PRIESTS OF THE PARISH
Rev John Doherty PP Tel: 028 7188 2274
Rev Paul Farren Tel: 028 7188 3247

Sunday 9th May 2010

6th Sunday of Easter

The radiant glory of God

Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I leave you”. We are very conscious today of all the trouble there is in our world and yet peace is a longing in every heart. As Christians we have a great responsibility to work for peace in every way we can and in every situation where there is war or conflict. However, the peace that is Christ’s gift to us is much more than an absence of war or conflict. His peace, for which we also have a great responsibility, is about spreading joy and happiness in our homes and community. It is about practicing forgiveness so that the past is always left behind us. It is about creating an atmosphere in our homes and community in which each individual can feel at ease and be glad to be there. It is about letting Christ’s presence change us to the extent that, even in the midst of suffering and division, we can be a people who look to the radiant glory of God.

Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

Sunday, 9th May 2010

Sixth Sunday of Easter

First Reading : Acts of the Apostles 15: 1-2.22-29
A big issue for the early Church was how much of the Law and traditions of Moses should be imposed on Gentile converts. This reading tells us how the problem was solved.

Second Reading: Apocalypse 21: 10-14, 22-23
We are given a majestic picture of the new Jerusalem, the heavenly Church of the future, when God’s Kingdom will come in all its glory.

Gospel: John 14: 23-29
We hear yet another portion of Jesus’ farewell discourse at the Last Supper. It is dominated by the thought of his imminent departure.

Confirmation

Confirmation will be administered by Bishop Séamus Hegarty in the Sacred Heart Church on Thursday 13th May at 5.00pm. The children to be confirmed and their sponsors should be in their places no later than 4.40pm. We would ask parishioners who intend to be present at that Mass to kindly leave the reserved places at the front of the church free for the children who are to be confirmed and their sponsors.

After the ceremony Bishop Hegarty will meet the children and their families in
St. Patrick’s Hall, Strabane.

We ask our usual helpers and any others who would like to offer their services to be in the hall by 5.00pm in order to make preparations for serving light refreshments.

Last week’s Collection was £1,381.00. Many thanks.

Priests’ Retreat

Due to a priests’ retreat, there will be no Mass in the Sacred Heart Church on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. However there will be Mass on Thursday and Friday at 10.00am.

The peace from within

Two painters were once asked to paint a picture illustrating their own idea of rest. The first chose for his scene a quiet, lonely lake, nestled among mountains with a reflected sky. The second painted a thundering waterfall. Beneath the falls grew a fragile tree, bending over the foam. On its branches, nearly wet with spray from the falls, was a robin with its nest.

The first painting was simply a picture of stagnation and inactivity. The second however, depicted rest. It was also more relevant to our lives, rest amidst the tumult of life. When you think of it, for one who spoke about divine rest and peace, the 33 years of Christ’s earthly life occupied one of the most troubled times and places in history. And yet, anyone could have gone to him at any time and found rest. Even his first greeting after Easter to the disciples was ‘Peace’. Early Christians learned that the Church does not belong to any partisan group. It is open to all, as surely as is the gift of divine peace and repose.

Rest is not a feeling, a kind of temporary peak experience. It’s a state of calm rising from a heart deeply and firmly established in God.

The 10.00am Mass in the Sacred Heart Church on Friday 14th May will be said for the deceased members of the Derry Diocesan Society.

New Parish Envelopes – A Warning!
Please note that the new parish envelopes are now ‘peel and seal’.

Cemetery Sunday
The Blessing of the Graves will take place in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Cloughcor on Sunday next, 16th May at 3.00pm. Please bring holy water for sprinkling on your family graves.

About our Graveyards …..

We wish to draw your attention once again to the policy which has been developed over the years in relations to the three graveyards in our parish.

- A new burial space may not be booked in advance.

- A new burial space will be granted only to a deceased person who has been a resident of the parish at the time of death or indeed at any time during life.

- Because of the demand on the available space in the Sacred Heart graveyard, a further restriction applies to it; namely only single graves will be allocated.

Fr. John Doherty’s Golden Jubilee
A Special Mass for Fr. Doherty’s 50th Jubilee will take place in the Sacred Heart Church on Sunday 20th June at 5.00pm, followed by refreshments in Floyds of Ballymagorry. All parishioners are welcome.

Termonbacca Community - 16th Annual Funday
The Annual Funday will take place on Sunday 30th May. We would be grateful for any items you may wish to donate, e.g., clothes, toys, bric-a-brac, books etc., for our funday stalls. Please bring them along to the Retreat Centre. If you are willing to help in any way you can contact us during office hours on [028] 71262512.

SMA - Pilgrimage to Knock
On Saturday 22nd May 2010 the annual pilgrimage to Knock Shrine to ask the intercession of Our Lady of Knock for missionaries, vocations and personal intentions. Programme is as follows

10.30am – Noon Confessions

12noon - Assembly in Basilica

Followed by Stations of the Cross,
Rosary, Free Time.

3.00pm Concelebrated Mass
Anointing of the Sick

Foyle Hospice – The Big Saunter

The Big Saunter, a sponsored riverside walk for those 55+ organised by Health For Life, will take place on Wednesday 19th May at 1.00pm in aid of Foyle Hospice. For further information please contact Stephanie English, Old Library Trust, Creggan, Derry. Telephone [028] 71373870.

The following are asked to assist as collectors and church cleaners during the month of May:

SACRED HEART CHURCH:

Collectors:
Saturday 7.00pm:-
Manus McLaughlin, Liam Ward,
Lawrence Doherty and Tony McDaid.
Sunday 11.30am:-
Denis Hegarty

Cleaners: Team F

ST. MARY’S CHURCH, CLOUGHCOR:

Collectors:

Noel McDaid and Brian Farrell.

Altar Society & Cleaners:
Mary Devine, Ita Devine and Alicia Devine.

ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH, GLENMORNAN

Collectors: –

Altar Society: Nellie Doherty, Margaret Harte and Kathleen Kelly.

Our thanks are due to all who served the parish in any way during the month of April.

Reflection

It can happen that we lose interest in people,
and even become blind to their strengths,
when we discover their limitations.
During his passion Jesus discovered the limitations of Peter.
Yet he didn’t write him off.
He continued to believe in him,
and in time he came good.
Like Peter, we are weak human beings,
who are inconstant in our beliefs.
We need someone who understands our weaknesses,
who realises that it may take time for us to overcome them,
and who doesn’t write us off because
we don’t produce the goods at once.