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.

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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.

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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.

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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.