Twenty- Ninth Sunday In Ordinary Time 19th October 2025
World Mission Sunday
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 19th October 10.00am Patrick McCarron
Sunday 19th October 12Noon Colm Keenan
Monday 20th October 7.30pm Fr Jim Hamilton
Tuesday 21st October 10.00am Tommy & Michelle Doherty
Tuesday 21st October 7.30pm Liam McAdams
Wednesday 22nd October 10.00am Mary Toland
Wednesday 22nd October 7.30pm Tommy McGowan
Thursday 23rd October 7.30pm Fergal McDaid
Friday 24th October 10.00am Eileen Holmes
Friday 24th October 7.30pm Tony McDaid
Saturday 25th October 6.00pm Patrick Cassidy Snr & Cassidy Family
Rest In Peace: We extend our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of; Noeleen McLaughlin- Cable Street & Ciaran McCloskey- Foyle Road
Parish Baptismal Dates: Please note Saturday Baptisms are at 3.30pm.
8th November & 6th & 20th December
To book a Baptism please contact the Parish office on 028-71262301 during office hours or 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 02871262301. For urgent sick calls for those in hospital, please ask duty nurse on the ward to call hospital chaplain. Thank you
LAST WEEK’S ENVELOPE COLLECTION AMOUNTED TO £2423.00
LAST WEEK’S RENOVATION COLLECTION AMOUNTED TO £807.00
The Parish Office: Please contact the parish office during office hours to arrange all Anniversary and Months Mind Masses, as well as to book Baptisms & Weddings. Please call the parish office by 12Noon on Thursday’s with names for weekend Anniversary list. The Parish Office is open Monday- Friday from 9am to 2.30pm, Telephone 028-71262301 or via email at longtower@derrydiocese.org. For urgent sick calls, please use the office telephone number at all times.
Long Tower 2026 Calendars are now available cost £3 each or 2 for £5. They would make an ideal Christmas gift especially for those living away from home. Calendars can be purchased from the Parish Office, Siopa Cholmcille or Sacristy.
Síopa Cholmcille- St Columba’s Gift Shop in Aras Cholmcille: 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. Christmas gifts, including cribs, nativity’s, angels, books & diaries and much more arriving soon!!
Annual Solemn Novena in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Nine Sundays before Christmas in Long Tower Church at 6.00pm, beginning Sunday 26th October. The theme of our Novena this Jubilee Year 2025 is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’- Finding Hope and Healing In a Hurting World. Each night will comprise 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. We encourage everybody, including those in particular need of healing to join us.
Long Tower’s 40 Hours:
A continuous 40 Hours of Adoration will begin with 8am Mass on Sunday 26th October 2025, continuing right through Sunday night and all day Monday 27th October, concluding at midnight.‘O Come Let Us Adore Him’.
Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration- On the last weekend of October, we will have our annual 40 hours of Eucharistic Adoration. It will be an appropriate time to welcome members of the National Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration to speak at the 6pm Vigil, 10am and 12noon Masses, who will invite us to renew our commitment to spending time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. An opportunity will be given during their brief presentation at Mass to commit to one hour of adoration on a Wednesday (or any other day and length of time that suits you, either in the church or in Pump Street Oratory) by filling in a card which will be distributed before Mass and collected afterwards. It’s a call to renewal of Eucharistic Adoration in the parish, responding to the call of the Lord himself to his disciples in Gethsemane: to ‘watch and pray one hour with me’. In Eucharistic adoration, we also share in the legacy of faithful adorers through the ages, following the faithful example of St Columba’s devotion to the Blessed Sacrament in the Dubh Regles of this monastic site of Long Tower centuries before us and indeed Sr Clare Crockett of our own time!
World Mission Sunday: Transcript of Pope Leo XIV, the Holy Father’s Appeal for Mission Sunday 2025. Dear Brothers and Sisters, On World Mission Sunday every year, the whole Church prays, united, particularly for missionaries and the fruitfulness of their apostolic labors. When I served as a missionary priest and then bishop in Peru, I saw first-hand how the faith, the prayer and the generosity shown on World Mission Sunday can transform entire communities. I urge every Catholic parish in the world to take part in World Mission Sunday. Your prayers, your support will help spread the Gospel, provide for pastoral and catechetical programs, help to build new churches, and care for the health and educational needs of our brothers and sisters in mission territories. This October 19th, as we reflect together on our baptismal call to be “missionaries of hope among the peoples,” let us commit ourselves anew to the sweet and joyful task of bringing Christ Jesus our Hope to the ends of the earth. Thank you for everything you will do to help me help missionaries throughout the world. God bless you all!
Missio Ireland- This weekend, parishes worldwide celebrate World Mission Sunday. Thank you for supporting in whatever way you can, and please remember, it is more than an appeal for financial help. Missionaries also need spiritual support, please keep them all in your prayers.
Confirmation & First Holy Communion dates for 2026
for St Columba’s Church, Long Tower
Confirmation for the P.7 pupils of Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir will take place on Thursday 5th February 2026 at 1.30pm.
Confirmation for the P.7 pupils of the Long Tower Primary School, Nazareth House Primary School & Ballougry Primary School will take place on Friday 6th February 2026 at 1.30pm.
First Holy Communion for P.4 pupils of Gaelscoil Eadain Mhoir will take place on Friday 15th May 2026 at 1.30pm.
First Holy Communion for P.4 pupils of Long Tower Primary School & Ballougry Primary School will take place on Thursday 21st May 2026 at 1.30pm.
First Holy Communion for P.4 pupils of Nazareth House Primary School will take place on Friday 22nd May 2026 at 1.30pm.
Diocesan Vocations Intercession: On Mission Sunday we pray for those working to spread the Gospel to the furthest ends of the world. Let’s pray also for those who are and will be called to proclaim the Good News of God’s love as diocesan priests.
Our Lady, Untier of Knots Novena – The Novena to Our Lady, Untier of Knots continues after the 7:30pm Mass each Thursday in St Eugene’s Cathedral for eight Thursdays, concluding on Thursday 27th November. All are welcome to join in prayer and reflection during this special time of grace.
Calling pilgrims to Walk in the Light, 7pm Saturday 1st November: to mark the Christian feast of All Hallows with prayers for peace, the city centre churches are inviting you to join our annual inter-denominational Walk in the Light. We are gathering in a spirit of friendship at Salvation Army Church on Carlisle Road, proceeding to St Columb’s Cathedral, London Street, on to First Derry Presbyterian Church and ending at St Columba’s Church, Long Tower – followed by tea and light refreshments in Long Tower Primary School. The walk will take no more than one hour. As we approach the final quarter of this Jubilee Year, we urge you to honour the Christian call to unity, fellowship and peace, by joining us as Pilgrims of Hope for Walk in the Light, 2025. Everyone is welcome!
‘Cloisters Café’ in Aras Cholmcille in the grounds of Long Tower Church, now open on Sunday from 10am-3pm, with Sunday lunch being served from 12Noon-3pm.
Accord Derry-Marriage Preparation Courses: We still have a few places left on our November 7th and 8th course, in the Everglades Hotel Derry. We are NOT holding a course in December, the next course will be January 2026. All courses are now online for booking at www.accordni.com. Please note all courses are in person.
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of St Oliver Plunkett 1st November 1625, and the 50th anniversary of his canonisation in 1975, Rev. Dr Thomas O’Connor, former Professor of History, St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, will give a talk on the Saint in St Oliver Plunkett Church, Clady, Ballymena Sunday 26th October at 5pm.
Our Lady of Montligeon prayer group- praying for all the souls in purgatory meets in Termonbacca Carmelite Retreat Centre, Derry, on last Wednesday each month at 12:30pm. Next meeting is Wednesday 29th October. Everyone is welcome.
Carmelite Retreat Centre Termonbacca-Silent Retreat: Fr Stephen Quinn will lead a silent retreat for men and women in Carmelite Retreat Centre, Derry, from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th December. This is a great opportunity to take some time this Advent, to grow in contemplative prayer and friendship with Christ. The weekend costs £90. For further info/booking call 02871262512 or email termonbaccaderry@ocd.ie
Caring For People with Dementia: One-day Retreat, Ards Friary, Creeslough, Wednesday 10 December, 10.30am – 3.30pm. Cost €50, which includes tea/coffee and a light lunch. For bookings, tel 0035374 9138909 or Email info@ardsfriary.ie. For further information contact Caroline at carolinebrown268@gmail.com
The next ‘Rosary on the Coast’ will be this Sunday 19th October at 3pm on Benone Strand, Magilligan. Everyone welcome.
Rachel’s Vineyard: Have you been affected or hurt by abortion? If so, please contact Michelle on 07871765181.
