On Palm Sunday we enter the
holiest of weeks in the Church calendar, when we celebrate the timeless and central
mystery of our faith − Christ's passion, death and resurrection for us, His people.
Today, the
Church recalls the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem to accomplish the Paschal
Mystery. The Paschal Mystery includes the sufferings,
death, resurrection, ascension of
Jesus into glory and the sending of the Holy
Spirit on the disciples to continue the work Jesus began. Although in our liturgy
these events are spread over a period of seven weeks, they are an indivisible single
accomplishment of Jesus for all who are baptised into the Holy Trinity.
MASS OF CHRISM will be celebrated by Bishop McKeown in St Eugene’s Cathedral, Derry, on
Holy Thursday morning at 10 o'clock. During this Mass the holy Oils used for Baptism,
Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick and Ordination are blessed. The Chrism Mass
is the only Mass celebrated in our diocese on Holy Thursday morning. People from
across the diocese normally attend. The priests of the diocese renew their Ordination
promises at this Mass.
We are invited to join as a
diocesan family in the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday morning, via webcam: www.steugenescathedral.com/webcam
M A S S
E S A N D L I T U R G I E S T H I S W E E K
P A L M
S U N D A Y M A S S E S:
Vigil, Saturday, 6.00pm – Live-streamed from St Patrick’s,
Castlederg
Sunday Morning, 11.00am – Live-streamed from St Patrick’s,
Aghyaran
Palm crosses
for the families of Ardstraw West & Castlederg will be blessed at our Vigil
Mass and will be kept for distribution to each household at a later date when it
is safe to do so. I know that, traditionally, parishioners bring palm branches to
the church to have them blessed so, this year, if you have palm branches, you can
sprinkle them with holy water in your home when the palm crosses are being blessed.
Alternatively, you can sprinkle last year’s branches, if you still have them in
your home.
W E E K
D A Y M A S S E S:
Monday 7.30pm – live-streamed from St Patrick’s, Castlederg
Tuesday 10.00am – live-streamed from St Patrick’s, Aghyaran
Wednesday
10.00am – Live-streamed Mass from St Patrick’s, Aghyaran. I offer a special invitation
to all the primary school children of Aghyaran and Ardstraw West & Castlederg
to tune in to this Mass
E A S T
E R T R I D U U M:
HOLY THURSDAY
Mass of the Lord’s Supper: 7.30pm – live-streamed from
St Patrick’s, Castlederg
GOOD FRIDAY
Solemn Celebration of the Passion of Our Lord: 3.00pm
– live-streamed from St Patrick’s, Aghyaran
Stations of the Cross: 7.30pm – live-streamed from St
Patrick’s, Aghyaran
HOLY SATURDAY
Easter Vigil: 8.00pm – live-streamed from St Patrick’s,
Caslederg
EASTER SUNDAY
Easter Day Mass: 11.00am – live-streamed from St Patrick’s,
Aghyaran
To access
the live-streaming of our Masses, log into:
www.castledergparish.com or www.aghyaranparish.com
All Services
will be recorded so that they can be viewed at a later time, by clicking Recordings
The Castlederg
services can also be accessed on www.churchservices.tv/castlederg
and the
Aghyaran services can also be accessed on www.churchservices.tv/aghyaran
While the celebration of the sacred events of Palm Sunday
and the Easter Triduum will be a very different experience for all of us this year,
we pray that they will nevertheless be a blessed and meaningful time for all of
us and for our parish.
GOOD FRIDAY is a day of Fast and Abstinence, as a sharing in Christ’s
suffering and as a reminder that we are called to penance and to conversion of life.
DIVINE MERCY NOVENA: Many people
like to pray the Divine Mercy Novena for the nine days from Good Friday (10 April)
until the first Saturday of Easter (18 April), leading into Divine Mercy Sunday
(19 April). For those who would like to join in the Novena but do not have a copy
of it, you can access it on: https://divinemercy.life/the-divine-mercy-novena/
We Pray for Martin Arkinson,
late of Derry
As a parish
faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to the sons, daughter,
sisters and brother of Martin, whose Funeral Mass and burial took place at Castlederg
on Wednesday. May he rest in peace.
Thank you
to all who watched the Funeral Mass by webcam. Your presence was much appreciated.
ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION:
My Jesus, I believe that You desire
to make Your home within me
and that You are present in the
Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
I love You above all things, and
I desire to receive You in my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive
You sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart.
I embrace Your love as if You were
already there, I and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated
from You. Amen.
TROCAIRE COLLECTION: The Trocaire
Lenten Boxes are normally returned during Holy Week. With no church gatherings,
parishioners will not be in a position to return them to the church. In the circumstances,
other ways in which you can donate to Trocaire are: Online banking (directly to
Trocaire). Bank details: Sorting Code: 93.80.92, Account No: 8822 7020. For people
who do not use online banking, cheques can be posted to: Trocaire, 50-52 King Street,
Belfast, BT1 6AD. There is also a freephone number, 0800 912 1200, through which
you can donate but, given that Trocaire staff are working from home, it may be more
difficult than normal to get through to this number. It is best at this time
not to bring your Trocaire box to the Parochial House. Thank you for your co-operation.
NEWSLETTER:
With the churches now being closed, the newsletter is
not being printed this week. If, however, you would like a printed copy, for yourself
or maybe for someone you know who has no internet access, please email castledergparish@derrydiocese.org and I will be happy to email you a copy so that you can print it off. Courtesy
of Dinny and Sean McCrory, copies are also available in the shop.
PARISH FACEBOOK
PAGE: Daily information and updates
are posted. Our Facebook page is a good way to keep us connected and united as a
parish faith community at this time. Thank you for your contributions and support.
The Angelus is a devotional prayer traditionally
recited at 2noon and 6pm, to the call of the bell to Prayer. It is a very beautiful
prayer that recounts a key moment in God’s plan for salvation, through the announcement
to Mary by the Angel Gabriel of God’s plan for her and our Blessed Mother's submission
to God's will. Perhaps unusually, many families these weeks find themselves together
in their home as family throughout the day. As part of your family prayer, you are
encouraged to take the opportunity to recite the Angelus at 12noon and 6pm in your
home (6am is not expected!). In particular, parents are encouraged to teach and
pray the Angelus with their children, for the protection and wellbeing of all families.
ANGELUS
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R. And she
conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace…..
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R. Be it done unto
me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary….
V. And the Word was made Flesh. R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary…...
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made
worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts,
that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message
of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection,
through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
The Angelus normally concludes with prayer for our beloved
dead:
May the Divine assistance remain always with us and may
the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Please continue
to pray God’s protection on everyone at this time, especially those suffering from
the coronavirus, their families and all who are lonely or fearful. We remember all
who are working in any capacity in the healthcare system. We thank God for their
dedication and pray that it will be rewarded and that they will be kept safe.
We pray
for those who have died. May they rest in peace. We pray for those who mourn them,
in very difficult circumstances: may the healing hand of Jesus comfort them in their
distress.
Thank you for your ongoing support, encouragement, patience
and prayers. They are much appreciated.
I am available
to parishioners by telephone, 028 816 71393, or you can call at the Parochial House.
Anyone who wishes to make an appointment with me can do so. I am also contactable
by email, on castledergparish@derrydiocese.org.
Our Lady
of Lourdes, pray for
us. St Patrick, pray for us. St Roch, pray for us.
Fr Paul
