Clonmacnois Parish Newsletter

Sunday  25^th Jan 2015 – 3 B

Tel (090) 9674125.  Email: jimboclonmacnois@gmail.com

Mass times: Shannonbridge: Weekend, 8pm (Sat), & 12 noon, Sun;

Weekdays, 10am.                  Clonfanlough – Sunday, 10.30am

Shannonbridge

Mass or Communion Service each day @ 10am

Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €483.    Many Thanks

Church Cleaners: J.Kelly, M.Killeen, A.Keena

Ministers of Holy Communion: Group 4

Readers for next Weekend: Group 2, M.Anderson, E.Quinn

Altar Servers for this week: Group 3, Katie, Lauren, Kate

Anniversary Mass for Margaret Kelly on next Sat eve

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Clonfanlough

Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €195.   Many Thanks

Church Cleaners: J.Egan, B.Dolan

Readers for next Sunday: D.Gavin

Altar Servers for next Sunday: Group 3, Conor, Adam, Róisín

Minister of Holy Communion for next Sunday: P.Trainor

Mass on next Sun for the late Mary, Jack & Pat Maloney

Many thanks for your support to the Lourdes Fund which realised in total from Shannonbridge & Clonfanlough €560.00

Portiuncula Hospital Remembrance Service

For parents who have suffered a bereavement through the death of their children, miscarriage or stillborn, on Mon 2^nd Feb @ 7.30pm in the Hospital Chapel.

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Walking the Camino in 2015

You may have heard about the ancient Camino (meaning  “the Way”) across Northern Spain & thought about walking part of it. From June 2^nd-9^th our local parish Cluster will bring a group of young adults between the ages of 18-35 to walk the 110km from Sarria-Santiago. If you would like to come along or if you just want to know more you can email me at frtom@ferbaneparish.ie or call me(Tom Cox) on (086) 8319500.

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Questions people ask                      (Fr Silvester O’Flynn –Intercom)
Q. When Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God was he referring to heaven or to life here on earth?
A. The kingdom is the central theme of the mission of Jesus in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. Sometimes it refers to life with God in heaven, sometimes to the church community, but most often to the establishment of God’s reign on earth, overcoming the power of evil in the world. Jesus began his mission with the proclamation that the kingdom of God is at hand. To that end he called people to repent and believe, that is, to leave wrongdoing behind and to follow his way.

Q. How many different names did Saint Peter have?
A. He is called Simon, Peter and Cephas. Simon was his original name. In Aramaic, which Jesus spoke, Cephas is the word for a rock. Peter is its Greek translation. In this new name Jesus indicated his role as the rock on which he would build his church. The letters of Paul refer to him as Cephas eight times and as Peter twice. The gospels, written later than Paul’s letters, nearly always use the Greek form, Peter, as the Christian Church was, by then, using Greek and Latin far more than Aramaic

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Sr Margaret Mary writes: ‘On behalf of the Moore Conference of VDP      I offer our deepest gratitude to you for your generous contributions to the work of the Society, which were made over the Christmas period.’

Clonmacnois Parish Newsletter

Sunday 18^th Jan 2015 – 2B

Tel (090) 9674125.  Email: jimboclonmacnois@gmail.com

Mass times: Shannonbridge: Weekend, 8pm (Sat), & 12 noon, Sun;

Weekdays, 10am.                  Clonfanlough – Sunday, 10.30am

Shannonbridge

Masses: Each day @ 10am

Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €505.     Many Thanks

Church Cleaners:  M.Darcy, M.Murphy, M.McManus

Ministers of Holy Communion: Group 3

Readers for next Weekend: Group 1, D.Finnerty, P.Corbett

Altar Servers for this week: Group 2, Ffion, Fiacre, Seán

Mass on next Sun for the late Josephine Scicluna

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Clonfanlough

Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €277.   Many Thanks

Church Cleaners: K.Kenny, A.Kearns

Readers for next Sunday: C.O’Shea

Altar Servers for next Sunday: Group 2, Rosanna, Jane, Charlie

Minister of Holy Communion for next Sunday: A.Guinan

Mass on next Sun for the late Brigid Rigney

Mass in the Prayer Centre Clonmacnois next Wed & every Wed @ 7.30pm

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”

Jim Rohn

 Athlone Community College – Enrolment for evening classes on Mon 19^th Jan, 7 -8.30pm.  Call 085-8087123 or 090-6472625, or download the brochure on www.athlonecc.ie

Church Billboard Headliners - humour with a punchline or vice versa

"This is a ch_ _ ch. What is missing?" --------- (U R)

"Forbidden fruit creates many jams."

"In the dark? Follow the Son."

"Running low on faith? Stop in for a fill-up."

"If you can't sleep, don't count sheep. Talk to the Shepherd."

SEEING YOUR LIFE THROUGH THE LENS OF THE GOSPELS

 John pointed the disciples towards Jesus as the one they should follow. Remember the people in your life who have pointed you in a new and life-giving direction? Perhaps in some cases this may have involved directing you away from your association with them, e.g., leaving home, changing jobs, etc.

2 Accepting an invitation to ‘Come and see’ may be part of exploring a new path in life. When has this been so for you? Who issued you the invitation? What benefits came to you from accepting the invitation?

3 Andrew did not keep the good news to himself but also invited his brother to join him in following Jesus. What is your experience of receiving, or giving, an invitation to join in some worthwhile venture?

4 Jesus looked at Peter and could see what he would become. Who have been the people who have been able to name for you your potential? For whom have you been able to do this?

Today is also the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Speaking last summer when he met with migrants and asylum seekers on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, Pope Francis urged ‘brotherly responsibility’ towards our fellow human beings.

The example of Jesus encourages us to be welcoming, and to spend time with others in conversation and friendship.   (Intercom)

  

Clonmacnois Parish Newsletter

Sunday 11^th Jan 2015 – Baptism of Jesus B

Tel (090) 9674125.  Email: jimboclonmacnois@gmail.com

Mass times: Shannonbridge: Weekend, 8pm (Sat), & 12 noon, Sun;

Weekdays, 10am.                  Clonfanlough – Sunday, 10.30am

Shannonbridge

Masses: Each day @ 10am

Church Cleaners:  A.Ryan, L.Turley, M.Mitchell

Ministers of Holy Communion: Group 2

Readers for next Weekend: Group 6, A.Hynes, D.O’Carroll

Altar Servers for this week: Group 1, Jenny, Róisín, Adam, Matthew

Mass on next Sun for the late James Higgins

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Clonfanlough

Church Cleaners: A.McEvoy

Readers for next Sunday: E.McEvoy

Altar Servers for next Sunday: Group 1, Conor x2, Eoin

Minister of Holy Communion for next Sunday: N.Hynes

Mass on next Sun for the late John Loonam & family

Total Offertory Collection for last weekend was €850.  Many thanks

Mass in the Prayer Centre Clonmacnois next Wed & every Wed @ 7.30pm

Lourdes Invalid Fund Collection will take place next weekend

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 We welcome into the Christian Community Olivia Daly, daughter of Peter and Olive, who was baptised recently in Clonfanlough

Congratulations and best wishes to Laura Claffey & John P. Breen who were married recently in Shannonbridge.  Ad multos annos!

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 Night Prayer Vigil in Clonmacnois Prayer Centre

Fri 16^th Jan, beginning with Mass @ 9pm.  Adoration follows and finishes at 2.10am.  All welcome.  Enquiries Dave 085-7746763

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Shannonbridge Carol Singers raised €570.00 for the Offaly Hospice Foundation, and extend their gratitude to all who contributed.

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“ If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Saviour.”   (Source unknown)

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Church Billboard Headliners - humour with a punchline or vice versa

"No God-No Peace. Know God-Know Peace."

An ad for a Church has a picture of two hands holding stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments are inscribed and a headline that
reads, "For fast, fast, fast relief, take two tablets."   

A nearby shop had a notice with red letters that said, "Open Sundays,"  the church reciprocated with its own message: "We are open on Sundays, too."

 A singing group called "The Resurrection" was scheduled to sing at a church. When a big snowstorm postponed the performance, the pastor fixed the outside sign to read,                                                                             "The Resurrection is postponed."                     (Circle of Prayer)         
 

Clonmacnois Parish Newsletter

Sunday  4^th Jan 2015 –2 Christmas B

Tel (090) 9674125.  Email: jimboclonmacnois@gmail.com

Mass times: Shannonbridge: Weekend, 8pm (Sat), & 12 noon, Sun;

L

Shannonbridge

Masses: Each day @ 10am; Tues 6^th Jan @ 12noon – this is the feast of Epiphany – a Holy Day; Vigil Mass on Mon eve @ 7pm

 Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €460.     Many Thanks

Church Cleaners:  K.Price, C.Curley, P.Anderson

Ministers of Holy Communion: Group 1

Readers for next Weekend: Group 5, L.Moran, C.Doolan

Altar Servers for this week: Group 3, Katie, Lauren, Kate

Mass on next Sun for the late Michael Brennan

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Clonfanlough

Mass for the Epiphany on Tues @ 10.30am – this is a Holy Day

 Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €148.   Many Thanks

Church Cleaners: A  .Kelly, M.Devery

Readers for next Sunday: C. & P.Rigney

Altar Servers for next Sunday: Group 3, Conor, Adam, Róisín

Minister of Holy Communion for next Sunday: E.Molloy

Mass on next Sun for the late Petie & Earl Kelly

Reflection on PEACE

P is for prayer that stills the heart

E is for each other, where harmony starts

A is for all, whom we should love

C is for caring, like Mary above

E is for everything that God gives

Peace is forever while Jesus lives

"Peace is the nurse of love, the mother of unity, the repose of the blessed, and our eternal home."                             (St Bernard)

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 The Year to come – some central Feasts in 2014

The centre of the whole liturgical year is the Paschal Triduum of the Lord, crucified, buried and risen, which will culminate in the solemn Vigil of Easter, during the holy night that will end with the dawn of the 5^th April – Easter Sunday.

Every Sunday, as a weekly Easter, holy Church makes present that great and saving deed by which Christ has forever conquered sin and death.                                                                                                  From Easter there comes forth and are reckoned all the days we keep holy: Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, 18^th Feb

the Ascension of the Lord, 17^th May; and  Pentecost, 24^th May;

First Sunday of Advent 29^th  November.

Likewise, in the feasts of the Holy Mother of God, of the apostles and saints, and in the commemoration of all the faithful departed, the pilgrim Church on earth proclaims the resurrection of Christ the Lord.

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Thought for the New Year

“Count your blessings.  Once you realise how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward toward the life that God intended for you.....with grace, strength, courage and confidence.”                          (Og Mandino,.p.53)

‘A íosa a cheannaigh mé, A Íosa a bheannaigh mé,

Le saol na saol go raibh i bhFlaitheas mé.’