Feast of Christ the King 22nd November 2020
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 22nd November 12Noon Patrick Gorman
Monday 23rd November 7.30pm Tommy McGowan
Tuesday 24th November 10.00am Sarah Harkin
Tuesday 24th November 7.30pm Kate Kennedy
Wednesday 25th November10.00am Tommy Doherty
Wednesday 25th November 7.30pm Bridie Meenan
Thursday 26th November 10.00am Thomas Mooney
Thursday 26th November 7.30pm Daniel Callaghan Jnr
Friday 27th November 10.00am Eddie Diggins
Saturday 28th November 6.00pm Cassidy Family
Rest In Peace: We extend our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of; Conchúr Doherty- Norburgh Park, Margaret McDaid- Formerly Cable Street, Clare McDaid- Kylemore Park
Baptisms: We welcome into the family of God; Arlo McCallion
Confessions: Monday – Friday 7.00-7.25pm, Saturday 11.30am- 12.30pm & 5.15pm-5.50pm
Visitation of the Sick: For urgent sick calls please contact the Parish office on 028-71262301 or 02871262894.
Baptisms: Please contact the Parish Office for dates.
Parish Office: You can contact the Parish Office by Phone on 028-71262301 or via email longtower@derrydiocese.org
Christmas Mass Bouquets are now available from the Parish Office or the Sacristy. Cost £2.00 each.
Long Tower Christmas Cards are now available from Parish Office or the Sacristy. Cost is £4.00 for a packet of 12 cards each containing 4 different images of the Long Tower Church.
Mass Guidance
On Thursday 19th November 2020 the NI Executive announced new restrictions for Places of Worship that will come into effect on Friday 27th November 2020. Unfortunately from this date Places of Worship must close, except for Funerals and Weddings (limited to 25 people), or to broadcast an act of worship without a congregation present. In this regard we will continue as normal this incoming week and continue to adhere to guidelines, to wear a face covering at all times, observe social distancing, use the hand sanitiser on entering & leaving the Church and to receive Holy Communion only in the hand. With regards to Christmas Masses, if the NI Executive permits us to re-open we would hope that everyone who wishes to get to Mass for Christmas Day will be able to do so. At this stage we know if we are allowed to open we will have to implement a booking system. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks. We appreciate your understanding and support in these uncertain times.
Padre Pio Intercede for Us
Weekly Mass for Healing in Mind & Body continues this Monday 23rd November at 7.30pm
We shall share in a spiritual network of prayer, love and support in these difficult times. Through the gift of this Mass we will unite in prayer for all. We pray to be surrounded by the light and warmth of God’s love to heal our brokenness at this time of isolation, suffering and loss. We hope at the end of each Mass to give a Spiritual Blessing using a 1st class relic of Padre Pio. Please share as best you can knowledge of this Mass with your family & friends. You can access the Mass via our parish website: www.longtowerchurch.org then click on the link for the webcam or alternatively by logging on to www.churchmedia.tv
‘In so far as you neglected to do this to one of least of these, you neglected to do this to me.’
As we approach the beginning of Advent we have been given more instructions to restrict our movements in the weeks ahead – to protect each other. However, this does not mean we stop existing. For there is much we can do to support each other from our distant places and find connections to one another through our hearts and minds. If you have ever gone on a silent retreat, you will know what the first few days were like adjusting to the silence – then, the silence became a healer, a balm to what was going on in your life. Possibly, we are being shown – no, forced to come to that place of silence in our hearts to really listen. Is it we are being guided back to togetherness and love, to care more compassionately for one another – to not neglect the others while our compulsions and fears rule our lives? It feels we are as pushed against the wall as we have ever been this year – the big question is, how will we respond as a collective community? May we mobilise, connect and build new meeting places from where we are – and open our hearts to those in greater need in our community and world. Matthew 25:31-46.
Annual Solemn Novena In Honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Annual Solemn Novena in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Nine Sundays before Christmas in Long Tower Church at 6.00pm, continuing this Sunday 22nd November. Pope Francis wrote his latest letter to us all on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on 4th October. In it he asks us, in the spirit of St. Francis, to pray for and work at brotherhood and solidarity with all our sisters and brothers of all faiths and none. We will pray for this spirit of fraternal love through our Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Each night will comprise of the Rosary, Novena prayer and petitions with a short talk given by various guest speakers and a ceremony of healing with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Our speaker this week is Paula Cunningham. Paula currently serves as safeguarding officer for the Diocese of Derry. Originally from Clones and raised in Enniskillen, Paula has worked in the healthcare sector since 1976. We welcome her to the Long Tower as we continue our Novena in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. We encourage everybody, including those in particular need of healing in their lives to join us.
Accord Derry Virtual Interactive Marriage Preparation Programme. Course Dates, January 12th and 13th 2021, February 9th and 10th 2021 & March 9th and 10th 2021. Booking now online at www.accordni.com.
November Booklet for Families. A short booklet for families has been created to highlight the month of November as a time to remember and pray for our dearly departed. It marks out the feast days, provides a family prayer service, instructions to prepare a sacred space in the home and some prayers for November & hopefully encourage households to mark this special month of remembrance with some time for prayer together. May it bring comfort, solace and the light of Christ to many people during the coming days and weeks. The booklet can be downloaded at this link: https://www.derrydiocese.org/news/november-prayer-service-for-use-at-home.
Prayer Resources and Activities for Families for November: The Derry Diocesan Catechetical Centre has created a range of prayer resources for families to use at home during November in memory of loved ones who have died. These include practical ways to pray together at home, prayers you can use and tips on creating a sacred space for prayer. For the mid-term break there is a ‘World Drawing God Day’, which is a great way to engage children for hours in creative drawing. Drawings can be shared online and you can take an online tour of the Drawing God Museum.
To view all the available resources, visit www.catecheticalcentre.org
Lough Derg November Memorial Service for deceased pilgrims and benefactors. Live via webcam from St. Mary’s Church, Pettigo, Sunday 22nd November at 7pm www.churchservices.tv/pettigo To Enrol a Daparted Loved One, please contact us by email: info@loughderg.org or Tel: 0(0353) 71 9861518 or Write to: Fr La Flynn, Prior, Lough Derg, Pettigo, Co Donegal F94 YC60.
The Net: The November edition of The Net is now available online, on www.derrydiocese.org . As always, it features a wide variety of news, interesting and inspiring interviews, articles and photos from parishes across the diocese. You are invited to read The Net, on the diocesan website, at your convenience.
Blood Donation Sessions in the Guildhall on the 30th Nov. & 1st & 2nd Dec. Please note that donation sessions are now by appointment only; to book an appointment, please call 08085 534 653 between 10am and 4.30pm.
Are you aged 60+ and living in the Creggan area? If so, we want to hear from you to ensure you are on the Old Library Trust database so that we can include you in future plans such as the lead up to Christmas this year. Family members can also phone on behalf of parents and grandparents to ensure they are included. Don’t miss out, call Amanda at 028 71 373870
SVP – Christmas Appeal 2020: Christmas time is the busiest time for the SVP giving out lots of toys and food parcels kindly donated by the public. However this Christmas is going to be different with COVID-19 and government restrictions. The safety of the public and our members is paramount. Therefore we are asking the public that instead of buying a physical toy or items of food that they buy a voucher or make a donation for the amount they were going to spend. We have also a fundraising page for donations on our SVP website; https://www.svp.ie/get-involved/do-your-own-fundraising/current-fundraisers/fundraisers/derry-city-appeal.aspx
Children in Crossfire’s 2020 Advent Appeal boxes will be available at the door of the chapel from this weekend, 21st & 22nd November. This year’s campaign focus is on building hand washing and sanitation facilities for 700 schools in Tanzania, which will help keep up to 80,000 children each year safe from disease.
Care4Calais, Winter is upon us and this year we need your help more than ever before. In Northern France more than 3,000 refugees are currently sleeping rough. Temperatures are rapidly dropping and police raids and evictions are worse than ever. This winter our goal is to provide each and every one of these refugees with a warm winter coat. To do this we urgently need your help. Visit the Coats4Calais page for more information. Alternatively you can also make a donation and leave it at Parish Office.
This Christmas, Trócaire will deliver life-saving support to thousands of families across the developing world. As well as supporting people living through conflict and natural disasters, Trócaire has launched a special appeal to support families who have not been able to grow food or earn money due to Covid-19. Please consider supporting this vital work this Christmas. You can purchase one of 17 special gifts for families, or else make a general donation to the Trócaire Christmas Appeal. Please visit trocaire.org to make a donation or buy a gift.
Can You Foster? Could you give a home to a vulnerable child when they need it most? Fostering is about giving them a safe, secure place to live for a few weeks, months or even years. Barnardo’s Fostering NI is looking for foster carers. Foster placements can be: long-term, short-term, emergency, short breaks and parent and child together. You must be over 21 to foster and must have a spare bedroom in your home. Foster carers are offered a fostering fee and allowances; they are given training and support. To learn more please Tel: 028 9065 2288 or visit our website https://www.barnardos.org.uk/foster
Priory Institute: We are taking registrations now for our Advent Retreat. It’s a series of filmed reflections on the Sunday gospel readings of Advent. The cost of the retreat is €40 and registration closes on Friday week, November 27. For further details/ to register logon to https://prioryinstitute.com/events/2020-advent-retreat
Accord’s free and confidential ‘Relationships Support Phone Line’ for marriages, families and relationships offers support to those experiencing extra pressure due to social restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The three numbers are: Accord CLG – 01 531 3331, Accord Dublin – 01 905 9555, Accord NI – 028 9568 0151 or 00353 1 531 3331.
Webcams Around the country, some parish churches and cathedrals have installed webcams for the broadcast of Mass and these can accessed on the following websites; https://www.churchservices.tv/churches/
https://www.mcnmedia.tv/cameras
https://www.parishwebsites.ie/
Radio Maria Ireland is an Irish-run Catholic Talk-Radio Station. Prayer, Catechesis, Uplifting music, Talks, Interviews and Testimonies – Listen via TV on Saorview – Channel 210 and Freeview – Channel 826; Download our FREE APP – “Radio Maria Ireland”, streaming on www.radiomaria.ie or via PHONE – get live radio feed by telephoning +353 (0) 1 437 3277 (no extra charges apply). Please join our growing faith family
