PARISH BULLETIN

6th September 2020

Twenty Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

 

As you'll read below, there is good news to celebrate with regards to the sacraments of the Church.  Here in the parish we have set dates for the First Holy Communion and Confirmation ceremonies that were postponed from the spring.  We look forward to celebrating these happy occasions next month (and First Confession will follow later in the autumn).

 

Elsewhere two men from our diocese are being ordained priests for religious communities in the next few days.  This reminds us of the importance of praying for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

 

Please note too that the church is closed next weekend.  We reopen as normal the following weekend.

 

God bless,

Fr Damian

 

WE PRAY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED

 

Anniversaries:

Rose & James Coyles, Mary Rose Coughlan, James Douglas, John Gillan, Kevin Laverty, Theresa McConville, Anthony McGreevy, Feeny Moore, Brian O’Kane.

 

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord

 

 

THIS WEEK

In addition to the public Masses this weekend there will also be two services shown on our webcam only:

 

Sunday Devotions (Vespers & Benediction) 4pm

Wednesday morning Mass 10am

 

 

CHURCH CLOSURE NEXT WEEKEND

Please note that Our Lady & St Patrick’s will be closed for the weekend of September 11-14th.  No public Masses or confessions will be celebrated during these days.  Masses will be live streamed next weekend on our Facebook page.

 

Fr Damian will be away on leave at this time.  Any funerals will be covered by priests from Dunloy & Cloughmills parish while priests from the Triangle will cover the Causeway Hospital.  

 

There will be no bulletin next weekend and any anniversaries will be published in two weeks.  

 

The church reopens on Friday September 18th at 12noon for private prayer.  Confessions will be heard from 5.30pm and evening Mass at 7pm.

 

 

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 

Children who have started P5 will make their First Holy Communion on Saturday 3rd October at 11am.  Due to social distancing the number of guests will be strictly limited.  Further information will be provided to parents through St Brigid Primary School and Ballymoney Model Primary School.

 

 

CONFIRMATION

The sacrament of confirmation will be celebrated for Year 8 children in two sessions on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th October at 5pm on both evenings.  The primary schools will contact those families in the coming days.  Bishop Treanor has authorised parish priests to celebrate the sacrament on his behalf this year.

 

 

ORDINATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD 

Your prayers are asked for two men from our diocese who will be ordained as priests for religious communities in the next few days:

 

Rev. Aidan O’Kane from Carnlough is being ordained on Saturday 5th September for the Passionist Order.  Rev. Aidan has family connections to Ballymoney and the chalice he will use at his ordination and first Mass was originally used by the late Fr Seamus McAfee.

 

Rev. Benedict Manning from Portaferry is being ordained a priest for the Oratorian Fathers in Oxford next Saturday (12th September).  Rev. Benedict is a good friend of Fr Damian who will be attending the ordination.

 

We hope to invite both the new priests to come and celebrate Mass in the parish in the weeks ahead.  May God bless them and all being ordained to the priesthood this year.  Ad multos annos!

 

 

COVID-19 

The parish asks that anyone visiting the Church for Mass or private prayer would use a face mask if they are able to.

 

We also ask that if anyone who attends Mass or visits the church should test positive for the virus in the future that they would let us know as soon as possible.  The parish will then contact the health authorities immediately to get guidance on what steps to take to minimise the risk to others. 

 

 

PARISH FINANCE

Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the parish finances.  We know many people are worried about their own family finances at this time, so it means a great deal that some people are able to support the parish too. 

 

During August we received the following donations:

 

Weekly Collection (for the parish):  £5451.08 (average of £1090 a week)

Monthly Collection (for clergy):       £857.06

Church Renovation Collection:        £1831.86

Diocesan Cathedral Collection:        £251.88

 

If you want to make an offering you can leave your envelope through the door of the Parochial House at any time.  Collection envelopes may also be left in the church at Mass time.  If you’re shielding at the moment just save your envelopes at home until we’re all out and about again!

 

You can also make a payment online to the parish account or set up a regular standing order using the following details:

 

Parish of Ballymoney & Derrykeighan

Sort code: 95-06-79 

Account No: 10020192.  

 

(If you are someone who normally pays by envelope, please use your envelope number as a reference.)

 

 

CHURCH WEBCAM

Our Lady & St Patrick’s now has a permanent webcam which will allow almost all ceremonies in the church to be viewed by people at home.  The new webcam is accessed through the parish YouTube account.

 

If you have a YouTube account please subscribe and click the bell icon on the parish page to get updates of all our broadcasts.

 

 

ST VINCENT de PAUL

Our parish conference is still running and they are doing great work to help people in need of practical assistance at this time.  For confidential help contact their answerphone on 07860 455 549.