Sunday Newsletter
Masses Today
6.30: Thomas & Mary Folan and family, (Anniv).11.00: Tony Sugrue, (1st Anniv). Colleran Family, (RIP)
6.30: Pearse O'Mahoney, OSA, (Anniv).
- Masses Sunday, November 4th: 6.30 (Vigil): Peter & Bridie Berry; deceased members of the Tierney family; 11.00: Anne & James Sharkey; 6.30 Michael Murray.
- MISSION SUNDAY: Last Sunday's collection for the missions was €1,393.00.
- PUBLIC HOLIDAY: Since tomorrow, Monday October 29th, is a Public Holiday, there will be no 8.30 Mass. The Priory Office will remain closed all day.
- ALL SAINTS: Thursday next, November 1st is the Feast of All Saints and is a Church holiday. Masses on Wednesday at 6.30 (Vigil) and Thursday at 8.30, 11.00, 1.10 & 6.30. Please note that there will be no 10.00 Mass.
- ALL SOULS: See special arrangements below .
As I Was Saying...
A few years ago, I was devastated when my suitcase went missing on my way to China. It failed to make the journey from Carnmore airport to Dublin. Enquiries extracted reassurance only: 'Your luggage will follow on immediately.'
In the meantime, the tour operator financed my 'emergency gear' in China itself. But this had its frustrating side: the most expensive pants on offer cost a mere €4! It soon began to dawn on me that I would have to get used to these tight-fitting Chinese stuff. I never saw my case again! (For all I know, there is a Martian still strutting around in the stratosphere dressed in Anthony Ryan's best!) To add insult to injury, this emergency Chinese garb disintegrated on first wash! Now the €4 pants began to make perfect sense after all!
You may think that was bad. But this week, we heard six nuclear warheads went missing in the United States. Apparently, unknown to the crew, this deadly cargo was flown across the States by mistake!
Heads had to roll. Three colonels, a lieutenant colonel and 66 others have been disciplined because of what the deputy chief of staff described delightfully as an "erosion of adherence to weaponshandling standards".
The very thought of this plane crashing, or being hijacked, sends shivers down the spine. But what's to be done? We can't 'un-ring the bell'. Nuclear power is a reality now. Getting rid of it altogether is on the agenda only of the idealists. Realists will talk of 'limiting, controlling, scaling down'.
Even among many who see such weapons as a curse, who lament the massive swallowing of resources which keeps the arsenals updated, the practical common-sense argument wins the day. People of all faiths and none have to deal with the world as it is, not as they might like it to be.
Yet, I don't know of any instance where Jesus stared his audience in the eye and said, "You know, it all makes perfect sense!" Much of his teaching made no sense at all by the accepted standards of his own day. It hardly makes sense in our day. 'Losing your life in order to find it', 'loving enemies', 'the meek inheriting the earth' - common sense says "Dream on..."
Jesus knew well how radical all this was, and how hard it could be to take it on board. Indeed, he told an enquiring religious leader, "I am telling you the truth. No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again", or "born from above". This life he is advocating demands a whole new way of thinking.
Pretty scary that can be, because there's no end to where it can take us. But it hardly seems more dangerous than a world where nuclear weapons, like my suitcase, just get put on the wrong plane.
-Dick Lyng
Items of Some Interest
- Cemetery Sunday: We will celebrate Cemetery Sunday at Forthill on Sunday next, November 4th, with Mass in the Oratory at 12.30. Graves will be blessed after the Mass. Please note that there will be no additional 'Blessing of Graves' in the afternoon.
- November Dead List: The traditional November Dead List envelopes and writing paper are now available at the back of the Church, and in the magazine rack (near St. Jude). Simply fill out your list and bring it in to Gearoidin in the Priory Mass Office. Please note that this is distinct from the 'Tree of Life' names.
- Martin de Porres: The Dominicans in The Claddagh are holding the annual Novena to St. Martin de Porres from Saturday, November 3rd to Sunday November 11th. Sessions will take place on weekdays at 7.15 and on Sundays at 3.00pm. The preachers are: Thomas McCarthy OP and Gerard Dunne, OP.
- Mass for Civil Servants: The AGM of the Retired Civil & Public Servants Association takes place at 2.30pm on Wednesday October 31st in the Forster Court Hotel. Mass will be offered for the deceased members in St. Patrick's Church at 2.00pm, prior to the meeting.
The Fallen...
- ALL SOULS' NIGHT: We will begin at 7.30 in St. Nicholas' on Friday next, November 2nd. The Service will not include a Mass. We will have some scripture readings, poetry and hymns, together with a 'Procession of Light', and a Blessing of the Tree of Life (see below). Those who died during the year will be remembered. Their names will be inscribed on each candle. Just send in the names and we will have the candles prepared. At a certain point, family members of the deceased will be invited to carry their candle forward in a 'Procession of Light.' You may take the candle home at the end of the Service.
- TREE OF LIFE: There will also be a more general commemoration of the Dead with a 'Tree of Life' which will be set up in both churches. Simple strips of writing paper will be available. On these you may write down the names of your deceased family members and neighbours whom you wish to have prayed for. As usual, you will then attach that strip to the tree. The trees will remain in place throughout the month of November.
Remembering Our Dead
This will be our third year celebrating All Souls Night with St. Nicholas Church of Ireland community. It has worked really well over the last two years and there is no reason why it shouldn't work well again! Some thought that the ceremony probably went on too long last year, and I think they were right. So the Rev. Towers and myself met during the week, each armed with a sharp scissors. We trimmed our sails to suit our rather mutinous crew.
We have drawn up a list of people who will be remembered there. All of these have had some connection with St Augustine's or St. Nicholas'; they either attended one of our churches, were buried from one of our churches, or their families continue to worship in one of our churches. In other words, they were members of our community. We will be in touch with their families with an invitation to attend the service. If you spot any glaring omissions, please get in touch with us immediately.
| JIM O'ROURKE | 03/11/2006 | Dublin |
| BARTLEY FOLAN | 5/11/2006 | Bearna |
| BRENDAN MADDEN | 10/11/2006 | Roscahill |
| ANGEL DOOLEY | 22/02/2007 | Oranmore |
| PADDY MELIA | 20/11/2006 | New Docks |
| JOAN MURPHY | 08/12/2006 | Nicholas Ave. |
| MARY KELLY | 25/12/2006 | Galway |
| SARAH CANAVAN | 15/01/2007 | Prospect Hill |
| HAL LLOYD | 10/01/2007 | Dublin |
| PATRICK HEANEY | 22/01/2007 | Eyre St. |
| T. CHRISTOFIDES | 19/01/2007 | University Rd. |
| MARY MULLINS | 23/01/2007 | Patrick's Ave. |
| MURTY RABBITT | 27/02/2007 | Forster St. |
| CHRISTY CRONIN | 01/03/2007 | Rahoon |
| PHIL O'MALLEY | 01/02/2007 | Moycullen |
| JIM LYNOTT | 00/02/2007 | San Francisco |
| B. O'DONNELL | 07/03/2007 | Dock St. |
| MARY MELVIN | 11/04/2007 | Monivea Rd. |
| KATHLEEN GIBLIN | 06/04/2007 | Knocknacarra |
| GERARD GILMORE | 28/03/2007 | Cross St. |
| BR. ROBERT RUANE | 28/07/2007 | Kingston |
| DES WALSH | 23/04/2007 | The Bailey |
| BOBBY PIERCE | 27/04/2007 | Bridge St. |
| CATHERINE DAY | 30/07/2007 | Derrydonnell |
| TOM MURPHY | 04/05/2007 | Claddagh |
| ANN TAHENY | 23/05/2007 | Woodquay |
| GERRY MEEHAN | 19/05/2007 | Salthill |
| M. FERNANDES | 13/012007 | Spain |
| JULIUS OGBE | 24/06/2007 | Galway |
| NORA JENNINGS | 18/06/2007 | Long Walk |
| ANN BATES | 25/06/2007 | Galway |
| ANGELA FEENEY | 06/06/2007 | Corrib Park |
| IGNATIUS McGUINN | 00/07/2007 | Galway |
| WILLIE CONNEELY | 01/08/2007 | Market St. |
| NELLIE BRENNAN | 18/08/2007 | Tuam |
| MARY CONCANNON | 28/08/2007 | New Docks |
| RITA LALLY | 01/09/2007 | Grattan Court |
| BREEGE FINN | 04/09/2007 | Oranmore |
| JOHN MARGETTS | 11/09/2007 | Bushypark |
| BREEGE BRADY | 16/09/2007 | Knocknacarra |
| NOREEN McCUSKER | 19/09/2007 | Galway |
| PHIL BEATTY | 24/09/2007 | Glenina Heights |
| ANNIE DALY | 03/10/2007 | Galway |
| NORA LEE | 15/10/2007 | Headford |
| FRANCIS DUGGAN | 00/10/2007 | USA |
| TONY SUGRUE | 06/11/2006 | Galway |
| W. CONCANNON | 06/03/2007 | Shantalla |
Readers' Meeting
We held a reasonably well-attended meeting of Church Readers on Tuesday night last. We set out 7 objectives:
- We need to renew our list (ie. we need new recruits).
- We will organise a training session (if only of 2 hours duration) for readers before Christmas.
- To emphasise the liturgical importance of the Word of God, the Book of the Gospels will be carried in the Entrance Process by the Reader of the day, beginning on the 1st Sunday of Advent.
- We will try to observe the 'one ministry only' rule at all times. That is, if you are reading, you really shouldn't be giving out holy communion too, and vice versa. We must involve as many as possible in ministry.
- We need to brush up on internal communications.
- Prayers of the Faithful must be looked at again.
- Audibility, Intelligibility and 'A Sense of Ministry' should be the primary aims of every reader.