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BALLINASCREEN PARISH - 19 DECEMBER 2021

No.1894 ~ FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

 

​​CHRISTMAS MASSES 2021

17 Christmas Masses have been arranged in Ballinascreen and Desertmartin. 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. There are still some spaces available for the Christmas Masses on Sunday 26 December, the Feast of the Holy Family.

You may book for and attend only ONE MASS over these three days.


CHRISTMAS EVE ~ FRIDAY 24

St Patrick’s Sixtowns ~ 3.00 pm

St Columba’s Straw ~ 3.00 pm

St Eugene’s Moneyneena ~ 5.00 pm

St Mary’s Coolcalm ~ 5.00 pm

Holy Rosary ~ 7.00 pm

St Patrick’s Keenaught ~ 7.00 pm

CHRISTMAS DAY ~ SATURDAY 25

St Columba’s Straw ~ 9.00 am

St Mary’s Coolcalm ~ 10.00 am

St Patrick’s Sixtowns ~ 11.00 am

St Eugene’s Moneyneena 11.00 am

Holy Rosary ~ 12 noon

St Patrick’s Keenaught ~ 12 .30 pm

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY ~ SUNDAY 26

St Columba’s Straw~ 9.00 am

St Mary’s Coolcalm:~ 10.00 am

St Patrick’s Sixtowns ~ 11.00 am

St Eugene’s Moneyneena: ~11.00 am

Holy Rosary ~ 12 noon


A valid email address and contact number MUST be provided when booking

To make a booking please visit your parish website:

https://www.parishofballinascreen.com

http://www.desertmartinparish.com


DAILY MASS TIMES

Holy Rosary Church

Monday and Wednesday ~ 11.00 am

St Mary’s Coolcalm

Tuesday and Thursday ~ 11.00 am

NB See above for Christmas Mass times for Friday, Saturday and Sunday

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:

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

Tuesday 21: St Peter Canisius, priest and doctor of the Church.

Thursday 23: St John of Kanty, priest.

Saturday 25: The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.


WEEKDAY MASSES & CHRISTMAS MASSES 2021

Masses this week, including the Masses for Christmas are detailed at the top of this bulletin.


MESSAGE FROM BISHOP McKEOWN ~ COVID 19 - OMICRON VARIANT

Bishop McKeown, having received the most recent scientific and medical advice, has written to all parishes to reinforce the following safety points to ensure that our churches remain as safe environments as possible.

  • All Church events must continue to be risk assessed.

  • Face coverings be worn, not just for entering and leaving the church, but also when seated. This is winter, but ventilation is still vital and social distancing is critical, both in the church and when entering or leaving.

  • The routine celebration of the Sacrament of Confession should not take place in the current circumstances.

  • Holy Communion should not be distributed on the tongue. A right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue is not an absolute right and, at the moment, must be restricted for the protection of human life, a key part of the church’s pro-life stance.


NEXT PARISH ANNIVERSARY MASS

As Friday next is Christmas Eve there will be NO Anniversary Mass on this date. The next Parish Anniversary Mass will be on Friday 31 December. If you wish to have a deceased loved one prayed for at this Mass on 31 December 31 please email their name to the Parish Office.


DEATHS

We extend our prayerful sympathy to the family and relatives of:

Paddy Leyden, Tonagh Road;

Thomas John McLoughlin, Drummullan.


ANNIVERSARIES

Nellie McWilliams,

Pat J Molloy,

Susanna Groogan,

Mary Gallagher,

Michael McGuigan.


BAPTISMS

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

Sienna Mary Sargent, Cavanreagh Road,

Shea Anthony O'Kane, Tirruadh Square.


SVP ANNUAL APPEAL - NOTE OF THANKS

Ballinascreen and Desertmartin SVP acknowledge with sincere thanks the many generous donations recently received for their Annual Christmas Appeal. Further donations are welcome, please place your donation in an envelope and mark it SVP. Donations may be placed in the collection box at Mass or left in the Parish Offices or Parochial Houses. Thank you


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.


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.


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 https://www.derrydiocese.org/advent


PARISH ANNIVERSARY AND MONTH’S MIND MASSES

If parishioners wish to have their loved one prayed for at any Anniversary Friday Mass, you MUST please emailtheir name to Ballinascreen Parish Office by 12 noon on Thursday of the relevant week. e mail address is ballinascreenparish@gmail.com

  • PLEASE NOTE: First Anniversary and Month's Mind notices should be received the previous week in order for them to be placed in the Bulletin the weekend before the Friday Anniversary Mass.


HEALTH AND SAFETY NOTICE

  • Due to ongoing Covid 19 restrictions and the very great need for us to maintain social distance inside buildings, we remind you that only family members of those being remembered attend the Parish Anniversary Masses.

  • Please remain at home and follow the Mass on the parish webcam. As Covid numbers continue to be a cause for concern, there are only a limited number of seats available. Families remembering the Month’s Mind of a loved one or a First Anniversary must have precedence until the pandemic is over.

  • At Bishop McKeown’s request, those attending any mass or service in our churches must wear a face mask.

  • Thank you for your cooperation on these important matters.


PARISH COLLECTIONS

Sincere thanks to all who have returned parish envelopes, established standing orders, made online payments or used the ‘Donate’ button on Parish Website. Envelopes may be returned at any parish Mass, to Parish Office or any Parochial House.

Thank you for your generous support which is greatly appreciated.


CHILDREN IN CROSSFIRE 2021 ADVENT APPEAL

Envelopes containing details of the tremendous work carried out by Children in Crossfire, particularly in Ethiopia are available in all Church porches. Please take one home, details of how to support their vital work to save children’s lives are also provided in these envelopes. Thank you.


THE NET DECEMBER 2021

Sharing the fruits of the faith in the Derry Diocese, The Net’ is now available on the Diocesan website: www.derrydiocese.org/news/the-net-december-2021

For coverage of faith stories please email editorthenet15@gmail.com

Coverage in this edition includes: