Second Sunday of Lent

13th March 2022

From Melmount to Rome (via Derry diocese, Irish bishops, European phase, Universal phase)

A Synod is an assembly of the clergy and sometimes also the laity in a diocese or other division of a particular Church.

The Irish Bishops Conference last year announced it has proposed to embark on a synodal pathway for the Catholic Church in Ireland leading to the holding of a National Synodal Assembly within the next five years. The initial two-year phase of embarking on the synodal pathway and leading, in time, to a National Synod, helpfully coincides with preparation for the 2023 Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops in Rome entitled, For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission. If those words sound familiar, it means that you were paying attention to the homilies I gave on the first three Sundays of Advent!

Bishops envisage the next two years as a period of prayer, listening and discernment, involving a nationwide consultative conversation on this theme.  This will allow individuals and parishes, religious orders and associations as well as groups, movements and organisations both within the Church and in Irish society at large, to share their insights into the Church in Ireland – past, present and future.  Melmount parish (more by accident than design!) was ahead of the posse in this. Towards the end of 2019, parishioners were invited to complete a questionnaire on three pastoral themes in the diocesan plan entitled ‘God Is Love’:

1 – Build welcoming and inclusive communities,

2 – Be disciples of Jesus Christ, Growing in Faith Together

3 – Work to make Jesus known and loved.

Two things then hindered its progress – Covid beginning in 2020 and then my illness last year.

As the questions proposed by the diocesan committee are similar to our survey of 2019, rather than go over the same ground again, I propose that the parish pastoral planning group reconvene to present the results of the survey to the diocese together with any further thoughts or suggestions that parishioners might have, based on the questions proposed by the diocesan group.

Next week’s bulletin will publish the questions and invite replies.

Announcements

The Priests of the Parish would like to thank you for your contributions to last week’s Priests’ Collection. Those who pay to the weekly collection or any special collections, including Priests’ Collection, by cheque are asked that all cheques should be made payable to ‘Melmount Parish’. 

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will take place in the church on Monday 14 March after 10.00am Mass until 6.00pm.

We welcome into God’s Family through the Sacrament of Baptism:

Jay Frank Hendry, Lorcan Michael Harte, Jack Devine

May they Rest in Peace

Deaths

Peter Ward, 9 Castlemurray                                   

Brian Walker, Co. Wexford

Rachael Brennan, 15 Dublin Road                          

John Blee, 10 Patterson Park

Mary McAleer, 26 Meetinghouse Street         

Zoah Meehan, London

Margaret Porter, Raphoe                              

Patrick Maguire, Newtownstewart

Anniversaries

Donna Doherty, John F. O’Sullivan, Neil McBeth

Nora McLaughlin, Martin Devine, Margaret Blee

Sean Lynch, Rose Kennedy, Mary Houston

Rosaleen Houston, Gerard McGurk, Jennie Dobbins

Alice Canavan, Vincent Sharkey, Frankie Casey

Kieran McGarrigle, Agnes Arbuckle, Eugene O’Reilly

Eamon Foley, Mickey Doherty, Elaine Crossan

Patsy McElroy, Neil Sweeney, Bridie McHugh      

Bridget Rouse, Margaret Quinn, Rosaleen Martin

Blessing of Graves: The Annual Ceremony of the Blessing of the Graves will take place here in Melmount on Sunday 15th May at 4.00pm.  

St. Patrick’ Day: Thursday of this week is St. Patrick’s Day and is a Holy Day. Masses will be 7.00pm Vigil on Wednesday 16th March and 10.30am & 12.30pm on Thursday 17th March.

Mass Times this Week

Monday:7.00am & 10.00am.

Tuesday: 7.00am; 10.00am & 7.00pm.

Wednesday: 7.00am; 10.00am & 7.00pm (Vigil for St. Patrick’s Day).

Thursday: St. Patrick’s Day: 10.30am & 12.30pm.

Friday: 7.00am; 10.00am & 7.00pm.

Saturday: Vigil 7.00pm.

Sunday: 10.30am & 12.30pm.

There will be 7.00pm Mass in the Sacred Heart Church, Derry Road on Mondays and Thursdays during Lent and in the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Wednesdays.

Opening of the Church: During Lent the Church will open at 6.30am Monday - Friday.

Mass in Holy Cross College: There will not be Mass in Holy Cross College on Friday 18th March at 8.00am.

Clerical Education & Ongoing Formation Collection

A collection will be taken up at all Masses on St. Patrick’s Day for Clerical Education and Ongoing Formation. This collection is for the Education of Seminarians. There is a special envelope in your box for this collection marked ‘Clerical Education and Ongoing Formation’. Anyone contributing by cheque should make their cheque payable to ‘Melmount Parish’ only. Thank you.

Confessions

Confessions will be available next Sunday 20 March in the Church of the Immaculate Conception where at least three priests will be available for Confessions between 5.00pm and 6.00pm.

Baptism Dates

April: Sunday 3rd; Sunday 17th

May: Sunday 1st; Saturday 7th; Saturday 21st; Sunday 29th

June: Saturday 4th; Sunday 12th; Saturday 18th; Saturday 25th

July: Sunday 3rd; Saturday 9th; Saturday 23rd; Saturday 30th 

Baptisms will be at 4.00pm on a Saturday and 1.15pm on a Sunday.

To book a Baptism contact the Parish Office on 71383777 during office hours.

Parish Draw 2022

Promoters should make their returns for March to the Parish Office on Monday 21st March from 2.00pm - 4.30pm. The draw for March will take place on Thursday 24th March at 10.30am in the Parish Office.

Forgiven: The Transforming Power of Confession

This video series will be shown in the Day Chapel after Tuesday evening Mass. The videos are around 30 minutes each and there will be four sessions. The series, explores the grace and healing offered in Confession and shows how this sacrament of mercy reveals the depth and bounty of God’s love. By looking at God’s revelation of his mercy in Scripture and making a step-by-step examination of the Rite itself, Forgiven communicates God’s invitation to each one of us to come experience his indescribable love in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The videos are very engaging and all are welcome.

The Derry Diocesan Catechetical Centre, working in Partnership with St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, offers the Masters in Catholic School Leadership. This is a post-graduate degree dedicated to the professional development and spiritual formation of Catholic school leaders. It is a great opportunity for those currently in leadership roles and those who aspire to, or have an interest in, leadership roles within the Catholic School System. The Derry Centre to date has 42 graduates and 30 more students at different stages of the programme. Applications for the Autumn intake close on 30th September 2022. For more information contact the Derry Diocesan Catechetical Centre on 71264087 or email tferry@derrydiocese.org

Guidelines for your safety when the Church is Open

Keep social distancing unless you are with someone from the same house.

There has to be social distancing, so you might not get your usual seat.

If you come under the category of being vulnerable or are nervous about being with other people at this time, do not come to Mass. If you have any illness at all, even a cold, stay at home as coming to Mass could be risky for you and for other people. Watch Mass via the webcam or on television.

In the church, please sanitise your hands and wear a mask or face covering.

Follow instructions for receiving Holy Communion and for leaving the church. Please remember that Holy Communion is to be taken in the hand and not on the tongue.

Do not touch statues.