COLLECTION
We acknowledge last Sunday’s collection of £1598.00.
Many thanks.
ANNIVERSARIES
Ryan McGonigle, Sammy McDermott, Fanny Harte, Mary
Catherine Friel
Annie Doran, Bridget Doran, Sarah McDermott, Margaret
Ann Doherty, Tom Devlin,
Michael Christy, Anthony Maxwell, Andy McGillion,
Mary Devenney, Pat Quinn
DEATHS
We offer our deepest sympathy to the family and friends
of
Brendan Foley, Burndennett, formerly
of Ballycolman Estate
Mary Conway, Plumbridge who died
recently. May they rest in peace.
MARRIAGES
We congratulate the following couple who
were married in our parish recently:
Caroline Donaghey and Robert Fitzsimmons
Elizabeth O'Donnell and Kevin Callaghan
PRAY FOR PRIESTS
Last year the diocese published a prayer card with
the names of all the Derry diocesan priests. Many
of you have these cards and every day a specific priest
is named. This week we ask you to pray for the following
priests:
Fr. Andrew Dolan PP, Bellaghy, 21st
Oct.
Fr. Brian Donnelly CC, Dungiven,
22nd Oct.
Mgr Joseph Donnelly PP VF,
Omagh, 23rd Oct.
Fr. Liam Donnelly PP, Garvagh, 24th
Oct.
Fr. T Philip Donnelly CC, Banagher,
25th Oct.
Fr. John Downey CC, Ballinascreen,
26th Oct.
Fr. Kevin Duddy CC, Waterside, 27th
Oct.
PRAYER GROUP
The contemplative prayer group will meet on Monday
night at 8.15pm in the Parochial House. Newcomers
very welcome. This is an opportunity to experiment
with a new form of prayer, especially if you find
that your present methods are unsatisfactory.
PARISH DRAW
The next Parish Draw will be held on Thursday 25th
October in the parish office. Promoters are asked
to make their returns to the parish office on Monday
22nd October.
Please note that the Draw will be held at 11.00am
in the parish office and not at the usual time of
2.30pm.
PAYMENTS BY CHEQUE
The Bank have reminded us that all payments made to
the parish by cheque (for Parish Savings, Parish Draw,
Sunday and Special Collections etc.) must be made
payable to Church of the Immaculate Conception.
NOTICES FOR PARISH BULLETIN
In order to facilitate printing we ask that all notices
and anniversaries for the parish bulletin are either
given to the sacristan or left at the parish office
by Wednesday morning at the latest.
SICK AND HOUSEBOUND TO BE ATTENDED
Fr. Boland will visit the sick and housebound in the
following areas on Wednesday 24th October starting
at 2.00pm: Courtrai Park, Barrack Street, Lower Townsend
Terrace, Mount Carmel Heights, Springhill Park, Mill
Street, Newtownkennedy Street, Lower Main Street,
Glenview Park, Church View, Tristan Road.
Fr. Boland will visit the sick and housebound in the
following areas on Friday 26th October after 10.00am
Mass: Bearney Road, Camus Road, Conthem Road, Upper
Townsend Street, Townsend Terrace, Marian Park, Fountain
Street and Innisfree Gardens.
HOLY CROSS COLLEGE SCHOOL MASS
Mass will be celebrated for all Key Stage 3 pupils
of Holy Cross College at 11.15am on Monday 22nd October
in the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Mass will be celebrated for all Key Stage 4 and Sixth
Form pupils of Holy Cross College at 11.15am on Tuesday
23rd October in St. Mary's Church, Melmount.
AVE MARIA - Professional Singing
Services
A local professional and award winning female singer
is available to sing at weddings, funerals, christenings,
anniversary Masses or any special occasion. Telephone,
02871812680 or email ave.maria1@btinternet.com
ANNUAL DERRY DIOCESAN PIONEER MASS
The Annual Derry Diocesan Pioneer Mass will take place
in St. Mary's Church, Bellaghy this Sunday 21st October
at 3.00pm. Chief celebrant Most Rev. Seamus Hegarty.
Refreshments afterwards in St. Mary's Hall. All pioneers
and friends are invited to attend.
DIVERT PROJECT
A six week programme on drug and alcohol awareness
for parents/carers which will equip individuals to
deal with young people's drug or alcohol use. Contact
Patricia at Strabane & Lifford Women Centre to
secure a free place. Telephone 02871886253.
GROW
If you are seeking peace of mind or dealing with anxiety,
depression or panic attacks, then why not give GROW
meetings a try? GROW is a 12-step program working
in a confidential weekly meeting helping us to face
life's problems within a caring and sharing environment.
Local GROW group meets
Every Monday: 8.00pm - 10.00pm, Loretto Convent, Letterkenny
Every Monday: 8.00pm - 10.00pm, Dungloe District Hospital
Every Tuesday: 7.30pm - 9.30pm, Family Enrichment
Centre, Stranorlar
Every Tuesday: 8.00pm - 10.00pm, Day Hospital, Donegal
Town
Every Wednesday: 8.00pm - 10.00pm, Day Centre, Carndonagh
Community Hospital
For further details ring Elaine at the GROW office
on 074-9161628 or Mary on 087-2330297.
EVISH STATION MASS
Evish Station Mass will be held in the house of Pat
and Patricia Mc Crossan on Friday 26th October at
8.00pm.
ST PATRICK’S HALL
Bingo and Lucky 4 Draw as
usual this Thursday - all our patrons are very welcome
THE WIZARD OF OZ
St. Patrick's Hall Theatre Committee Presents..........
"The Wizard of Oz"
From Friday 2nd November - Sunday 11th November. Commencing
7.30pm nightly.
Admission £7.00 per adult, £5.00 per child.
Booking available at St. Patrick's Hall, Tel., 02871882483
from:
Monday 22nd October - Friday 26th October 1.00pm -
4.00pm.
Monday 29th October - Thursday 1st November 1.00pm
- 4.00pm.
Book early and avoid disappointment.
ST. PATRICK'S LUNCHEON CLUB
St. Patrick's Luncheon Club are holding a dance/social
on Monday 22nd October in St. Patrick's Hall. Music
is by Reflections and supper is at 9.00pm. Admission
is £3.00 or 5 Euro (includes supper). Everyone
is welcome.
BRIDGE CLASSES
Bridge classes will be held in St. Patrick's Hall
every Wednesday at 1.30pm. Everyone welcome.
PARISH WEBSITE
Visit our website at www.strabaneparish.com
PRAYER CORNER
REFLECTION
Birth is a beginning and death a destination.
And life is a journey from childhood to maturity,
from youth to age;
from innocence to awareness,
from ignorance to knowing;
from foolishness to discretion
and then, perhaps, to wisdom;
from weakness to strength
or strength to weakness - and back again;
from health to sickness
and back, we pray, to health again;
from offence to forgiveness, from loneliness to love
from joy to gratitude, from pain to compassion;
from grief to understanding, from fear to faith;
from defeat to defeat to defeat . . .
Until looking backward or ahead, we see that victory
lies
not at some high place along the way
but in having made the journey, stage by stage.
THE LONG VIEW
It helps now and then to step back
and take the long view.
the kingdom is not only beyond our efforts;
it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only
a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying that
the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings wholeness.
No programme accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need
further
development.
We provide yeast that produces effects
far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything,
and there is a sense of liberation in realising that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very
well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning,
a step along the way, an opportunity for
the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results
but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen.
SMALL BEGINNINGS
Many if not all great undertakings
begin in small and often hidden ways.
Seeds need the darkness, isolation and cover of the
earth in order to germinate.
Therefore, for something to begin small, hidden, anonymous,
is an advantage.
It means it can develop away from publicity.
There are no pressures. No burden of expectations.
It can develop at its own pace. There is no hurry.
Hurry ruins so many thing.
Hence the importance of beginnings,
of taking care of things in the beginning,
of the small in the accomplishment of the great.
A PENTCOST PRAYER
Come, Spirit who is our Light,
Shine among the shadows within.
Warm and transform our hearts
Come, Spirit who makes a home in us.
Draw us to the treasures of your dwelling.
Reveal to us the inner journey of love.
Come, Spirit, Comforter and Consoler.
Heal the wounded. Soothe the anxious.
Be consolation for all who grieve and ache.
Come, Spirit who energises our being.
Keep us from the tangles of toil and travail.
Lead us to moments of prayer and play.
Come, Spirit, consuming Fire of Love,
Fill us with enthusiasm for your vision.
May the desire for truth be vibrant in us.
Come, Spirit, joy of our souls.
Dance amid life's hills and valleys.
Encircle us with the delights of your dance.
Come, Spirit of wisdom and insight.
Draw us towards your goodness and light.
Direct our growth and guide our ways.
Come, Spirit, Strength of wounded ones.
Be warmth in hearts of those who grow cold.
Empower the powerless, rekindle the weary.
Come, Spirit, source of our peace. in us the action
of peacemakers.
Heal the divisions that ravage the earth.
*****************
INTERCESSIONS
Spirit of light, let the fire of your
wisdom burn brightly within us.
Spirit of silence, in the still moment may we be open
to God's presence.
Spirit of courage, dispel the fear that lingers in
our hearts.
Spirit of fire, engulf us with the passion of Christ's
love.
Spirit of peace, help us to be attentive to God's
word in the world.
Spirit of joy, enthuse us to proclaim aloud the Good
News.
Spirit of love, compel us to open ourselves to the
needs of others.
Spirit of power, bestow the gift of your strength
upon us.
Spirit of truth, guide us to walk in the way of Christ.
AUTUMN PSALM OF FEARLESSNESS
I am surrounded by a peaceful ebbing
as creation bows to the mystery of life;
all that grows and lives must give up life,
yet it does not really die.
as plants surrender their life,
bending, brown and wrinkled,
and yellow leaves of trees
float to my lawn like parachute troops, they do so
in a sea of serenity.
I hear no fearful cries from creation,
no screams of terror,
as death daily devours
once-green and growing life.
Peaceful and calm is autumn's swan song,
for she understands
that hidden in winter's death-grip
is spring's open-handed
full-brim breath of life.
It is not a death rattle that sounds
over fields and backyard fences;
rather I hear a lullaby
softly swaying upon the autumn wind.
Sleep in peace, all that lives;
slumber secure, all that is dying,
for in every fall there is the rise
whose sister's name is spring.
GIVING THANKS
O Divine Gift-giver,
I stand beneath the endless waterfall
of your abundant gifts to me.
I thank you especially for the blessing of life,
the most precious of all your gifts to me.
I thank you, Ever-generous One,
for clothing to wear,
for food and drink to nourish my body,
for all the talents and skills that you have bestowed
upon me.
I thank you for the many joys of my life,
for family and friends,
for work that gives to me a sense of purpose
and invests my life with meaning.
I thank you as well
for the suffering and trials of my life
which are also gifts
and which together with my mistakes are among my most
important teachers.
Grant that I may never greet a new
day
without the awareness of some gift
for which to give you thanks.
And may constant thanksgiving
be my song of perpetual praise to you.
PRAYER OF GUIDANCE
Spirit of Guidance, I see before me numerous choices
and a decision to be made.
There is division in my heart. Sometimes I want none
of what I find. Sometimes I want it all. Sometimes
I want to give up making decisions and wish that the
future would go away.
I entrust my decision-making into your hands, ready
to do my part but also knowing that I cannot do this
without your help.
Lead me through all the unsure, unclear, doubtful,
hesitant, and questioning moments that are mine as
I search to find the right way in which to go.
Grant me the grace to choose freely, without being
attached to the outcome. I trust that you will be
with me as I make my decision prayerfully and with
faith.
Assure me that your peace will rest deep within me
as I make the decision that seems best for me at this
time. I may continue to experience feelings of turmoil
and confusion, but deep within I know that I can return
to that settled place in me where you always dwell.
Guide and Director of my life, I place my life in
your hands. Lead me to the path that will best deepen
and strengthen my relationship with you.
BEWARE!
Following are the names of the Seven
Mischievous Misses who are responsible for most of
our troubles:
Miss Information,
Miss Quotation,
Miss Representation,
Miss Interpretation,
Miss Construction,
Miss Conception,
Miss Understanding.
Beware!
LORD, MAY YOUR SPIRIT BURN WITHIN ME
Lord, you burn like a flame within us,
Flame of energy and inspiration,
Living flame of love.
Yet like a flame you can be quenched by our pride,
Smothered by our selfish ways, by our sins.
There are times we prefer other things,
When we prefer to live without
The glow of your love within,
The flame of your goodness shining on us,
The light of your presence,
Times when we prefer
The ways of darkness.
Yet how can we live without your love, Lord?
Help me to hold on to what is good.
Help me not to quench your Spirit.
May your Spirit burn within me.
SPIRIT OF LIGHT
Spirit of Light,
Come in the depths of my Winter,
Come illumine my soul,
Cast your warm glow
Over snow, when chill mist
Hangs in the air
and I am cold within,
When faith's worn thin
And my spirit's bare and weary.
Come, illumine my soul;
Shine upon my dreariness
Glow warm on my frozen spirit,
Revive me, Spirit of Light!
PRAYER FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL
May the Love of the Spirit
Enfold you;
May the Strength of the Spirit
Uphold you;
May the Peace of the Spirit
Refresh you;
May the Joy of the Spirit
Uplift you;
May the Light of the Spirit
Shine on you;
May the Mercy of the Spirit
Rekindle you;
May the Spirit renew your innermost being.
HOLY SPIRIT, RENEW US!
Come, Holy Spirit,
Renew us with your gifts!
Heal our brokenness
Wash our guilt away;
Pour down your wisdom,
Guide us when we stray.
Instill your peace within us,
Watch over us in need,
Move our hearts to goodness,
Inspire our every deed. Amen.
HOLY SPIRIT, TAKE AWAY MY FEAR
Lord, I am fearful of so many things,
I'm fearful of other people,
And the way they can hurt me,
And what they can say about me,
Fearful of crime and mugging,
Sickness, disease,
Fearful of life itself.
I'm afraid of myself too.
Afraid of my own reactions to things,
My own emotions, my future.
I feel so insecure at times.
And sometimes I'm fearful of you, Lord.
Because my sins weigh me down,
And I wonder about the consequences
Of my actions in life, their harm,
Their effects on others,
And on my relationship with you.
Lord please send your Spirit
To take my fears away
So I may rest peaceful and calm,
Like a soft Summer's morn.
ENCOUNTERING DEPRESSION
Giver of life,
I am in the wasteland of depression.
I cry out to you, Source of Solace,
as I meet this empty void within me.
Sustain me as I try to exist
in this day-to-day dying
of my energy and vitality.
Wrap your arms around me.
Carry me through this bleak journey.
Help me to stay open to your love.
I rely on you. I lean on you.
I trust you to hold me close
as I stumble on this joyless path.
EXPERIENCING LOSS
All-Embracing Love,
your circle of strength is around me.
I ask for grace to yield to the reality of this loss.
I pray to surrender to what cannot be changed.
I beg for deliverance from the emotional drain
and the unyielding sadness that this loss has brought me.
Let peace return.
Let hope begin.
Let comfort be mine.
PAIN IS A TREASURE
Pain is a treasure, for it contains mercies;
The kernel is soft when the rind is scraped off.
O brother, the place of darkness and cold
Is the fountain of Life and the cup of ecstasy.
So also is the endurance of pain and sickness and disease,
For from abasement proceeds exaltation.
The spring seasons are hidden in the autumns,
And the autumns are charged with springs.
PEACE
Peace demands a mentality and a spirit which, before turning to others, must first permeate him who wishes to bring peace. Peace is first and foremost personal, before it is social. And it is precisely this spirit of peace which is the duty of every true follower of Christ to cultivate.
(John Paul 11)
If we wish to have true peace, we must give it a soul. The soul of peace is love. It is love that gives life to peace, more than victory or defeat, more than self-interest or fear or weariness or need. The soul of peace is love, which for us believers comes from the love of God and exercises itself in love for men.
(John Paul 11)
Keep your heart in peace; let nothing in this world disturb it; all things have an end.
In all circumstances, however hard they may be, we should rejoice rather than be cast down, that we may not lose the greatest good, the peace and tranquility of our soul.
If the whole world and all that is in it were thrown into confusion, disquietude on that account would be vanity; because that disquietude would do more harm than good.
To endure all things with an equable and peaceful mind, not only brings with it many blessings to the soul, but also enables us, in the midst of our difficulties, to have a clear judgement about them, and to minister the fitting remedy for them.
(St John of the Cross)
A very powerful and efficacious medicament, and the means to purify ourselves from every imperfection, to overcome all temptations and to preserve in our heart imperturbable peace, is conformity to the will of God.
(St Vincent de Paul)
Order and the beauty of peace go together. The fair flower of peace does not grow among the weeds of an ill-regulated life. The radiance of a deeper serenity is the product of disciplining both in the heart and in outward affairs.
(G.H. Norling)
POETIC PRAYER
Take me to the lair of your loveliness
To the place that is no place
Where there is song without singing
And love without word.
Take me where I want to be.
Take me into your boundless Being
Where no thought limits.
Take me into my deepest heart
That opens into You.
There at the centre of all loveliness
Will I be lovely.
Of all the holiness will I be holy.
Of all the peace will I be peaceful.
There will I be your begotten.
There will I be we!
MEDITATION
Gift, all gift, your giving.
Let me open to receive:
Stretch me to infinity,
That I hold the all of You.
No time pass, so no thing change,
Eternal and infinite in your nothingness,
That in the stillness, all motion,
And in the silence, every sound.
Let no thought despoil.
For how can You be in thought?
Let no word ruin, word is my making.
Only silence, stillness - open to love.
Beloved, make a forced entry if You must
But gift me with your Presence.
GIVE YOURSELF THE RIGHT TO
SUFFER
Being unhappy in today's society is not popular.
In fact, judging by the ads on television, finding
happiness should be our main goal.
We want to be happy no matter what the cost. This
is why we put our elders in institutions and our sick
in hospitals so we don't have to face our suffering.
We ask funeral homes to make our deceased look good
so we don't have to see the face of death.
We abhor suffering and fear. We are ashamed of our
pain and our sadness.
Give yourself permission to mourn, to weep and to
be depressed for a while, even if, as a child, your
parents forbade you to cry or be sad. If you find
it hard to let yourself cry, try watching a sad movie
to release your tears and your pain. Share your feelings
with people who are wise, people who can accept your
situation because they have been through it and know
what you are experiencing, people who know they can't
make it better except by listening.
This state is temporary. With support and encouragement
to express yourself, you will begin to feel better.
GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO HEAL AT YOUR OWN
PACE
You will find that very few people around you can
tolerate your suffering. They want you to feel better,
to forget, to accept, to distract yourself.
They will try to prevent you from hurting. Yet, you
must understand that you have every right to go through
this painful experience.
Consequently you should avoid hiding your feelings
behind a composed front, a pretend smile, a false
attitude.
Avoid mixing with people who have
denied their own pain, or who display the physical
and mental signs of repressed grief, such as stiffness,
rigidity, depression, fatigue, psychosomatic pain
or illness.
Regardless of the theories on the stages and the length
of the grieving process, remember that your experience
is unique. Performance and speed are not to be judged.
You have the right to deal with your grief in your
own way and at your own pace.
HEALING OF HURTFUL MEMORIES
Return to some unpleasant event of the recent
past, no matter how trifling. Relive the experience.
Now place yourself before Christ Crucified. Do not
speak . . . Only look and contemplate . . . If you
must communicate, do so without words . . .
Keep communicating between the unpleasant event and
the scene of Jesus on the Cross for a few minutes
. . . Then end the exercise.
PRAYER
The purpose of all prayer is to uplift the
words,
to return them to their source above.
The world was created
by the downward flow of letters:
The task of man is to form those letters into words
and take them back to God.
If you come to know this duel process,
your prayer may be joined
to the constant flow of Creation -
word to word, voice to voice,
breath to breath, thought to thought.
The words fly upward and come to Him.
As God turns to look at the ascending word,
life flows through all the worlds
and prayer receives its answer.
All this happens in an instant
and all this happens continually;
Time has no meaning in the sight of God.
The divine spring is ever-flowing;
one who is ready can make himself into a channel
to receive the waters from above.
LOVE POEM TO GOD
I love you, gentlest of Ways,
who ripened us as we wrestled with you.
You, the great homesickness we could
never shake off,
you, the forest that always surrounded us,
you, the song we sang in every silence,
you dark net threading through us,
You began yourself so greatly
on that day when you began us -
and we have so ripened in your sunlight,
spreading far and firmly planted -
that now in all people, angels, madonnas,
you can decide: the work is done.
Let your hand rest on the rim of Heaven
now
and mutely bear the darkness we bring over you.
HOLY SPIRIT, MAKE ME HOLY
Holy Spirit, reveal yourself to me
In the depths of my being,
In the working of my mind,
In the feelings in my heart.
Purge my inner self
That I may be filled
With the wonder of your love;
Sanctify my every thought,
That I may be enfolded
In the splendour of your goodness;
Purify my every feeling,
That I may be worthy to behold your glory.
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
HEAVY BURDENS
Jesus, Rest for the Weary,
the heaviness of my burden overwhelms me.
the immensity of this situation
presses down upon me.
The weight of the pain I carry
crushes my hopeful vision of life.
I long for an easing of my distress.
Let me hear again
your promising words of comfort.
Speak them to my heart:
"Come to me all of you who are weary,
and carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest"(Matt.11:28).
I lean my burdened life
of the bosom of your love
and wait to be consoled.
GOD'S EMBRACE
Guardian of the Wounded,
wrap me in your embrace.
Hold me close to your heart
and assure me of your love.
Protect my sore spirit.
Ease the pain that it holds.
You are always ready
to embrace me,
no matter how hurt or desolate
my heart may be.
I will trust you with my pain.
I will rest in your solace.
I will take refuge in your love.
TEACH US TO LIVE
God of love - Forgive! Forgive!
Teach us how to truly live,
Ask us not our race or creed,
Just take us in our hour of need ,
And let us know You love us, too,
And that we are a part of You...
And someday may man realise
That all the earth, the seas and skies
Belong to God who made us all,
The rich , the poor, the great, the small.
And in the Father's Holy Sight
No man is yellow, black or white,
And peace on earth cannot be found
Until we meet on common ground
And every man becomes a brother
Who worships God and loves each other.
GOOD EXAMPLE
Parents cannot be content just to tell our
children the right way to live; they must set the
example themselves. It's no use parents warning teenagers
about the dangers of drink if parents cannot control
the use of drink themselves. It's no use expecting
children to be responsible about food, money or clothes
if parents are self-indulgent and spendthrift themselves.
Instead of just telling children what the Christian
way is, parents must live the Christian way with them.
Dear parents, you are the parents over your children.
You are also Christians with them. Children will get
their ideas about what it means to be a Christian
much more from how they see their parents living than
from what their parents tell them, or from what they
are taught in school, or even what they hear in church.
