden PP VF
31 Sixtowns Road
Telephone: 79628376
Fr Michael McCaul CC
50 Tobermore Road, Desertmartin
Telephone: 79632196
Email: desertmartinparish@gmail.com
PARISH OFFICE
OPENING HOURS: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm.
9 High Street
Phone: (028)79628248
SAFEGUARDING
The Diocesan Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is Marie Gormley. To contact Marie Tel: 07596500793, or Email: mariegormley@derrydiocese.org
SVP HELPLINE
Helpline telephone number: 07710838050
SPERRIN FOODBANK
Tel: 07543420639
BALLINASCREEN COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUP
Please click the link https://www.parishofballinascreen.com/ballinascreen-community-support-gro for full details of Ballinascreen Community Support Group.
NOTICES FOR THE BULLETIN
Notices for the Bulletin should be received by 1.00 pm on Wednesday, preferably by email.
SUNDAY VIGIL MASSES
Holy Rosary: 6.00 pm
St Patrick’s, Keenaught: 7.30 pm
SUNDAY MASSES
St Columba’s, Straw: 9.00 am
St Mary’s, Coolcalm: 10.00 am
St Patrick’s, Sixtowns: 11.00 am
St Eugene’s, Moneyneena: 12 noon
DAILY MASSES FOR THIS WEEK
Monday 16 December:
10.00 am ~ Holy Rosary Church
Tuesday 17 December:
10.00 am ~ St Columba’s Straw. (NO Mass in St Mary’s Coolcalm today.)
Wednesday 18 December:
10.00 am ~ Holy Rosary Church
Thursday 19 December:
10.00 am ~ St Mary’s Coolcalm
Friday 20 December:
10.00 am ~ St Mary’s Coolcalm
7.30 pm ~ Holy Rosary Church.
CONFESSIONS
In Holy Rosary Church every Saturday at 5.30 pm before the Vigil Mass.
FEAST OF THE WEEK
Saturday 21: St Peter Canisus, priest and doctor of the Church.
ADVENT SERVICES OF RECONCILIATION
A Reconciliation Service will be held in Holy Rosary Church, tomorrow Monday 16 December, at 7.30 pm.
A Reconciliation Service will be held in St Patrick’s Church, Keenaught on Tuesday 17 December at 7.30 pm.
Visiting priests will be in attendance, at both services, to hear confessions.
BAMBINELLI SUNDAY
At all Masses this weekend parishioners are invited to bring the figure of the Child Jesus from their family Crib to Mass for a special blessing.
CHRISTMAS MASSES
Christmas Eve ~ 24 December
St Eugene’s Moneyneena ~ 5.00 pm
Holy Rosary Church ~ 6.00 pm
St Patrick’s Keenaught ~ 7.30 pm
St Columba’s Straw ~ 7.30 pm
St Patrick’s Sixtowns ~ 9.00 pm
Christmas Day ~ 25 December
St Columba’s Straw ~ 9.00 am
St Mary’s Coolcalm ~ 10.00 am
Holy Rosary Church ~ 11.00 am.
DEATH
We extend our prayerful sympathy to the family and relatives of:
Vera Cuskeran, Dysart Road.
ANNIVERSARIES
First Anniversary:
Bridget Stokes.
Anniversaries:
Michael McGuigan;
Breige Lawless.
FIRST ANNIVERSARY MASS
Conor Kerr on Friday 20 December at 7.30 pm in St Patrick’s Church Glen.
WEDDING
Congratulations and best wishes for the future to Kirsty McKenna and Nathan McBride who were married recently in St Eugene’s Church Moneyneena.
PARISH COLLECTIONS
Weekly Collection: £1401
Renovation Collection: £1520.
Thank you for your generous support which is greatly appreciated.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Fr Madden acknowledges with sincere gratitude a recent bequest of £6,000 to Ballinascreen Parish.
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS DRAW
Desertmartin Parish Christmas Draw will have draws every day for the 12 days between Christmas Day and Sunday 5 January 2025. Total prize fund is £5,000, tickets costing £20 each are now on sale at Ballinascreen and Desertmartin Parish Offices, Heron’s Gift Shop, Moneyneena P.O. and Ballinascreen and Desertmartin Credit Unions. A ticket would make a nice Christmas gift to send to members of your family and friends this Christmas.
INVITATION TO 33 DAYS OF FAMILY PRAYER
Bishop McKeown will lead the diocese in 33 days of Family Prayer towards Consecration to Jesus Christ through Mary, as part of a diocesan programme for the Jubilee Year 2025, Pilgrims of Hope. It will be delivered online on the Diocese of Derry Facebook, each evening at 7.00 pm, starting Thursday 9 January and ending on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Tuesday 11 February. Bishop McKeown explains:
‘It is a journey I set out to make to entrust myself and my priesthood to Christ through the Mother of God. I extend an invitation to you and your families from the parishes of the diocese to join me.’
Details and times of the prayer programme with a video message from Bishop McKeown may be viewed at derrydiocese.org/consecration
SVP ANNUAL APPEAL
Ballinascreen SVP wish to thank all those who contributed recently to their Annual Christmas Appeal. Blue envelopes are still available in church porches if anyone still wishes to make a donation.
They also wish to thank the many parishioners who brought gifts to the Parish Carol Service last Sunday.
CHRISTMAS HAMPER APPEAL
If you, or someone you know, would like to receive a hamper this year, please contact Sperrin Foodbank on 07543 420 639 or St Vincent de Paul 07710 838050 in complete confidence by Monday 16 December. It doesn’t matter if you are a single adult, single parent with children or a working family, they are there to help.
THE NET
The current edition of The Net is now available in the Holy Rosary porch and on the Derry diocesan website. This paper has many interesting faith stories and news clips from around our diocese.
CONGRATULATIONS WORKSPACE!
Congratulations to the Workspace Group on being named UK Social Enterprise of the Year after winning NI Social Enterprise of the Year Award last month. Social enterprises are businesses that trade for a social purpose and reinvest their profits in the community. They saw off stiff competition from hundreds of entries to take home the top award for the whole of the UK. A great achievement as they enter their 40th year. Workspace’s commercial businesses generate surplus profits which are used to provide community facilities such as Workspace Community Hub, Sperrin Foodbank, a new purpose built youth club, the Workspace Recreation Centre and 3G pitch, the Afterschool Club and Draperstown Christmas lights. They also provide over £90,000 per annum in free space to local community groups and have distributed almost £150,000 in grants to local groups through the Workspace Community Fund. The award is testament to everyone involved in Workspace over the years, the local community and what a group of like-minded individuals from a small rural village can achieve by working together.
Congratulations also goes to Patsy McShane a founder member and director of Workspace who was recently presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for over fifty years service to social enterprise in particular through Workspace and Ballinascreen Credit Union.
WARM WELCOME WEDNESDAY
Christmas Luncheon Club – offering a free Christmas lunch for over 60s and the chance to meet and chat to others, on Wednesday 18 December in Workspace Community Hub, from 11.00 am to 1.30 pm. Food served about 12.15 pm. Limited places available so booking is essential. To confirm your place please contact Workspace on 028 7962 8113 by 12 noon on Monday 16 December.
CORMAC Ó CEALLAIGH CCE / BALLINASCREEN TRADITIONAL MUSIC GROUP
The music group has now joined Comhaltas and have named their branch Cormac Ó Ceallaigh, as Cormac was an ancient harp maker (in 1700s) from Ballinascreen.
Christmas Seisiún in Ballinascreen GAC Club on Friday 20 December.
Junior seisiún from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
Slow seisiún from 9.00 pm to 9.30 pm.
Advanced seisiún from 9.30 pm to late.
Adult admission £3. Santa will arrive at 8.30 pm. Everyone is very welcome!
BABY MASSAGE CLASSES
New baby massage and reflexology classes begin Friday 10 January. To register or for more details please contact Rosie on 07749121208
BLOOD DONATION SESSIONS
Blood donation sessions on Monday 16 December in Kilcronaghan Church Hall from 12.30 pm to 4.00 pm and from 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm. Your donation could save 3 lives. To donate please book an appointment online at www.NIBTS.org or phone 08085 534 653.
MARY'S MEALS
At this time, all donations made to Mary’s Meals are being doubled by a group of generous supporters, up to £900,000. There are many ways to give, including gift cards and online Christmas Trees of Hope. Find out more at freephone 0800 698 1212 or at marysmeals.org.uk.
ST PATRICK'S COLLE CAROL SERVICE
College Carol Service on Monday 16 December at 7.30 pm in St. Mary’s Church Maghera. Everyone welcome.
PARISH BAPTISMS 2024 & 2025
Baptisms: Sundays at 3.00 pm. Bookings to be made please via the Parish Office - Tel: 028 79628248 or by Email: ballinascreenparish@gmail.com
December 22 ~ Holy Rosary Church.
Dates for Baptisms 2025
January 5 ~ St Eugene’s Moneyneena
January 12 ~ St Columba’s Straw
January 26 ~ Holy Rosary Church
February 2 ~ St Patrick’s Sixtowns
February16 ~ St Eugene’s Moneyneena
February 23 ~ St Columba’s Straw
March 9 ~ Holy Rosary Church
March 23 ~ St Patrick’s Sixtowns
March 30 ~ St Eugene’s Moneyneena
April 6 ~ St Columba’s Straw
April 13 ~ Holy Rosary Church.
DERRY DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES 2025
Pilgrimage led by Bishop McKeown, from Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July, leaving from City of Derry Airport. Price £849 plus insurance and single supplement if required. The Pilgrimage Office at 164 Bishop Street, Derry BT48 6UJ will not be open for booking until Saturday 1 February 2025, 11.00 am to 1.00 pm (and each following Saturday and Thursday at the same time unless notified). However, gift vouchers are now available from the Pastoral Centre, 164 Bishop Street, Derry. Enquiries may also be made by emailing derrypilgrim@outlook.com
SAVE THE DATE!
2025 Derry Diocesan Pilgrimage to Knock will be on Sunday 15 June.
PARISH ANNIVERSARY AND MONTH’S MIND MASSES
If you wish to have a deceased loved one prayed for at any Anniversary Friday Mass, you MUST please email their name to Ballinascreen Parish Office by noon on Thursday of the relevant week. Notices for First Anniversary and Month's Mind Masses should be received before the Wednesday of the previous week so that, they may be printed in the Bulletin the weekend before the Anniversary Mass
KNOCKNAGIN HALL
Boxing Night Dance on Thursday 26 December. Music by Chris Dallat.
Read Yourself Well: Following the end of year audit, there are a number of books out on loan but no details were recorded. Please return any overdue books a.s.a.p. or if you require it for a longer period then contact any committee member.
Irish language classes: Now stopped for Christmas. Hope to resume in 2025 on Mondays at 7.30 pm.
Chair Exercises will recommence on Tuesday 7 January at 10.00 am.
Irish dancing lessons: Tuesdays at 6 pm. To register contact Nicola: Tel. 07518207458.
Knit & Natter stopped for Christmas.
Line Dancing stopped for Christmas.
Acrobat Gymnastics: Saturdays at 9.00 am.
Arts care, here & now: Stopped for Christmas, will recommence in January.
Sarsfield’s Accordion Band: Will recommence on Thursday January 9. Calendars for 2025 on sale £7. Contact any band member.
POPE FRANCIS@PONTIFEX
The Holy Spirit is the source that fans the flame of hope. His presence in our lives helps us to both have hope and radiate it for humanity, which greatly needs it.
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS With St Paul we pray for our diocesan seminarians and those discerning their vocation, that "...the peace of God will guard [their] hearts and thoughts..." |
