Thirty-Second Sunday In Ordinary Time 8th 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 8th November 12Noon Daniel Ferguson
Monday 9th November 10.00am Andrew McLaughlin
Monday 9th November 7.30pm Mary McCorriston
Tuesday 10th November 10.00am Margaret & Philomena O’Kane
Tuesday 10th November 7.30pm Michael Green
Wednesday 11th November 10.00am Marie Meehan
Wednesday 11th November 7.30pm Maureen Tonner
Thursday 12th November 10.00am Rose McCallion/ Nicholas McGowan
Thursday 12th November 7.30pm Margaret Brolly
Friday 13th November 10.00am The Barr Family
Saturday 14th November 10.00am Danny Doherty
Saturday 14th November 6.00pm Rosaleen McGilloway
Rest In Peace: We extend our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of; Helen Doherty- Fanad Drive, Jackie Deehan- Alexander House, Vonnie Killen- Lecky Road, Pat Clarke- Belvoir Park & Darren McCormick- Elmvale
Baptisms: We welcome into the family of God; Sadie Hutton & Úna Hutton
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
Additional regulations for places of Worship implemented on Friday 16th October restricts the number of people attending Funerals to 25 people. Weekday & Saturday Morning Masses will continue as usual at 10am with Funeral Masses at 11am. There will be no Funeral Masses on a Sunday. The restrictions are in place for a period of four weeks when they will be reviewed again.
It is also mandatory that everyone attending Mass & other Church Services wear a face covering at all times. We must all continue to observe social distancing, use the hand sanitiser on entering & leaving the Church and to 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 appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to gather together in these uncertain times.
Padre Pio Intercede for Us
Weekly Mass for Healing in Mind & Body continues this Monday 9th 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
A Lamp with no Oil
In ancient times oil lamps were one of the main forms of lighting across the world, with the oil coming from either plants or animal fats. The lamp vessels came in various shapes and forms and while many appeared very beautiful it was the oil at the core of the lamp that, once ignited, lit up everything around it. Like the lamp, our heart has much in common with its form and purpose – it is a vessel which circulates blood and nourishes our bodies to keep us alive. But it is infinitely more than that, it is the home of our spirit, where love resides – guiding and bonding us together. And just as a lamp with no oil cannot manifest its light, so too our hearts without love become empty vessels – failing to have direction, purpose and to feel the ‘kingdom of heaven’ in our lives. Reference and further reading: Matthew 25:1-13
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 8th 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 Mary O’Boyle. Mary currently works in the Derry Diocesan Catechetical Centre as Religious Advisor for Secondary Schools. She taught for 38 years in St. Mary’s College and spent two years working as a volunteer in Cameroon, West Africa, teaching English. 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.
Diocesan Mass for Deceased Children & Young People: The Annual Mass for deceased children and young people will be celebrated in St Eugene’s Cathedral, Derry, this Sunday 8th November, at 7.00pm. You can join this Mass live on the St Eugene’s Cathedral webcam. If you would like to have a child or young person remembered at this Mass, please email the name to lizzie.rea@derrydiocese.org or telephone 028 7126 4087.
Mass for deceased pilgrims, staff and friends of the Derry Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes will be celebrated in Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Steelstown, Derry, on Wednesday 18 November, at 7.30pm. Numbers will be restricted in keeping with Covid-19 restrictions. This Mass will be live streamed on steelstownparish.com/webcam.htm.
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
Derry Diocesan Trust: Part Time Housekeeper for Leckpatrick Parish. Part Time Temporary 3 month contract (possibility of extension). This is a part time position with the hours stipulated below: 8 hours per week with possibility of extension to 14 hours. Part Time Cleaner for Derry Diocesan Office. Part Time Permanent Contract 5 hours per week. For application packs please contact: Bishop’s House, St Eugene’s Cathedral, Francis Street, Derry, BT48 9AP, telephone 02871262302 or email: payroll@derrydiocese.org. Completed applications must be returned to Personnel, Bishop’s House, St Eugene’s Cathedral, Francis Street, Derry, BT48 9AP or via email to payroll@derrydiocese.org no later than 5.00pm on 18.11.2020. Derry Diocesan Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We welcome applications from all men and women and from members of all communities.
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.
This year due to Covid, St Joseph’s Boys’ School will be unable to open their Mass of Remembrance to the public. The Mass will be streamed on Social Media and the details of the date and time will be on social media and local church bulletins. If you wish to add a name of a Past Pupil, Staff Member of Governor to the list of people to be remembered please contact the school office on 02871262923 before 3.30 pm on Friday 13th November 2020.
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.
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
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.
