First Sunday Of Advent 3rd December 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 3rd December 10.00am Clare McDaid & Charles (Jnr)McDaid
Sunday 3rd December 12Noon Maureen Breslin
Monday 4th December 7.30pm Myra Barr
Tuesday 5th December 7.30pm Paddy McCallion
Wednesday 6th December 7.30pm Jackie Moore
Thursday 7th December 10.00am Stephen Coyle
Friday 8th December 10.00am James McDaid
Friday 8th December 7.30pm Mary Clarke & Family
Saturday 9th December 6.00pm Cormac Wilson
Baptisms: We Welcome into the family of God; Alexander Roddy. To book a Baptism, please contact the parish office on 028-71262301 for available dates.
LAST WEEK’S ENVELOPE COLLECTION AMOUNTED TO £2571.00
LAST WEEK’S RENOVATION COLLECTION AMOUNTED TO £686.00
The Parish Office: You can contact the Parish Office by phone on 028-71262301 (during office hours) or via email longtower@derrydiocese.org.
Visitation of the Sick at Home & in Hospital. For urgent sick calls to those at home please contact the parish office on 028-71262301 or 02871262894. For urgent sick calls for those in hospital, please ask the duty nurse on the ward to call the Hospital Chaplain.
Fr. Gerard will visit the sick in his care in the following areas on Monday 4th & Tuesday 5th December 2023; Long Tower Court, Bishop Street, Corporation Street, Belview Avenue, Maureen Avenue, Ivy Terrace, Foyle Road, Foyle Park, Ardfoyle, Lower Bennett Street, Jack Allen Court, The Metropole & Alexander House.
Fr. Stephen will visit the sick in his care in the following areas on Wednesday 6th & Thursday 7th December 2023; Meenan Drive, Dove Gardens, Deanery Street, Bluebell Hill Gardens, Celtic Court, Kerrigan’s Close, Quarry Street, Nualamount Drive, Lone Moor Road, Old City Court & Mullenan Road.
Christmas Mass Bouquets are available to purchase from the Parish Office, Sacristy & the Novena Shop, cost £2.00. Long Tower Christmas Cards are also available cost £5 for packet /12 cards & Long Tower 2024 Calendars cost £3 each or 2 for £5. All proceeds from the calendars will go towards cost of refurbishing ‘The Calvary’ in grounds of the Long Tower Church. Thank you for your support.
Tea/Coffee will be served in the café in Aras Cholmcille after 10am Mass on the first and last Sundays of each month (subject to change). Everyone Welcome.
Annual Solemn Novena in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Mother of Priests.
Nine Sundays before Christmas in Long Tower Church at 6.00pm, continues this Sunday 3rd December. The theme of our Novena this year “Take the Risk for Christ”- Year of Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood. Each night comprises of the Rosary, Novena prayer and petitions with a short talk given by various guest speakers and Eucharistic Healing Ceremony with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Our guest speaker this week is Fr. Pat O’Hagan. He is currently Parish Priest of Bellaghy/Ballyscullion Parish and is also Director of Vocations in the Derry Diocese. He will talk this week on ‘The Future of Vocations in the Derry Diocese’. We assure him of a warm welcome and wish him and our Parish every blessing 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.
PRAYER OF SAINT COLUMBA
(Prayer of St. Columba in the Dubh Regles of Derry)
May the fire of God’s love burn brightly and steadfastly in our hearts like the golden light within the sanctuary lamp. This month of December the Sanctuary lamp beside the Tabernacle in Long Tower Church will be lit for Peace in the World and a resolution to end the conflict in The Holy Lands and for all who are suffering.
PRESENCE – THE MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST: How many of you feel that our world is in desperate need of returning to faith in God? How many of you believe that if more people could encounter the presence of God in their daily lives they would grow in faith? With this new gift of FORMED, we have an opportunity to grow in our understanding of God’s true presence in the world today. I want to invite you to participate in a video-based study on formed.org called PRESENCE: THE MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST. The PRESENCE series will move your heart and give you plenty to discuss as a family or as a group of friends as we prepare for the coming of his PRESENCE this Advent.
This study (free of charge) will take place in the Café in Aras Colmcille, on the first 3 Wednesdays of Advent 6th, 13th & 20th December from 5:30pm-6:30pm. For further details or to book please contact Fr. Stephen at the Parish Office on 028-71262301.
Christmas Toy Appeal: Like last year, Long Tower Parish will be a drop off point for anyone who would like to donate toys etc.., to the local charity ‘Free Uniform Scheme’. If anyone needs support in Long Tower area you can leave details with Fr Mongan or contact Jemimah Armstrong on 07873882301 Jemimah198630@hotmail.com. Items can be dropped off at Parish office Monday to Thursday between 2pm and 4pm. A Wish List of items is available on our facebook page, and from the Sacristy or Parish Office. Thank you for your support.
Children in Crossfire’s 2023 Advent Appeal packs are now available at the entrance(s) to the church. This year, they are raising funds to support a new programme in inner-city Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Their goal is to provide education, nutrition, and healthcare for thousands of children growing up in extreme poverty. One woman they met recently told them she has to make ends meet for her two sons and herself on as little as 65p per day. With your support this Christmas, Children in Crossfire will make life better for that family and many, many more. If you would like to support their appeal online, please visit their website: www.childrenincrossfire.org/donate-advent.
Mass and Vigil of Prayer for Vocations in St Patrick’s Church, Dungiven, Friday 8 December, 8pm – 9.30pm. May be viewed on the parish webcam.
The Holy Family Padre Pio Prayer Group will meet on Tuesday 5th December at Holy Family Chapel, Ballymagroarty, Derry. Starting with the holy rosary at 1845, mass at 1915, and novena to St. Pio directly afterwards. The priest will bless each person, directly after mass, with a first-class relic of St. Pio.
Accord Derry Marriage Preparation Courses January – March 2024: January 19th/20th 2024, February 23rd/24th 2024 & March 22nd/23rd 2024. Venue: Everglades Hotel, Prehen Road, Derry. Please note that these courses are NOT Virtual but are in person. Courses can be booked online now at www.accordni.com.
Marriage and Relationship Counselling with ACCORD NI: Help us help you support your marriage and relationship. If you feel your relationship is in crisis or you need a little guidance and help, either face to face or online, contact your local ACCORD centre. Every year Accord help thousands of couples rebuild and sustain healthy relationships. For support, call 028 9023 3002 or visit accordni.com.
Stanton Health: Stanton Pregnancy Care Northern Ireland will be holding a Church Gate collection in Derry on Sunday 3rd December. Your donation will help us provide quality care and practical support for women with unexpected pregnancies. For more info, please contact Stanton Healthcare on 028 9033 2882.
ROSARY ON THE COAST The next Rosary on the Coast will be at 3pm at Lisfannon Strand, Buncrana this Sunday 3rd December. Everyone welcome, and please bring along a friend to join our group praying for world peace, our country and faith, our marriages and families, and our unborn children. Remember, the Rosary is Our Lady’s Weapon of Mass Conversion.
Invitation To Fahan Carol Service- Sunday 10th December at 7.30pm. You will be very welcome at our annual Carol service in Fahan Presbyterian Church, Tooban, Burnfoot F93 XY65. Minister: Rev. Philip Poots (Inishowen4). Please stay for tea and a chat afterwards. Collection for ‘Manse Fund’.
Lilliput Theatre Company presents Lilliput’s Anniversary Variety Show on Wednesday 6th December 2023 in the Playhouse, Derry. The show will be a hybrid performance having some local guest appearances; live and screen performances; live music and panto-style scenes all with a little pinch of Christmas to finish. Drinks Reception Time: 18:00 – 18:45, Performance: 19:00. Tickets: £10 Adults /£6 Junior. You can book online at derryplayhouse.co.uk.
St Joseph’s Boys’ School will host their Annual Wheel of Fortune in the school on Thursday 7 December, doors open at 7pm 1st draw at 7.30pm. Admission £2.00. All welcome to attend.
Adoptive Parents NEEDED URGENTLY: Family Care Adoption Services is an Adoption Agency and a core part of our work is to place children with new adoptive families. These children are aged from babyhood to approximately 5 years old. There are currently more children waiting to be adopted in Northern Ireland than families approved to adopt and there is an urgent need for new families to come forward. So, wherever you live in Northern Ireland if you think you could offer a child/ren a new life in a family of their own and would like an informal chat to discuss this and to find out more about adoption, please call 02890-691133 or Email:email@familycareadoption.org. Website: www.familycareadoption.com.
Mary’s Meals – Double the Love: Mary’s Meals is keeping the promise of a daily school meal to over 2.4 million children in 18 countries. Our Double the Love Campaign has launched, and all donations made to Mary’s Meals until 22nd January 2024 will be doubled by a group of generous supporters, up to £1million. Find out more and browse our Christmas gift cards at marysmeals.org.uk or freephone 0800 698 1212.
Anam Cara Donegal, the organisation that supports bereaved parents, is holding it’s monthly Parent Evening for bereaved parents on Thursday 14th December at 7:15pm in the Raddison Blu Hotel, Letterkenny Co.Donegal. This event is free and open to all bereaved parents regardless of the age your child died, the circumstances of their death, or whether their death was recent or not. We also offer an online service. For more info call 01 4045378
Sean Davis “3 day Indoor Christmas Fun Soccer Academy” takes place at Templemore Sports Complex from Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th December 2023. For boys and girls aged 5 to 18 years, 10:00am to 3.00pm daily. For further details Tel. Sean Davis FAI, IFA, FA European A Licence Coach on 028 71263044.
