Parish Bulletin

21st June 2020

Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time

 

This Sunday the Church moves fully into the ordinary time of the year.  With most of the major feasts past, we now remind ourselves of the teaching of Jesus.  The readings at Sunday Mass over the next few months will take us through the Gospel of Matthew.

 

But this Sunday is also Father's Day.  Father's Day may not be a religious occasion, but it's important that we pray for fathers and grandfathers (and for the boys and young men who will one day be fathers too!)

 

May St Joseph patron of fathers and guardian of the Holy Family watch over us all this week.

 

Fr Damian

 

WE PRAY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED

 

 

Anniversaries:

Canon Dominic McHugh, Kathleen & Paddy Hegarty, Jim McComb, Patrick McErlain, William McErlain, John McGothigan, Nicholas McKeague, Annie Quinn, Susan Wallace. 

 

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord

 

SERVICES THIS WEEK

Mass will be live streamed at 10am on Sunday on our Facebook page.

 

At 5pm on Sunday we will live stream evening devotions.  We will pray Vespers (evening prayer of the Church) followed by Benediction.

 

Mass will also be streamed on Monday and Wednesday at 10am and Friday at 7pm. 

 

CHURCH OPENING

Our Lady & St Patrick’s church is open for private prayer this week on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from 12noon to 4pm.

 

The Northern Ireland Executive announced on Thursday that it is preparing for the resumption of religious services.  They hope this will be possible from the week beginning Monday June 29th.  Guidance is currently being prepared for the safe celebration of Masses, baptisms, weddings and funerals.

 

When the guidance is published our parish will move as quickly as possible to restart public Mass and scheduled times for confession.  It is expected that this will be on a limited basis at first.  Hopefully we will know more in the next few days. 

 

PARISH FINANCE

In the last month the parish has received the following donations through envelopes, online payments and standing orders:

 

£5331 - weekly offerings for the upkeep of the parish *

£1169 - monthly and Easter offering for clergy

£1075 - renovation fund

£281 - diocesan collections

 

*this figure includes an anonymous donation to the parish of £1000.

 

We are so grateful to all those who have contributed to the parish collections.  Thank you very much.

 

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. 

 

If you want to make an offering you can leave your envelope through the door of the Parochial House.  If you’re isolating 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:

 

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.)

 

 

OLD & NEW @ No.5

We are having a drop-off evening for donations of ladies’ clothing on Monday 29th June in the Castle Community Centre at 7pm. If you have been clearing out over lockdown, we are keen that you bring along the good quality clothes you no longer require for us to sell. As space is limited, please ensure the clothes are ready to be displayed in the shop. Other items of clothing, curtains, etc suitable for recycling should be bagged and clearly marked. 

 

From next week, our parish shop will be only be open on Wednesdays and Saturdays as we urgently need more volunteers. If you would be available to help in the shop for a few hours each week, please contact Gemma McKenna on 07798501046 or Gerard McAfee on 07860474956.

 

 

TROCAIRE

Trocaire have been in touch with parishes and have asked that if it’s possible, people would consider sending their Lent donation directly to Trocaire in one of the following ways:

 

Online at www.trocaire.org

By post to their office: Trócaire, 50 King St, Belfast BT1 6AD

By phone 0800 912 1200

 

Please note that we cannot accept Trocaire boxes here in the parish at this time.  If you are unable to send a donation directly to Trocaire please wait until public Masses restart before bringing your box here.

 

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.

 

CONFESSION

If you urgently wish to go to confession, please contact Fr Damian to make arrangements.

 

When confession isn’t possible we may seek God’s forgiveness by making an act of perfect contrition.

 

We should:

 

  • Prayerfully call to mind our own sins.
  • Tell God of our sorrow and desire for repentance.
  • Do what we can to make amends.
  • Promise to go to confession when it is possible.

 

We can then make the following prayer:

 

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.

  

SACRAMENT OF THE SICK (LAST RITES)

Regular visits to the sick by the priest or Minister of Holy Communion are suspended.  However emergency call outs are being carried out as normal.  Please contact the Parochial House (or if it’s for a hospital patient, ask the staff to contact the priest on call).

 

FUNERAL RITES

Current regulations allow for a Requiem Mass or funeral service in Our Lady & St Patrick’s Church followed by burial.  The funeral and burial may be attended by no more than ten persons.