CLONMACNOIS PARISH BULLETIN JUNE 9th 2019

 SHANNONBRIDGE

Saturday 8th June  6:30p.m. Mary & Thomas Coleman & family & Barry Quinn

Monday, 10th June BVM  10a.m. Mass

Tuesday, 11th June St. Barnabas, Apostle 10a.m. Mass (Private  Intn.)

Wednesday, 12th June 10a.m. Mass

Thursday, 13th June St. Anthony of Padua 10a.m. Mass

Friday, 14th June St. Davnet 7p.m.  Mass   (am at Wedding earlier)

Saturday, 15th June  Vigil Mass Peoples Intention

CLONFANLOUGH.   

Sunday 9th June 10:30am.

Sunday, 16th June Most Holy Trinity 10:30am.

CLUAIN CHIARAIN Next Mass Wed. June 12th  7.30pm on the Anniversary of Fr. Paddy Kenny, M.H.M.

COLLECTIONS June 1st/2nd .  Offertory €530 Shrine €60     Míle Buíochas

LOCAL CEMETERY MASSES

Gallen Cemetery, Friday 14th June, 7.30pm. 

Kilrehan Cemetery, 7th July.

High Street Cemetery, 14th July

Clonmacnois Cemetery Saturday Aug 3rd 7pm

Tisaran Cemetery, Thursday 15th August at 8pm.

Boher Cemetery on Sunday 25th

August at 11am

SHANNONBRIDGE TIDY TOWNS CLEAN UP Wednesdays 7p.m. All welcome

OFFALY LOCAL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY - In conjunction with the ETB are running a QQI Level 4 Award in Catering and Tourism Skills commencing on June 24th in Birr Further Education Centre. For Information  087-7385989.

SHAPING THE FUTURE WITH HOPE

(Pastoral Letter from + Francis Duffy)

DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY 2020

As mentioned for the last 3 Sundays, a Diocesan Assembly will take place in our Diocese on the 9th & 10th May next year, 2020. It is important that all who have a concern for the future of the Church and our Christian faith and traditions would have an input into this Assembly. Our Parish is asked to send 3 delegates. To Date I’ve had no volunteer, I’d rather not have to twist peoples arms on this one– this is an event that will shape decisions that will affect all parishes– including ours in the near future.  So please consider nominating yourself—I need to submit 3 names by Friday June 14th next.  In fairness it would mean 3 meetings  Saturday, 14th September 10th (10am-1pm) Saturday 23rd November (10a.m.-1p.m.) and a further date in Spring 2020.  

In line with this- Bishop Francis has now written a Pastoral Letter, ‘Shaping the Future with Hope’, which outlines the process in three stages: stage one is about listening; stage two is about discussing and prioritising and stage three is about planning. Copies of this Pastoral Letter are now available at the back of the Church. Please take home a copy, read it carefully, reflect on it and if you wish to make an input, send your message to our Parish Pastoral Council ( I attach names below)  or to assembly@ardaghdiocese.org.

 Parish Pastoral Council  Patricia Anderson, Sr. Margaret Mary,Ann Guinan,Kathleen Norton,Eileen Quinn,Fr. Tom Cox,Vincent Darcy,Anne McEvoy,Enda Molloy,Shane Hynes,Dympna Fitzpatrick

 JUNE RETREAT DAYS AT GLENSTAL ABBEY - Monday 24th: One Day Retreat for Men. Tuesday 25th: Silent Retreat Day for Women. Wednesday 26th: Day Retreat for Women (not silent). Meals and refreshment breaks are included. Registration 10am. Finish 5pm. Cost €45. For more information contact 061-621005, www.glenstal.com/abbey

 PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL  Meeting Wednesday 12th June at 8p.m. in Parochial House

CLONMACNOIS B.O.M. 8p.m. Monday 10th May 2019

 THE STOMA SUPPORT GROUP - Meeting will take place on Tuesday 11th June 6.30-8.30pm in the Dóchas Offaly Cancer Support Group Centre. Please contact Anne on 086 3074846. All are welcome

RALLY FOR LIFE - Takes place on Saturday 6th July in Dublin city centre at 2pm. For more information go to the website www.rallyforlife.net. There will be a local bus travelling to this event, arrangements to follow.

DOON / S’BRIDGE GAA LOTTO

May 27th draw The winning numbers in last week’s lotto draw were 8, 14, 27, 32. No jackpot winner. Three match 3 winners

June 4th Draw The winning numbers in last week’s lotto draw were 2, 19, 25, 29. No jackpot winner. One match 3 winner. This week’s jackpot is €6,000 and the draw will be held in Doon on Monday 10th June.

                          MINISTRIES                                                  Shannonbridge:Sat 15th June   @6:30 p.m.   Srvr:Grp 3 Michael C, Rachael C., Paddy R, Cliodhna F, Niamh C.

 Reader: FFionn Anderson

Euch. Minister Martha Murphy

 Church Care:Kathleen Price, Catherine Curley, Patricia Andrson

Clonfanlough:Sun 16th June  @10:30am

Srvr Grp 1 Abigail K,Rory D, Grace D, Kate McC

Reader: Anne Rohan Euch Min.:Declan McEvoy

Church Care–  June Leanne Quinn,Breda Maleney

 PENTECOST SUNDAY

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, a Polish Jew invented Esperanto, an auxiliary International language in the late 19th century. He dreamed of a world without war, and he believed that the first step on this road would be to break down the language barrier between peoples. The experiment failed. On this Feast of Pentecost we remind ourselves that the language of the Holy Spirit does cross all boundaries and speaks to all hearts. It is the lifegiving language of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control. If people decided to speak this language more frequently they would renew the face of the earth. Words  create worlds. It’s interesting to note that the Buddhist religion promotes the same approach to living: ‘better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.’ Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us.

 MORE BABIES PLEASE! Pope Francis has shown himself gravely concerned about the shrinking birth rates in Italy and indeed Europe. He warned against building a society that makes decisions based on money at the expense of the children and the elderly. He said we have an “inhumane economic system centred on money, not human beings. In order to keep going, this system discards children and the elderly, as seen in the low birth rates in Italy and Spain.” One method of making up the shortfall might be to allow increased immigration into Italy. Migrants currently have a fertility rate almost double that of Italian women and are responsible for 15% of children born there each year. But Professor Blangiardo warns: “Immigrants might help to slow the process but they are not the solution. People aren’t yet fully aware of the problem. It’s very serious for the future of the country. Italians don’t understand that they have to have a vision of the future, not just think about today and tomorrow.” Where Italy is at the precipice, the rest of Europe may not be far behind. Demographers and economists foresee that 30 million Europeans of working age will “disappear” by 2050. Retirement will be lasting decades as people live longer. Falling Birth Rates mean falling Pensions ! This amounts to a major crisis!

 Poem for Pentecost

Unless the eye catch fire,

The God will not be seen.

Unless the ear catch fire

The God will not be heard.

Unless the tongue catch fire

The God will not be named.

Unless the heart catch fire,

The God will not be loved.

Unless the mind catch fire,

The God will not be known.

 [William Blake (1757-1827) from Pentecost]

 EXAM PRAYER Lord, I know you are with me and love me. Give me peace of mind as I prepare for this time of study. Help me to focus on my books and notes. Keep me from all distractions so that I will make the best use of this time that is available to me. Give me insight that I might understand what I am studying, and help me to remember it when the time comes. Above all, I thank you for the ability to be able to study and for the many gifts and talents you have given me. Help me always to use them in such a way that they honour you and do justice to myself. Amen