Seventeenth Sunday In Ordinary Time 27th July 2025
World Day for Grandparents and The Elderly
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 27th July 10.00am Christina Brown
Sunday 27th July 12Noon Cecilia Barr
Monday 28th July 7.30pm Joseph Green
Tuesday 29th July 7.30pm Daniel Kievit
Wednesday 30th July 7.30pm Damien Quigley
Thursday 31st July 7.30pm Teena-Marie Court
Friday 1st August 7.30pm RMA Mass
Saturday 2nd August 6.00pm Gavin Ceulemans
Rest In Peace: We extend our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of; Sadie Matthewson- Lisfannon Park & Sean Irvine – Orchard Row
Baptisms: We Welcome into the family of God: Ethan Devine. To book a Baptism please contact the Parish office on 028-71262301 during office hours or email longtower@derrydiocese.org.
Parish Baptismal Dates: Please note Saturday Baptisms are at 3.30pm.
August 2025– 9th & 16th
LAST WEEK’S ENVELOPE COLLECTION AMOUNTED TO £2155.00
LAST WEEK’S RENOVATION COLLECTION AMOUNTED TO £732.00
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. Thank you.
An Audio-Visual tour of the Long Tower Church is available. The guide which is narrated by Bishop Donal McKeown, offers a great insight into the history and sacredness of our beautiful Church. If you’re hosting visitors or you simply want to deepen your own appreciation, why not try the audio guide, priced at just £2.00. For further details, call into Aras Cholmcille in the grounds of The Long Tower Church or email darinaghboyle15@gmail.com.
“From St Columba to Sister Clare”- Evening of Prayer. We invite you to gather with us in St Columba’s Church, Long Tower on 1st Thursday of each month, beginning on Thursday 4th September at 7.30pm for Mass followed by Mini Vigil to Midnight for healing and intercession. At this Mass we will pray for the cause of Sister Clare in the Monastic site where St. Columba knelt and prayed. Everyone welcome.
Síopa Cholmcille- St Columba’s Gift Shop in Aras Cholmcille: New stock recently arrived. We stock a variety of gifts & cards, candles, rosary beads, books, occasion cards and many other gifts & mementos. The shop is open after 10am morning Mass. For enquiries please contact Sheila Doyle/ Jim Doherty via (parish office 028-71262301 or Sacristy 028-71261946) who will be happy to help.
‘Cloisters Café’ in Aras Cholmcille in the grounds of Long Tower Church, a cosy place to relax and have a bite to eat or a cuppa and a cake! The café is open Tuesday – Saturday from 9am to 3pm. ‘Meet & Bite’ is housed in Cloisters Café on a Tuesday between 4pm-6pm and is available to those in need at no cost. For more info, view Cloisters social media Meet & Bite.
World Day for Grandparents and The Elderly- Sunday 27th July 2025
‘Blessed are those who have not lost hope’ (cf. Sir 14:2)
Dear brothers and sisters, The Jubilee we are now celebrating helps us to realize that hope is a constant source of joy, whatever our age.
When that hope has also been tempered by fire over the course of a long life, it proves a source of deep happiness…
In the Bible, God repeatedly demonstrates his providential care by turning to people in their later years. This was the case not only with Abraham, Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth, but also with Moses, who was called to set his people free when he was already eighty years old (cf. Ex 7:7). God thus teaches us that, in his eyes, old age is a time of blessing and grace, and that the elderly are, for him, the first witnesses of hope. Augustine asks, “What do we mean by old age?” He tells us that God himself answers the question: “Let your strength fail, so that my strength may abide within you, and you can say with the Apostle, ‘When I am weak, then I am strong’” (Super Ps. 70,11). The increasing number of elderly people is a sign of the times that we are called to discern, in order to interpret properly this moment of history.
The life of the Church and the world can only be understood in light of the passage of generations. Embracing the elderly helps us to understand that life is more than just the present moment, and should not be wasted in superficial encounters and fleeting relationships. Instead, life is constantly pointing us toward the future. In the book of Genesis, we find the moving episode of the blessing given by the aged Jacob to his grandchildren, the sons of Joseph; his words are an appeal to look to the future with hope, as the time when God’s promises will be fulfilled (cf. Gen 48:8-20).
If it is true that the weakness of the elderly needs the strength of the young, it is equally true that the inexperience of the young needs the witness of the elderly in order to build the future with wisdom. How often our grandparents have been for us examples of faith and devotion, civic virtue and social commitment, memory and perseverance amid trials! The precious legacy that they have handed down to us with hope and love will always be a source of gratitude and a summons to perseverance…
These signs of living love, which have their roots in God himself, give us courage and remind us that “even if our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor 4:16). Especially as we grow older, let us press forward with confidence in the Lord. May we be renewed each day by our encounter with him in prayer and in Holy Mass. Let us lovingly pass on the faith we have lived for so many years, in our families and in our daily encounter with others. May we always praise God for his goodness, cultivate unity with our loved ones, open our hearts to those who are far away and, in particular, to all those in need. In this way, we will be signs of hope, whatever our age.
Excerpt from Message of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, The Vatican, 26th June 2025.
Sincere gratitude and appreciation from Sisters of St Elisabeth Convent, Belarus; We heartily thank the Lord for your hospitality and precious help during our visit. We appreciate all your efforts, concern, assistance and kind heartedness greatly. Our sisters are incredibly grateful for the donation collected in your Parish which will allow us to continue our outreach services and programs for orphanage children including food, shelter and clothing distribution. We wish all of you Blessings of Joy and Peace throughout the year! With deep gratitude and love in Christ, Sister Olga and sisters of St Elisabeth Convent.
Accord Derry-Marriage Preparation Courses: September – November 2025: September 26th/27th, October 17th/18th & November 7th/ 8th. All courses are now online for booking at www.accordni.com. Please note all courses are in person and NOT virtual.
Mary’s Meals Walk: ‘Two Bridges Walk’ on Sunday 3rd August, over the Foyle Bridge and Peace Bridge. We will meet in Sainsbury’s car park at 11.45am to begin the walk at noon. The distance is approximately 5 miles. You can register for the walk at https://www.marysmeals.org.uk/step or contact Helen Quinn, phone 07814441701.
Come and celebrate our Catholic faith on Slane – the hill where St Patrick lit the first Paschal fire in 433A on Sunday 3rd August. This is a divine invitation to witness the Archbishop of Armagh symbolically light the fire of faith, hope and love, first kindled by our patron saint. Eurovision’s Dana will sing her song for St Patrick, Light the Fire. Gathering begins at noon and includes mass, Eucharistic healing, praise and worship and Rosary. More info at lightthefire.ie or email info@lightthefire.ie
DEEDS- local dementia charity- 4 Week FREE Dementia Education Programme for Informal Carers, starting Wednesday 3rd September at 7pm in the Old Library Trust, Creggan. This course is for those looking after someone at home who has received a dementia diagnosis. It teaches what is dementia and helps carers to gain an understanding about different types of dementia, their signs and symptoms, about communication, different behaviours and coping strategies etc. The course is taught weekly with time for carers to talk and make connections as well as learning together. We do encourage family members to come together and support each other, so places are open for several members of the same family to come at the same time and share the learning. Please note, this course is not suitable for individuals who either have dementia or are currently going through a process of diagnosis. Booking is essential via eilish@olt.ie or contact 02871 373870.
Sean Davis “4 Day Outdoor Summer Fun Soccer Academy” takes place at Templemore Sports Complex on Monday 4th to Thursday 7th August 2025 Boys and girls aged 5 to 18 years are welcome. Times: 10:00am to 3.00pm. For further details Tel. Sean Davis FAI, IFA, FA European A Licence Coach on 07787791880.
Give Blood-Save Lives: Book now for local community donation session. Venue: Foyle College, Derry, Date & Time: Friday 15th August 12.30pm – 7.00pm. N. Ireland needs 1200 blood donations every week. Please call-08085 534 653 or visit www.nibts.org.
Save the Date: Abide in His Love Women’s Conference Nov 21-23. The Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran Co. Donegal. An Amazing event for women exploring the beauty & gift of their feminine identity in Christ. Guest Speakers include: Sr. Mary Madeline Todd OP (USA), Megan Madden from ‘A Mother’s Lace’ (USA/UK), Fr. Barry Braum, Fr. Mark Wharton (UK), Fr. Francesco Mary Gavazzi, CFR, the Nashville Dominican sisters, & Mass with Archbishop Eamon Martin. More speakers to be announced. Check out Eventbrite for tickets & more information. Not to be missed!Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/abide-in-his-love-womens-conference -2025-tickets- 1283997654549?aff=ebdssbcategorybrowse.
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS: Is Gambling affecting your life? Perhaps we can help. Tel 028 7135 1329.
