Clonmacnois Parish
November 1st 2022
All Saints Day (C)d
Fr. Tom Cox (Adm) Tel. 090 9674125/ 0868319500
Email: clonmacnoiseparish@gmail.com
WEB shannonbridge.blogspot.ie
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/tomas.macconchoille (Live)
Ann Egan Clonfanlough 7th Jan 2022
Ciarán (Harry) Kearns Clonfalough 16/1/ 22
Kathleen Molloy Glebe 22nd Jan 2022
Sarah Darcy Clonmacnois 23 Jan 2022
Mary (Sis) Gunning 14 Feb 2022
Pat Joe Norton Clonmacnois 3 March 2022
Oliver Hilliard 8 St. Kieran’s Park 28/3/2022
Vera Carty Lecarrow 10 June 2022
Concepta Guinan Ballyhearth 17 June 2022
Patrick (Paddy ) Brazil Clongowney 18/7/ 22
Thomas (Tommy) O’Connor Clonmacnois 13 August 2022
Cathryn (Kate) Glynn USA & Glebe 23/9/22
Tom Egan Ballyhearth 21 Oct 2022
Stephen (Stevie) Kenny 25th Oct 2022
From “When great trees fall”
When Great souls die and our reality,
bound to them, takes leave of us.
Our souls, dependent upon their nurture, now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed and informed by their radiance, fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of dark, cold caves.
And when great souls die
after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly.
Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration.
Our sense, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be better and will be better- For they existed.
[From Maya Angelou "When great trees fall"]
MID-TERM BREAK Wishing our young friends and families and staff members a very restful break… Next term begins Mon. Nov 7th
TIDY TOWNS Well done to all involved in as Shannonbridge recorded an 11 point improvement in its assessment this year by ajudicators. Copy of Report available in Moran’s Gala
CREESLOUGH This past few weeks has been the “Week of Creeslough”. We have all been part of the prayer and the pain of this last week as the parish gathered in St. Michael’s Church to lay to rest family members, neighbours and friends. Not least on Friday 14th Oct last when many gathered in solidarity in Shannonbridge at Mass led by Fr. PJ Fitzpatrick. Gratitude to all of you.
They have all become our neighbours this past week or so. Jessica, James, Catherine and her son James, Robert and his daughter Shauna, Leona, Martin , Martina and Hugh are no longer just names but people we now know with all their unique goodness and amazing gifts. Our own parish grieves especially with Hugh Gallagher and his family who’s uncle Hugh was laid to rest on Friday. A few things have struck me this past week; the grace and heroic dignity of that community personified by their priest Fr. John Joe; The Church of St. Michael’s became a focal point of the community to share this sorrow and carry that cross of pain for each other. This to me is our Church at it’s best, a place of healing, compassion and comfort. The words of 12 year old Hamish, speaking about his father James have stayed with me these past days. “We should be grateful for our family, cherish them. Be grateful because they won’t be there forever. So use up the time we have wisely. Also be grateful for your life, for that too won’t last forever. But be grateful for you will be able to rest after your hard work”. And that is our prayer that they can all rest after their hard work
A child was once asked for a definition of a saint. She said ‘a stained glass window’! Asked why, she answered, ‘The different colours let in the light and every saint is a different colour of God. ‘Every one of our unknown saints coloured God in a new way in his or her corner of the globe. On All Saints Day we are grateful for the lives of so many people of every age, church and century who have lived their lives as best they could within the vision and spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Anonymous Saints
Some of these people are well known and canonised, each portraying strongly some aspect of Jesus and the gospel. Today also recalls the millions of unknown saints. These are the people of our families, neighbourhoods and communities who lived lives faithful to the love of God and the gospel. They inspire us by their example.
Saints are not for our imitation. None of us can be holy except in our own way and according to our own personality. But holy people inspire us to live our own christian life. We know the limitations also of the anonymous holy people, and are inspired by how our family and community ‘saints’ grew in the love of God within their ordinary human weaknesses.
A Grateful Day
The feast today is a grateful feast. The millions of people were remember are like the unknown soldiers whose tomb is in many European cities, commemorating the ones who died and whose bodies were never found and whose names may be forgotten. Maybe every church should have a shrine to the unknown saint, representing the people whom we remember today.
SHANNONBRIDGE (Eircode N37 FV05)
Mon 31st 7pm Vigil Mass of Holy (All Saints)
Wed 2nd Nov 10am All Souls
Thurs 3rd Nov 10am Service
Fri 4th Nov First Friday
Sat 5th Nov 7pm
-Mary & Kieran Henry
-Maureen Claffey
-Mary, John Joe, Eddie, Peggy & Gerry Egan
CLONFANLOUGH (N37 XR81)
Tues 1st Nov All Saints 10:30am
Wed 2nd Nov All Souls 7pm
Sun 6th Nov 10:30am
CLUAIN CHIARAIN Next Mass Wed., Nov. 9th @ 7:30pm
OFFERTORY Oct 29/30th €615
RECENT DEATHS
Rita O’Leary (née O’Connor) Clonascra
Patricia Gaughan (née Coughlan) Kylebeg, Banagher & formerly Belmont
Stephen (Stevie) Kenny Shannonbridge
“They are not gone from us, but gone before us.”
Feast Days
40 HOURS ADORATION Mon 31st Oct to Friday 4th November 1-9pm daily Venue : Ceilí Community, Kilbeggan. Themes: Family Life, Our Dead, Forgiveness, Healing & Family Tree, Mass 8pm daily, Confession, prayer, ministry, petitions, tea/coffee. All Welcome Enquiries 087 2539725
SACRAMENT DATES 2023
First Confession 7pm Shannonbridge Feb 9th
First Communion 12 Noon April 22 Clonfanlough
NOVEMBER MASSES Owing to commitments I can’t be around on the First Friday (Nov 4th) and Nov 11 But I shall continue a Friday Mass in Clonfanlough Nov 18th, 25th, Dec 2nd, 9th.
NOVEMBER SICK CALLS On Wednesday Nov 2nd
MINISTRIES
Readers: 05/11/22 @7pm Rachael Carty (SB)/ 06/11/22 @10:30am Rita Molloy (Cf) Communion 05/11/22 @7pm Sinead Ryan 06/11/22@10:30am Enda Molloy Church Care Jacinta Kelly, Ann Keena SB:Dorothy Darcy (Nov) (CF) Counters: Clonfan (Nov)
