PARISH BULLETIN – 5th Sunday of Easter – 10th May 2020
DEATHS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Please remember in your prayers:
Sue Moran, 38 Iniscarn Road, who was buried during the week.
Michael Toner, Liam McColgan, Kathleen Burns, Celine Arkins, Monny McSorley and Josie McNally who died recently.
&
First Anniversary – Susan Toner
John McGuigan, Michael McKay, Marie Donnelly, Maggie McBride, Henry McElwee, Patrick Armour, William Armour, Michael Burns, Frank McKenna, Margaret McKenna, Kevin Murphy, John McGuigan, Malachy O’Brien and Charlie Donnelly whose anniversaries occur at this time.
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CEMETERY SUNDAY
Due to the Coronavirus restrictions, Cemetery Sunday in both Desertmartin and Ballinascreen Parishes has been deferred to a later date. There will be NO Cemetery Sunday in Desertmartin at the end of May.
PARISH SUPPORT
As the Coronavirus pandemic shows no sign of abating just yet and we may be unable to gather in large numbers for some more considerable time, we need to keep the matter of parish financial support in mind.
- The current box of Collection Envelopes people have continues until the end of August. Those who contribute with a church collection envelope, you are welcome to put them through the Parochial House letterbox at any time. Thank you to everyone who has dropped in collection envelopes.
- If you don’t have a collection envelope but would like to donate to the Parish, you can put your donation in an ordinary envelope and drop it in through the Parochial House letterbox at any time.
- If you would like to set up a standing order/direct debit, please contact us for a mandate.
- The option of paying online is in the process of being set up.
- If you find yourself unable to make a financial contribution under the present circumstances, then please support our parish and its mission with your prayers.
Anyone who would like to donate to St. Vincent de Paul can put their donation in an ordinary envelope marked ‘St. Vincent de Paul’ and put it through the Parochial House letterbox. It will be passed on to the local society.
THANK YOU for your contributions to the Parish:
Last Week –
Sunday Collection/Priests Collection envelopes: £615.00.
Restoration Fund envelopes: £160.00.
The Month of April totals –
Sunday Collection/Priests Collection envelopes: £2,275.00.
Restoration Fund Envelopes: £310.00.
Your generous financial support of the parish in these times is very much appreciated.
HOLY HOUR on Monday 11th May at 3 pm from the Holy Rosary Church. You’re welcome to join in with this time of prayer via the Ballinascreen Parish webcam at www.parishofballinascreen.com.
PARISH ANNIVERSARY MASS
If parishioners in Desertmartin and Ballinascreen wish to have their loved one prayed for at the 10 am Mass in Holy Rosary or the 7.30 pm Mass in Coolcalm on a Friday, phone the Desertmartin Parish Office answering machine on 028 7939 7047 or email desertmartinparish@gmail.com by 12 noon on Thursday of the relevant week. These Masses from the Holy Rosary and Coolcalm may be viewed on the respective Parish webcams:
For Coolcalm go to www.desertmartinparish.com and click on the blue webcam button.
For Holy Rosary, go to www.parishofballinascreen.com and click on the word ‘webcams’ in yellow.
Other church webcams can be accessed at www.mcnmedia.tv.
THE MESSENGER
Messenger Publications is offering a free online copy of the May edition of ‘The Messenger’, given that it’s impossible to distribute the paper copy in the usual manner. To access the May edition, visit: https://issuu.com/messengerpublications/docs/05_messenger_may_2020.
If you would like to set up a Subscription to ‘The Messenger’ and have it POSTED to you, contact Coordinator, Elizabeth Foley on 00353 87 230 9219 or email: e.foley@messenger.ie. A year’s subscription is £37.
PARISH BAPTISMS
In accordance with the Government statement and guidelines issued by Bishop McKeown, there will be no baptisms until further notice. Baptisms will resume as soon as possible, but we ask parents not to be anxious. It is customary nowadays for children to be baptised many weeks and months after they are born. Parents can bless their children with the Sign of the Cross morning and evening and recite the Guardian Angel Prayer for them:
Angel of God
My guardian dear
To whom God’s love
Commits me here
Ever this day
Be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide. Amen.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Resources are available on the Derry Diocesan Catechetical website to help families, young people and children to continue to engage with their Faith Formation during this time. Log on to www.catecheticalcentre.org.
Primary School Resources: https://catecheticalcentre.org/category/primary-school-resources/
Post Primary School Resources: https://catecheticalcentre.org/category/post-primary-school-resources/
Youth Resources: https://catecheticalcentre.org/category/youth-resources/
THE NET – MAY 2020
With the Covid-19 restrictions still in place, the May edition of ‘The Net’ will only be
available on the Diocesan website at this stage – ww.derrydiocese.org. However, the publication will be available again in parishes when the restrictions are lifted.
Coverage in this month’s edition includes:
- JPII updates from Clonmany and Iskaheen
- Youth Ministry online
- Schools maintaining spiritual support for pupils
- Diocesan Catechetical team keeping focus on faith
- Drawing God feature – a catalyst for more God talk
- Iskaheen JPII leader reflects on parish life as extension of family life
- Building ‘new normal’ centred on Christ by Davog McCaffrey
- Surviving lockdown by Lizzie Rea
- Sr Clare Crockett’s family overwhelmed by depth of devotion
- Bellaghy blessed with amazing music ministry by Mgr Andy Dolan
- Ministry in Lockdown by Fr Eddie Gallagher
- Maghera reflection time source of comfort
- Parishioners praise their ‘unsung heroes’
- Faughanvale reflection on Fatima
- Online prayer important link with parish community by Fr Colum Clerkin
- Ballymagroarty teacher, Delma Boggs shares devotion to Our Lady
- Internet services big hit in Ardstraw East
- Culmore parishioner, Michelle Burns shares faith story
- Parish Post-its
- Irish Page by Fr Oliver Crilly – Críost Mhachaire Rátha
- Parishes celebrate Divine Mercy
- Fr Gerard Mongan reflects on Our Lady’s last recorded words
- A Word of God for Your Family Life by Fr Johnny Doherty CSsR
- Derry couple enjoy golden years after Marriage Encounter enrichment
- Tribute to late Fr John McNamara OCD
- Children’s Catechism Club by Veronica Harley
- Bishop Donal on staying prayerful and open to God’s promptings
- Maytime contemplation in lockdown by Patricia McCormack
- Boats that sailed by Vera McFadden
- Trocaire Feature by Caoimhe de Barra CEO
- Quiz Time with Lawrence.
For inclusion of your faith news in future editions just email: editorthenet15@gmail.com
STRESS CONTROL ONLINE
Stress is a normal reaction to the rapidly changing and uncertain times we are all living in at the moment. If you are feeling a bit more stressed than usual and would like to learn some great ways, free-of-charge, to deal with common problems like anxiety, depression, panicky feelings, poor sleep and poor wellbeing then come along to our online Stress Control class. ‘Stress Control’ is a six-session cognitive-behavioural therapy class used extensively in community-settings by the NHS (UK) and HSE (Ireland) and across the world. You can find out more here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVRme6oWZT2hsCYaSergGw
Due to the current circumstances, Stress Control will come to you and live stream the sessions. Each session will play twice a day (at 2 pm and repeated at 8.30 pm) for two consecutive days beginning on Monday the 11th May (dates in picture below). The sessions will be led by Dr Jim White, consultant clinical psychologist, who created the class and who has taught most of the NHS (UK) and HSE (Ireland) trainers who would normally be running classes across the country.
To take part:
- Go to https://stresscontrol.org/ where you can learn more about the class and get the dates. Everything you need to successfully complete the class – the booklets, self-assessment, relaxation and mindfulness – can be found in the ‘Free zone’. I f you can, please read, and start working on, the booklets in the ‘Preparing for the course’ section before Session 1.
- On the homepage, click on the ‘Stress Control 2020’ link to access our YouTube channel where the classes will be available to view at the scheduled times. If you click the ‘Subscribe’ button on our YouTube page (free), you will receive notifications when a new session is available. You can also follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_BKErJ_jlSQHKFtHPCRmEctDtcNCCowB
- The session will begin exactly on time, so make sure you are there from the start. Sessions run for about 90 minutes and there will be a 10 minute break in the middle.
- Each session is one piece of the jigsaw in tackling your Stress. By coming to each class, the jigsaw will form, and the big picture can emerge, making you better able to handle your stress. This is cognitive-behavioural therapy so it is crucial you practice the skills you will learn between sessions.
