Thirty- First Sunday In Ordinary Time 2nd November 2025
ALL SOULS – Commemoration Of All The Faithful Departed. Mass will be offered on Sunday 2nd November at 12Noon in commemoration of the departed. During the 12Noon Mass the names of all those who were buried from the Long Tower during the year (1st Oct’24 – 30th Sept’25) will be read out. We invite you to join us in person, where you can and also online via the webcam. We also invite you to visit the Church during the month of November to offer a prayer for the happy repose of the soul of your own deceased relatives and friends.
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 2nd November 10.00am Seamus McPhilips
Monday 3rd November 10.00am Pat Clarke
Monday 3rd November 7.30pm William McCorriston
Tuesday 4th November 7.30pm Andrew Bliss
Wednesday 5th November 10.00am Jack Morrison
Wednesday 5th November 7.30pm Daniel Ferguson
Thursday 6th November 10.00am Alec & Sheila Hasson
Thursday 6th November 7.30pm Thomas McShane
Friday 7th November 7.30pm RMA Mass
Baptisms: We Welcome into the family of God:Lochlann Devlin
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 £2460.00
LAST WEEK’S RENOVATION COLLECTION AMOUNTED TO £792.00
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.
Christmas Mass Bouquets are now available to purchase from the Parish Office Sacristy or each Sunday of Novena, cost £2.00. Long Tower Christmas Cards are also available cost is £5.00 for a packet of 12 cards. Long Tower 2026 Calendars are also available cost £3 each or 2 for £5. They would make an ideal Christmas gift especially for those living away from home.
Annual Solemn Novena in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Nine Sundays before Christmas in Long Tower Church at 6.00pm, continues this Sunday 2nd November 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. This Sunday, we welcome John Connors as our guest speaker. John is an Irish actor, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker and playwright best known for his role as Patrick Ward in the Irish crime drama series Love/Hate for which he was nominated for best-supporting actor at the 2016 Irish film and television awards, and for Cardboard Gangsters for which he won Best Actor at the 2018 Irish film and television awards. He has recently set up ‘Reclaim the Faith’ Podcast with his fiancée, Danielle Magennis who gave a very powerful talk at last year’s Sr Clare Retreat in Long Tower. The Podcast focuses on exploring justice, trauma, and spirituality, aiming to help others reconnect with their faith and God. John will speak on finding healing from addiction. We encourage everybody, including those in particular need of healing to join us. Please note, there will be parking available at Long Tower Primary School (upper school building) via Bishop Street from 5pm – 7.30pm, each Sunday of the Novena. We hope that this will significantly ease the congestion around Charlotte Street and the Flyover and would kindly ask that as many of you as possible, consider using this facility.
Sincere Thank you: Our Annual Forty Hours of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was a truly special time of prayer, both day and through the night with so many coming from far near to spend time with the Lord in the Eucharist. We thank Tommy and Patrick in the Sacristy and Kathleen Doherty and cleaning team for all their hard work in preparing the sanctuary so beautifully and to Louise and Niall for decorating the altar with the most beautiful floral arrangements – we are truly blessed. We also thank all those who so generously responded to the invitation of Jesus to ‘watch one hour’ by committing to spend one hour of adoration on a Wednesday in Long Tower. A ‘sign-in sheet’ will be placed on the table in the middle aisle of the church on a Wednesday for each person who has committed to a holy hour to tick the box corresponding to their name and hour of choice. We also thank John and Siobhan from the Derry Diocesan Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration for their words of encouragement to us all last weekend on the gift of spending time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
Síopa Cholmcille- St Columba’s Gift Shop in Aras Cholmcille: Chritsmas gifts just arrived!!!, including our very own Long Tower Christmas Pillar Candles, cost £2 and Long Tower LED Christmas candles, cost £10, as well as Long Tower Christmas Mass Bouquets and Christmas cards. The shop is open after 10am morning Mass throughout the week and also after the Novena each Sunday evening. For enquiries please contact Sheila Doyle/ Jim Doherty via (parish office 028-71262301 or Sacristy 028-71261946) who will be happy to help. Thank you for your support.
Diocesan Vocations Intercession: On this Holy Souls’ Day we remember the deceased priests who served the people of this diocese in the past. We pray for the priests who serve our parishes today, and for the men who will have the pastoral care of our people in the years to come, our current seminarians and those discerning their vocation at this time.
‘Cloisters Café’ in Aras Cholmcille in the grounds of Long Tower Church, The café is open Tuesday – Saturday from 9am to 3pm and also on Sunday’s from 10am-3pm, with Sunday lunch being served from 12Noon-3pm.
Month’s Mind Mass for Sister Bernadine: For all who could not make it to Sligo for the Funeral Mass of Sr Bernadine Hannon, former principal of Nazareth House PS, there will a Memorial Mass in Long Tower this Tuesday 4th November at 1.30pm with the pupils and staff of Nazareth House Primary School. All welcome.
Month’s Mind Mass for Fr Frank McLaughlin; St Eugene’s Cathedral, Derry on Monday 10th November at 7.30pm for Fr. Frank McLaughlin. Everyone welcome.
“4 Week FREE Dementia Education Programme for Informal Carers, starting Wednesday 5th November at An Croí Community Hub, Trench Rd, Waterside.This course is for those looking after someone at home who has received a dementia diagnosis. It teaches what dementia is 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. 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″.
St Joseph’s Boys’ School Annual Mass of Remembrance for deceased Staff and Pupils in St Eugene’s Cathedral, Derry on 13th November at 7.30pm.
Give Blood-Save Lives: Book now for local community donation session. Venue: Carlisle Road, Methodist Church, Derry. Date & Time: Monday 10th November 1pm- 8pm & Tuesday 11th November 12.30pm – 7.30pm. The link to book an appointment is: https://nibts.hscni.net/online-booking-for-blood-donation-appointments/
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.. The weekend costs £90. For further info/booking call 02871262512 or email termonbaccaderry@ocd.ie
The next ‘Rosary on the Coast’ will be this Sunday 2nd November at 3pm on Lisfannon Strand, Buncrana. Everyone welcome.
Pilgrimage to Fatima:7 Nights F/B Avenida Hotel 29th May/5th June. Led by Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ. Flying Direct From Belfast International, with convenient flight times. £850pps. Early booking discount of £100. For further information contact Joe Catney 07776425631
Rachel’s Vineyard: Have you been affected or hurt by abortion? If so, please contact Michelle on 07871765181.
