Twenty Fourth Sunday In Ordinary Time 12th September 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.
Thursday 16th September 7.30pm Dan Callaghan
Friday 17th September 10.00am Lily Hegarty
Friday 17th September 7.30pm Tess Deehan
Saturday 18th September 6.00pm Kathleen Kennedy
Rest In Peace: We extend our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of: Denise Harkin- Lansdowne Road, John McCloskey- Formerly Elmwood Terrace, Fr Aidan Mullan
Baptisms: We welcome into the family of God; Elijah Mellon, Niamh Taylor & Harriet Plavina.
Baptisms: Please contact the Parish Office for dates.
The Parish Office will be closed on Monday 13th September and re-open on Tuesday 14th September at 9.00am.
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
The Death of Father Aidan Mullan
Administrator of St Columbas Church, Long Tower
It is with deep sadness and a profound sense of loss that we announce the death of our Parish Priest, Fr Aidan Mullan. An Omagh man, Fr Aidan attended the Christian Brothers School there before attending St Columb’s College, Derry, as a boarder. He was ordained a Priest in 1976.He was a man gifted with a fine intellect which he employed generously throughout his life in the service of others, first serving as a Maths teacher at St Columb’s College before later going on to be Vice Principal. A strong advocate of Catholic education, he chaired the Diocese of Derry CCMS board for a number of years.
Serving as a diocesan priest he ministered to the Glendermott, Dungiven, and Three Patrons Parishes. In September 2016 Fr Aidan was appointed as the new administrator of the Long Tower Parish, a position to which he devoted the rest of his life with great warmth, zeal and giftedness, as his overseeing of the recent refurbishment of the Long Tower Church makes manifestly clear.
We mourn his loss as a man and priest of outstanding integrity who lived the Gospel values each day with faith, compassion and love. He leaves behind a strong legacy of Christianity in action and a deep-seated belief in the power of prayer to heal the world.
Funeral Arrangements
Removal from the undertakers to repose in St Columba’s Church, Long Tower, from 12.00 noon on Saturday until 2.30pm on Sunday. Removal from Long Tower to repose in Sacred Heart Church, Omagh from 4.00pm on Sunday. Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Monday at 12.00 noon in Sacred Heart Church, Omagh, with interment immediately afterwards at St Mary’s Cemetery, Drumragh. There will be night prayer at 9.00pm on Saturday in 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.
St Columba’s Long Tower Parish Retreat 12th -15th September Lead by Fr Pat Collins
Called and Sent
‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.’ Mark 16:9-15
Sunday 12th September, Introduction, Evening Prayer & Talk at 6.00pm
Monday 13th September, Mass at 6.30am & 10.00am, Evening Prayer & Talk at 7.30pm
Tuesday 14th September, Mass at 6.30am & 10.00am, Evening Prayer & Talk at 7.30pm followed by Confessions
Wednesday 15th September, Mass at 6.30am & 10.00am, Evening Prayer & Talk at 7.30pm
Message from Fr. Pat Collins
It is arguable that the two great challenges of our time are climate change and pandemics. Historians and scientists have asked the question, what was the worst time to be alive in human history? And guess what, they think it was the period when St Columba was alive. Firstly, when Columba was 15 there was an environmental catastrophe when a huge volcano erupted and blasted vast amounts of dust into the stratosphere. As a result, the world was darkened for a year and a half, temperatures fell, crops failed and there was worldwide famine. In Ireland the Gaelic Irish Annals reported that there was a “failure of bread from the years 536–539 AD.” Secondly, the climate change which lasted until 560 contributed to the emergence of bubonic plague which reached Ireland in 544 when Columba was 23. It was a really frightening pandemic because some people dropped dead in less than one day, some fell ill but recovered, while some others remained unaffected. It was within this very challenging environment that Columba fulfilled the two universal callings to holiness and evangelisation. We too live in challenging times. Like Columba we will not be holy if we do not evangelise, and we won’t evangelise effectively unless we are holy. That is the focal point of our retreat. I look forward to meeting you all.
SEASON OF CREATION. “A Home for All?: Restoring Our Common Home” Pope Francis established the 1st September as World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation following the publication of the encyclical Laudato si’ in 2015. The Season of Creation or Creation Time, is marked throughout the Christian world from 1st September to 4th October (Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi), celebrating the joy of creation as well as encouraging awareness-raising initiatives to protect the natural environment. The Diocese of Derry is encouraging parishes, schools and families to reflect on what they can do to protect the environment around us all. For ideas, initiatives, prayers, liturgies and news articles on the theme please see the diocesan social media channels and derrydiocese.org/season-of-creation.
Guided Pilgrimages on the Lough Derg Pilgrim Path will be offered on Sunday 12th, Wednesday 15th, Saturday 18th & Sunday 26th September and Sunday 3rd October, with Mass outdoors, weather permitting. The full route is a 12km loop, with a shorter 8km option. Advance booking is essential. For further information email info@loughderg.org or telephone 0(0353) 71 9861518. www.loughderg.org Lough Derg Pilgrim Path, Pettigo, Co Donegal. F94 N289
DROMANTINE RETREAT CENTRE: The following Retreat and Workshops will be offered by Fr Hugh Lagan SMA: ‘Called by a New Name’ Retreat – Refocus, recharge and reconnect in a post-pandemic world. Sunday 3 October, 5pm – Friday 8 October, 9.30am. Cost £420/€490. ‘Broken Open’ Workshop – How difficult times can help us grow. Friday 19 November, 5pm – Sunday 21 November, 2pm. Cost £200 / €230. Enquiries and reservations: Tel 028 (048 from ROI) 30821964. Email: admin@dromantineconference.com
Anam Cara would like to invite you to join us for an online Bereavement Information and Support Evening taking place 16th September at 7pm. This events will give you an opportunity to hear a bereavement professional talk about the difficult challenges and many milestones grieving a child of any age has on you and your family. If you would like to join us please register here https://bit.ly/3Dzyphc or contact us on info@anamcara.ie or 085 288 8888.
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS: Is gambling affecting your life? Perhaps we can help: call us on 028 7135 1329.
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.
