Clonmacnois Parish Newsletter
Sunday 3rd Feb 2008 - 4th Sun A
Tel (090) 9674125 Fax (090) 9674267
Mass times: Shannonbridge - Weekend, 8pm (Sat), & 12noon Sun;
Weekdays, 10am. Clonfanlough - Sunday, 10.30am

Shannonbridge
Masses: Each day @ 10am; also on Ash Wed @ 8pm
Blessing & signing of Ashes @ both Masses on Ash Wed
Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €527. Many Thanks
Church Cleaners: K.Price, C.Curley, P.Anderson
Eucharistic ministers: Group 4
Readers for next Weekend: Group 6, E.Casey, D.O'Carroll
Altar Servers for this week: Ciara, Dylan
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Clonfanlough
Mass on Ash Wed @ 7pm with blessing & signing of Ashes
Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €182. Many Thanks
Church Cleaners: B.Boland, A.Kelly
Readers for next Sunday: S.Coughlan
Altar Servers for next Sunday: Group D Eucharistic minister for next Sunday: D.McEvoy
Mass on next Sun for the late Padraic Devery

I will visit the sick & housebound on next Thursday


Ash Wednesday, is the first day of Lent, the 40 days that precedes Holy Week and Easter. In the Christian Scriptures the number 40 relates to the period spent in the Ark by Noah, the period spent by Israel seeking the Promised Land after the Exodus, and the amount of time Jesus was in the Wilderness after his baptism and prior to beginning his ministry. For us, the Season of Lent is an invitation to 40 days of renewal ("Lent" means "spring"), 40 days to prepare ourselves to take in the Good News of Easter through deeper disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Ashes are the traditional sign of sorrow and repentance and are also a sign of "mortality". Receiving the sacrament reminds us that God's love is triumphant over sin and death, and that God remains "in communion" with us, that in Christ, our mortality is overcome.
Rev Richard Fairchild
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Table Quiz on Wed Night
Will be on behalf of "St Joseph's Penny Dinner Fund", which helps to supply dinners for the poor of Dublin
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Attention Smallholders
A Farmer's Meeting will take place on Wed next in High St Hall @ 8pm. The main topic is REPS 4. All welcome.
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West Offaly Training
Now taking bookings for Manual & Computerised Accounts starting on 8th Feb, and for ECDL starting 12th Feb.
For more info call Carmel on 057-9152003.
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Pioneer Quiz in Ballinahown Hall
Fri 8th Feb @ 8pm, for under13s, under 16s, and Seniors.
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St Loman's Hospital Chapel, Mullingar
A Mass of Remembrance will be said on Wed 6th Feb @ 10.30am in memory of deceased patients & people buried in St Loman's Hospital Cemetery, 1907 - 1970.
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West Offaly Co Childcare Committee
Various Courses about to start. Contact Tracey on 057-9135878.