No. 2053 ~ SECOND SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS
PARISH CONTACT DETAILS
Fr. Peter Madden PP VF
31 Sixtowns Road
Telephone: 79628376
Fr Michael McCaul CC
50 Tobermore Road, Desertmartin
Telephone: 79632196
Email: desertmartinparish@gmail.com
PARISH OFFICE
OPENING HOURS: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm.
9 High Street
Phone: (028)79628248
SAFEGUARDING
The Diocesan Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is Marie Gormley. To contact Marie Tel: 07596500793, or Email: mariegormley@derrydiocese.org
SVP HELPLINE
Helpline telephone number: 07710838050
SPERRIN FOODBANK
Tel: 07543420639
BALLINASCREEN COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUP
Please click the link https://www.parishofballinascreen.com/ballinascreen-community-support-gro for full details of Ballinascreen Community Support Group.
NOTICES FOR THE BULLETIN
Notices for the Bulletin should be received by 1.00 pm on Wednesday, preferably by email.
SUNDAY VIGIL MASSES
Holy Rosary: 6.00 pm
St Patrick’s, Keenaught: 7.30 pm
SUNDAY MASSES
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: 12 noon
MASSES FOR THIS WEEK
Sunday 5 January - Vigil Mass for Holyday (Feast of the Epiphany):
6.00 pm ~ Holy Rosary Church
Monday 6 January - Feast of the Epiphany:
9.00 am ~ St Columba’s Straw
10.00 am ~ St Mary’s Coolcalm
11.00 am ~ St Patrick’s Sixtowns
12 noon ~ St Eugene’s Moneyneena
7.30 pm ~ St Patrick’s Keenaught
Tuesday 7 January:
10.00 am ~ St Mary’s Coolcalm
Wednesday 8 January:
10.00 am ~ Holy Rosary Church
Thursday 9 January:
10.00 am ~ St Mary’s Coolcalm
Friday 10 January:
10.00 am ~ St Mary’s Coolcalm
7.30 pm ~ Holy Rosary Church.
FEASTS OF THE WEEK
Monday 6 -The Epiphany of the Lord.
Holyday. The Epiphany is the manifestatio of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Saviour of the world.
Masses for this Holyday are listed above.
CHILDREN IN CROSSFIRE COLLECTION
Next weekend (11 and 12 January) the Christmas Collection for Children in Crossfire will be taken up after all Masses in place of the usual SVP collection.
DEATHS
We extend our prayerful sympathy to the family and relatives of:
John Glass, Brackaghreilly, Maghera;
Annie Walls, Lisnamuck;
Phyllis Moore, Duleek, Co Meath;
Joe Convery, Maghera;
Peter McCloskey, Ashford, Kent, formerly Moneyneena.
ANNIVERSARIES
First Anniversaries:
Leon Toner;
Baby Patrick Campbell.
Anniversaries:
Kevin Kelly;
Patrick Toner;
Karen Carlin.
MONTH’S MIND MASS
Vera Cuskeran, Disert Road on Friday 10 January at 7.30 pm in Holy Rosary Church.
BAPTISM
We welcome into God’s family through the Sacrament of Baptism:
Jack Cian O'Hagan, Sydney Australia.
PARISH COLLECTIONS
Weekly Collection: £2430
Renovation Collection £2505.
Thank you for your generous support which is greatly appreciated.
INVITATION TO 33 DAYS OF FAMILY PRAYER
Bishop McKeown will lead the diocese in 33 days of Family Prayer towards Consecration to Jesus Christ through Mary, as part of a diocesan programme for the Jubilee Year 2025, Pilgrims of Hope.
Below is an invitation from Bishop McKeown to join in this time of prayer.
From the week following the Baptism of the Lord (Thursday, 9 January) until the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (Tuesday, 11 February 2025), I plan to make a 33-day journey of prayer towards Consecration to Jesus Christ through Mary. It is a journey I set out to make to entrust myself and my priesthood to Christ through the Mother of God. I extend an invitation to you and your families from the parishes of the diocese to join me. It is my hope to call this journey a "Consecration to Jesus through Mary led by the Shepherds of the diocese."
The Consecration journey I plan to use is a book called Child Consecration to Jesus through Mary: Following in the Spirit of Saint Thérèse, the Little Flower.
In reviewing this book, I found it encouraged simplicity, confidence, and trust. All these virtues have the ability to encourage spiritual growth as was seen by St. Thérèse, the Little Flower – and other modern saints.
I invite you and your family to join me each evening at 7.00 pm on-line, live on the Diocese of Derry Facebook page (click HERE) during the 33 Days. We will be concluding the final day of the Consecration on Tuesday, 11 February in Saint Eugene's Cathedral, Derry. (Full details to be announced).
Copies of the book
Child Consecration to Jesus through Mary: Following in the Spirit of Saint Thérèse, the Little Flower will be available in each parish from early January. I look forward to you joining me on this journey
+ Donal Bishop of Derry.
Further details may be viewed at derrydiocese.org/consecration
JUBILEE OF HOPE 2025 FREE HANDBOOK
A Teach us to Pray handbook has been created for the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025. The handbook, inspired by the teachings of Pope Francis, is written as an invitation to intensify prayer, understood as a personal dialogue with God, and to lead readers to reflect on their faith, and their commitment in today's world, in the various contexts in which they are called to live. The handbook is freely available to download on the Derry diocesan website.
BALLINASCREEN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Ruairi O'Baoill will give a talk entitled "The Vikings in Ireland" on Tuesday 7 January at 8.00 pm in the
Community Hub beside the library. Everyone welcome.
CONFIRMATION 2025
Gaelscoil na Speiríní: Saturday 1 March in Holy Rosary Church at 12 noon.
Desertmartin Parish Primary Schools: Sunday 2 March in St Patrick’s Church, Keenaught at 10.00 am.
Ballinascreen Parish Primary Schools: Sunday 2 March in Holy Rosary Church at 2.00 pm.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2025
Ballinascreen Parish:
St Mary’s P.S., Draperstown on Saturday 10 May in Holy Rosary Church.
St Columba's P.S., Straw on Saturday 17 May in St Columba's Church.
Gaelscoil na Speiríní, on Saturday 7 June in Holy Rosary Church.
St Eoghan's P. S., Moneyneena on Saturday 7 June in St Eugene's Church.
Desertmartin Parish:
Cullion P.S., on Saturday 10 May in St Patrick's Church, Keenaught.
Knocknagin P.S., on Saturday 17 May in St Mary's Church, Coolcalm.
SAVE THE DATE!
2025 Derry Diocesan Pilgrimage to Knock will be on Sunday 15 June.
PARISH BAPTISMS 2025
Baptisms: Sundays at 3.00 pm. Bookings to be made please via the Parish Office: Tel. 028 79628248 or by Email: ballinascreenparish@gmail.com
January 12 ~ St Columba’s Straw
January 26 ~ Holy Rosary Church
February 2 ~ St Patrick’s Sixtowns
February16 ~ St Eugene’s Moneyneena
February 23 ~ St Columba’s Straw
March 9 ~ Holy Rosary Church
March 23 ~ St Patrick’s Sixtowns
March 30 ~ St Eugene’s Moneyneena
April 6 ~ St Columba’s Straw
April 13 ~ Holy Rosary Church.
GLENSHANE HOUSE DUNGIVEN
Glass Painting with Leona. 5 week free course starts on Wednesday, 8 January at 7.00 pm. To register Tel. 07399023003 or Email info@limavadylips.co.uk.
DERRY DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES
Pilgrimage led by Bishop McKeown, from Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July 2025, leaving from City of Derry Airport. Price £849 plus insurance and single supplement if required. The Pilgrimage Office at 164 Bishop Street, Derry BT48 6UJ will not be open for booking until Saturday 1 February 2025, 11.00 am to 1.00 pm (and each following Saturday and Thursday at the same time unless notified). However, gift vouchers are now available from the Pastoral Centre, 164 Bishop Street Derry. Email enquiries to derrypilgrim@outlook.com
BABY MASSAGE CLASSES
New baby massage and reflexology classes begin Friday 10 January. To register or for more details please contact Rosie on 07749121208
PARISH ANNIVERSARY AND MONTH’S MIND MASSES
If you wish to have a deceased loved one prayed for at any Anniversary Friday Mass, you MUST please email their name to Ballinascreen Parish Office by noon on Thursday of the relevant week. Notices for First Anniversary and Month's Mind Masses should be received before the Wednesday of the previous week so that, they may be printed in the Bulletin the weekend before the Anniversary Mass
KNOCKNAGIN HALL
Monthly Tea Dance on Friday 10 January. Music by Kenny Paul. Dancing from 9.00 pm to midnight. Admission £7 including light supper.
Chair Exercises recommences on Tuesday 7 January at 10.00 am.
Arts Care, Here & Now programme resumes Thursday 9 January at 2.00 pm.
Mid-Ulster District Council 'Cook It' programme. Two week cooking sessions starting shortly on Tuesday afternoons, registration necessary. To register contact Olive (07887614094), Kathleen (07764277809) or Anne (02879 642711).
Sarsfield’s Accordion Band: Tickets for 2025 monthly draw now on sale, £1 a month, £12 for the year, £50 prize each month. Band practice recommences Thursday 9 January. All members are asked to please attend in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day Parade which will be in Magherafelt. New and past members welcome.
POPE FRANCIS @PONTIFEX
Let us entrust to Mary this new Jubilee Year. Let us entrust to her our worries, our sufferings, our joys, and all the concerns that we bear in our hearts. Let us entrust to her the whole world, so that hope may be reborn and peace may spring up for all the peoples of the earth.
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS At the start of this New Year and Jubilee of Hope we ask God's blessing on our seminarians and those discerning their vocation, remembering especially Gary Duddy, Gerry Friel, and Gary White as they begin their propaedeutic studies in Salamanca. With St Paul in our second reading this weekend, we pray: ‘May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit.’ |
