Mass Times this Week

Monday - Friday: 7.00am; 10.00am & 7.00pm.

Saturday: No Morning Mass; 7.00pm.

Sunday: 10.30am & 12.30pm.

Sunday, 28th February 2010

2nd Sunday of Lent

First Reading : Gensis 15: 5-12.17-18
God makes a covenant with Abraham.

Second Reading: Philippians 3: 17-4:1
Christ will transfigure our bodies into copies of his glorious body.

Gospel: Luke 9: 28-36
The disciples witness the Transfiguration of Christ.

 

A google a day keeps the doctor away, researchers have found. Surfing the Net, even more than reading, boosts the brain. And its effects last long after the surfing stops. One theory holds that surfing stretches the brain by making it perform multiple tasks simultaneously. Fine! But let’s not forget what drives the search in the first place. And I don’t mean the hard drive. I mean curiosity. Were this lacking there would be no activity. Curiosity stimulates the search.

It’s what puts Moses in touch with God in our First Reading today. (Exod 3:1-8, 13-15). He sees something that arouses his curiosity: a burning bush that’s not consumed. His curiosity gets the better of him and because it does we discover two very important things; about God: he cares for us; about human beings; we’re holy.

God tells Moses to come no closer and to take off his sandals because he’s on holy ground - God’s turf. I used to think that he was letting Moses know how unworthy he was to approach him. How wrong I was! God is saying the exact opposite. Not being gods we must maintain some distance from him, yet nothing should come between us, not even a pair of sandals. Only what comes directly from the hand of God is worthy to be near him - hence the naked sole.

Moses is a murderer. Yet God calls him. It’s easy to see God through goodness. But can we see him when evil blocks the view? If not, then let’s remember a murderer and a burning bush.

Fr. Tom Cahill

Announcements

Visitation of Sick and Housebound

The sick and housebound will be visited on Monday 8 March as follows:

Monday Morning: The Trust, Knockavoe Area.

Dates for Baptism

The following are the dates for the Sacrament of Baptism during the months of March and April:

March: Sunday 7; Saturday 13; Sunday 21.

April: Sunday 4; Saturday 17; Sunday 25.

Times for Baptism: Sunday 1.15pm; Saturday 4.00pm

Mass Times during Lent

Monday - Friday: 7.00am; 10.00am & 7.00pm.

Saturday: No Morning Mass; 7.00pm.

Sunday: 10.30am & 12.30pm.

Engaged Encounter

Engaged Encounter is designed for couples preparing for marriage and seeking to enrich communication in all aspects of their relationship. It fulfils diocesan requirements for marriage preparation. The next weekend will take place on 20 -21 March in Dromantine Conference Centre, Newry. For booking and further details telephone 028 79300340 or visit www.marriageencounter.ie.

Parish Draw 2010

Promoters should make their returns for March to the Parish Office on Monday 22 March from 2.00pm - 4.30pm and from 7.30pm - 8.30pm. The Draw for March will take place on Thursday 25 March at 10.30am in the Parish Office.

‘Thank You, Mother Event’ - The Thornhill Centre, Derry is holding a very special lunch with a time of prayer and reflection as a way of allowing adult children to say ‘Thank you’ to their mothers on Monday 8 March from 12.00noon - 2.30pm, cost £12.00pp. For booking and details telephone 71351233.

The Holy Family Padre Pio Prayer Group

will hold their monthly meeting in the Holy Family Church, Ballymagroarty on

Monday 8 March starting with 7.30pm Mass. All are welcome.

We congratulate the following couple who were recently united in the Sacrament of Marriage:

Martin McDonagh and Louise McDonagh

May they Rest in Peace - Deaths

Sheila O’Neill, 2 Church View

Margaret Tourish, Lifford

Anniversaries

Mamie Devine, May O’Reilly, Bridie Doherty, Joe McColgan, Peter Falconer, Eugene O’Reilly, Noel Conwell, Kathleen McDaid, Agnes Arbuckle, Mary Connolly, Mary McCarron, Mary Gallagher, Martin Quinn, Paddy Devenney, Kathleen O’Kane, Jim Logue, Therese McDonnell, Cecelia Brogan, Neil Gallagher, Kathleen Gallagher, Tom Patton, Mary O’Hagan, Lily McDaid, Gerard McGready, Charlie McDonagh, Rose Creggan, Alice McGinty, Annie Hegarty, Phil Madden.

John Paul II Awards

Ten of our young parishioners were presented with their Pope John Paul II Award medals at a ceremony in the Millennium Forum last Monday Night. The medals were presented by Abbot Edmund Power, a Benedictine Monk, who is based in St. Paul’s Basilica Rome. We congratulate Anna Marie Boyle, Marie Devenney, Ciaran Doherty, Mark MacIntyre, Rachel McCrossan, Rachel McElhinney, Rosemary McGrath and Carrie McNulty all pupils of Holy Cross College, Aoife McBeth (Lumen Christi) and Ryan O’Kane (St. Columb’s). In all 16 pupils from Holy Cross College received medals.

Emmaus Retreat Centre

Holy Week Triduum (March 31 - 4 April) - Preacher: Fr. Derek Laverty SS.CC. Cost 320 Euro residential or 220 Euro Non residential. An invitation to spend time apart in an atmosphere of prayer and silence so that we can enter more deeply into the Paschal Mystery. Fr. Derek is a member of the Sacred Heart Order and is a well know Retreat giver in the UK. For details telephone 00353 1 8700050 or www.emmauscentre.ie.

The Columba Community, Columba House, 11 Queen St., Derry, in conjunction with the YARD project will host a 2 day Family Support Programme on 13 & 14 March at Columba House. The programme is for anyone over 18 years who has been affected by or is concerned about the abuse of alcohol, drugs or gambling of a family member or friend. This is an introduction to the 12 Step programme way of living. For more information or to book a place contact Claire on 02871 269113 or email the yardproject@btinternet.com.

Melmount Centre - Parish Bingo Sunday 7 March.

A Team from the NI Blood Transfusion Service will be in St. Patrick’s Hall, Barrack Street on Wednesday 24 March from 1.30pm - 4.00pm and from 5.15pm - 8.00pm. In order to maintain the vital supply of blood to our hospitals the Blood Transfusion Service need the support not only of existing donors but also new donors.

Mary’s Meals: Fr Owen Gorman, from the Clogher Diocese, will give a presentation on the work of the charity Mary’s Meals in feeding over 390,000 children in their schools in third world countries. The meeting will be in the St. Vincent de Paul room, Barrack Street, at 7.30pm on Sunday 21 March. The Derry Diocese group of this charity has a school in Port au Prince, Haiti.

Foyle Hospice presents ‘Borderland Reunion Night’ with music by
Midnight Showband on Saturday 27 March in the City Hotel, Derry.
Tickets £8.00 available from Foyle Hospice Fundraising Centre on 71359888 or at the City Hotel 71365800.

Charity Theme Night 60’s, 70’s and 80’s in St. Patrick’s Hall on Saturday 27 March. Adm £5.00 or 6 Euro.
Doors open 10.00pm and all proceeds will go to the Sperrin Room, Altnagelvin Hospital.

Bus to Benburb on Palm Sunday (28 March) leaving car park in Barrack Street at 8.15am.
For booking and details telephone 028 71886753.

Parish Draw 2010

The New Parish Draw for 2010 got underway on Thursday 25 February 2010. The winners are as follows:

January Draw
£500: 1410 Edward O’Reilly - Helen Foster
£250: 1464 Glenda Cullen - Michael McGrath
£250: 1012 Eileen Kelly - Elizabeth O’Hare
£250: 1307 Martin Brolly - Elizabeth Devenney
£150: 1573 Fr. Declan Boland - Sheila McGonagle
£150: 1508 Maureen Duffy - Sheila McGonagle
£150: 1307 Martin Brolly - Elizabeth Devenney
£100: 1002 Eunan Herron - Margaret McLaughlin
£100: 1522 Sheila McGonagle - Sheila McGonagle
£100: 1126 Kathleen Forbes - Georgina Forbes

February Draw
£500: 1626 Pat McGuinness - Frances McLaughlin
£250: 1226 Dessie Gartland - Bridget McCrory
£250: 1306 Bill Doherty - Elizabeth Devenney
£250: 1300 Catherine Quigley - Carol-Ann Stewart
£150: 1547 Michael og Houston - Sheila McGonagle
£150: 1348 Rosemary Conwell - Elizabeth Devenney
£150: 1351 Gemma Wiley - Maureen Hegarty
£100: 1535 Christopher Diver - Sheila McGonagle
£100: 1620 Mary McConway - Frances McLaughlin
£100: 1564 John McKenna - Sheila McGonagle