Thirty First Sunday In Ordinary Time 31st October 2021
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 31st October 12Noon Minty Dauncy
Monday 1st November 7.30pm Darren McCormick
Tuesday 2nd November 7.30pm Elfriede Jelinek
Wednesday 3rd November 7.30pm Jackie Deehan
Thursday 4th November 10.00am The Strain Family
Thursday 4th November 7.30pm Thomas McShane
Friday 5th November 10.00am Jack Morrison
Saturday 6th November 10.00am Daniel Ferguson
Saturday 6th November 6.00pm Bronagh Sheffer-Crossan
Rest In Peace: We extend our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of: Eamon O’Doherty- Formerly Lone Moor Road, Ray Martin-Formerly Beechwood Avenue
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
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 31st October at 3.00pm. 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 McGoldrick. Fr. Michael arrived in Derry as a 34-year-old with his fellow Carmelites in 1982. The Order had been invited by Bishop Edward Daly to open a priory in Termonbacca and become involved in the faith life of the Diocese. Fr Michael, did retreat work in Dublin until he was transferred to London in 2007, where he spent four years commuting between a parish in London and the Carmelite Retreat House in Boars Hill, near Oxford. Then, in 2011, he was asked to come back to be Prior of the Retreat House in Dublin, where he spent three years before being elected Provincial in 2014. He served in that role for six years, until July 2020, and after a few months’ break decided to spend the rest of his days amongst the people of Derry who have a special place in his heart. We welcome Fr Michael 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.
FEAST OF ALL SAINTS; This Monday 1st November we celebrate the Feast of All Saints, Masses are on Monday at 8.00am, 10.00am & 7.30pm.
Indulgences at the Commemoration of All Souls, Tuesday 2nd November From 12 Noon on 1st November until midnight on 2nd November, all who have confessed, received Holy Communion and prayed for the Pope’s intentions (one Our Father & Hail Mary, or any other prayer of one’s choice) can gain one plenary indulgence by visiting a Church or Oratory, and there reciting one Our Father & the Apostle’s Creed. This indulgence is applicable only to the souls of the departed. Confession may be made at any time within the week preceding or the week following 1st November. Holy Communion may be received on any day from 1st to 8th November. The faithful who visit a cemetery and pray for the dead may gain a plenary indulgence applicable only to the Holy Souls on the usual conditions once per day from 1st to 8th November. The conditions mentioned above also apply to this.
ALL SOULS – Commemoration of All The Faithful Departed. Masses will be offered on Tuesday 2nd November at 10.00am & 7.30pm in commemoration of the departed. During the Masses the names of all those who were buried from the Long Tower during the year (1st Oct’20 – 30th Sept’21) will be read out. We have also created large Memorial Boards bearing the names of all people buried from St Columba’s Church, Long Tower from 1st October 2020 until 30th September 2021. All will be remembered at every Mass celebrated in this month of November. We invite you to join us in person, if you can, or via the webcam. We also invite you to visit the Church during this month of November to offer a prayer and light a candle for the happy repose of the soul of your own deceased relatives or friends.
Lord God,
whose days are without end
and whose mercies beyond counting,
keep us mindful
that life is short and the hour of death unknown.
Let your spirit guide our days on earth
in the ways of holiness and justice,
that we may serve you
in union with the whole Church,
sure in faith, strong in hope, perfect in love.
And when our earthly journey is ended,
lead us rejoicing into your kingdom,
where you live for ever and ever. Amen.
FAMILY PRAYER AT HOME – NOVEMBER A MONTH TO REMEMBER – This booklet contains prayers for November, a family prayer service for use at home and information about a remembrance event at Knock Shrine. This booklet may be of particular interest to families and those who are housebound. All these resources can be found at Diocese of Derry website: https://www.derrydiocese.org/news/november-family-prayer-at-home
Pope Francis is inviting the faithful all over the world to come with him “on a journey” as a “Synodal Church”. The word ‘synod’ means “walking together” and “indicates a way of being together as Church and ‘discerning’ how best to spread the Gospel amidst the challenges of life in the 21st century.” Bishop Donal will celebrate Mass to launch the preparations for the Synod as a Diocese in St Brigid’s Carnhill on Saturday 30th at 6pm. The Mass will be followed by a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration, praise and prayer. We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct the people of God who make up the Church, the Body of Christ on this synodal path of discernment in the years ahead.
World Drawing God Day 2021: World Drawing God Day takes place on Wednesday 3rd November and can be celebrated in parish on Sunday 7th November. We would like to encourage schools, families and parishes to participate in this event and to express where they see God, through art, through music, through dance-in whatever creative way you wish to. To make it easy to participate you can download an ideas kit at https://www.drawing-god.com/world-drawing-god-day and share your creativity on social media using the #drawinggod or by emailing a picture of your work of art to drawinggodday@gmail.com where it will be included in a virtual gallery.
LAUDATOSI – PRAYERS FOR SUCCESS OF COP26: On Sunday, 7th November, Bishop McKeown will offer Mass in St. Eugene’s Cathedral, Derry, for the success of the proceedings at COP26. Each parish, each school, each home – united with people of faith throughout the world – are invited to pray for our world at this time.
Derry Diocesan Trust Job Opportunities:-
Position– Diocesan Youth Co-Ordinator, 20 hours per week (inc. evenings and weekends) 1- Year Fixed Term Contract, Catechetical Centre, St Eugene’s Cathedral, Francis Street, Derry, Closing Date-12.11.2021.
Position- Housekeeper, 8 Hours per week, (possible extension to 12 hours per week), Long Tower Parochial House, 6 Victoria Place, Abercorn, Derry, BT48 6TJ, Closing Date- 12.11.2021.
Position- Cleaner, 2 Hours per week, St. Patrick’s Church, Dungiven, Co.Derry, Closing Date- 12.11.2021.
For a job description and application form please: Write: Personnel, Derry Diocesan Office, St Eugene’s Cathedral, Francis Street, Derry, BT48 9AP, Email: payroll@derrydiocese.org or Telephone: 028 7126 2302.
Derry Diocesan Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We welcome applications from all men and women and from members of all communities.
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.
Foyle Foodbank, Springtown, Industrial Estate, is open from 11am until 4pm Monday to Friday to help those in food crisis. Telephone 71263699.
Anam Cara Northern Ireland, the organisation that supports bereaved parents, is holding a Parent Evening for bereaved parents living with no surviving children on Tuesday 2nd November at 7pm. This is a free online event. If you would like to join us please get in touch on info@anamcara.ie or 028 95213120.
Anam Cara Donegal, the organisation that supports bereaved parents, is holding its monthly Parent Evening for bereaved parents on Thursday 11th November at 7:20pm in the Raddison Blu, Letterkenny. 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. For more information, see anamcara.ie or call our Information Line on 01 4045378.
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.
MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT WEEKEND 5 – 7 November, hosted by Catholic Marriage Encounter: Restore Communication, Renew Commitment and Rekindle Romance. This is an online experience (using Zoom), starting on Friday evening at 8pm and ending on Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm. Full details on: https://www.marriageencounter.ie
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.
