Parish News for Sunday 27th Sept 2009

Vol.36 No.38

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

PRIESTS OF THE PARISH
Very Rev Michael Canny Adm
Fr Peter Raftery CSSp
Rev Daniel McFaul CC

“A truly Catholic spirit”

The Second Vatican Council declared that the church is ‘a universal sacrament of salvation’, in other words, the people of God are a sign to the whole world announcing its salvation. The priestly function of this people is to mediate salvation; its prophetic function is to announce salvation to the world through its sanctifying presence in the world.

The problem is that too many of God’s people view this prophetic function within a limited context. They see it as a task of the leadership, somewhat like the old sedative, “Let Father do it.”

Today’s reading from the book of Numbers makes it clear that prophecy, the carrying of God’s message to the world, is not the special task of only a few people: Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets! If only all Christians felt a commitment to bring (God’s) pardon and (God’s) kingdom to all we meet! The Gospel takes this point a step further. Not only must God’s truth be spread through all of God’s people; it must also be spread by those who are not of our company.

Vatican II recognized that there is truth in all the world’s great religions as well as in its secular institutions, for as Jesus declared: Anyone who is not against us is with us. “Since the whole Church is missionary, . . . the work of evangelization is a basic duty of the People of God. . . . Therefore, all sons of the Church should have a lively awareness of their responsibility to the world. They should foster in themselves a truly catholic spirit. They should spend their energies in the work of evangelization.”

Vatican II,
Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church (1965) 35-36
Gerald Darring

Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes led by Bishop Hegarty - 16th to 21st July 2010: Cost £629. Payable in instalments. Regular forms available from the Parish Office/Pilgrimage Office. Forms for those in need of care or those aged 80+ available only from the Pilgrimage Office, telephone 71260293 - open on Tuesdays from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm, Thursdays from 11.00 am to 2.00 pm and Saturdays from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm.

Catholic Chaplaincy QUB.

The Chaplain’s Food Bar and other Chaplaincy facilities will reopen on Monday at 10.00 am. Monday-Friday Mass at 12.15 pm. Remember to enrol with the Catholic Chaplaincy as part of the Queens on-line enrolment procedures. Dedication of Studies Mass will be on Sunday, 12th October 8.00 pm. There are a few student jobs available in Chaplains Food Bar, please contact Liam cc@qubcc.org or 90669737. Check out their website www.qubcc.org

Anniversaries

We remember the anniversaries of:

Eleanor Campbell, Margaret Rogan, Margaret Campbell, Patricia O’Doherty.

May they rest in peace.

7.30 pm Mass on Tuesday will be offered for Margaret Rogan on the third anniversary her death.

If you wish to have the name of your loved one placed in the newsletter contact the Parish Office before 12.00 noon on Thursdays.

Baptism

We welcome as members of the Christian community:

Calvin James Adams,
23 Lower Nassau Street.
Caoimhan Dermot Cooley,
7 Beechwood Street.

Readers
Weekdays
10.00 am Rita McCauley
07.30 pm Mona Tracey
Readers on duty next Weekend
06.15 pm Garvin Kerr
07.30 pm Christine McDevitt
09.30 am Brendan Burns
11.00 am Eugene McClintock
12.30 pm Michael Wilson

Eucharistic Ministers
Team *B* begins its rota
at the 6.15 pm Vigil Mass
next weekend.

Annual Derry Diocesan Pioneer Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Séamus Hegarty at 3.00 pm on Sunday, 18th October, in St Mary’s Church, Ardmore. All Pioneers and their friends are invited to attend.

St Vincent de Paul Society wish to acknowledge with thanks gifts of £200, £100, £20 received recently.

Fr Canny acknowledges with thanks donations for: Darfur: £20. St Pio: £20. Clean Water in Third World: £20. Sisters of St John: £20. Altar Flowers: £20. Pakistan: £20. Chad: £20. St Joseph’s Young Priests Society: £20. Fr Canny will forward donations of £120 to LASCO.

The priests of the parish thank you for your generous donations to the Stipend Collection taken up last weekend.

Mass and Blessing of Roses in honour of St Thérèse of Lisieux on Thursday at 8.00 pm in Termonbacca. Please bring a rose with you.

Derry Central Library, Foyle Street: On Thursday at 7.30 pm renowned local writer Jennifer Johnston will read from her works and talk about her life as an author. Admission is free.

Life In The Spirit Seminars - a series of six-week seminars led by members of Columba Community beginning on Wednesday night at 7.30 pm and each Wednesday night until 4th November in Queen Street.  Please contact Columba House if you will be attending, telephone  71262407.

Autumn Courses – Thornhill Centre, Culmore Road, has a number of courses available around adult faith development. For details contact the Secretary at 71351233.

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