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)

 

 LAID TO REST SINCE NOVEMBER 1st 2021

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 25^th 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"]

 

 Naomh Ciaran Ladies Football Club Church Gate Collection will take place the weekend of 5th & 6th November 2022.  As always, your support is greatly appreciated.

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

 Halloween or All Hallows' Eve When we think about Halloween, we think about ghosts, goblins, jack-o'-lanterns, witches, bonfires, haunted houses, costumes, and trick-or-treating. But did you know that the origins of these traditions reach back to the Celtics of England, Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Brittany, France? Halloween is much more than just costumes and candy; it has a rich and interesting history. More than 2,000 years ago, the Celtics celebrated their new year on November 1 with the festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). This day was the most important in their calendar because it marked the end of summer, the fall harvest, and the beginning of winter—a new year in their calendar. Because it signalled the beginning of the cold, dark winter, it became a time of the year associated with death. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year (All Hallows' Eve), the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred, and the otherworldly spirits could cross over into the real world.

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)