PARISH BULLETIN – 1st Sunday of Advent – 29th November 2020
SUNDAY MASSES
VIGIL MASS
Holy Rosary, Draperstown: 6.15 pm [webcam]
SUNDAY
St. Mary’s, Coolcalm: 10 am [webcam]
Holy Rosary, Draperstown: 12 noon [webcam]
DAILY MASS TIMES FOR THIS WEEK [webcam only]
Holy Rosary Church: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday ~ 10 am; Friday ~ 7.30 pm.
St. Mary’s Church, Coolcalm: Tuesday and Thursday ~ 7.30 pm; Friday ~ 10 am.
All Masses in St. Mary’s, Coolcalm are transmitted live via the Desertmartin parish webcam:
https://www.churchservices.tv/Desertmartin
All Masses in the Holy Rosary Church are transmitted live on the Ballinascreen parish webcam:
https://www.churchservices.tv/Draperstown
____________________________________________________________
DEATHS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Please remember in your prayers:
Seamus Scullion, 27 Brackalislea Road, who died on Saturday.
Mary Gunning, Brian Coll, Jackie O’Connor and Penny Morgan who died recently.
Terence McKay whose Month’s Mind occurs at this time.
Pat McBride and Baby Roseanne Molloy whose First Anniversaries occur at this time.
Tommy O’Kane, John Joe O’Hagan, Rose Walls, Baby Jude Trainor and May McGuigan whose anniversaries occur at this time.
____________________________________________________________
THANK YOU for your generous contributions to the Parish.
Last Week:
Sunday Collection/Priests’ Collection envelopes: £950.00.
Restoration Fund envelopes: £105.00.
Mission Sunday Collection envelopes: £20.00 (Total so far: £800.00)
Many thanks to all who have returned parish envelopes, established standing orders, have made online payments or used the ‘Donate’ button on the Parish Website. Your generosity is vital to the parish and is appreciated very, very much.
ST. VINCENT de PAUL
If you would like to make a donation, please put it in an envelope marked ‘St. Vincent de Paul’ and drop it through the letterbox at the Parochial House. Thank you.
The Parish is having a CHRISTMAS DRAW. There will be draws every day of the 12 days between Christmas Day and Tuesday 5th January 2021. Everyone’s ticket will be in for all the draws, which means you have 33 chances to win prizes. Total prize fund is £5,000. TICKETS are £20 each, available from:
- Heron’s Gift Shop, Draperstown,
- Moneyneena Post Office,
- and from McGirr at the Parochial House, 50 Tobermore Road.
A ticket would make a nice Christmas gift to send inside your Christmas cards to members of your family and friends this Christmastime.
PRIZES ~ on the first 10 days there are 3 prizes each day of £100. On 11th Day the draw will be for 2 prizes of £500 and on the 12th and last Day of Christmas there is one final prize of £1,000. Please let your family and friends know about our special Christmas Draw.
Last year’s Christmas Draw went a long way in funding the lining of the car park and other works at St. Patrick’s Church, Keenaught and the re-dressing of the entrance at St. Mary’s Church, Coolcalm. Thank you for all your generous support last Christmas. This year’s Draw will be essential to helping with the basic running of the parish during these times into 2021.
SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES
To comply with the Northern Ireland Executive’s latest Covid 19 restrictions that all churches must close for public worship from Friday 27th November to Friday 11th December (with the exception of weddings and funerals with 25 people present), All Masses this week in Desertmartin and Ballinascreen will be celebrated behind closed doors and available only on parish webcams.
On Saturday and Sunday (28th/29th Nov. and 5th/6th Dec.), Masses will be at the following times on webcam only:
SATURDAY VIGIL:
Holy Rosary Church ~ 6.15 pm.
SUNDAY:
St. Mary’s, Coolcalm ~ 10 am.
Holy Rosary Church ~ 12 noon.
For Advent the Weekday Masses will be at the following times and places, only on webcam:
HOLY ROSARY CHURCH:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday ~ 10 am.
Monday evening ~ 7.30 pm (Annual Mass for the Deceased).
Friday evening ~ 7.30 pm.
COOLCALM:
Tuesday and Thursday evening ~ 7.30 pm.
Friday ~ 10 am.
ANNUAL MASS FOR THE DECEASED
On Monday 30th November at 7.30 pm a special Mass for all our Deceased Family and Friends from Desertmartin and Ballinascreen will be broadcast from Holy Rosary Church at https://www.churchservices.tv/Draperstown. At this Mass the names of all who have died, were waked or buried in Desertmartin and Ballinascreen since All Souls’ Day 2019 will be read out. All who have been enrolled in the Online Book of Remembrance will be prayed for at this Mass also.
ST. MARY’S, COOLCALM
St. Mary’s, Coolcalm, will be open for private prayer this week on Wednesday from 11 am to 1 pm.
Please wear a face covering while entering and leaving the church. When you call into the church please pick up a coloured card at the door on the way to your seat. When you have finished praying please leave the card behind on your seat. That seat will be cleaned later in the day. Thank you.
PARISH ANNIVERSARY MASS
If parishioners in Desertmartin and Ballinascreen wish to have their loved one prayed for at the 10 am Mass in Coolcalm or the 7.30 pm Mass in Holy Rosary 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. Due to new regulations these Masses will currently be only available on the 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.
VOLUNTEERS WELCOME
Thank you to those volunteering to help with stewarding and implementing the new Covid guidelines at our Masses. We would greatly appreciate more help with our weekend Masses and especially at our funerals. More volunteers are necessary to us having our churches open for our public Masses and they would be very welcome. You’re welcome to assist with the cleaning of seats after a Mass you attend. Thank you.
READERS AND EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS
Mindful that some Readers of the Word of God and Eucharistic Ministers may not be available to offer their services at this time, those who can are asked to please email the Parish Office as soon as possible giving name, address, and telephone number and the church they usually attend. Thank you very much. Email Address: desertmartinparish@gmail.com
SACRED HEART MESSENGER
A digital edition of ‘The Messenger’ is available to subscribers. A digital subscription costs just €15 per year and we hope you will decide to subscribe if you are not currently a subscriber. Contact Coordinator, Elizabeth Foley, on 00353 87 230 9219 or email: e.foley@messenger.ie.
‘TOTUS TUUS’ MAGAZINE
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the ‘Totus Tuus’ magazine is now being delivered straight to your door. If you would like to start receiving ‘Totus Tuus’ to your home, then please phone Fiona on 00353 86 876 0058.
BALLINASCREEN PADRE PIO COMMITTEE
The Padre Pio Mass continues every Monday at 7.30 pm from St. Columba’s Church, Longtower, Derry at http://longtowerchurch.org/webcam/
ONLINE YOUTH PROGRAMMES
To access a wide variety of initiatives and activities by Derry Diocesan Youth, visit: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DerryDiocesanYouth/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derryyouth/
DIOCESAN PRAYER RESOURCES FOR ADVENT
These resources have been created by the Derry Diocese in conjunction with the Northern Pastoral Network for family prayer during Advent. A family prayer booklet with the Gospel for each Sunday of Advent with a family activity, prayers and a reflection can be downloaded at: https://www.derrydiocese.org/news/advent-prayer-service-for-use-at-home
Other family activities for Advent, including prayers and how to create an Advent Wreath, are available on the Catechetical Centre website.
THE NET – NOVEMBER 2020
WITH the Covid-19 restrictions still in place, the November edition of ‘The Net’ will only be available on the Diocesan website – https://www.derrydiocese.org/news/the-net-november-2020
However, the publication will be available again in parishes when the restrictions are lifted. Email enquiries to editorthenet15@gmail.com
Coverage in this month’s edition includes:
- Derry Youth Online – Youth Alpha.
- Derry teenager, Gemma Gallagher shares how faith and art helped during lockdown.
- St. Cecilia’s shining lights by Bernadette O’Mianain.
- Thornhill recognises pupils’ Mercy Moments during lockdown by Ciara Collins.
- Carndonagh school chaplain, Serena Doherty, offers encouragement following stressful first term.
- These days won’t last forever – Covid-19 poem by Anna Alice Nugent.
- Clonleigh schools create beautiful Mission Month display.
- St. Columba’s, Sixtowns’ pupils love exploring and caring for creation by Nicole Kelly.
- JPII Reflections.
- Thoughts on beatification of Carlo Acutis by Oisin Mulhern, Hollie Frystal, Gemma Gallagher, Zara Schlindwein and Charlotte Gormley.
- Hollie Frystal writes about ‘Exploring Christus Vivit’.
- Class on and off pitch from Liverpool Club legend by Peter Grant.
- Focus on Mary’s Meals by Hollie Frystal, Zara Schlindwein and Shaciara McCallion.
- Bishop Donal sees youth as shining light of hope.
- Children’s Catechism Club – C3 by Veronica Harley.
- Greencastle shepherd happy to minister to Badoney Lower faithful.
- Icon blessing a special occasion for Omagh Polish community.
- Beautiful stained glass windows complete Lavey Chapel works.
- Lockdown led to amazing cemetery and chapel works in Magilligan.
- Newtownstewart pilgrims conquer Binevenagh for Church spire fund.
- Parish Feature Part 4.
- Ministry in Derry best years of my religious life so far – Fr. Columba Jordan, C.F.R.
- Living Disciples and St. Brigid’s College pay tribute to Fr. Columba.
- Former ‘wee blue shop’ owner, P. T. McKeever, enjoys some sweet treats on 100th birthday.
- Codetta Chorister, Rebecca O’Doherty, shares Derry Choir Festival experience.
- Keeping the music alive, Allegri prepares for Christmas extravaganza.
- My faith journey by Fr. Neil Farren.
- Ceiliuradh na bhFirean – Irish section by Fr. Oliver Crilly.
- Reflection on the progress of Artificial Intelligence by Roisin Rice.
- Life behind the cloister door by Fr. Stephen Quinn, O.C.D.
- A Word of God for your family life by Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.
- Prayers and Reflection by Vera McFadden.
- Quiz Time with Lawrence.
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
As you can’t come to a regular Stress Control class 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 (dates below). Each Session will remain available on the YouTube channel for 48 hours after the start time. 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://ni.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’. If 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.
Life is very hard for us just now and there are no easy solutions or magic cures, but, with hard work and determination, we can boost our resilience to cope with these difficult times and come out the other end stronger. Please pass this on to anyone who you think might benefit from the class.
