CLONMACNOIS PARISH 

ST. CIARAN’S CHURCH, SHANNONBRIDGE                                                                  

  ST. CIARAN’S CHURCH, CLONFANLOUGH                                                                    

Fr. Tom Cox Adm. (Administrator) Tel. 090 9674125/ 086-8319500                                

  E-mail: thomascox@eircom.net   shannonbridge.blogspot.ie

Masses for September 24th/25th

Sat 24th 8p.m. Teresa Rocke

Sun. 25th 10:30a.m. Martin & Alice Kilduff (Clonlyon)

Masses for October 1st/2nd

Sat 1st Oct 8p.m. John Carty (Lecarrow)

Sun. 2nd Oct  10:30a.m —

Recent Deaths: Catherine (Kitty) Higgins, Clonfanlough

Sunday Mass in nearby churches:- St. Mary’s, Cloonfad, 10.00 a.m.;  Sts. Patrick and Saran, High Street, 12.00 noon.;  St. Mary’s, Ferbane, 7.00 p.m.

Weekdays: Shannonbridge:

Service 10a.m. Mon 26th—Fri 30th

Mass Sat 1st Oct 10a.m.

 Newsletter.  Items for inclusion  by 6.00 p.m. on Thursday,  please.  

 Offertory Sept 18^th/19th €680

Harvest Dues (to date) €1,080 

Thank you for supporting the parish.

Saints: Tues 27th St. Vincent De Paul; Wed 28th St. Wenceslaus; Ss Lawrence Ruiz & Companions; Thurs 29th Ss Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, Archangels; Fri 30th St. Jerome; Sat 1st Oct Thérese of the Child Jesus

Youth Club Enrolment St. Ciaran's youth club is a vibrant club, that takes place in Clonfanlough Hall Fridays from October to May, 7.30pm - 8.30pm.  Registration night is Friday This is for local children, aged between 8 to 13 years.  Parents of member children are leaders.  If you’re interested in becoming a leader please contact Vivienne on 086 8196445.  New leaders are always welcome, and are a necessity to the success of the club.

OFFALY LOCAL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY Leader Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 information events  Belmont, Tues 27th Sept 2016 at 7pm in High Street Hall.

Walking Group forming! Monday evening at football pitch while kids are at training and on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 8pm meeting at the Church to walk in the Power Station Road.All welcome.

 UPCOMING CHURCH ROSTERS

Shannonbridge:    1st Oct 8:00p.m.                                                                                           

Altar Servers: Group 3, Kate, Paddy & Adam                                                         

Reader: Athene Hynes                                    

 Eucharistic Minister: Marian McManus 

Church Cleaners Shannonbridge (week)

 Anne Ryan, Lena Turley, Maureen Mitchell

Clonfanlough:-  2nd Oct 10:30a.m.            

Altar Servers: Group 2, Jane E, Tadgh T., Roisin D.

Reader: Sophie Gilson

 Minister of the Eucharist: Ann Guinan

Cleaners for Clonfanlough (September)Ann McEvoy, Eilish Egan and Breda Maleney.

Dan Edwards’ book "The Life and Times of a Craftsman" on sale in local outlets, including: Moran's, Shannonbridge, The Shop at Clonmacnois, Rohan's, Ballinahown& Cahill's, Belmont.  The very attractive volume is priced at €20.00. 

HARVEST STATION  there has been a long tradition of people hosting a District (Station) Mass in their home. If you’d like to host a Mass, contact Fr. Tom. I know it’s easy to say but simplicity is really better in terms of catering & making hosting the Mass easier for people. Think it over.

C’MON DE BRIDGE By the time this appears, the result of the Intermediate Final Vs Bracknagh on Saturday 24th will be known. But win, lose or draw, a huge thanks is due to all involved at Shannonbridge GAA in getting to a 2nd Intermediate Final since 1991.

 TUESDAY 27TH

Shannonbridge Active Retirement Association in the Parish Hall after morning Mass.

WEDNESDAY 28th

Mass in Cluain Chiarain Clonmacnois every Wednesday at 7:30p.m.

THURSDAY 29TH

Stroke Information Evening in Hannon’s Hotel, Roscommon on Thurs, 29th Sept at 6:30p.m. With talks from professionals &  a weekly support group discussed. Call Colette 086 0478082, Maura 087 9826589 for information.

OFFALY HOSPICE. Thank you to all who contributed and supported us. €200 raised.

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake a cake or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need? Dust if you must, but there’s not much time with rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead. Dust if you must, but the world’s out there,
with sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain,this day will not come ‘round again! Dust if you must, but bear in mind old age will come and it’s not always kind. And when you go, and go you must, you, yourself, will make more dust.

PARISH OF CLONMACNOIS    
                                 September 18th 2016                                               

ST. CIARAN’S CHURCH, SHANNONBRIDGE                                                                   

ST. CIARAN’S CHURCH, CLONFANLOUGH                                                                     

Fr. Tom Cox Adm. (Administrator) Tel. 090 9674125/ 086-8319500                                  

E-mail: thomascox@eircom.net   shannonbridge.blogspot.ie

Masses for September 17th / 18th

Sat 17th 8p.m. —

Sun. 18th Sept 10:30 Michael & Lena O’Shea (Clonlyon)

Masses for September 24th/25th

Sat 24th 8p.m. Teresa Rocke

Sun. 25th 10:30a.m. Martin & Alice Kilduff (Clonlyon)

 Recent Deaths: Alo Moran                             Shannonbridge

Sunday Mass in nearby churches:- St. Mary’s, Cloonfad, 10.00 a.m.;  Sts. Patrick and Saran, High Street, 12.00 noon.;  St. Mary’s, Ferbane, 7.00 p.m.

Weekdays: Shannonbridge: 10a.m. Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri/Sat  (Not Wed.)

Saints: Mon 19th St. Januarius; Tues 20th St. Andrew Kim; Wed 21st Matthew; Fri 23rd Eunan/Padre Pio

Newsletter.  Items for inclusion  by 6.00 p.m. on Thursday,  please.  

 Offertory Sept 10^th/11th €585 

Pattern Day Collection Sept 11th €980

Thank you for supporting the parish.

A Word in Your Ear… The face pictured below may  be familiar- it’s that of Daráine Mulvihill, co-presenter of the Paralympics programme on RTE 2. In 1999 Mulvihill contracted meningitis. After a series of complications, including septicaemia, liver and kidney failure, blood poisoning, pneumonia and gangrene, the then 16-year old was given a 10 per cent chance of survival. But Survive she did, but only after her legs and fingers were amputated. That was then, this is now. Mulvihill went on to build a life she never thought possible in her darkest days. It’s partly because of the role others played in making her believe that normal life was possible. She recalls a girl who had been in a fire two years before Daráine’s own illness. This girl had lost an arm and two legs and still nursed severe burns. She sat down and said “Sorry, I’m severely hungover. I was on the town last night”. There she was, no legs and just one arm, and yet she managed a normal social life! “But you know, my life wouldn’t have been any better had this not happened, it would just be easier. That’s all. I wouldn’t be a happier person.”  In 2012 & 2016 she was chosen to present the London & Rio Paralympics..The Paralympics is a fabulous festival of the human spirit. Not least that of Daráine

Every single athlete has a proud story to tell. But some will argue

that it portrays just the image of disability the world wants to see.

Many disabled people ask two overlapping but distinct

questions. One is, ‘Do I have to be exceptional to be acceptable?

Maybe true disability lies in the eye of the beholder. Could it be

those who need everyone to be the same, to be more or less an

image of themselves - perhaps these people are the truly disabled?’

The other question is, ‘Why can you only see what you

call my disability? Why insist on making this feature of my

personality the main one? Beethoven was deaf but we don’t talk

about that - we talk about his music. Stephen Hawking’s paralysed,

but we don’t talk about his wheelchair - we talk about his

theoretical physics.’ The biggest challenge for many people who

have a disability is getting people to see who they really are.

True human flourishing isn’t primarily about individuals

transcending limitations - spectacular and fulfilling as such

transcendence may be. Instead it’s principally about creating new

relationships, establishing interdependent community, celebrating

our mutual reliance on one another. That’s not a picture of a perfect

athletic body, or a courageous disabled body: it’s a vision of what

Christians call the crucified and risen body of Christ.

What the Paralympics demonstrate is that it takes a village

to produce an athlete. Rio is, in the end, a celebration that it takes a

huge team for any one of us to flourish. Sport isn’t the epitome of

human independence; it’s the visible demonstration that life is

fundamentally a team game, and the most precious things in life are

one another. Daráine Mulvihill says as much: ‘That girl with the

hangover helped save me. I’ll never forget her.’ -Dick Lyng.

UPCOMING CHURCH ROSTERS                                                                

  Shannonbridge:   24^th Sept 8:00p.m.                                                                                           

Altar Servers: Group 2, Fiachra, Sean, Niamh & Rachel                                                         

Reader: Catherine Doolan                                     

Eucharistic Minister: Sinead Ryan                                                          

Church Cleaners Shannonbridge September Eileen Quinn, Dolly Deeley, Veronica Hynes

Clonfanlough:- 25^th Sept 10:30a.m.            

Altar Servers: Group 1, Conor S, Conor B, Eoin S, Abigail K.                                        

Reader: Declan McEvoy

 Minister of the Eucharist: Ann Guinan

Cleaners for Clonfanlough church for September are:  Ann McEvoy, Eilish Egan and Breda Maleney .

Dan Edwards’ book "The Life and Times of a Craftsman" on sale in local outlets, including: Moran's, Shannonbridge, The Shop at Clonmacnois, Rohan's, Ballinahown& Cahill's, Belmont.  The very attractive volume is priced at €20.00. 

Cloghan Hall, Monday night dancing  learn to Waltz, Jive & Quick Step with Gerry.  at 08.30 pm followed by social dancing. Catering for all levels of dancers.
Beginners particularly welcome. learn new steps or just turn up for the love of dancing. Keep fit and make new friends, All welcome. Adm:€10.00

HARVEST DUES  envelopes falls this week. This collection goes to form our income as priests of the diocese. Thank you for your generosity.

HARVEST STATION  there has been a long tradition of people hosting a District (Station) Mass in their home. If you’d like to host a Mass, contact Fr. Tom. I know it’s easy to say but simplicity is really better in terms of catering & making hosting the Mass easier for people. Think it over.

BEST WISHES to  Shannonbridge GAA in the Intermediate Final Vs Bracknagh; at 5 pm on Saturday 24th Sept at O’Connor Park, Tullamore.. Flags for sale on the village from this weekend and at underage training on Monday evening. Large flags €10 Small €5!

Walking Group forming! Monday evening at football pitch while kids are at training and on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 8pm meeting at the Church to walk in the Power Station Road.. All welcome.

MONDAY 19TH

Parish Pastoral Council meeting on Monday night 19th in Shannonbridge hall at 8.30pm

TUESDAY 20TH

Shannonbridge Active Retirement Association will resume meetings on Tues. next, the 20th of September in the Parish Hall after morning Mass.

WEDNESDAY 21ST

Mass in Cluain Chiarain Clonmacnois every Wednesday at 7:30p.m.

.

PARISH OF CLONMACNOIS
September 11th Bulletin

St. Ciaran's, Shannonbridge

St. Ciaran's, Clonfanlough 

Fr. Tom Cox Adm. (Administrator) Tel. 090 9674125/ 086-8319500                               

   E-mail: thomascox@eircom.net   shannonbridge.blogspot.ie

MASSES FOR SEPTEMBER 10th / 11th

Sat 10^th September, 8.00 p.m. Mass for the people of the Parish, 

Sunday 11th, 10.30 a.m., Clonfanlough, Guinan family deceased

 MASSES FOR SEPTEMBER 18th 

                     Sat 17th 8p.m. —

Sun. 18th Sept 10:30 Michael & Lena O’Shea (Clonlyon)

Sunday Mass in nearby churches:- St. Mary’s, Cloonfad, 10.00 a.m.;  Sts. Patrick and Saran, High Street, 12.00 noon.;  St. Mary’s, Ferbane, 7.00 p.m.

Weekdays: Shannonbridge: 10a.m. Prayer Service (Mon 12^th-Sat 17^th)

Weekday Mass in Cloonfad Mon/Tues/Thur/Fri at 10:00a.m.

[Owing to a prior Commitment Fr. Tom Cox will be away attending “A Time for Priests” course Mon 12^th-Sat 17^th]

Newsletter.  Items for inclusion  by 6.00 p.m. on Thursday,  please.  As Fr. Tom is away,Email only to thomascox@eircom.net

Offertory Sept 4^th/5th €780 

Shrine €435 (June 1^st-Sept 4^th period)

Thank you for supporting the parish.

A Word in Your Ear... Fifteen years ago today, the world stopped! 9/11 is now a Red Letter Day. AlQaeda hijackers flew two 767 jets into the World Trade Centre, demolishing both towers. Best estimates reckon that 2,752 people from more than sixty nations died at the scene. However, far more shocking still are the fatalities suffered in the subsequent ‘War on Terror’ pursued in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan: at least 225,000 people were killed and 1,640,000 injured, according to a Research Project based at Brown University. That amounts to an awful lot of suffering. What, if anything, was unique about the original 9/11 attack? Hiroshima, after all, claimed far more lives. So why did the Twin Towers disaster have such an impact? 9/11 was never about numbers or ‘the body count’; 9/11 was, in the vocabulary of terrorism, about the ‘Spectacular’, the dramatic impact. The bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in the context of a world war. The explicit intention of that act was to bring that drawn-out war to an end. 9/11 was intended to provoke war of another kind, to set two distinct civilisations at each others throats. 9/11 was shocking at several levels. The primary level was human, of course. Ordinary workers settling into another day's routine, plane passengers on one more flight. We have all been  there at desk or gangway. It was a surreal day scorched in memory.

                   UPCOMING CHURCH ROSTERS                                                                  

Shannonbridge:   17^th Sept 8:00p.m.                                                                                      

     Altar Servers: Group 1, Roisin, Darragh, Matthew & Emily                                                   

Reader: Linda Moran                                   

  Eucharistic Minister: Dympna Fitzpatrick                                                          

  Church Cleaners Shannonbridge Eileen Quinn, Dolly Deeley, Veronica Hynes

Clonfanlough:- 18^th Sept 10:30a.m.            

Altar Servers: Group 3, Conor D, Adam E., Charlie Gilson, Kelan C                               

Reader: Anne Rohan                                    

   Minister of the Eucharist: Mary Kelly

Cleaners for Clonfanlough church for September are:  Ann McEvoy, Eilish Egan and Breda Maleney .

Dan Edwards’ book "The Life and Times of a Craftsman" on sale in local outlets, including: Moran's, Shannonbridge, The Shop at Clonmacnois, Rohan's, Ballinahown& Cahill's, Belmont.  The very attractive volume is priced at €20.00. 

 Flower Arranging.  Ballinasloe Flower and Garden Club hosts a Flower Arranging Demonstration, by Ann Slattery, Ennis branch, The Association of Irish Floral Artists, in Gullane’s Hotel, Main Street, Ballinasloe, at 8.00 p.m., on Wednesday, 14th September.  Arranger’s competition: Nature’s bounty - foliage only.  Grower’s competition: Variety of home-grown fruit.  Admission, non-members, €5.00.                               

Shannonbridge Active Retirement Association will have an outing to Galway on Tuesday, 13^th Sept. 2016. Bus will be at the Church at 9:00a.m. 

Coffee Morning for Offaly Hospice after 10a.m. Mass on Thursday 15^th Sept in Killeens 

Ballinasloe Cancer Support Centre thank you for the sum of €105.20 raised at July 2^nd Church Gate Collection

 SUNDAY 11th SEPTEMBER

Clonmacnois Pattern Day  where our parish welcomes all “Ciaran’s people” to Clonmacnois. Pattern Prayers begins at 2:45p.m. Mass begins at 3.00 p.m.

Prayer to St Ciarán

St Ciarán Patron of our diocese.   

Watch over your people.                

Teacher and friend,                                                                     

Help us to see God’s presence,

Prayerful youth. Inspire the young.

Pilgrim for God, Be with all missionaries.

Steep us in gospel ways. Protector and patron,

Confirm our faith, So that we may walk anew with Christ. 

HARVEST STATION

Saints of the Week  Mon 12^th The Most Holy Name of Mary; Tues 13^th  St. John Chrysostom; Wed 14^th The Exaltation of the Holy Cross; Thurs 15^th  Our Lady of Sorrow

Always remember... “Morals are an acquirement - like music, like a foreign language, like piety, like poker, paralysis, - no one is born with morals.” -Mark Twain.         - “Parents are the bones on which children sharpen their teeth.” -Peter Ustinov.        -“No absolute is going to make the lion lie down with the lamb, unless the lamb is inside!” -D.H. Lawrence.                                - “I have come to regard the law courts not as a cathedral but as a casino” Richard Ingrams

Congratulations to Rachra GAA on a  fine intermediate semi-final win. RachraGAA 3-13 Daingean 0-11

  

CLONMACNOIS PARISH  

ST. CIARAN’S CHURCH, SHANNONBRIDGE

ST. CIARAN’S CHURCH, CLONFANLOUGH

Fr. Tom Cox Adm. (Administrator)

Tel. 086-8319500

E-mail: thomascox@eircom.net

shannonbridge.blogspot.ie

www.shannonbridge.com

 Mass times:- Shannonbridge, Saturday (Vigil), 8.00 p.m.; Weekdays, 10.00 a.m. 

Clonfanlough, Sunday, 10.30 a.m.;

Sunday Mass in neighbouring churches:- St. Mary’s, Cloonfad, 10.00 a.m.;  Sts. Patrick and Saran, High Street, 12.00 noon.;  St. Mary’s, Ferbane, 7.00 p.m.

Anniversaries this weekend Sat 3rd September, 8.00 p.m., Shannonbridge, Kieran, Joseph and Margaret Mannion, Aughinacabe, Shannonbridge.

Sunday 4th, 10.30 a.m., Clonfanlough, Gordon McEvoy, Clonlyon.

[No intention(s) for the weekend of 10th/11th September.]

 Mass at Cluain Ciaráin Prayer Centre, on Wednesday evenings at 7.30.

FEAST OF ST. CIARAN Mass in Clonmacnois at 7.00 p.m. on Friday, 9th .

Baptism Dylan Simon McManus, son of Joseph and Eimear (O’Neill) McManus, Garrymore, was welcomed into the Christian community on Sunday, 28th August.

                                            FOLLOWING CHRIST                                                                   Discipleship and its cost is the theme of today’s Gospel. Discipleship is costly. The cost of our discipleship as baptized Christians is total commitment to Jesus. One thing is for certain, that discipleship involves the Cross – there is no getting away for that. Jesus askes you and me today to carry the cross of discipleship and to give it all we have. That cross can take many shapes and may vary during the course of our lifetime. We can all identify those crosses in our lives which have defined or continue to impact on our discipleship.

 This weekend the church celebrates the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a lasting witness of discipleship to the world. She was more than just a merciful person ministering to those living in the squalor of human misery. She was human, like you and me. And because of her humanity, she sometimes found the burden of discipleship heavy to bear. A little known fact is that she struggled at times with depression and endured her own dark nights of the soul. She had her doubts about her relationship with God because of all the suffering she saw in the world. And yet, despite her doubts, she submitted to God and surrendered everything to Him. She accepted His will through the power of His grace. She took that leap of faith and lived her life in spite of her doubts – demonstrating to us that you can live a faith-filled life and be a disciple even when filled with doubt or pain.  May St. Teresa of Calcutta be an inspiration to all of us especially when the cost of our discipleship proves difficult to bear and the benefits hard to see.

May St. Teresa of Calcutta be an inspiration to all of us especially when the cost of our discipleship proves difficult to bear and the benefits hard to see.

We ask you to gently guide and direct everyone each day in your loving care

Amen

  

  SUNDAY 4TH SEPT The Diocesan Pilgrimage to Knock today.  Confessions from 12.30 p.m.  Anointing of the Sick, 2.30 p.m.  Mass and Eucharistic Blessing of the Sick with Benediction, 3.00 p.m., followed by the Rosary Procession.

A bus will depart from Clonfanlough at 9.30 a.m. and leave Shannonbridge at 9.45.

Teresa Rohan, 086 103 4835, or Darran Finnerty, 086 877 6273.

MONDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER 8:30p.m.  Pastoral Council Meeting in Hall S’bridge.

MONDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER Cloghan Hall, learn to Waltz, Jive & Quick Step with Gerry.  Dance Classes for all levels re-commence , at 08.30 pm

SATURDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER The Clonmacnois Summer School takes place , from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Cost, including lunch, €25.00 pre-booked, or €35.00 on the day. Booking: fredcarney2@gmail.com Further information:www.facebook.com/Clonmacnoisemonastery or 087 212 8842.

 SUNDAY 11th SEPTEMBER Clonmacnois Pattern Day Ceremonies commence at 3.00 p.m.

 Newsletter.  Items for inclusion in the Newsletter by 6.00 p.m. on Thursday, please.

 Rosters:-Church Cleaners: Dympna Fitzpatrick, Dympna O’Carroll, Edel Anderson

Shannonbridge: Altar Servers: Group 3, Kate, Paddy & Adam

Reader: Seamus Grennan

Minister of the Eucharist: Dympna Fitzpatrick

Clonfanlough:- Altar Servers: Group 2, Jane E., Tadhg T, R oisin D

Reader: Bridie Coughlan

Minister of the Eucharist: Enda Molloy

 Dan Edwards’ book "The Life and Times of a Craftsman" is now on sale in local outlets, including: Moran's, Shannonbridge, The Shop at Clonmacnois, Rohan's, Ballinahown, and Cahill's, Belmont.  The very attractive volume is priced at €20.00. 

 Flower Arranging.  Ballinasloe Flower and Garden Club hosts a Flower Arranging Demonstration, by Ann Slattery, Ennis branch, The Association of Irish Floral Artists, in Gullane’s Hotel, Main Street, Ballinasloe, at 8.00 p.m., on Wednesday, 14th September.  Arranger’s competition: Nature’s bounty - foliage only.  Grower’s competition: Variety of home-grown fruit.  Admission, non-members, €5.00.

 Irish Dancing. The Ganly School of Irish Dancing resumes classes in The Heritage Hall, Ferbane, on Monday, 5th September.  Beginners, 6.00 p.m.  Advanced dancers, 6.45 p.m.  Adult classes available in Athlone and Moate.  Contact: Joe Ganley, 087 647 3497 or Facebook.

 Contributions to the Monthly Collection for September,falls due this weekend, thank you

Offertory Collection:-Sunday 28th August €795.00. Monthly Collection, August, €435.00.                         Thank you very much.

Best Wishes to Fr. Gerard Brady as he moves this week to Carrick-Finea parish by the shores of Lough Sheelin, Co. Cavan. I  (Fr. Tom Cox) would like to thank him for his  kindness and support to me in making this transition and wish him every Beannacht on his new ministry. When space permits I will write a little about myself. I pray for your patience as I learn...a lot!