Second Sunday In Ordinary Time 15th January 2023
Anniversary & Month’s Mind Masses
Mass will be offered for the following people on the occasion of an Anniversary or Month’s Mind. We remember them, their families and loved ones in our prayers.
Sunday 15th January 10.00am William McCauley
Sunday 15th January 12.00Noon James Tonner & Deceased Members of Tonner Family
Monday 16th January 10.00am Hugh & Margaret Dalton
Monday 16th January 7.30pm Stella Healy
Tuesday 17th January 10.00am Mary Ellen Berry & Deceased Members of Berry Family
Tuesday 17th January 7.30pm Eddie Ryan & Deceased Members of Ryan Family
Wednesday 18th January 10.00am Margaret McDermott
Wednesday 18th January 7.30pm Tony McDaid
Thursday 19th January 10.00am Maureen Healy-Broad
Thursday 19th January 7.30pm Rosaleen McGilloway
Friday 20th January 10.00am Geraldine McBride
Friday 20th January 7.30pm Patrick Doherty
Saturday 21st January 10.00am Nilia Gonzalez
Rest In Peace: We extend our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of; Eileen Robinson- Drumcliffe Avenue, Michael Lapham-Abbotts Walk, Raymond Martin- Craigavon & Christine Doherty- Kylemore Park.
Baptisms: We welcome into the family of God; Ruairi O’Kane & Aoibhíe Gillespie. To book a Baptism, please contact the parish office for dates.
LAST WEEK’S ENVELOPE COLLECTION AMOUNTED TO £2723.00
LAST WEEK’S RENOVATION COLLECTION AMOUNTED TO £862.00
Parish Office: You can contact the Parish Office by Phone on 028-71262301 or via email longtower@derrydiocese.org.
Visitation of the Sick. For urgent sick calls please contact the parish office on 028-71262301 or 02871262894.
‘Casting a Long Shadow’ is a book charting the People’s History of the Long Tower Church. On sale in Aras Cholmcille or from Long Tower Parish Office. Cost £20.00.
Colmcille Ladies Choir are recruiting new members for the 2023 season. For more information contact Anne 07913383475.
Derry Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2023, led by Bishop Donal McKeown, will go direct from City of Derry Airport. 3rd to 7th July, four nights full board in the Hotel Agena: £745 sharing, £35 single supplement. Travel insurance up to age 79-£39. Age 80 to 94-£78. (Pilgrims may wish to use their own insurance). Further details and payment arrangements will be available in the new year via the Lourdes Pilgrimage Office, 164 Bishop Street, Derry, derrypilgrim@outlook.com, Tel: 02871 260 293.
The Long Tower Parish recognises and upholds the dignity and rights of all children and is committed to ensuring their safety and wellbeing. We are committed to safeguarding as an integral part of the life and ministry of the Church and recognise that we also have a special responsibility towards all vulnerable people who are members of our faith community. Our Parish Safe-Guarding Representatives are Mrs Rita Moore and Ms Josephine Brown. If you have any concerns with regard to Safeguarding children or adults in need of protection within the Church please contact Marie Gormley, the Diocesan Designated Liaison Person (DLP) Tel: NI 075 96500 793 / ROI (0044) 75 96500 793 or at mariegormley@derrydiocese.org. Additional contact numbers: Northern Ireland: PSNI Tel: 101 or Social Services Western HSC Trust Tel +442871314090 (Ask for Duty Social Worker). Republic of Ireland: Garda Síochána, Buncrana +353749320540 or Letterkenny HQ +353749167100. TUSLA Family & Child Agency, Buncrana+353749320420 or Letterkenny +353749123672.
Pilgrimage to San Giovanni & Rome: As part of St Eugene’s Cathedral 150th Anniversary Celebrations, Bishop Donal McKeown will lead a pilgrimage to San Giovanni & Rome from 25th – 30th September 2023. Visiting the birthplace of Padre Pio, Shrine of St Michael Archangel, St Peter’s Basilica and other important sites. Price is £879pps (Single room supplement £150). For more details, email info@marian.ie or call Belfast on (028) 956 80005 or Dublin on (01) 878 8159.
Accord Derry: Marriage Preparation Workshops January – March 2023, January 30th/31st 2023, February 6th/7th 2023, February 20th/21st 2023, March 6th/7th 2023 & March 27th/28th 202. Courses can be booked online at www.accordni.com. All of the above courses are VIRTUAL.
You can now return your Children in Crossfire coin boxes or donations to the chapel or directly to Children in Crossfire, St. Joseph’s Place, Derry. Your donations this year will go a long way in helping to provide safe, clean water to thousands of people living in rural communities in Ethiopia, making a transformative difference in their lives.
The next Rosary on the Coast will be held at 3pm on Sunday 15th January at Benone Strand, Limavady, left hand side as usual. All Rosary Coasters and new members welcome. For details, Call- 077 303 30028.
NI Cancer Pilgrimage to Lourdes. Sunday 28th May to Friday 2nd June 2023
The price of £799 (with price reduction for Cancer Patients) will include: Return flights from Belfast International Airport, operated by Northern Star Travel Ltd. Full board and accommodation at the Hotel Agena in Lourdes for five nights based on twin/double/triple rooms. Service of JWT guides in Lourdes. The party will consist of patients, ex-patients, relatives and friends accompanied by medical, nursing and other staff. To enquire or to obtain a booking form please speak to a member of the committee on Tel. 078746 88388 or email mail@nicancerpilgrimage.org.uk.
This weekend, Bishop Donal McKeown, Bishop of Derry publishes a Pastoral Letter to the people of the Diocese of Derry ‘God has plans for His people. Join in the Mission of Prayer, Exploration and Renewal.’ Bishop McKeown invites “all our local parishes to have prayerful discussions about how each can explore and review our way of being Church so that we: Build an open and welcoming community, reaching those who feel like outsiders in our churches; Grow in faith together throughout our lives; and Make Jesus known and loved.
“Faith means believing that God is at work, even in difficult times. Faith involves discerning where God is in the middle of fear and loss, anger and division. “It is very clear that, like much of Europe, the Diocese of Derry faces many difficulties. The model of Church that seemed so confident 50 years ago is no longer marked by large numbers at Mass. Where smaller numbers attend Mass, there is a lesser chance of bringing people to know and love Jesus, of numerous vocations to priesthood and religious life. The scandal of abuse and cover-ups from the past have damaged our ability to speak about Jesus with moral authority. To a large extent we have failed to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus to young people. We face a secular culture which has little time for faith communities. Along with other Christian churches, we know that the problem in the future will not be religious difference so much as religious indifference. Our society is stalked by fears of poverty, war in Europe and a climate emergency.
A future full of hope will involve change: “In our time of listening and sharing during our parish synodal conversations, there was a recognition of change in our faith community. But the key question is not merely how we change so that we can maintain the current model and structures. With that model we have been failing in our mission of bringing people to know and love Jesus.
“If we ask the right question, we discover that renewal is not only a question of managing changed structures and rescheduling parish Mass. This is a time where we need to make space for grace so that God’s plans – and not our limited imagination – can renew the mission of the Church.
“I believe that we will be more like the Holy Spirit-filled Body of Christ when our diocese is blessed with many: Families which hand on the faith; People of all ages exploring and developing their faith; Lay people with the official ministries of Lector, Acolyte and Catechist; Consecrated Virgins – who publicly dedicate their lives to the Lord but live and work among their fellow-parishioners; Female and male religious (such as the Carmelites and various communities of religious Sisters); Permanent Deacons; and Ordained priests.
“I encourage each parish to promote a specific period of time to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to pray and reflect on this mission of renewal. Only by being open to the Sacrament of the Cross will we be renewed.
The full pastoral letter and a video message will be available at: www.derrydiocese.org/pastoral-letter