Family masses: will be starting again on Sunday, 1st October at 11am in St Mary’s, celebrating the Season of Creation. The next Family Masses are planned for 19th November and 10th December. Everyone is welcome! If you or any of your family members would like to take part, please let us know by sending a message to the Parish Office. This could be    reading, saying a prayer, being part of the offertory procession, playing music or singing. Children and young people of all ages as well as parents and grandparents or any family member are encouraged to participate in these activities.

First Friday Mass on Friday 6th October at 10am in St Molua’s.

The Season of Creation runs until October 4th. The following is from the Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis, Laudato Si “The created things of this world are not free of ownership: ‘For they are yours, O Lord, who love the living’. This is the  basis of our conviction that, as part of the universe, called into being by one Father, all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect. Here I would reiterate that ‘God has joined us so closely to the world around us that we can feel the desertification of the soil almost as a physical ailment, and the extinction of a species as a painful disfigurement’. This is not to put all  living beings on the same level nor to deprive human beings of their unique worth and the tremendous responsibility it entails. Nor does it imply a divinisation of the earth which would prevent us from working on it and protecting it in its fragility. Such notions would end up creating new imbalances and would deflect us from the reality which challenges us. At times we see an obsession with denying any pre-eminence to the humas person; more zeal is shown in protecting other species than in defending the dignity which all human beings share in equal measure. Certainly, we should be concerned lest other living beings be treated irresponsibly. But we should be particularly indignant at the enormous inequalities in our midst, whereby we continue to tolerate some considering themselves more worthy than others. We fail to see that some are mired in desperate and degrading poverty, with no way out, while others have not the faintest idea of what to do with their possessions, vainly showing all their supposed superiority and leaving behind them so much waste which, if it were the case everywhere, would destroy the planet. In practice, we continue to tolerate that some consider themselves more human than others, as if they had been born with greater rights”.

First Friday Visits: We invite sick or housebound parishioners who would like to arrange a First Friday visit from the priest to please call Kieran on 087 9302214 or the parish office on 085 877 9113. Also, those who are currently on the list might contact us again to confirm their details.

Hospital Visits: If anyone has family members in hospitals in the region at present and would like them to receive a visit from the priest please call Kieran on 087 9302214 or the parish office on 085 877 9113.

Altar Servers – contact the Parish Office if your child would like to serve at mass.

Your Parish Needs you! Volunteer today! Some people have given decades of service in this way and we are now all asked to  consider how we might be able to help in whatever way we can. We are particularly looking to recruit new and previous volunteers as Sacristans, Readers, Eucharistic ministers and Cleaners at this time. If you would like to volunteer or to know more please contact Joanne in Parish office.

Lectio Divina is finished for the summer and will be back in September. Contact Olivia @0876380201

Contributions: Thanks for your continued financial support of the parish at this time, your support is greatly appreciated in these difficult times. A number of payments have been received through the diocesan online donation facility and we are very grateful.

Pastoral Minister: Michael Daly – 086 3813677 email: mdaly178@gmail.com – Our recently appointed Pastoral Minister for the Inis Cealtra Pastoral Area, Michael Daly, introduced himself at Masses recently. We wish Michael the very best in his new role and we hope to work closely and effectively with him in the coming years.

The new graveyard extension is now completed and graves are available for purchase. If you are interested in buying a plot you can contact one of the following; Michael McNamara -086 8202917 or Ger O’Brien – 087 6349429 or Pat O’Brien – 087 7924202Readers: Can you please check with the celebrant before Mass.

Baptisms: Bookings for baptisms are now being accepted; please contact the Parish Office or Fr Dariusz.

Anniversary Masses: If you wish to book an anniversary Mass you can do so through Joanne at the parish office.

Planning to get married ? You need to give at least six months notice for the completion of church and civil papers and so it would be a good idea to contact Fr Dariusz to chat through the necessary requirements. This applies whether you are getting married in the parish, elsewhere in Ireland or overseas.

Inis Cealtra Pastoral Area comprises of the parishes of O’gonnelloe, Bodyke, Scariff, Mountshannon/Whitegate, Feakle & Flagmount-Killanena. Fr Joe McMahon & Fr Kieran Blake are co-parish priests for the area who work together with Fr John Jones, Fr James O’Brien, Fr Jackie Sharpe.

Thank you for your co-operation and understanding.