No.1893 ~ THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

SUNDAY MASSES
VIGIL MASSES
St Eugene’s Moneyneena 5.00 pm
Holy Rosary: 6.15 pm
St Patrick’s Keenaught 7.30 pm
SUNDAY
St Columba’s Straw 9.00 am
St Mary’s Coolcalm 10.00 am (NB Townland Rota still applies)
St Patrick’s Sixtowns 11.00 am (NB Townland Rota still applies)
Holy Rosary: 12 noon
DAILY MASS TIMES
Holy Rosary Church
Monday and Wednesday ~ 11.00 am
Friday ~ 7.30 pm
St Mary’s Coolcalm
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday ~ 11.00 am
All Masses in the Holy Rosary Church are transmitted live on the Ballinascreen parish webcam:
https://www.churchservices.tv/Draperstown
All Masses in St Mary’s Coolcalm are transmitted live on the Desertmartin parish webcam:
https://www.churchservices.tv/Desertmartin
PARISH CONTACT DETAILS
Fr. Peter Madden PP VF
31 Sixtowns Road
Telephone: 79628376
Email:ballinascreenparish@gmail.com
Fr Dermot McGirr CC
50 Tobermore Road, Desertmartin
Telephone: 79632196
Fr John Downey Priest In Residence
36 Moneyneena Rd
Telephone: 79628375
Email: j.downey75@btinternet.com
PARISH OFFICE
9 High Street Phone: (028)79628248
email: ballinascreenparish@gmail.com
Open Monday and Tuesday from 9.00 am until 3.00 pm
NOTICES FOR THE BULLETIN
Notices for the Bulletin should be received by 1.00 pm on Wednesday ballinascreenparish@gmail.com
Bulletins are presently only available:
Online at www.parishofballinascreen.com
On the noticeboard inside the front porch of Holy Rosary Church.
SVP HELPLINE
Helpline telephone number: 07710838050
BALLINASCREEN COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUP
Please click the link https://www.parishofballinascreen.com/ballinascreen-community-support-gro for full details of Ballinascreen Community Support Group.

FEASTS OF THE WEEK
Monday 13: St Lucy, virgin and martyr.
Tuesday 14: St John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church.
WEEKDAY MASSES: MONDAY 13 DECEMBER - FRIDAY 17 DECEMBER
Holy Rosary Church:
Monday and Wednesday ~ 11.00 am
Friday ~ 7.30 pm
St Mary’s Coolcalm:
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday ~ 11.00 am
CHRISTMAS MASSES 2021
To allow as many parishioners as possible attend Christmas Mass, in the present circumstances, 18 Masses have been arranged in Ballinascreen and Desertmartin from 24 December to 26 December. To maintain social distancing there must be a limit on how many can attend each Mass. It is therefore ESSENTIAL that you BOOK ONLINE and follow all the booking instructions.
You may only book for and attend ONE MASS over these three days.
A valid email address and contact number MUST be provided when booking.
Booking will commence at 7.00 pm on Tuesday 14 December.
To make a booking please visit your parish website, details below:
www.parishofballinascreen.com
www.desertmartinparish.com

BALLINASCREEN PARISH ~ ANNUAL CAROL SERVICE
The Annual Carol Service will be held on Sunday next December 12 in Holy Rosary Church at 6.00 pm. Due to the huge numbers that would want to attend it is not possible to open the service to the general public. Therefore, it will only be available via the webcam but we do hope that many families in the parish will gather in their homes to join in this important annual event.
DONATING CHRISMAS FOOD AND GIFTS FOR SVP
Holy Rosary Church will be open on Saturday and Sunday (11 and 12 December) until 4.00 pm for parishioners to leave presents and non-perishable foodstuff for distribution by St Vincent de Paul Society.
SVP ANNUAL APPEAL
To donate to their special Annual Appeal, this weekend, please place your donation in an envelope and mark it SVP. Envelopes may be placed in the collection boxes in any of our churches or through the door of any of our parish offices or parochial houses. Thank you. All donations very welcome.
MONTH’S MIND MASS
Theresa Lanigan, Cordarragh, on Friday December 17 at 7.30 pm in Holy Rosary Church.
Katie Donnelly, Mallon Villas on Friday December 17 at 7.30 pm in Holy Rosary Church.
ANNIVERSARIES
Hugh Watson,
James Mullin,
Patrick Heron,
Baby Beth Bradley,
James Kelly,
Helen Heron.
BAPTISMS
We welcome into God’s family through the Sacrament of Baptism:
Millie Rose Toner, Mulinderg;
Katie Marie Siobhan McKenna, Ranaghan Road;
Joseph Owens Donnelly, Derrynoid Road;
Orlaith Kate Kelly, Cavanreagh Road;
Johnny Connery, Moneyconey Road;
Ellie-Mae Teresa Kelly, Drumderg Road.
BALLINASCREEN PADRE PIO LAY COMMITTEE
The Committee gratefully acknowledge many donations received over the past year. On your behalf, The Capuchin Centre for the Homeless in Dublin and the Retirement Home for elderly priests in San Giovanni have each received £500. Thank you for your support.
VISIT OF SANTA CLAUS
Santa Claus will be visiting Desertmartin and Draperstown on Saturday 18 December, arriving in Desertmartin first at 6.00 pm. He will be accompanied by his elves and a few of the Mid Ulster truckers and their lorries. Everyone welcome to come out and enjoy the Christmas spirit.
PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORJE 2022
Seven Night Pilgrimage to Medjugorje will take place 21 – 28 May 2022. Spiritual Director Fr. Séamus Kelly. Bed/Breakfast and dinner. Price £655 (includes insurance). Offer of Special Price for early booking: £605 – if paid before 20 December 2021. Money must be paid in full. Flight from Belfast. Contact Martina for more details, phone 77741219.
LAUDATO SI ~ QUOTE FOR ADVENT
‘The emptier a person's heart is, the more he or she needs things to buy, own and consume.
Human beings... are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good,and making a new start....
We are able to take an honest look at ourselves, to acknowledge our deep dissatisfaction, and to embark on new paths to authentic freedom.’
Laudato Si' 204, 205
ADVENT 2021
A Family Prayer Booklet, for family prayer at home during Advent, has been been created by the diocese in conjunction with the Northern Pastoral Network. The booklet contains a Gospel reading for each Sunday of Advent, a family activity, prayers and a reflection. It can be downloaded at this link: https://www.derrydiocese.org/advent
TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS DRAW 2021

Desertmartin Parish is having a CHRISTMAS DRAW once again this year. There will be draws every day of the 12 days between Christmas Day and Wednesday 5 January 2022. Everyone’s ticket will be in for ALL the draws, which means you have 33 chances to win prizes. Total prize fund is £5,000.
TICKETS are £20 each, available from:
Coolcalm and Keenaught Churches before and after Mass,
Ballinascreen and Desertmartin Parish Offices
Fr. McGirr, Parochial House, 50 Tobermore Road.
Heron’s Gift Shop, Draperstown
Moneyneena Post Office.
A ticket would make a nice Christmas gift to send inside your Christmas cards to members of your family and friends this Christmastime.
If anyone would like a ticket posted to them, please contact Fr. McGirr on 028 79632196 or
email: desertmartinparish@gmail.com
PRIZES :
On the first 10 days there will be 3 prizes each day of £100.
On the 11th day the draw will be for 2 prizes of £500 and
On the 12th and last Day of Christmas there will be one final prize of £1,000.
Please let your family and friends know about our special Christmas Draw.
Thank you for your generous support of the Draw last Christmas. Good luck to everyone who enters the Twelve Days of Christmas Draw.
VERITAS BOOK LAUNCH