Third Sunday of Advent 12th December 2021
LAUDATO SI’ QUOTES FOR ADVENT
” The emptier a person’s heart is, the more he or she needs things to buy, own and consume. Human beings… are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start…
We are able to take an honest look at ourselves, to acknowledge our deep dissatisfaction, and to embark on new paths to authentic freedom.” Laudato Si’ 204, 205
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 12th December 12Noon Joe McLaughlin
Monday 13th December 10.00am Sarah Campbell
Monday 13th December 7.30pm Daniel Bonner
Tuesday 14th December 7.30pm Don & Charlie Gormley & Peter Melarkey
Tuesday 14th December 7.30pm Mary Newell
Wednesday 15th December 10.00am Anna & Jim Harkin
Wednesday 15th December 7.30pm Patricia Griffin & Patrick Doherty
Thursday 16th December 10.00am Helen Marie Toland
Thursday 16th December 7.30pm Arthur Goode
Friday 17th December 10.00am Toal Toland
Saturday 18th December 6.00pm Brian & Eileen Starrett
Rest In Peace: We extend our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of: Elizabeth Walker- Stanleys Walk & Charles (Junior) McDaid- Kylemore Park
Baptisms: We welcome into the family of God; Autumn Hegarty, Aurora-Mae Sproule, Farah O’Doherty & Albi Mullan-Tierney
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
Christmas Mass Bouquets are now available from the Parish Office or the Sacristy, cost £2.00.
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
We would like to remind everyone attending Mass & other Church Services that under current guidance there remains a legal requirement to wear a face covering on the way into a place of worship and on the way out. Despite this change in the legal position Bishop Donal McKeown has asked that we strongly continue to recommend & encourage the use of face coverings during all services of worship. We also kindly ask that you continue to observe social distancing & use the hand sanitiser on entering & leaving the Church and that you receive Holy Communion only in the hand. It is up to each of us individually and as a community to keep each other as safe as possible as we continue to live alongside the virus. We thank you for your understanding and support as we continue to gather together as a parish community.
Annual Solemn Novena in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Nine Sundays before Christmas in Long Tower Church continues this Sunday 12th December at 6.00pm. The theme of our Novena this year is ‘The gifts of hope and joy in a time of darkness’. 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 Fr Michael Donnelly. Fr. Michael is a native of Armaghand was ordained a Priest for the Missionaries of the Holy Eucharist in 2017. His work comprises in facilitating Parish Retreats and the area of spiritual direction. We welcome him 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.
The Diocese of Derry Privacy Notice: The Diocese of Derry complies with GDPR regulations. A privacy notice is available on the Parish website or by contacting the Parish Office. Live stream and recordings of Mass and Services in St Columba’s Church, Long Tower and are available online. Parishioners should note that the first 4 rows of seats are visible online in St Columba’s Church, Long Tower.
Safeguarding Notice: If you have any concerns with regard to the Safeguarding of children or adults in need of protection within the Church please contact Marie Gormley, the Diocesan Designated Liaison Person (DLP) at 07596500793/07707311358 or at the Safeguarding Office, Diocesan Pastoral Centre, 164 Bishop Street, Derry, BT48 6UJ or PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) 101 or Social Services: Gateway Services, Western HSC Trust, 71314090 and ask for the Duty Social Worker.
SVP – Christmas Appeal 2021: If you are looking for help we are here to help you in whatever way we can. Please ring us on 028 71265489 or online https://svp.ie/get-help/request-help-online.aspx 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. The Annual Church Collection will take place this Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th December 2021. Derry Area also have a fundraising page for donations on our SVP website; Current fundraisers – St Vincent De Paul (svp.ie)
Trócaire Gifts of Love: Buy a Trócaire gift of love & send some love around the world this Christmas. All gifts available at Trocaire.org/gifts or call 08009121200. We thank you for your support.
Each night this December, Simon Community will provide 464 warm, safe beds for those with no home. They will be adults, children and families, all anxious and frightened for their future. We will provide them with vital shelter and support when they need it most, saving and rebuilding lives. We need your help to make their Christmas a little brighter. If you can, please consider donating to our Christmas Appeal. £10.00 could give the gift of a Christmas dinner to someone spending the festive period in our hostels. £15.00 could give the gift of emergency food, clothes or heating to those who need it most this winter. £47.00 could help provide the gift of one night’s shelter and support for someone who becomes homeless this Christmas time. All your donation is used here in Northern Ireland and for each £1 you give, 94.8p goes directly to our front-line service delivery. If you would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact me; email; amandascott@simoncommunity.org or by phone, 028 9023 2882.
The Net – December 2021:Sharing the fruits of the faith in the Derry Diocese, the December edition of ‘The Net’ is now available on the Diocesan website – https://www.derrydiocese.org/news/the-net-december-2021 For coverage of faith stories just email editorthenet15@gmail.com.
Children in Crossfire Advent Appeal packs are now available as you leave the Church. We thank you in advance for your support again this year, your donations really do go a long way in Ethiopia to prevent and treat malnutrition in Children. This work is even more crucial now as conflict spreads throughout the country. Please return your donations to the Church after Christmas.
Children in Crossfire have launched our 2021 Christmas gift cards. This year’s cards focus on our work to both prevent and treat malnutrition in Ethiopia. By purchasing from our range of Christmas gift cards, which feature the pharmacy and well, you make it possible for us to continue this life-saving work. We believe this is a beautiful gift to share with your loved ones this Christmas. It’s so simple to get our beautifully designed A6 gift cards. They can be purchased via: Our online shop, Veritas stores in Derry/Londonderry, Newry and Letterkenny, or Contact Aishling on 028 71269898 (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm) or email aishling.cunningham@childrenincrossfire.org.
NOVENA TO THE DIVINE CHILD (“and the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us” John 1:4): The Carmelite Retreat Centre, Termonbacca, Derry, is hosting this Novena, 8 – 16 December. The Novena Mass and prayers will be at 7:30pm each evening. This will be live-streamed via Facebook each evening. Novena prayer leaflets containing the public prayers after Mass and the private prayers to be said at home are available on the Termonbacca Facebook page or by emailing termonbaccaderry@gmail.com or, for those living close, by simply calling up to Termonbacca and collecting them.
ADVENT DAY RETREAT: will take place in the Carmelite Retreat Centre Termonbacca on Monday 13th December from 10a.m. – 3p.m. Cost for the day, including meals £25. Booking necessary. Contact the Carmelite Retreat Centre 71 262512.
STORMONT ROSARY FOR LIFE – Please join us for a special Candlelight Rosary for Life at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, (meeting at main gate entrance on Upper Newtownards Road) at 3.00pm on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Sunday 12th December. For more information contact Rosary Crusade for Ireland on 07845686437.
Lectio Divina reflections on the Advent and Christmas Gospels: The Priory Institute is delighted to offer a Free of Charge online retreat (which is a repeat of the popular Advent Retreat ran in 2018). Visit website prioryinstitute.com or click on this link https://bit.ly/3DWrTkx to register/find out more.
Mary’s Meals- Double the Love Thanks to your support, Mary’s Meals are now bringing joy to over 2 million children with a daily meal in their place of education. Our Double the Love campaign runs until 31st January 2022, all donations up to a total of £1.6 million will be matched by a generous group of private donors. Every little act of love will go that little bit further during this period to help us reach the next child waiting, so please consider supporting this campaign and praying for its success. There are many ways to get involved including choosing one of our Mary’s Meals gift cards or setting a place at our Big Family Christmas table- find out more at www.marysmeals.org.uk
Lough Derg online shop offers unique Christmas Cards, featuring scenes of the Island from across the centuries and bespoke Gifts including a limited edition Lough Derg Christmas Candle. Christmas Mass Bouquet Cards are also available – Fr La, Prior, will offer a triduum of Masses beginning on Christmas Eve for all those who are enrolled. Visit www.loughderg.live/shop Telephone 0(0353) 71 9861518 Delivery nationwide and Click & Collect Service available.
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS: Is gambling affecting your life? Perhaps we can help: call us on 028 7135 1329.
Foyle Foodbank, Springtown, Industrial Estate, is open from 11am until 4pm Monday to Friday to help those in food crisis. Telephone 71263699.
Accord Derry Marriage Preparation Workshops 2022: January 25th/26th 2022, February 8th/9th 2022, February 22nd/23rd 2022, March 8th/9th 2022, March 22nd/ 23rd 2022, April 5th/6th 2022. All of the above courses are Virtual Interactive Courses. They are held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7pm-9pm. Booking online www.accordni.com. Due to demand an extra course is being facilitated on November 23rd/24th 2021.
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.
