Weekly Bulletin 3rd October 2021

Today is the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today is also the “Day for Life” Today we have a Message from the Bishops of Ireland on this “Day for Life”. “The fragility of life and the reality of death have been brought into sharp focus during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Ireland alone, more than 8,000 people have died with Covid-19. Each of these lives is precious and every life matters. With a most amazing spirit of solidarity, the energies of our society – in hospitals, test centres, vaccination clinics, schools, churches, supermarkets and in so many other places – have been directed towards protecting those who were most vulnerable to disease…..While all of this was going on, the Oireachtas was being asked to discuss legislation to provide for assisted suicide. ……Compassion is often presented as a justification for assisted suicide, but having compassion means “suffering with” someone. Assisted suicide reflects a failure of compassion on the part of society. It is a failure to respond to the challenge of caring for people who are terminally ill, or who have disabilities or dementia, as they approach the end of their lives. Those who assist with a suicide, whatever their motives, co-operate with the self-destruction of another person. It is one thing when life is allowed to take its natural course, with appropriate management of pain and stress, but is not artificially prolonged by burdensome treatment. It is something else entirely, when one person actively and deliberately participates in ending the life of another……Wherever assisted suicide is legalised, healthcare professionals are assumed to be the “suitably qualified persons” because they are already licensed to use drugs. It is important to be clear that healthcare professionals are given privileged access to the human body and to drugs for the express purpose of healing and alleviating pain. Any suggestion that they should be expected to assist and, under certain circumstances, actually perform the act that ends the life of another person, is seriously damaging to the ethos and the credibility of the healthcare professions….. Jesus gave us the image of the good Samaritan as the model for our compassion and our solidarity with those who find themselves vulnerable and who fear being abandoned in their final illness. The Good Samaritan is one who “crosses over”, who “binds up wounds” and who, most important of all “stays with” the person for as long as is required. There is much that we can do to foster a culture of life. We can begin by overcoming our fear of talking honestly about death and dying. Dying is as natural and universal as living and breathing yet our society can make it difficult for people to talk about it. As Christians, of course, our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus will stand to us. For some, if not for all, the support of prayer, and the opportunity to share faith can be of great help. For more material on this theme, please see www.councilforlife.ie/Day4Life

Feast Days: Monday: St.Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). He abandoned all things for the love of Christ. He is patron saint of ecologists. Tuesday: St. Faustina (1905-1938). She is the inspiration of the movement that proclaims and implores Divine Mercy for the world. Wednesday: Blessed Isidore de Loor (1881-1916). A Passionist Brother from Belgium. Died from spread of cancer from a tumour in the eye on 6 October 1916.  Thursday: Our Lady of the Rosary. Saturday: St. John Henry Newman (1801-1880). Received into the Catholic Church on 9 October 1845 by Blessed Dominic Barberi (Passionist). Cardinal Newman was canonised on 13 October 2019.

Thanks to our Ministers of the Eucharist and our Ushers for helping in the smooth running of our religious services. Thanks also for obeying their instructions, keeping social distancing, sanitising your hands and wearing a mask within the Church building. Thanks  for the generous collection last weekend. It came to £1955. Your support is much appreciated.

Graan Draw: The reality of the Covid pandemic is still with us. As a result our only fundraising activity will be curtailed again this year. Unfortunately our Dinner Dance has had to be cancelled. Nevertheless we are having a prize draw, and we have sent out tickets to our wonderful annual benefactors and there are tickets available in our church porches. The prize draw will take place on 17th December 2021 via our web-cam. The prizes are: 1^st Prize – £5000,  2^nd prize – £1000 & a further 5 prizes of £100. We also regret our annual Dinner Dance will be cancelled for a second year.    However, the tickets for the draw are in our church porches.

Church Cleaning Group: October’s cleaning group will meet on Wednesday next @ 7.30pm.  Masses Mon to Fri @ 7pm. Confessions: Tues – Fri 2.00pm – 5.00pm   Sat 5.00pm to 6.00pm.

Mon (4^th Oct) –  Charles. Tues – Charles.   Wed –  Victor.  Thurs –  Charles. Fri – Anthony & Sat – Charles.

The Shop: Open Mon to Sat:  9.30am – 7pm. Sun 9.30 – 4.30pm.  Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament – each Friday 2pm – 5pm.

Blessed Sacrament every Friday 10am – 2pm.                                              

Guild Mass Cards:  We have a wide selection of cards for Deceased, Mass Bouquets, Get Well, Graduation, Wedding, Birthday, Christening as well as Christmas Mass Bouquets.  Cost £2 / €2.50.