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PRAYER TO SAINT BRIGID – Wednesday 1st February: You were a woman of peace. You brought harmony where there was conflict. You brought light to the darkness. You brought hope to the downcast. May the mantle of your peace cover those who are troubled and anxious, and may peace be firmly rooted in our hearts and in our world. Amen.

PRESENTATION OF THE LORD (CANDLEMAS DAY) – Thursday 2^nd February: Blessing of candles will take place during 10am Mass; please bring your candles to be blessed.

FEAST OF SAINT BLAISE – Friday 3rd February: Tradition tells us that St Blaise was a physician before becoming a Bishop. Since the eighth century he has been venerated as the patron of those who suffer from disease of the throat. The blessing of St Blaise is a sign of our faith in God’s protection and love for us and for the sick. Blessing of throats will take place after 10am Mass.

FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTIONS – Saturday 4th February: Rosary will be recited on the first Saturday of every month at 6pm in the back chapel in the church in honour of Our Lady of Fatima. There will be a fifteen minute meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary following the 6.30pm Mass. The First Saturday’s devotion was given to us as a gift from Our Lady of Fatima. She promises that whoever does the Five First Saturdays will be assured of her assistance at the moment of their death. Everyone is most welcome to this special time of prayer.

EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT: Every Friday exposition of the Blessed Sacrament takes place in our church from 10.30am until 2pm. Everyone is welcome to come along and spend some time in private prayer.

THE CORK AND ROSS DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES will take place from  Friday 22nd to Wednesday 27th September 2023. Further details are available on www.corkandross.org or via e-mail at lourdes@corkandross.org  Information is also available from Joe Walsh Tours (01 2410800). Cost: €849 to €899 with a choice of hotels. People, families and parishes throughout the Diocese are invited to travel to Lourdes with the Diocese in 2023. Those who may wish to travel as helpers, nurses or doctors to assist pilgrims in Lourdes should contact lourdes@corkandross.org

OFFERTORY COLLECTION last weekend amounted to €1,150, 2nd collection for Church Refurbishment Fund came to €465 ; thank you for your continued generosity.

PARISH TAX BACK SCHEME: If you pay income tax as a self- employed person or a PAYE worker and you contribute €250 or more in a year to the parish, the parish can claim back on your contributions. This is at no extra cost to you and can be so important to the parish’s income. All you need to do is ask for a form and a box of envelopes in the sacristy. Please complete the form and we’ll do the rest. Your information is confidential only to the secretary and treasurer of the parish finance committee. For those already in the scheme, your 2023 box of envelopes are available for collection also from the sacristy.

TOTUS TUUS EUCHARISTIC CONFERENCE 2023 is live on Radio Maria Ireland from 2pm on Saturday, 4th February. Speakers include Fr Columba Mary Toman OP., Fr Patrick Cahill O.J.S.S., Fr Patrick Lagan (Derry Diocese), Maura Murphy (Holy Family Mission). Radio Maria Ireland can be listened to by downloading the Radio Maria Ireland APP, Saorview Channel 210, or listen live at (01) 4373277.

MASK WEARING: It is recommended to wear your mask in our church even though it’s not mandatory. Also please be mindful and sanitise your hands on entering and exiting our church.   

Christmas Message

Annual Bereavement Mass

Perhaps they are not the stars, but, rather openings in Heaven where the love of our departed ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy  (Eskimo legend)

There was a great attendance at the annual parish bereavement Mass. The Mass was offered for all those in our parish who departed this life in the previous twelve months, and for their families who mourn their passing and grieve their loss.

The choir sang the entrance hymn Be Still

Fr Kevin began the Mass by welcoming one and all to the church, and also the online congregation. He said we were there primarily to support the recently bereaved and to pray for their loved ones who had died since November 2021, but also to remember and pray for the happy repose of the souls of all our own loved ones who had died. During the Mass we were to especially remember all those whose names were called out after the homily, and those who mourn their passing.

The first reading from the Prophet Isaiah was read by Mary O’Connell.

Fr Kevin read from the Gospel of St John – Do not let your hearts be troubled…

In his homily Fr Kevin said forty-six people had died from the parish in the past twelve months. Some of them died early in the twelve months and some more recently; some died suddenly, while others died after a short or long illness. We, in Ireland, have a great tradition of remembering our dead. We have our annual parish cemetery Mass. As is the norm this Mass is celebrated in August in St John’s cemetery, Ballinrea. Every year the crowd of mourners attending grows as more of our loved ones die and are laid to rest. We also pray for our deceased loved ones during the November Novena of Masses for the Holy Souls; we place their names on remembrance branches in the church to the left of the sanctuary. 

Fr Kevin then went on to speak about the different stages of grief. The grieving and sense of loss which might never leave, but then acceptance comes with time and this enables a person to reach a stage where they can move on with their life again. No two people grieve alike, it’s so important for people to be allowed to grieve in their own way and in their own time. Some people need help in coming to terms with their loss and grief, while others are able to move on with their lives themselves. There are many triggers that remind us of our loved ones, some of these can be so strong they prevent us going to a certain place where we had spent time with them. With the recently bereaved there is still heartache, still pain, and tears continue to be shed for the loss of our loved ones. Fr Kevin assured all present of the support and sympathy of our community.

We need to realise we are never alone in our grief, Christ is always with us and he is here with us now this very evening. We are a people of faith and we place our trust in God, in Jesus. We will indeed see our loved ones once again when we too go to our eternal rest.

Fionnuala read out the names of the forty-six people who died in the parish in the last twelve months, since November 2021. Fr Kevin invited their families to come forward as their loved one’s name was called out, and to place the lighted white candle on the middle table.

The congregation was then invited to come forward and place their lighted red candles on the other tables while remembering their own loved ones who had died.

During this time the choir sang In the Shadow of your Wings.

Mary O’Connell read the Prayer of the Faithful in which we asked God’s mercy on our deceased love ones, comfort for the bereaved who mourn them, healing for those who are sick in body, mind or spirit in our community, support for carers who look after the sick.  Lastly we prayed for our own personal intentions.

The choir sang Eat This Bread at the Offertory and Be Still My Soul at Communion time.

Following Communion Maelíosa read the reflection Remember.

Fr Kevin thanked all who helped to organise the Mass, parish office secretaries, sacristans, parish choir for enhancing the Mass with their music and singing, Ministers of the Word and Eucharist, the outgoing parish assembly, and the people who looked after the refreshments. He then extended an invitation to everyone to partake of these refreshments in the parish centre.  

Before the final prayer Fr Kevin invited everyone to bring home their candles.

As the congregation excited the church the choir sang the recessional hymn Beautiful Isle of Somewhere.

Hail Holy Queen Conference 2022

HAIL HOLY QUEEN CONFERENCE 2022 is live on Radio Maria Ireland from 2pm on Saturday, 15th October. 

Radio Maria Ireland can be listened to by downloading the Radio Maria Ireland APP, Saorview Channel 210 or listen live at (01)4373277

Bishop Fintan’s pastoral visit to our parish of Frankfield/Grange

On the 10th and 11th September there was great excitement as Bishop Fintan made his first pastoral official visit to our parish church, and concelebrated the Vigil and Sunday Masses with Fr Kevin.

During his homily, Bishop Fintan spoke about the recent pastoral letter “Putting Out Into Deep Waters”. He said twelve of the sixteen Families of Parishes had come into being that weekend.

Next year Frankfield/Grange joins the parishes of Douglas and Turners Cross in forming a Family of Parishes.

At the conclusion of each Mass, Fr Kevin thanked Bishop Fintan on behalf of all in the parishioners.

Bishop Fintan greeted and met with parishioners as well as Ministers of the Word and Eucharist and representatives from the Parish Assembly, Parish Finance Committee, The Church Choir, Social Media Coordinator, Baptismal Preparation Team and Parish Safeguarding Representatives.

The bishop also met members of the Frankfield Men’s Shed and The Frankfield/Grange Active Retired Group.

Thanks to Bismark Photography for the images

Bishop Fintan’s visitation

Bishop Fintan will visit our parish church this coming weekend 10/11th September.

He will celebrate Mass at all three Masses – 6.30pm Vigil Mass on Saturday, and 10am and 11.30am Masses on Sunday.

Bishop Fintan Gavin was born in Dublin in 1966 and baptised in Saint Andrew’s Parish, Westland Row, Dublin.  Son of Angela and Michael Gavin, he is the second eldest of seven brothers and sisters.

His family roots are in Marino, Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, on the Northside of Dublin.  His primary and post-primary education were at CBS, Marino, Dublin. Before going to Clonliffe College, Dublin, where he trained to be a priest, he began training as a residential social worker for a year.

He was ordained to serve as a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin by Bishop Éamonn Walsh, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, on 7 June 1991.

Bishop’s Fintan’s first appointments were as teacher/chaplain at schools in Bray and Tallaght as well as assisting in the local parishes.

In 1996 he undertook post-graduate studies in Rome.

He was awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law from The Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, in 2003.

In between and during the academic years, he ministered in Rome, Florence, New York, Buenos Aires and Alicante. He speaks Italian and Spanish.

In 2003, Bishop Fintan was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Dublin and was appointed Chancellor in 2017. (The chancellor of a diocese is the chief record-keeper, certifies documents and manages the administrative offices on behalf of the bishop.)

Up to the time of his appointment to the Diocese of Cork and Ross, Bishop Fintan was Chancellor in the Archdiocese of Dublin, Parish Chaplain in Our Lady of Victories, Ballymun Road, and the grouping of parishes of Iona Road, Drumcondra, Glasnevin, Ballymun Road and Ballygall, Dublin, Chaplain to the Italian speaking community in the Archdiocese and Chaplain to the annual Dublin Diocesan Children’s Pilgrimage to Lourdes.

Bishop Fintan was ordained bishop at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne, Cork on June 30th, 2019. Bishop John Buckley was the Principal Consecrator and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly were co-consecrators. His Excellency Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, was among the concelebrating bishops.

Irish Catholics voice concerns and hope about church in document to Synod in Rome.

“Important questions have been set out for deeper reflection and pastoral action at every level of Church life and there will be many more opportunities for people to get involved and help shape this process” – Dr Nicola Brady

Today marks a significant milestone in the synodal process currently underway in the Catholic Church in Ireland with the publication of the national synthesis of the local listening that took place in dioceses and other contexts between October 2021 and May 2022.  

This national synthesis has now been submitted to the Synod Secretariat in the Vatican as part of the global synodal process announced by Pope Francis for the Church, to run from 2021 to 2023. 

The national synthesis can be read or downloaded here.

Bishop Fintan’s family of parishes and priests’ appointments

How priests minister in the parishes of the Diocese of Cork and Ross will change significantly in September.

The diocese will have 16 families of parishes and each will be ministered to by a team of priests. Each priest will be resident in a particular parish but ministering across the whole family of parishes.

Please copy and paste this link for further information: 

https://corkandross.org/diocesan/bishops-statement-on-priests-appointments-and-the-introduction-of-families-of-parishes/

Bishop Fintan’s Pastoral Letter re changes in parishes

Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross, published a pastoral letter earlier this month which outlines the context and vision for changes being made in parishes in the coming weeks.

The pastoral letter entitled Putting Out into Deep Waters introduces a new model for the relationship between parishes and a new emphasis on teams of priests, deacons and lay people ministering together in families of parishes.

The reading of the pastoral letter coincides with the changes of appointments which involve the majority of the priests of the diocese and most of the 68 parishes.

The families of parishes initiative means that twelve of the sixteen families of parishes are being formed next month while the remaining four will be formally established next year.

The diocese has also recently launched a recruitment drive to fill two key vacancies which will support the changes being made by parishioners and clergy.

A Parish Life Coordinator will work alongside the clergy as they transition to closer collaboration while a Faith Development Coordinator will oversee the delivery of programmes in parishes which will nourish people’s faith.

Click here to read the complete pastoral letter in a PDF document.

Sharing The Good News

Synodal Pathway: Long-Term Transformation – An Interview with Dr Nicola Brady

Please copy and paste the following link for Dr Brady’s interview

https://www.intercommagazine.ie/synodal-pathway-long-term-transformation-an-interview-with-dr-nicola-brady/