Sympathies Tony Moran and Damien Dalton, R.I.P.

Your prayers are asked today for the repose of the souls of:
1. Tony Moran, 75 Droim Chaoin. Tonys remains will be reposing at his home tomorrow, Monday, December 1st, until 5 o'clock, when they will be removed to our church. Funeral Mass will be on Tuesday at 11:00, with burial afterwards in Mount Saint Joseph Cemetery, Rahoon.

2. Damien Dalton, 115 Corrib Park. Damiens remains will be reposing at O'Flahertys Funeral Home on Munster Avenue, tomorrow, Monday, December 1st, from 5:30 until 7, when they will be removed to our church. Funeral Mass will be on Tuesday at 12:30 ,with burial afterwards in Mount Saint Joseph Cemetery, Rahoon.



Please pray for their families
'There are many rooms in my fathers house.....'

ADVENT BY PATRICK KAVANAGH.

We have tested and tasted too much, lover-
Through a chink too wide there comes in no wonder.
But here in the Advent-darkened room
Where the dry black bread and the sugarless tea
Of penance will charm back the luxury
Of a child's soul, we'll return to Doom
The knowledge we stole but could not use.

And the newness that was in every stale thing
When we looked at it as children: the spirit-shocking
Wonder in a black slanting Ulster hill
Or the prophetic astonishment in the tedious talking
Of an old fool will awake for us and bring
You and me to the yard gate to watch the whins
And the bog-holes, cart-tracks, old stables where Time begins.

O after Christmas we'll have no need to go searching
For the difference that sets an old phrase burning-
We'll hear it in the whispered argument of a churning
Or in the streets where the village boys are lurching.
And we'll hear it among decent men too
Who barrow dung in gardens under trees,
Wherever life pours ordinary plenty.
Won't we be rich, my love and I, and
God we shall not ask for reason's payment,
The why of heart-breaking strangeness in dreeping hedges
Nor analyse God's breath in common statement.
We have thrown into the dust-bin the clay-minted wages
Of pleasure, knowledge and the conscious hour-
And Christ comes with a January flower.


Patrick Kavanagh

Console Christmas Celebration of Light.

The Console Christmas Celebration of Light for Galway will be held in the Church of St. Oliver Plunkett, Renmore, Galway on Sunday the 7th of December 2008 at 4pm

This ceremony brings together family and friends together in Solidarity and Hope to Remember the life of their loved one who has died by Suicide.

You are welcome to bring a framed photo or symbol of your loved one to place on the 'Remembrance Table ' at the beginning of the service.

This is an evening of song, music and reflection including the lighting of candles followed by a minute's silence to commemorate family, friends and loved ones lost to Suicide.

Music by:
Marc Roberts
Jacqueline & Marie O' Dowd
Margaret Duggan / Carmel Kelly


To Reserve Seating please contact: Ms Margaret Tierney, Console on e-mail: margaret@console.ie

WEBSITE: www.console.ie

Trócaire Christmas Global Gifts.

Trócaire are doing their Christmas Global Gifts again this Christmas. This is a gift that will change someones life for the better. Find out more at www.trocaire.org

Sympathies, Michael Maguire and little Erin Lamb, R.I.P.

We sympathise with the parents of little Erin Lamb, 73 John Coogan Park, who has died. Prayers and burial of little Erin will be in Mount St. Joseph Cemetery, Rahoon, on Sunday, November 30th, at 1:15.

We pray also for the family of Michael 'Micko' Maguire, Lakeview House, Bushy Park, whose Funeral Mass took place in the Church of St. James, Bushy Park, during the week.


'The sadness of death gives way to the bright promise of immortality'

Advent Talks in the Pastoral Centre.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ZOOM IN! DON'T FORGET THE FIRST TALK IS ON MONDAY EVENING, GIVEN BY BISHOP DRENNAN, ON THE PERSON OF JESUS IN MARK'S GOSPEL, AT 7:30. THE NO.2, 5 AND 7 BUSES ALL STOP NEAR THE PASTORAL CENTRE, WHICH IS BESIDE THE MERCY CONVENT SECONDARY SCHOOL,NEWTOWNSMITH.

Mass Intentions for the week ahead, November 30th 2008.

Click on image to zoom in.

Feast Day, St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal.

COPYRIGHT: www.daughtersofstpaul.com

Zoe Laboure, born in 1806, was the daughter of a French farmer. She was the only one of her large family who did not go to school. She could not read or write. Her mother died while she was still very young. Zoe had to run the house when her older sister became a nun.
Zoe, too, would have liked to enter the convent when she was in her early teens. However, because she was needed at home, she waited until she was twenty-four. Zoe became a Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. She took the name of Catherine.
Shortly after she finished her training as a postulant, Sister Catherine received a special privilege. She began to see the Blessed Mother. One night, she was awakened from sleep. A "shining child" led her to chapel. There Our Lady came to talk to her. The Blessed Mother, in another vision, showed herself standing on a globe with streams of light coming from her hands. Underneath were the words: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to thee!" Sister Catherine was told that a medal was to be made of this picture of Our Lady. She was also told that all who wore it would receive many graces from Jesus through his mother's prayers.
Sister Catherine told her confessor and he later told the bishop. So it was that the medal which we call the miraculous medal was made. Soon many, many people all over the world were wearing it. Yet no one in the convent knew that humble Sister Catherine was the one to whom Our Lady had appeared. She spent the remaining forty-five years of her life doing ordinary convent tasks. She answered the door. She looked after the hens that provided the nuns with eggs. She also took care of elderly and sick people. She was happy to keep her special privilege hidden, and was only interested in serving God as best she could. Catherine died in 1876. She was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XII in 1947.

In the difficult times in our lives, we can turn to the Blessed Mother for strength and guidance.

LATIN MASS, FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS, GARRISON CHURCH.

Saturday, 6 December, Feast of St. Nicholas, Patron of Galway City - 2 pm
Mass, St. Patrick’s Garrison Chapel, Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa, Renmore, Galway.
Celebrant:
Rev. Father John Loftus, CC.
Contact: John Heneghan, Tel.: 093-31273,
e-mail: john_heneghan@hotmail.com

Check out: www.latinmassireland.org

Croí- Church Gate Collection this weekend, November 29th and 30th.

CROÍ, THE WEST OF IRELAND CARDIOLOGY FOUNDATION

FIGHTING HEART DISEASE FOR ALL OF US!

Croí is a heart charity dedicated to pursuing and attaining the highest level of Cardiovascular Health Care for the people of the West of Ireland. They are holding their Church Gate Collection at our church this weekend, November 29th and 30th.

Since 1985, they have funded and implemented a wide range of initiatives across all areas of Cardiac Care, from Research & Education to the Development of Cardiac Services and Facilities in the region. They depend totally on voluntary effort and support. All their activities are funded entirely from the proceeds of fundraising events, voluntary contributions, donations and philanthropic support.

WITH YOUR SUPPORT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO SAVE LIVES!

Check out: www.croi.ie

Congratulations.

Congratulations to Noel Timothy, Gaelcarrig Park, who won the National Carer of the Year Award. Well done Noel, your story is an inspiration.

Sympathies, Mary Spellman, R.I.P.

Your prayers are asked for the repose of the soul of Mary Spellman, the sister of Peter Griffin, Davis Road. Her remains will be reposing at O'Flahertys Funeral Home, on Munster Avenue, tomorrow, Monday, from 4 to 6 when they will be removed to St. Mary's Church, The Claddagh, where Mass will be offered on Tuesday at 11, with burial afterwards in Rahoon Cemetery.

'Dying you destroyed our death'

St. Andrew Dung Lac and companions, November 24th.

COPYRIGHT: www.americancatholic.org

St. Andrew was one of 117 martyrs who met death in Vietnam between 1820 and 1862. Members of this group were beatified on four different occasions between 1900 and 1951. Now all have been canonized by Pope John Paul II.
Christianity came to Vietnam (then three separate kingdoms) through the Portuguese. Jesuits opened the first permanent mission at Da Nang in 1615. They ministered to Japanese Catholics who had been driven from Japan.

The king of one of the kingdoms banned all foreign missionaries and tried to make all Vietnamese apostatize by trampling on a crucifix. Like the priest-holes in Ireland during English persecution, many hiding places were offered in homes of the faithful.

Severe persecutions were again launched three times in the 19th century. During the six decades after 1820, between 100,000 and 300,000 Catholics were killed or subjected to great hardship. Foreign missionaries martyred in the first wave included priests of the Paris Mission Society, and Spanish Dominican priests and tertiaries.

Persecution broke out again in 1847 when the emperor suspected foreign missionaries and Vietnamese Christians of sympathizing with the rebellion of one of his sons.

The last of the martyrs were 17 laypersons, one of them a 9-year-old, executed in 1862. That year a treaty with France guaranteed religious freedom to Catholics, but it did not stop all persecution.

By 1954 there were over a million and a half Catholics—about seven percent of the population—in the north. Buddhists represented about 60 percent. Persistent persecution forced some 670,000 Catholics to abandon lands, homes and possessions and flee to the south. In 1964, there were still 833,000 Catholics in the north, but many were in prison. In the south, Catholics were enjoying the first decade of religious freedom in centuries, their numbers swelled by refugees.

During the Vietnamese war, Catholics again suffered in the north, and again moved to the south in great numbers. Now the whole country is under Communist rule.

Comment:

It may help a people who associate Vietnam only with a recent war to realize that the cross has long been a part of the lives of the people of that country. Even as we ask again the unanswered questions about United States involvement and disengagement, the faith rooted in Vietnam's soil proves hardier than the forces which would destroy it.

Quote:
“The Church in Vietnam is alive and vigorous, blessed with strong and faithful bishops, dedicated religious, and courageous and committed laypeople.... The Church in Vietnam is living out the gospel in a difficult and complex situation with remarkable persistence and strength” (statement of three U.S. archbishops returning from Vietnam in January 1989).

GO Local! Campaign.

Click on image to zoom.
The Irish Bishop's are supporting the GO Local! campaign. This campaign asks you to think, in these difficult economic times, about the importance of supporting local services and produce and encourages your active participation in local community groups. GO Local! every week! There are leaflets about the campaign at the church doors and you can check out www.ifacountryside.ie

Happy Feast day to Church of Christ the King, Salthill.

Happy feast day to the Church and Parish of Christ the King in Salthill!

Pioneer Total Abstinence Association.

The Pioneer Total Abstinence Association,Galway City West Branch, are holding a church gate collection this weekend and would appreciate your generosity. Visit the national website at: www.pioneertotal.ie

Youth 2000 Retreat, next weekend!

Galway Youth 2000 are holding a Retreat in St. Mary’s College, St. Mary’s Road, Galway City. It begins on Friday Nov 28th at 7.30p.m. concluding on Sunday Nov 30th at 4p.m. All those aged between 16-35 are welcome. Under 18's must have the written consent of a guardian. Contact Caroline on 087- 9771901 or Diarmuid on 086- 6052179 for further details or visit our website – www.youth2000.ie

They will be at the doors of the church this weekend with fliers.

Don't forget! Children's Choir for Christmas.

Click on image to zoom!

Sympathies,Margaret King and Tara Sheridan,R.I.P.

Your prayers are asked for the repose of the souls of:

Margaret King, Connolly Terrace, Bohermore, and St. Francis' Home, the mother of Eithne Cooke, 75 Corrib Park.

Tara Sheridan, a young woman who has died this week.

May Christ the King welcome them home.

Feast of Christ the King.

COPYRIGHT: THE CENTRE FOR LITURGY WEBSITE: http://liturgy.slu.edu/
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink.

Jesus,
King of Creation,
you came from splendor,
put on your crown of ugly thorns,
took on a killer-cross for your throne

You suited your brightness to our sight.
You became poor just like us,
that we might become
like you

Christ,
Help us see you in the faces of the hungry.
We want to feed you and clothe you and slake your thirst.
Come to us in the needy
and fill us with
everlasting
love.

November 22nd, Feast of St. Cecilia.

COPYRIGHT: www.daughtersofstpaul.com

This patroness of music lived in early times. What we know about her goes back to the fourth century. Cecilia was a Roman noblewoman who had given her heart to Christ. Beneath the rich clothes worn by women of her class, Cecilia wore a rough shirt that caused her suffering. She wanted to be able to offer this sacrifice to Jesus, whose bride she intended to be. But Cecilia's father gave her in marriage to a young pagan noble. It is said that during the wedding celebration, the lovely bride sat apart. She was singing to God in her heart and praying for his help. When she and Valerian, her husband, were alone, she gathered up courage and said to him: "I have a secret to tell you. You must know that I have an angel of God watching over me. If you let me keep my promise to be Christ's bride only, my angel will love you as he loves me."
Valerian was surprised and said kindly, "Show me this angel. If he comes from God, I will do as you wish."
Cecilia said, "If you believe in the one true God and receive the waters of Baptism, then you will see my angel." Valerian went to Bishop Urban and was received with joy. After he had professed his belief in the Christian religion, he was baptized and returned to St. Cecilia. There by the saint's side, the young man saw the splendid angel.
Valerian's brother, Tiburtius, learned of the Christian faith from Cecilia. She spoke so beautifully of Jesus that before long, he too was baptized. Together the two brothers performed many works of charity. When they were arrested for being Christians, they went bravely to death rather than give up their new faith in Jesus. St. Cecilia lovingly buried their bodies, before she too was arrested. She converted the very officers who tried to make her sacrifice to false gods. When she was put into a fire, it did not harm her. At last, a man was sent to behead her. He struck her neck three times, but Cecilia did not die right away. She lay on the floor of her own home unable to move. Yet by holding out three fingers of one hand, and one of the other, she still professed her belief in the Blessed Trinity.

On this feast of the patroness of music, let us consider the words of St. Augustine: "Words cannot express the things that are sung by the heart..And if so happy that words can no longer express what they feel, people discard the restricting syllables. They burst out into a simple sound of joy, of jubilation."

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD, NOVEMBER 23RD.

Saturday
22nd November 7.30p.m. 1. Paddy Francis and 2. Nancy Murphy
________________________________________________________________

Sunday23rd 9.30 a.m.Deceased members of the Flaherty family
11.00 a.m.1. Willie Creane
2.Chris, Tom and Thomas Coughlan.
12.15 p.m. 1. May & Dan Carr
2. Frank Codyre, Margaret Flaherty and
Eddie Lee.
6.30 p.m. Billy and Grace Joyce. ________________________________________________________________
Monday 24th 10.00 a.m. 1. Josephine McWilliams
2. Sally O’Toole
________________________________________________________________
Tuesday 25th 10.00 a.m. Sick and Sarah Walsh.
________________________________________________________________
Wednesday 26th 10.00 a.m. Tom Fahy and deceased members
of Fahy family
________________________________________________________________
Thursday 27th 10.00 a.m. Bridget Hughes
________________________________________________________________
Friday 28th 10.00 a.m.
_______________________________________________________
Saturday 29th
7.30p.m. 1. Willie Noone and 2.Special Intention.
________________________________________________________________

Sunday 30th 9.30 a.m. Maureen,Charles and Bunny Devlin.
11.00 a.m. Deceased members of the Keaveney family.
12.15 p.m. 1. Teresa Kelly
2. Michael & Mary Duffy
6.30 p.m. Timmie Mannion.

November 21st, Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

WE WISH THE PRESENTATION SISTERS IN OUR PARISH, IN SHANTALLA AND 160/61 CORRIB PARK, A VERY HAPPY FEAST DAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIFE OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR DIOCESE, AND THE IRISH AND UNIVERSAL CHURCH.



COPYRIGHT: www.americancatholic.org
Mary’s presentation was celebrated in Jerusalem in the sixth century. A church was built there in honor of this mystery. The Eastern Church was more interested in the feast, but it does appear in the West in the 11th century. Although the feast at times disappeared from the calendar, in the 16th century it became a feast of the universal Church.
As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation in the temple only in apocryphal literature. In what is recognized as an unhistorical account, the Protoevangelium of James tells us that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was three years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless.
Though it cannot be proven historically, Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond.



Comment:
It is sometimes difficult for modern Westerners to appreciate a feast like this. The Eastern Church, however, was quite open to this feast and even somewhat insistent about celebrating it. Even though the feast has no basis in history, it stresses an important truth about Mary: From the beginning of her life, she was dedicated to God. She herself became a greater temple than any made by hands. God came to dwell in her in a marvelous manner and sanctified her for her unique role in God's saving work. At the same time, the magnificence of Mary redounds upon her children. They, too, are temples of God and sanctified in order that they might enjoy and share in God's saving work.

Quote:
"Hail, holy throne of God, divine sanctuary, house of glory, jewel most fair, chosen treasure house, and mercy seat for the whole world, heaven showing forth the glory of God. Purest Virgin, worthy of all praise, sanctuary dedicated to God and raised above all human condition, virgin soil, unplowed field, flourishing vine, fountain pouring out waters, virgin bearing a child, mother without knowing man, hidden treasure of innocence, ornament of sanctity, by your most acceptable prayers, strong with the authority of motherhood, to our Lord and God, Creator of all, your Son who was born of you without a father, steer the ship of the Church and bring it to a quiet harbor" (adapted from a homily by St. Germanus on the Presentation of the Mother of God).

November 20th 2008, St. Fergal.

St Fergal (or Virgil) lived first in France and then in Bavaria, where he founded the monastery of Chiemsee. He was appointed bishop of Salzburg around 754 and died in 784 leaving a reputation for learning and holiness.

Exciting events in the Pastoral Centre for Advent!

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Interested in being a lay missionary?

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Feast of the Basilica's of Saint Peter and Paul.

COPYRIGHT: www.americancatholic.com
St. Peter’s is probably the most famous church in Christendom. Massive in scale and a veritable museum of art and architecture, it began on a much humbler scale. Vatican Hill was a simple cemetery where believers gathered at St. Peter’s tomb to pray. In 319 Constantine built on the site a basilica that stood for more than a thousand years until, despite numerous restorations, it threatened to collapse. In 1506 Pope Julius II ordered it razed and reconstructed, but the new basilica was not completed and dedicated for more than two centuries.
St. Paul’s Outside the Walls stands near the Abaazia delle Tre Fontane, where St. Paul is believed to have been beheaded. The largest church in Rome until St. Peter’s was rebuilt, the basilica also rises over the traditional site of its namesake’s grave. The most recent edifice was constructed after a fire in 1823. The first basilica was also Constantine’s doing.
Constantine’s building projects enticed the first of a centuries-long parade of pilgrims to Rome. From the time the basilicas were first built until the empire crumbled under “barbarian” invasions, the two churches, although miles apart, were linked by a roofed colonnade of marble columns.

Comment:
Comment: Peter, the rough fisherman whom Jesus named the rock on which the Church is built, and the educated Paul, reformed persecutor of Christians, Roman citizen and missionary to the Gentiles, are the original odd couple. The major similarity in their faith-journeys is the journey’s end: Both, according to tradition, died a martyr’s death in Rome—Peter on a cross and Paul beneath the sword. Their combined gifts shaped the early Church and believers have prayed at their tombs from the earliest days.
Quote:
Quote: “It is extraordinarily interesting that Roman pilgrimage began at an…early time. Pilgrims did not wait for the Peace of the Church [Constantine’s edict of toleration] before they visited the tombs of the Apostles. They went to Rome a century before there were any public churches and when the Church was confined to the tituli [private homes] and the catacombs. The two great pilgrimage sites were exactly as today—the tombs, or memorials, of St. Peter upon the Vatican Hill and the tomb of St. Paul off the Ostian Way” (H.V. Morton, This Is Rome).

November 17th, St. Elizabeth of Hungary.

COPYRIGHT: www.daughtersofstpaul.com

This daughter of the king of Hungary was born in 1207. She married Louis, the ruler of Thuringia, while she was very young. (We celebrate the feast of Blessed Louis on September 11.) Elizabeth was a beautiful bride who dearly loved her handsome husband. Louis returned her affection with all his heart. God sent them three children and they were very happy for six years.
Then St. Elizabeth's sorrows began. Louis died of the plague. She was so heart-broken that she cried: "The world is dead to me and all that is joyous in the world." Louis' relatives had never liked Elizabeth because she had given so much food to the poor. While Louis was alive, they had not been able to do anything. Now, however, they could and they did. Within a short time, this beautiful, gentle princess and her three children were sent away from the castle. They suffered hunger and cold. Yet Elizabeth did not complain about her terrible sufferings. Instead she blessed God and prayed with great fervour. She accepted the sorrows just as she had accepted the joys.
Elizabeth's relatives came to her rescue. She and her children had a home once more. Her uncle wanted her to marry again, for she was still very young and attractive. But the saint had determined to give herself to God. She wanted to imitate the poverty of St. Francis. She went to live in a poor cottage and spent the last few years of her life serving the sick and the poor. She even went fishing to try to earn more money for her beloved poor. St. Elizabeth was only twenty-four when she died. On her death bed, she was heard to sing softly. She had great confidence that Jesus would take her to himself. Elizabeth passed away in 1231.
St. Elizabeth had great compassion for the poor. As followers of Christ, we are all called to be moved at the sight of others' sufferings.

Deepening Faith and Prayer Course.

Click on the image to zoom in....

Coeliac Society.

The Western Branch of the Irish Coeliac Society are holding an information evening on Wednesday next, November 19th, in the National University of Ireland, Galway at 7:30 in the Colm O hEocha Lecture Theatre, Arts Millennium Building. The guest speaker will be Dr. Lucina Jackson, consultant gastroenterologist at University College Hospital, Galway. Registration takes place at 7:00 and there is an administration charge of €5.

First Communion Programme.

The next Mass in our First Communion Pre-Sacramental Programme is coming up! It's only a week away, Sunday, November 23rd. The meeting of the Core Group is on Wednesday next, November 19th, at 7:30 in the church tea room.

Don't forget our sister blog has lots of stuff posted for the kids. You'll find the link on the menu bar, to the right of this page, below the picture of the school.

Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, the responsibility of talent.

COPYRIGHT:FR. JACK MCARDLE, AND THAT'S THE GOSPEL TRUTH.

There will come a time when each one of us will have to give an account of how we have used the gifts that life brought with it. The Lord is fair, just, and absolutely reasonable. He doesn't expect anything from us that is beyond our ability to achieve. 'To whom much is given, of him will much be expected.' There are people who have very little of this world's riches. There are those who are disabled, either mentally or physically, and who depend on others for their every need. He is a God of Justice, and he will not look for a harvest where he did not sow. He does not demand perfection, nor is he into over demanding in any way. Most people I know seem to be doing their best with what they have. It comes down to goodwill in the final analysis. The very fact that I am writing this, or that you are reading it, is some indication of where our interest lies. The person who was condemned in the story is the one who did nothing. Christianity is about action that is inspired by belief.
We get one chance at life. There is no dress rehearsal. The only time is now, because it is the only time at my disposal. To live in the now is to be ever vigilant, so that when the Master returns he will find us ready for his return. For the servant who buried the gold, and did nothing with it, life must have been miserable, lonely, and without purpose. Jesus gives us a blue¬print for life and living, and it is the only way to find peace and purpose. We can easily forget that we are the ones who benefit when we obey his directions.

Living the Christian life should fill our hearts with gratitude. It is not possible to be grateful and unhappy at the same time. To appreciate the gift of life, and all the gifts that it brings with it, is something that should be foremost in our attitude. To have a grateful heart is a wonderful gift. 'How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child.' To appreciate what I have is to be happy with what I have. I may not be as gifted as someone else, but each of us has enough. I don't need the special gifts of another, even if I want them, or would like to have them. If God thought that I needed them he would have given them to me. As the old Irish woman said, 'You should never be off your knees thanking God that you're able to stand up.'
Can you identify some of the gifts life has bestowed on you? What are the things for which you are most grateful? How do others confirm you for the gifts that you have? On the other hand, are you aware of the gifts of those around you? Are you good at confirming others? The surest sign that you have had a Pentecost is your ability and willingness to confirm others. If you have the Spirit of God active in you, then others should be receiving confirmation from you. You cannot give confirmation if you do not have the Spirit.

Scoil Chroí Iosa Sale of Work.

A sale of work takes place this Sunday from 2:30 in Scoil Chroí Iosa, Newcastle Road. Please drop in and support the school.

RTE Radio 1 this Sunday.

This Sunday 16 November at 6pm on RTÉ Radio 1 Spirit Moves, presented by Tom McGurk, will discuss Cardinal Brady's address to the Céifin Conference on 4 November last and the proposed Civil Partnership Bill. The panel will consist of: Father Joe Mullan Parish Priest of Lusk, Archdiocese of Dublin, who also works with Accord; Senator Rónán Mullen; Ciaran Cuff TD Green Party and Ms Cathy Molloy, theologian

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD, NOVEMBER 16TH.

Saturday 7.30p.m. Mary King and Sarah McDonagh
15th November PRAY FOR GEORGE O’MALLEY AT ALL MASSES
________________________________________________________________
Sunday 9.30 a.m. 1. Deceased members of Madden Family.
16th November 2. Deceased members of the Feeney and
Carpenter families.
11.00 a.m. 1.Gerard Keaveney
2. Margaret Nolan.
12.15 p.m. 1. Ted & Bridget Conneely
2. Esther Francis
6.30 p.m. 1. John & Johnie and Ellen Brennan
2. Christopher O’Reilly
________________________________________________________________
Monday 17th November 10.00 a.m. Peter Greaney and Liam Greaney
________________________________________________________________
Tuesday 10.00 a.m. Sick and deceased members of the
18th November Galway Flower and Garden Club.
7.30p.m. Francis McDonagh (Months Mind Mass)
________________________________________________________________
Wednesday 10.00 a.m. Paul Flynn
19th November 5.30 p.m. Indian Community Mass
________________________________________________________________
Thursday 20th November 10.00 a.m.
________________________________________________________________
Friday 21st November 10.00 a.m.Martin McMenamin
___________________________________________________________
Saturday 11.00a.m. Margaret Coen (Months Mind Mass)
22nd November 7.30p.m. 1. Paddy Francis
2. Nancy Murphy
________________________________________________________________
Sunday 23rd November 9.30 a.m. Deceased members of the Flaherty family
11.00 a.m. 1. Willie Creane
2. Chris,Tom and Thomas Coughlan.
12.15 p.m. 1. May & Dan Carr
2. Frank Codyre, Margaret Flaherty and
Eddie Lee.
6.30 p.m. Billy and Grace Joyce.

REMINDER! YOUTH 2000 GALWAY RETREAT!

Galway Youth 2000 are holding a Retreat in St. Mary’s College, St. Mary’s Road, Galway City. It begins on Friday Nov 28th at 7.30p.m. concluding on Sunday Nov 30th at 4p.m. All those aged between 16-35 are welcome. Under 18's must have the written consent of a guardian. Contact Caroline on 087- 9771901 or Diarmuid on 086- 6052179 for further details or visit our website – www.youth2000.ie


The spirituality of Youth 2000 is based on love of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist; Devotion to Our Lady; and understanding the teachings of the Church. Our aim is to help other young people grow spiritually, through an experience of the love of God, prayer and a sense of belonging, leading to faith in Jesus.

We hope to gather many young people from the surrounding parishes, for what promises to be a very spiritual weekend. We would be very grateful if you could help us out in any way and if you have any queries in relation to anything please contact me, Caroline Maloney ( Youth2000 Connacht Regional Leader) on 087- 9771901

Sympathies and Month's Minds.

We pray for the repose of the souls of:

1.GERALDINE MCCOOKE (nee RYAN) 9 Cluanin, Siobhan McKenna Rd, Months Mind Mass on Saturday, 15th November at 11am in our church.

2. Francis McDonagh, 28 John Coogan Park, Months Mind Mass on Tuesday, November 18th, at 7:30pm, in our church

3. Thomas ‘Tom’ O’Rourke, Blanchardstown, Dublin, Formerly of Portumna, Co. Galway,
the brother of Joan Durack, 178 Corrib park.

4. WILLIE KELLY (JUNIOR) 11 Fursey Road. Months Mind Mass Months Mind Mass will be Sunday, 16th November at 12pm at St Joseph's Church, Presentation Rd.

5. CARL REID (CHARLIE) Late of Breffni House, Salthill, Galway and Woodenbridge, Co Wicklow. Beloved of the Reid and O'Donnell families. Months Mind Mass Months Mind Mass of the Resurrection, Church of Christ the King, Salthill, Friday, 21st November at 6pm.

6. Margaret Coen, 11 Reddington Road. Month's Mind Mass on Saturday, November 22nd at 11am in our church.

Lord, strengthen our faith that life is changed, not ended.

Don't Forget! Childrens Choir Practice on Saturday!

Click on the picture to zoom in.........

Anniversary Mass, Bishop McLoughlin.

Mass
for the third anniversary
of the death of
Bishop James Loughlin
RIP
will be celebrated in the Cathedral
on Sunday, 23rd November
at 11.15am.
All are welcome.

Older and Bolder Conference....click on images to zoom in.

Please say a little prayer.... November 11th.

This day ninety years ago the First World War came to an end. We pray today for all the brave Irish who died in all the terrible conflicts of the twentieth century,in all the conflicts here in Ireland, and our United Nations peacekeeping troops. Check out www.rte.ie for details of how our national broadcaster is covering this event, and pray for peace and for all those too who are suffering as a result of war and famine and disaster.

St. Martin of Tours, November 11th.

COPYRIGHT: www.daughtersofstpaul.com

This soldier saint lived in the fourth century. He joined the Roman army in Italy when he was only fifteen. Although his parents were pagans, he began to study the Christian religion. Those who study the Christian religion are called catechumens until they are baptized.
One very cold winter day, Martin and his companions came upon a beggar at the gate of the city of Amiens. The man's only clothes were nothing but rags and he was shaking with cold. The other soldiers passed by him, but Martin felt that it was up to him to help the beggar. Having nothing with him, he drew his sword and cut his long cloak in half. Some laughed at his funny appearance as he gave one half to the beggar. Others felt ashamed of their own selfishness. That night, Jesus appeared to Martin. He was wearing the half of the cloak that Martin had given away.
"Martin, still a catechumen, has covered me with this garment," Jesus said. Right after this wonderful event, St. Martin went to be baptized.
A few years later, the saint left the army. He became a disciple of St. Hilary, the bishop of Poitiers, France. Because of his strong opposition to the Arian heretics in various cities, Martin had to go into exile. But he was happy to live in the wilderness with other monks. When the people of Tours asked for him as their bishop, he refused. The people would not give up, however. They got him to come to the city to visit a sick person. Once he was there, they took him to the church. As bishop of Tours, St. Martin did all he could to rid France of paganism. He prayed, he worked, he preached everywhere.
Our Lord let Martin know when his death was near. As soon as his followers heard of it, they began to weep. They begged him not to leave them. So the saint prayed: "Lord, if your people need me yet, I will not refuse the work. Your will be done." He was still laboring for the Divine Master in a far-off part of his diocese when death finally came in 397. St. Martin's tomb became one of the most famous shrines in all of Europe.
As he lay dying, Martin expressed his lasting desire to serve others: "Lord, if your people still need me, I am ready for the task; your will be done."

Two important charity fundraisers.

Gort Cancer Support will hold a Fashion Sale Extravaganza on Thursday 20th November at 7.30 pm in the Lady Gregory Hotel, Gort. Admission is only €5. Cheese & wine reception, fantastic fashion bargains, advice from an Image Consultant as well as make-up and hair demonstration. Cheques or cash accepted on the night to purchase available fashions. Call text Anne 086 1083643.

Cookery Demonstration for the Niall Mellon Township Trust:
A Cookery Demonstration with Chef Joe Beakey is planned for Thursday 27th of November 2008 at 7.30pm in The Lady Gregory Hotel to raise funds for the Niall Mellon Trust. Eamonn Fennessy & Michael Earley intend to spend a week in South Africa in March 2009 volunteering for the charity as part of the volunteer building blitz who build home for the impoverished curently living in huts and shacks in the townships there. A limited number of tickets only costing €15 are available at Corrib Oil, Finns Furniture, Gort Post Office, O’Grady’s & McInerney Auctioneers or call/text Mary 0866082723.

Sympathies, Terri Colohan and Kathleen Corrigan, R.I.P.

Your prayers are asked today for the repose of the souls of the following:

1. Teresa 'Terri' Colohan, 267 Corrib Park. Terri's remains will be reposing at Conneely's Funeral Home on Flood Street, tomorrow, Tuesday, from 7 O'Clock until 8, when they will be removed to our church. Funeral Mass will be on Wednesday at 11 with burial afterwards in Mount Saint Joseph Cemetery, Rahoon.

2. Kathleen Corrigan, St. Francis' Home and late of 45 Davis Road. Kathleen's remains will be reposing at O'Flaherty's Funeral Home on Munster Avenue, tomorrow Tuesday from 4:30 until 6:30 Her remains will be arriving at our church on Wednesday at 1 followed by Mass. Burial will take place afterwards in Mount Saint Joseph Cemetery, Rahoon.

Please pray for their families. 'Receive their souls and present them to God the most high'

November 10th, Pope St. Leo the Great.

COPYRIGHT: www.daughtersofstpaul.com

St. Leo, a Roman, lived in the fifth century. At the death of Pope Sixtus, he became pope. Those were hard times for the Church. Barbarian armies were attacking Christians in many places. Within the Church, some people were spreading errors about the faith, too. But St. Leo was one of the greatest popes there ever was. He was absolutely unafraid of anything or anyone. He had great trust in the help of the first pope, St. Peter the apostle. He prayed to St. Peter often.
To stop the spread of false teachings, St. Leo explained the true faith with his famous writings. He called a Council to condemn the wrong doctrines. Those who would not give up their mistaken beliefs were put out of the Church. And Pope Leo received back into the Church those who were sorry. He asked people to pray for them.
When a large army of barbarians called Huns came to attack Rome, all the people were filled with fear. They knew that the Huns had already burned many cities. To save Rome, St. Leo rode out to meet the fierce leader, Attila. The only weapon he had was his great trust in God. When they met, something wonderful happened. Attila, the cruel pagan leader, showed the pope great honor. He made a treaty of peace with him. Attila said afterward that he had seen two mighty figures standing by the pope while he spoke. It is believed that they were the great apostles, Peter and Paul. They had been sent by God to protect Pope Leo and the Christians.
Because of his humility and charity, Pope Leo was loved by all. He was pope for twenty-one years. He died on November 10, 461.

Sunday, November 9th, Feast of the Dedication of the Latern Basilica.

COPYRIGHT: www.americancatholic.org
Most Catholics think of St. Peter’s as the pope’s main church, but they are wrong. St. John Lateran is the pope’s church, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome where the Bishop of Rome presides.

The first basilica on the site was built in the fourth century when Constantine donated land he had received from the wealthy Lateran family. That structure and its successors suffered fire, earthquake and the ravages of war, but the Lateran remained the church where popes were consecrated until the popes returned from Avignon in the 14th century to find the church and the adjoining palace in ruins.

Pope Innocent X commissioned the present structure in 1646. One of Rome’s most imposing churches, the Lateran’s towering facade is crowned with 15 colossal statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and 12 doctors of the Church. Beneath its high altar rest the remains of the small wooden table on which tradition holds St. Peter himself celebrated Mass.

Comment:

Unlike the commemorations of other Roman churches (St. Mary Major, Sts. Peter and Paul), this anniversary is a feast. The dedication of a church is a feast for all its parishioners. St. John Lateran is, in a sense, the parish church of all Catholics, for it is the pope's parish, the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome. This church is the spiritual home of the people who are the Church.

Quote:

"What was done here, as these walls were rising, is reproduced when we bring together those who believe in Christ. For, by believing they are hewn out, as it were, from mountains and forests, like stones and timber; but by catechizing, baptism and instruction they are, as it were, shaped, squared and planed by the hands of the workers and artisans. Nevertheless, they do not make a house for the Lord until they are fitted together through love" (St. Augustine, Sermon 36>).

Mass Intentions for Week ahead,November 9th 2008.

Saturday 8th November 7.30 p.m.Novena
________________________________________________________________
Sunday 9th November 9.30 a.m. Novena
11.00 a.m. Novena
12.15 p.m. 1. Patrick, Nora and Mary Heavey
2. Tim & Lena Codyre
6.30 p.m. Shirley Maher
________________________________________________________________

Monday 10th November 10.00 a.m. Novena
________________________________________________________________
Tuesday 11th November 10.00 a.m. Sick and Frank Tierney
8:00 p.m. Remains of Terri Colohan arriving.
________________________________________________________________
Wednesday 12th November 10.00 a.m. Mickey Sullivan and Mary Murray
11.00 a.m. Funeral Mass- Terri Colohan
1.00 p.m Arrival of remains of Kathleen Corrigan followed by Mass
7.30 p.m. Eddie Ward (Months Mind Mass)
________________________________________________________________
Thursday 13th November 10.00 a.m. Bridie Whelan
________________________________________________________________
Friday 14th November 10.00 a.m.1. Paddy Curran & deceased members
of Curran and Delargey families.
2. Susan & Martin Murphy.
___________________________________________________________
Saturday 15th November 11.00a.m. Geraldine McCooke (Months Mind Mass)
7.30p.m. Mary King and Sarah McDonagh
PRAY FOR GEORGE O’MALLEY AT ALL MASSES THIS WEEKEND.
________________________________________________________________
Sunday 16th November 9.30 a.m. 1. Deceased members of Madden Family.
2. Deceased members of the Feeney and Carpenter
families.

11.00 a.m. 1. Gerard Keaveney
2. Margaret Nolan.
12.15 p.m. 1. Ted & Bridget Conneely
2. Esther Francis
6.30 p.m. 1. John & Johnie and Ellen Brennan
2. Christopher O’Reilly

An invitation from The Jesuits.

Invitation to Friends of the Jesuit Spirituality and Culture Centre,

IGNATIAN VISION EVENING ---- An Ignatian Vision for the 21st Century.

When: Tuesday, November 18th, 2008: 7.30pm – 9.00pm.
Where: Coláiste Iognáid
Who: John Dardis, SJ, Irish Jesuit Provincal & Jim Corkery, SJ, Lecturer at the Milltown Institute,
Dublin.
What: What’s new in the Jesuits’ vision since they elected a new leader, Father Adolfo Nicholas, SJ, in January, 2008?

If you are interested:
1. in what is new in Ignatian Spirituality
2. in the underlying inspiration behind what is new
you will want to be at this event.

Una Allen, Martin Beuster, John Humphreys, SJ – on behalf of the Ignatian Identity Group at Coláiste Iognáid.
St. Ignatius',
27 Raleigh Row,
Galway.

Tel: 091 – 523707
Tel: 091 – 863394 (Office)

November 6th, All the Saints of Ireland.

Ecclesiastes 44:1-5; Psalm 14; Luke 6:17-23
The first reading from the book of Ecclesiastes calls on us to praise illustrious men and then lists those who have held positions in society and who are remembered for their great and noble works. But in the last section it speaks of generous men and those who kept the covenants and handed them on to their children. Today we praise those Irish people who kept the faith which was handed on to them and for which they are now counted among the Communion of Saints though their names have long since been forgotten. In the Gospel, we have Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes in which Christ is promising the kingdom to those who are poor in spirit. Those who live by the Beatitudes are those who will inherit the kingdom and be counted among the Communion of Saints.

COPYRIGHT:
www.carmelites.ie

Think............. the Irish people, our ancestors, were willing to die rather than give up their Catholic faith. Above you'll see two pictures from the time of the harsh Penal Laws, the Penal Cross, held onto by our ancestors, and a Mass taking place at a Mass Rock, because it was forbidden to build Catholic churches and practice the Catholic faith. You can see the lookouts waiting to warn the people in case they were discovered. There was a price on a priests head.

Venerable Solanus Casey, November 5th.

Seeing that all things American are in the news today, with the historic election, here's a person whose cause is up for canonisation, who, as his names suggests, was of Irish ancestry.

COPYRIGHT: www.americancatholic.org

Also, check out: www.solanuscasey.org

Barney Casey became one of Detroit’s best-known priests even though he was not allowed to preach formally or to hear confessions!
Barney came from a large family in Oak Grove, Wisconsin. At the age of 21, and after he had worked as a logger, a hospital orderly, a streetcar operator and a prison guard, he entered St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee—where he found the studies difficult. He left there and, in 1896, joined the Capuchins in Detroit, taking the name Solanus. His studies for the priesthood were again arduous.
On July 24, 1904, he was ordained, but because his knowledge of theology was judged to be weak, Father Solanus was not given permission to hear confessions or to preach. A Franciscan Capuchin who knew him well said this annoying restriction "brought forth in him a greatness and a holiness that might never have been realized in any other way." During his 14 years as porter and sacristan in Yonkers, New York, the people there recognized him as a fine speaker. "For, though he was forbidden to deliver doctrinal sermons," writes his biographer, James Derum, "he could give inspirational talks, or feverinos, as the Capuchins termed them" (18:96). His spiritual fire deeply impressed his listeners.
Father Solanus served at parishes in Manhattan and Harlem before returning to Detroit, where he was porter and sacristan for 20 years at St. Bonaventure Monastery. Every Wednesday afternoon he conducted well-attended services for the sick. A co-worker estimates that on the average day 150 to 200 people came to see Father Solanus in the front office. Most of them came to receive his blessing; 40 to 50 came for consultation. Many people considered him instrumental in cures and other blessings they received.
Father Solanus’ sense of God’s providence inspired many of his visitors. "Blessed be God in all his designs" was one of his favorite expressions.
The many friends of Father Solanus helped the Capuchins begin a soup kitchen during the Depression. Capuchins are still feeding the hungry there today.
In 1946 in failing health, he was transferred to the Capuchin novitiate in Huntington, Indiana, where he lived until 1956 when he was hospitalized in Detroit. He died on July 31, 1957. An estimated 20,000 people passed by his coffin before his burial in St. Bonaventure Church in Detroit.
At the funeral Mass, Father Gerald, the provincial, said: "His was a life of service and love for people like me and you. When he was not himself sick, he nevertheless suffered with and for you that were sick. When he was not physically hungry, he hungere with people like you. He had a divine love for people. He loved people for what he could do for them —and for God, through them."
In 1960 a Father Solanus Guild was formed in Detroit to aid Capuchin seminarians. By 1967 the guild had 5,000 members—many of them grateful recipients of his practical advice and his comforting assurance that God would not abandon them in their trials. He was declared Venerable in 1995.

Comment:
James Patrick Derum, his biographer, writes that eventually Father Solanus was weary from bearing the burdens of the people who visited him. "Long since, he had come to know the Christ-taught truth that pure love of God and one’s fellowmen as children of God are in the final event all that matter. Living this truth ardently and continuously had made him, spiritually, a free man—free from slavery to passions, from self-seeking, from self-indulgence, from self-pity—free to serve wholly both God and man" (The Porter of St. Bonaventure’s, page 199).
Quote:
Father Maurice Casey, a brother of Father Solanus, was once in a sanitarium near Baltimore and was annoyed at the priest-chaplain there. Father Solanus wrote his brother: "God could have established his Church under supervision of angels that have no faults or weaknesses. But who can doubt that as it stands today, consisting of and under the supervision of poor sinners—successors to the ‘poor fishermen of Galilee’; the Church is a more outstanding miracle than any other way?"

Childrens Choir for Christmas............click on poster to zoom in.

Looking for something different to do in your spare time?

Junior Chamber International, Galway is holding an information evening on Tuesday 11th November in the Marriott Hotel, Headford Road at 7.30pm. JCI Galway is a voluntary organisation which promotes personal development and networking opportunities among young people between the ages of 18 and 40. For further information log onto www.jci-galway.org or contact Maura at membership@jci-galway.org. Looking forward to meeting you all on the evening.

Holy Souls Crusade.... click on image to zoom in.

Claddagh Novena/ St. Martin de Porres.

The annual Novena to St. Martin de Porres begins tomorrow, November 3rd, in St. Mary's Church, The Claddagh,the feast day of the saint, and continues until November 11th. The Novena Mass will be at 7:30 each day, with the exception of Sunday when it is at 3 O'Clock.

ABOUT THE SAINT: COPYRIGHT, www.daughtersofstpaul.com

Martin was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579. His father was a knight from Spain. His mother was a freed slave from Panama. His father at first left Martin and his mother and sister alone in Peru. They were very, very poor.
Martin grew up good and devout. He was sent to learn the trade of a barber. He also learned how to cure many diseases according to the practices of those days. Martin's father finally decided to take care of his son's education. However, Martin wanted to give himself to God as a Dominican brother. Brother Martin soon proved to be a wonderful religious. No one was kinder or more obedient or holy. Before long, he began to work miracles, too. He cured so many sick people that everyone in the city of Lima would send for Brother Martin when there was sickness. He would go to them all, blacks and whites alike. He loved all people as his brothers and sisters in Christ. Great sums of money were given to this good, lovable Brother for his charities. People recognized how well he could organize works of charity.
Not even animals were forgotten by this kind-hearted saint. He excused the comings and goings of rats and mice by saying, "The poor little things don't have enough to eat." In his sister's house, he kept a "home for wandering cats and dogs."
Despite his fame in Lima, St. Martin always had a very humble opinion of himself. His name for himself was, in fact, "Brother Broom." Martin died on November 3, 1639. When he died, this beloved saint was carried to his tomb by bishops and noblemen. They wanted to honor the humble and holy brother. He was proclaimed a saint by Pope John XXIII in 1962.

The love of Martin extended to everyone around him, without exception, and embraced all of creation. How would my life be changed if I were to see the face of Jesus in my brothers and sisters?

November Novena of Masses.

While all of the Novena Masses will be offered for all the faithful departed and for the intention requested in the November envelopes, there will be special prayers at each of the Novena of Masses as follows:

Sunday November 2nd
General Intention:
For all those who have died.

Monday November 3rd
General Intention:
Special Intention: For all those who have died.
Those who passed on the faith to us.
Giving thanks for the faith received from parents, family, teachers, priests and religious.


Tuesday November 4th
General Intention:
Special Intention: For all those who have died.
Praying for a deceased husband or wife.
Entering into the loss of a spouse.

Wednesday November 5th
General Intention:
Special Intention: For all those who have died.
Death through suicide or accident.
Remembering teenagers and young adults.

Thursday November 6th
General Intention:
Special Intention: For all those who have died.
For those who died in our parish in the last year.
Living with grief where the loss is still fresh.

Friday November 7th
General Intention:
Special Intention: For all those who have died.
Recalling the death of a child. Coming to terms with loss of one to whom you gave life, even if only in the womb.

Saturday November 8th
General Intention:
Special Intention: For all those who have died.
For deceased parents, brothers and sisters.
The finality of the death of a parent; the fears of the death of a brother or sister.
.
Sunday November 9th
General Intention:
Special Intention: For all those who have died.
Death around the world.
For those who died as a result of famine or disease, warfare or
Violence, to alleviate suffering or in the cause of peace

Monday November 10th
General Intention:
Special Intention: For all those who have died.
The forgotten.
Bringing to God, in our prayer, those who have nobody to pray for them.

Masses this Week, Novena for The Holy Souls.

Friday 31st October 10.00 a.m.Deceased members of the Murphy
family.
VIGIL FOR FEAST OF ALL SAINTS 7.30 p.m.Bernie & Kathleen Cooke.
________________________________________________________________

Saturday 1st November 10.00a.m. Elizabeth (Betty) White
Feast of All Saints 11.30 a.m. Kate Ward
6.30 p.m. Pat & Agnes Burke
________________________________________________________________
All Souls Day
Sunday 9.30 a.m. Novena For Holy Souls
2nd November 11.00 a.m. Novena
12.15 p.m. Mary Guerin
6.30 p.m. Patricia Murphy

Monday to Friday Novena Mass at 10:00 & 7:30, The Thursday Evening Mass is for all those whose Funeral Masses took place in our church in the last year.

Saturday Morning: Months Mind Mass at 11 for Murt Hynes, Cruachan Park.