No. 1964 ~ THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
PARISH CONTACT DETAILS
Fr. Peter Madden PP VF
31 Sixtowns Road
Telephone: 79628376
Fr Dermot McGirr CC
50 Tobermore Road, Desertmartin
Telephone: 79632196
Fr John Downey Priest In Residence Moneyneena
PARISH OFFICE
OPENING HOURS: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm.
9 High Street
Phone: (028)79628248
NOTICES FOR THE BULLETIN
Notices for the Bulletin should be received by 1.00 pm on Wednesday, preferably by email.
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.
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 MASS TIMES
Monday April 24: Holy Rosary Church ~ 11.00 am
Tuesday April 25: St Mary’s Coolcalm ~ 11.00 am
Wednesday April 26: Holy Rosary Church ~ 11.00 am
Thursday April 27: St Mary’s Coolcalm ~ 11.00 am
Friday April 28: St Mary’s Coolcalm ~ 11.00 am & Holy Rosary Church ~ 7.30 pm.
FEASTS OF THE WEEK
Tuesday 25: St Mark, Evangelist
Saturday 29: St Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, Patron of Europe.
BLESSING OF GRAVES 2023
Blessing of Graves in the parishes of Ballinascreen and Desermartin will take place on the following dates:
Saturday June 10:
6.30 pm ~ Mass in St Patrick’s Keenaught followed by Blessing of Graves. Please note the earlier Mass time.
Sunday June 11:
11.00 am ~ Mass in St Patrick’s Church, Sixtowns followed by Blessing of graves.
12 noon ~ Mass in St Eugene’s Church, Moneyneena followed by Blessing of graves.
2.00 pm ~ Blessing of graves at St Columba’s Straw.
3.00 pm ~ Blessing of graves at St Mary’s, Coolcalm.
4.30 pm ~ Blessing of graves at Old Keenaught Church.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2023
Parish celebrations of this Sacrament will be on the following dates:
April 29 ~ St Mary’s P.S pupils in Holy Rosary Church at 11.00 am.
May 6 ~ Gaelscoil na Speiríní pupils in Holy Rosary Church at 11.00 am.
May 13 ~ St Eoghan’s P.S. pupils in St Eugene’s Church, Moneyneena at 11.00 am
May 20 ~ St Columba’s P.S. pupils in St Columba’s Church, Straw at 11.00 am.
FORTHCOMING EVENT - FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI
Benediction and a Eucharistic Procession will follow the 6.00 pm Mass in Holy Rosary Church on Saturday June 10. More details later.
DEATHS
We extend our prayerful sympathy to the family and relatives of:
Evelyn Curran, Dungiven;
Rose Lynch, Castlederg;
Kathleen Convery, Maghera.
ANNIVERSARIES
Danny McCloskey;
Kathleen Trainor;
Baby Dara Jude Kennedy;
Charlie Kearney;
Joe McEldowney;
Rita McDonald;
Ellen Doyle;
Hugh Mills;
Josephine McNally;
Kathleen Burns.
MONTH’S MIND MASS
Sean Gormley, Moykeeran, on Friday April 28 in Holy Rosary Church at 7.30 pm.
BAPTISMS
We welcome into God’s family through the Sacrament of Baptism:
Paudi Eugene Irwin, Whitewater Court;
Niall Óg McGurgan, Rannakeeran.
TRÓCAIRE 2023
Thank you to all who contributed so generously to this year’s Trócaire Lenten Appeal. £9286 has been raised in Ballinascreen and this will now be forwarded to Trócaire. Your generous donations will enable Trócaire to continue their vital work in developing countries. On their behalf thank you most sincerely for your generous support.
PARISH COLLECTIONS
Weekly Collection: £2858
Renovation Collection: £1423.
Thank you for your generous support which is greatly appreciated.
ST EUGENE’S CATHEDRAL 150th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
·A Diocesan Mass will be celebrated in St Eugene’s Cathedral, Derry, on Sunday 30 April at 3.00pm. All are very welcome.
Wednesday 3 May blessing of a new statue of Blessed Carlo Acutis during the 10.00am Mass in St Eugene’s Cathedral. All welcome.
Thursday 4 May at 7.30 pm Bishop McKeown will celebrate Mass to mark the day the Cathedral was opened in 1873. All welcome.
The Little Way Novena in honour of St Thérèse of Lisieux will take place at St Eugene’s Cathedral from Saturday 6 May to Sunday 14 May. The Novena begins on 6 May at 7.30 pm with Mass and the Anointing of the sick. This will be an opportunity to pray for a special intention and to ask St Thérèse to intercede for us. It is a time when many people find great joy and healing. All are very welcome.
YOUTH 2000 RETREAT
Youth 2000 Ulster Retreat from 28 to 30 April in St Patrick's College, Maghera (St Mary Building) for ages 16-35. For more information and to register online visit youth2000.ie
LEGION OF MARY
Who Is She? Conference on Saturday 13 May in All Hallows Campus Dublin from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. Talks on Our Lady, Prayer and Mass. Cost €30, including food. For more information or to book contact mariaassumptadublin@gmail.com
CARMELITE RETREAT CENTRE TERMONBACCA
St Peregrine Day Retreat: Wednesday 3 May from 10.00 am to 3 pm. Cost including light lunch, £15. A first class relic of St. Peregrine will be available for veneration. Please bring a bottle of olive oil to be blessed in honour of St. Peregrine.
Holy Souls’ Retreat: On Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 May Fr Paul Denizot and Fr Alex de Perthuis, Fraternity of Our Lady of Montligeon France, will lead a time of prayer and retreat for Holy Souls in Purgatory. Saturday from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm and Sunday from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm. A free (donation only) event. Those attending should bring a packed lunch.
Carmelite Pilgrimage to Lourdes: From 29 August, for 6 nights. Cost €899 per person. For all bookings, please contact Carmelite Retreat Centre Termonbacca. Phone: 71262512.
GLOR NA SPEIRÍNÍ AGM
Cruinniú Cinn Bhliana AGM on Saturday 30 April at 7.00 pm in Glór Na Speiríní, 82 Sixtowns Road Straw. Open to all who are interested and would like to have an input into the future development of Irish language in Ballinascreen. Tá fáilte roimh chách- All welcome!
BRACKAGH QUARRY WIND FARM COMMUNITY FUND
This fund, administered by The Workspace Group, is now open for applications for 2023 - 2024. The Fund offers grants of up to £2,000 to community and voluntary groups within a four-mile radius of the Brackagh Quarry Wind Farm site and encourages applications from community projects which benefit residents of this area. For more details or to request an application pack, please call 028 7962 8113 or email dolores.murtagh@theworkspacegroup.org. Closing date for applications is 5.00 pm on Tuesday 9 May.
SIXTOWNS DANCE
Monthly Dance in Sixtowns Cross Community Centre on Friday 28 April at 9.30 pm. Music by Larry & Co. Everyone welcome.
KINETIC KIDZ DANCE
Kirsty’s Kinetic Kidz dance classes commencing in Community Hub on Tuesday 25 April. Class 1: From 6.00 pm to 6.45 pm for ages 4-7 yrs. Class 2: From 7.00 pm to 7.45 pm for ages 8yrs+ Cost is £25 (5 weeks). To book a space or for more details text 07543 251281 or message their Facebook page.
GLENSHANE HOUSE
OCN L3 Introduction to Holistic Health and Complementary Therapies - 5 week course x 3 hours - Thursday.
OCN L2 Mindfulness & Anxiety in Children 6 weeks x 2 hours. Few spaces available. To register phone 777 42494 or call into office.
MASTERS COURSE FOR SCHOOL LEADERS
The Derry Diocesan Catechetical Centre, working in Partnership with Saint Mary’s University Twickenham, offers the Masters in Catholic School Leadership. This post graduate degree is dedicated to the professional development and spiritual formation of Catholic school leaders. It is a great opportunity for those currently in leadership roles and those who aspire to, or have an interest in, leadership roles within a Catholic School.
An information session via ZOOM will be held on Monday 8 May at 3.30 pm. For more details or to register for this information session, please contact the Derry Diocesan Catechetical Centre on 71264087 or email tferry@derrydiocese.org
SPERRIN FOODBANK
If you require a food parcel, Sperrin Foodbank will be open on Fridays from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm for drop-ins. No appointment required. If you require assistance outside this time, please call 07543 420639 to arrange collection. No questions asked or criteria to meet. Other contact details are Facebook page Sperrinfoodbank or email
HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE
From 15 October 2023 for 9 nights. Flights direct from Dublin.
Part I: Galilee/Nazareth.
Part II: Bethlehem/Jerusalem.
Cost £1795 stg includes taxes, transfers, tips, half-board. For further details please contact Erin or Sr Perpetua at thornhillministries@derrydiocese.org.
QUB HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE
Catholic Chaplaincy at Queen’s University Belfast will lead a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land for alumni and friends, from 9 February 2024 for 8 nights . Half-board accommodation in 4 star hotels in Jerusalem and Nazareth. Spiritual Director Fr Dominic McGrattan, with music and song provided by Marcella Walsh. In addition to visits to the principal sacred sites, there will also be a visit the Holy Family Maternity Hospital in Bethlehem and the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem. For more details including price and how to book, please email Shannon Campbell at at catholicchaplaincy@qub.ac.uk
LOURDES DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE 2023
Pilgrimage from 3 to 7 July 2023. The Pilgrimage Office at 164 Bishop Street, Derry, BT48 6UJ will be open to the public on Saturdays only from 11.00am until 1.00 pm commencing on Saturday 11 February. Intending pilgrims can also leave a message on 028 7126 0293 with their full postal address and the number of booking forms required, or email these details to derrypilgrim@outlook.com or write to the above address to request booking forms.
PARISH ANNIVERSARY AND MONTH’S MIND MASSES
If parishioners wish to have their loved one prayed for at any Anniversary Friday Mass, you MUST please email their name to Ballinascreen Parish Office by 12 noon on Thursday of the relevant week. Email address is: ballinascreenparish@gmail.com
PLEASE NOTE: First Anniversary and Month's Mind notices should be received before the Wednesday of the previous week in order for them to be placed in the Bulletin the weekend before the Anniversary Mass.
NATIONAL SYNTHESIS OF THE SYNODAL PROCESS
The Irish Bishops' Conference has published the National Synthesis of the Synodal Process conducted across the Church in Ireland from Autumn 2021. The National Synthesis is the fruit of a wide-ranging process of listening and consultation and is based on the syntheses produced by the 26 dioceses in Ireland, as well as those submitted by religious congregations and other interested groups. The National Synthesis will be forwarded to Rome as part of the worldwide synodal process of listening and discernment launched by Pope Francis in October 2021 and which will culminate in the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2023.
To view this document click HERE
SYNODALITY
Synodality is about seeking together to discover God’s way forward in a new time and place.
This is not just a time of change but a change of time.
It is about learning to journey in hope from the great figures of the Advent liturgy: Isaiah, John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph.
We are a pilgrim people, following the voice of God who calls us one step at a time.
We are moving beyond a Church where everything depends on ‘Father’.
Pope Francis has asked us to rediscover the Advent spirit of leaving our secure base and trusting that the Lord will guide our feet into the way of peace.
We aim to have a time of local listening to one another in January/February, building towards a diocesan submission to an Irish national response.
All national responses will be considered by the Vatican and a Working Document sent back for local reflection and comment in late 2022 – building towards the Synod of Bishops’ meeting in October 2023, and beyond.
This is the beginning of a new way of being Church. It is not just a passing initiative. It is facing the future together, open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Advent is not just a season of the year. It is a permanent part of our identity as Church.
PRAYER FOR THE SYNOD
We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.
All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen.
THE SYNOD PRAYER ~ IRISH TRANSLATION (Paidir an tSionaid)
Seasaimid i Do láthairse, a Spioraid Naoimh,
agus muid ag teacht le chéile i D’ainm
Agus Tusa amháin mar threoraí againn
socraigh Tú féin síos inár gcroíthe;
Múin dúinn an tslí a chaithfimid dul
agus conas is féidir linn leanúint di.
Táimid lag agus claonta chun peaca;
ná lig dúinn ainriail a chur chun cinn.
Ná lig don aineolas sinn a chur amú,
ná don chlaonpháirtíocht ár ngníomhartha a mhúnlú.
Lig dúinn teacht Ort inár n-aontacht
chun go dtriallfaimid le chéile chun na beatha síoraí
gan dul ar strae ó bhealach na fírinne ná ón cheart.
Iarraimid é seo uile Ort,
Tusa a bhíonn ag obair de shíor agus i ngach uile áit,
i gcomaoin an Athar agus an Mhic,
trí shaol na saol.
Amen.
To learn more about the Synodal Pathway for the Catholic Church in Ireland please visit:
To learn more about the worldwide Synod please visit: https://www.synod.va/en.html
Please say each day in your prayers the following prayer for the success of the Synodal Process which is both old and new.
PRAYERS FOR OUR PROTECTION
The Irish Catholic Bishops have asked for prayers for those affected by the Coronavirus. Placing all our trust in the Lord, and asking Our Lady to intercede for us, the bishops invite everyone to pray these prayers:
EXTRACT FROM SAINT PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
MEMORARE
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to you,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer. Amen
