Clonmacnois Parish
December 11th 2022
3rd Sunday of Advent (A)
Fr. Tom Cox (Adm) Tel. 090 9674125/ 0868319500
Email: clonmacnoiseparish@gmail.com
WEB shannonbridge.blogspot.ie
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/
SHANNONBRIDGE (Eircode N37 FV05)
Sat 10th Dec 7pm Vigil Kieran, Mary Ann & Brian Flannery
Mon 12th 10am O.L. of Guadalupe
Tues 13th 10am St. Lucy [St Lucy was martyred in Sicily in 304 patron of all with eye problems]
Wed 14th 10am St. John of the Cross [A Spanish Carmelite priest, John is renowned as a poet. ]
Thurs 15th 10am
Fri 16th 7pm Damien , Josephine & Brian Kenny
Sat 17th 7pm Eileen Higgin (Ann.) 5th A
CLONFANLOUGH (N37 XR81)
Sun Dec 11th 10:30am Kieran & Mary Daly & Tom Mannion
Sun 18th Dec 10:30am People’s Intention
CLUAIN CHIARAIN
Next Mass Wed., 14th December h @ 7:30pm
OFFERTORY Dec 3rd/4th €695 Dec 7/8th €340
SACRAMENT DATES 2023
First Confession 7pm Shannonbridge Feb 9th
First Communion 12 Noon April 22 Clonfanlough
PARISH ONLINE BANKING DETAILS
Name of Account Clonmacnois Parochial Account. BIC-BOFIIE2DXXX
IBAN-IE90BOFI90368011629381 Please put your name and/or your box number in reference section. .
MINISTRIES
Readers: 17/12/22 @7pm Dympna Fitzpatrick (SB)/ 18/12/22 @10:30am Ann Guina (Cf) Communion 17/12/22 @7pm Eileen Quinn 18/12/22@10:30am Declan McEvoy Church Care Jacinta Kelly, Ann Keena SB:Helen Darcy, Kathleen Norton (Dec) (CF) Counters: Shannonbridge (Dec) Servers; 17/12/22 @ 7pm Shannonbridge Hannah Mitchell, Oisin Kenny 18/12/22 @ 10:30am Clonfanlough Mark O’Shea, Alannah Daly, Caoimhin Daly, Saoirse Trainor
SVP COLLECTION Thank you … for your response to the National Appeal . It is still possible to donate.
CHRISTMAS MASSES Shannonbridge Sat Dec 24th 9pm/Sun Dec 25th 12 Noon Clonfanlough Sat Dec 24th 7pm Sun Dec 25th 10:30am
...those who are struggling this winter.
Dear Lord, We pray for a time where all may prosper. May you give aid to those who are struggling to pay for heating, food, water and other essentials this winter. Help us become a more compassionate community, and guide us through the storm so we may all see the light that comes at the end of this.
Amen
Digital Advent Calendar. this year’s Advent
calendar offer resources for school, parish and home and will be accessible behind a
virtual door that, as per tradition, can only be opened on each day of Advent.. Come & see
The calendar is available at www.catholicbishops.ie
The Blessing of the Bambinelli (Baby Jesus) is a tradition which began in Rome. Each year on the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday), the Holy Father invites children to bring the
Baby Jesus (Bambinelli) from the family Nativity Scene to Mass for a blessing. It is a very simple blessing which can be prayed by the grandparents and parents over the Bambinelli. After the blessing the children are invited to wrap up their baby Jesus figure and to place him under the Christmas Tree. On Christmas morning the Bambinelli is the first Christmas gift to be unwrapped and placed in the family crib.
Blessing of the Bambinelli
God, our Father you so loved humankind that you sent us your only Son Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, to save us and lead us back to you. We pray that with your Blessing these images of Jesus, who is about to come among us, may be a sign of your presence and love in our homes. Good Father, give your Blessing to us too, to our parents, to our families and to our friends. Open our hearts, so that we may be able to receive Jesus in joy, always do what he asks and see him in all those who are in need of our love. We ask your blessing on our Bambinelli and the children who
present him in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (A sprinkle of Holy Water may be used at the time of the blessing).
We ask you this in the name of Jesus, your beloved Son who comes to give the world peace and lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen
Safeguarding Message - Advent 2022
The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois has recently had an audit of its safeguarding practices. I am pleased to report that the audit was very positive. I wish to thank all who assisted with the audit and all who assist in any way in ensuring that the best possible standards are met in relation to safeguarding young and vulnerable people in our parishes. During this time of Advent we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Child Jesus. In the gift of his Son, God speaks to us of his boundless love for humanity. The coming of Jesus highlights for us the dignity and value of each child. May our church communities always emphasise and respect that value by ensuring that children are kept safe in their church activities. If anyone wishes to raise a concern or make a complaint in the diocese, I encourage you to contact the Designated (or Deputy) Liaison Person, Tusla or the Garda. People who are there to help if someone is hurting you or another child are: Designated Liaison Person: Sean Leydon: 087 - 7431649 Deputy Designated Liaison Person: Maria Beirne: 087 - 3390927 Garda: 043 3350570 071 9650510Tusla Longford, Offaly & Westmeath: 044 9353997 Fr Tom Healy Diocesan Adm.
DOON/SHANNONBRIDGE GAA LOTTERY
-Draw of Dec 5th 2022. Numbers drawn 2-14-20-21. No Winner . Two Match 3 .Jackpot now €2,600 Next draw 12/12/22
WALKING TRACK lights on! Rachra GAA are pleased to announce that the walking lights are on until 9:30pm every night.
Sunday Dec 11th ECUMENICAL CAROL SERVICE Sunday December 11th at 3pm in Temple Conor Clonmacnois Monastic Site.
Sunday Dec 11th Adult Faith Development Gathering resumes Sunday 11th Dec. in Ballinasloe. Bishop Michael will speak and lead reflection on the theme ‘The Manger in the Heart’. All welcome. See www.creideamh.ie/clonfert for more details
Wed Dec 14th Samaritans Christmas Concert: Takes place on Wed 14th Dec in St. Anthony's Franciscan Friary, Athlone at 8pm Tickets €15. (plus booking fee) available www.gr8events.ie/sales/index. See our Facebook for details.
Dec 15th CLONMACNOIS N.S. CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE on Thursday 15th December 6.30pm in Shannonbridge Church, Tea, refreshments & raffle with lots of spot prizes to be won in hall afterwards. Special guest from North Pole scheduled to drop in! All welcome
Fri Dec 16th Social Dance Night in Moore Hall with John Molloy. Dancing from 9:30-12am Refreshments served. Free raffle. Admission €10 Call 087 7707105 for more information
Weekly Envelopes
The weekly envelopes for 2023 are in the process of being delivered to your homes. I take this opportunity to thank those who organises them and the many area distributors who deliver them, your role is a very important one in the life of the parish, Thank you.
We are conscious of the increased pressure everyone is under at this time with the cost of living. Our base is 270 Boxes of weekly envelopes issued with less returning. This strives to meet the running cost of 5 building and diocesan levies. The 6 "priests dues" envelopes go to a separate Central Fund from which each of our 54 priests in the 40 parishes draw a common income. We have resumed the "in-church" Basket Collection, but the secure boxes remain in both churches & I'm grateful to Moran's Gala and to online donations. It all helps.
Thank you again for your kindness, support and generosity. Fr. Tom
“Are you the one who is to come……?
We might find it easy to identify with the image of John the Baptist that we find in today’ gospel. John is having a crisis of faith. From his prison cell he sends his disciples to ask Jesus “Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?” John has a crisis of faith. It can happen to anyone. Like John, we can discover that the Lord is not who we thought he was. Our expectation of him may not have come to pass. The image we had of the Lord no longer seems valid. What we were once certain about now leaves us full of questions. Like John, we suspect we might have got it wrong. Yet, such moments of uncertainty and doubt are inevitable on the journey of faith because we are always being called to grow in our relationship with the Lord. What satisfied us in our youth will not necessarily speak to us in the present and what satisfies us now may not serve us well in the future. In one of the great beatitudes of the Gospels, Jesus declares blessed all those who keep faith in him, especially in those times when we begin to doubt everything and find ourselves asking John’s question “Are you the one who is to come…? '
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