Clonmacnois Parish

May 16th 2021

Ascension Sunday

Fr. Tom Cox (Adm) Tel. 090 9674125/  0868319500 

Email: clonmacnoiseparish@gmail.com

     WEB  shannonbridge.blogspot.ie

FACEBOOK    https://www.facebook.com/tomas.macconchoille  (Live)

https://fb.me/saintciarans  (saved to it afterwards)

 

FEAST OF THE ASCENSION
 ‘He was taken up into heaven’
As Jesus ascended into heaven, He blessed His friends and they let Him go. Life is like that. As we move from one stage of the journey to the next we must bless what has been and let it go in order to embrace fruitfully what has yet to be. We must not allow ourselves to become prisoners of the past with all its’ hurts and wounds. The past can blind and bind us. Holding on is believing that there is only a past; letting go is knowing there is a future. It was towards that future that Jesus directed His friends as He took their leave. While giving them a glimpse of the world beyond, He directed them to continue His work in this world. This message is presented powerfully in a striking picture of the Ascension in the College Chapel of St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth. Here, as Jesus ascends, we notice that Mary is not looking towards Him, but rather outwards towards us. In other words, we are to find Him now in the lives of the people around us and help them to encounter Him. That is our mission and the reward for our efforts will be, literally, out of this world. The Feast of the Ascension, then, teaches us much about going forward, going out, going home and letting go.
 CLONFERT MAY NOVENA continues  Saturday 15th May @ 8p.m., Sunday May 16th at 10:30am Church open for private prayer from 7am to 11pm each day. Door closed from  7:45pm to 8:45pm each weekday for mass at 8p.m. with no congregation. Livestreamed on  www.churchservices.tv/clonfert
OUR LADY OF CLONFERT  I come to you, as one of your children, who will never forget the importance of a woman like you. I come because I believe in you. I come to say thanks for the past and the present and ask you to bless me in the future. You know me, you know how I live and you know my needs. Please help me especially when I need you most. I have problems worries and anxieties the same as everyone else - help me to cope. So often I would just love to give up when life hurts me and people betray me, but give me the courage never to lose heart. Bless my family, my life and my friends. Help me, no matter what happens to me in life, to believe, to trust and to hope.  
Our Lady of Clonfert, pray for us.
 
 Ascension
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory  /Whilst we were rooted still in time and place /As earth became a part of Heaven’s story /And heaven opened to his human face. /We saw him go and yet we were not parted /He took us with him to the heart of things /The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted /Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings, /Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness, /Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight, /Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness /And sing the waning darkness into light, His light in us, /and ours in him concealed, /Which all creation waits to see revealed   Malcolm Guite
Act of Spiritual Communion Prayer My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
 
A NATIONAL SYNOD FOR THE          CATHOLIC CHURCH IN IRELAND.
The Irish Bishops’ Conference have announced a new Synodal Pathway for the Catholic Church in Ireland leading to the holding of a National Synodal Assembly within the next five years. We are all invited to journey together in discernment of what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church in Ireland at this time. We are acutely aware of the huge challenges to the faith over the past fifty years; a major decline in practice of the faith and in the number of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. The bishops are inviting submissions to reflect on what methods/models to adopt in these coming two years of conversations. For example: parish or pastoral area meetings, focus groups, questionnaires, deep-listening sessions; written submissions; family-focused gatherings; receiving summary of findings of assemblies that have already taken place across dioceses; and/or conferences etc.
Your feedback, which should be no more than 300 words and submitted by Pentecost Sunday 23 May 2021, ought to focus on the nature of the process for the consultation i.e. how we can best go about this initial phase of establishing the conversation? You are invited to offer feedback to the following question: What would be your preferred option for engagement in a conversation process about the Synod? The responses will be considered by the task group to be put in place by the bishops this summer to plan and oversee the first steps along the synodal pathway. Submissions should be made via the new Synodal Pathway webpage: www.catholicbishops.ie/synod,
 SHANNONBRIDGE GAA LOTTO DRAW  May 10th 2021 Numbers drawn on Facebook Live  1-6-26-29 No winner, One Match 3’s Jackpot now €11,000
Lotto can be played online also at clubforce
ACCORD Catholic Marriage Care Service is currently recruiting volunteers to train as marriage preparation programme facilitators. Accord has 54 centres in dioceses throughout the country. Successful applicants will receive professional training and will be part of a team delivering marriage preparation programmes locally in accordance with best practice. Contact Aisling on 01 505 3112 or by email to info@accord.ie The closing date for receipt of registration of interest forms to be included in Selections for this year is Friday May 28th More Info. on www.accord.ie
ATHLONE INSTITUTE (AIT) - Access Course Information Session hosted by AITs Access Office on Fri. 21st May 2021 1:15 - 2:30 p.m. Register your interest at www.ait.ie/life-at-ait/student-supports/access-office. This interactive information session will provide attendees with an overview of a programme content which includes; engineering, business, hospitality, social studies and science. A live Q & A will enable attendees the opportunity to ask questions and receive real-time responses.
CHURCH CARE 
S’bridge Marian McManus, Catherina Slattery, Ann Corbett  Clonfanlough : Angela Walsh, Rosaleen Gunning
READER May 22nd 7pm Dympna O’Carroll    May 23rd Bridie Coughlan
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your
faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray: O God who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the heart of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Our Lady Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit, pray for us.
GLOBAL MAY ROSARY at 5pm on Vatican.va  Each day a different intention, a different Shrine, and prayer of one family of peoples.
 Sunday 16th May: St. Mary’s Cathedral (Australia) .. For all victims of violence and human trafficking.   Monday 17th May: Immaculate Conception (U.S.A.)… For all world leaders and for all heads of international organizations.   Tuesday 18th May: Our Lady of Lourdes (France)…. For all doctors and nurses.
 Wednesday 19th May: Mother Mary’s House (Turkey)… For all people at war and for world peace. Thursday 20th May: Our Lady of Charity of Copper (Cuba) …. For all pharmacists and health care personnel.  Friday 21st May: Our Lady of Nagasaki (Japan)… For all social workers.  Saturday 22nd May: Our Lady of Montserrat (Spain)….For all volunteers.
 Sunday 23rd May: Our Lady of Cap (Canada)….For all law enforcement and military personnel and for all firefighters.
 
 Pope’s Prayer for Communications Lord, teach us to move beyond ourselves, and to set out in search of truth. Teach us to go out and see, teach us to listen, not to entertain prejudices or draw hasty conclusions. Teach us to go where no one else will go, to take the time needed to understand, to pay attention to the essentials, not to be distracted by the superfluous, to distinguish deceptive appearances from the truth. Grant us the grace to recognise your dwelling places in our world and the honesty needed to tell others what we have seen
 
 
 
 
SHANNONBRIDGE  (Max 50)
Sat May 15th 7p.m. Peoples Intention
Mon May 17th 7pm Clonfanlough
Tues May 18th 10am
Wed May 19th 10am 
Thurs May 20th  7p.m. Grotto Rosary after– weather forecast possible rain!!
St. Bernadine of Siena
Fri May 21st  10am.
Sat May 22nd 7pm [St. Rita of Cascia]
CLONFANLOUGH   (Max 50)
Sun May 16th 10:30am
Mon May 17th 7pm
Sun May 23rd 10:30a.m. [Pentecost]
RECENT DEATHS
Martin Mannion Formerly Aughinacabe, Shannonbridge & Castlegar, Galway burial on 13/5/21 in Galway
Pat Hardiman, Clonbeggane 6/5/21
Joey Tumulty Gurth, Ballinasloe
Nuala Kenny Clonfad
Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families, neighbours, friends & relatives in our parish & beyond of all the deceased.
 OFFERTORY May 9th  €560 April online via transfer €245 Donations to Parish Offertory received €250+€730 Trócaire €100
DIOCESAN PROTOCOLS-10th May
Church Capacity 15 pews at 2 metre distance (maximum 50 persons)
Funerals: Maximum 50 mourners at service. No other events to take place  Weddings: Maximum 50 guests at service. Maximum 6 guests at indoor reception or 15 outdoors
 Baptisms: The number permitted to attend baptism in the Church is limited to 10. Book for anytime with me please.
  WE’RE BACK!!!
We thank God to be able to celebrate Mass again publicly. I deeply appreciate the work of Church Care & Stewards who help us so much. I ask for your continued cooperation. Just to remind that though many are  vaccinated, for the present we are asked to have a face covering, to sanitise, households/couples can sit together, Holy Communion at the end after Final Blessing & to depart simply then. I look forward to seeing our parish families come back more completely as please God restrictions continue to ease. Many thanks.