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:
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
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: