PARISH NEWSLETTER 7th MARCH 2021

Parish Priest: Fr. Stephen Farragher, 094-9630006 / 087-9210305

Email: ballyhaunisparish@gmail.com Parish Office: 094-9630006

PARISH WEBSITE: http://www.ballyhaunisparish.ie

PARISH RADIO: 105.2FM Newsletter on line: Parish website Web-cam: http://www.ballyhaunisparish.ie or www.mcnmedia.tv

Local Safeguarding Representative (LSR) Jacinta Flynn, (contact the parish office)

Emergency numbers:

Knock: 094-9388100

Fr. Feeney, Ballinlough: 094-9640155

Fr. McGuinness, Bekan: 094-9313937

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10.00am. Saturday 7.30pm. Nora, Michael & Judith Regan, Killinaugher

Mariam McGoldrick, Abbey St.

Patrick & Elizabeth Devane & decd. Kilvine

Jack, Sarah, John & Patrick Mangan, Roy, Doohoma

Anne Byrne, Main St.

John Byrne, Main St.

Brendan Quinn, Knox St.

Pam Loiacunu

Michael Murray, Doctor’s Road & decd. of the Murray Family, London

Anthony Coyne, Leenane, & decd. of the Coyne & Gavin Families

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Sunday 10.00am Month’s Mind: Tom McCormack, Clare Court

Please use the lighters for lighting can-

dles as the hand sanitiser is highly flam-

mable.

All weekday and weekend Masses, and the

daily rosary at 9.00pm continue to be

broadcast on parish radio 105.2FM and

streamed on the parish webcam: https://

www.mcnmedia.tv/camera/st-patricks-

church-ballyhaunis

The 10 o’clock Mass on Wednesday morn-

ings is being broadcast on Mid West Radio.

WEEKLY ENVELOPES: Sincere thanks to all who

are returning their weekly contributions either by

envelope or by direct debit. Envelopes can be

dropped in the letter box of the Parochial House. If

you wish to set up a direct debit, the account details are as follows: Ballyhaunis Parish

Church. BIC: ULSB IE 2D IBAN: IE69 ULSB 9852 7005 5200 31

CHY3 TAX CERTIFICATES: Thanks to all who have returned their CHY3 certificates

to date. If you received a certificate and have not yet completed and returned it, we would

ask you, please, to do so using the enclosed stamped self-addressed envelope or drop it in

the letterbox of the Parochial House at your earliest convenience.

LENT: Trócaire packs containing the Trócaire box and information on this year’s Lenten

campaign are available in the church porch. Please take one home and make a contribution

to help those suffering hunger and injustice in many parts of the world. This year’s cam-

paign focuses on South Sudan and we learn more about the suffering of people who have

lost their homes and loved ones to war, and how they are rebuilding their lives through love,

friendship and solidarity

PRAYER GUIDE FOR THE SEASON OF LENT – A booklet produced by and circulat-

ed with the permission of the bishops of Clonfert and Elphin, is available on our website

www.ballyhaunisparish.ie

MASSES:

Monday, Tuesday,

Wednesday, Friday 10.00am.

Saturday Evening Vigil: 7.30pm.

Sunday: 10.00am.

CONFESSIONS:

Before Saturday Vigil Mass

EUCHARISTIC

ADORATION

Friday: 10.30am. - 1.00pm.

BAPTISMS

Saturdays & Sundays 11.00am.

Minimum of two weeks’

notice required. Contact the

parish office, 094-9630006, for

updates due to ongoing Covid-

19 restrictions.

ANNIVERSARY MASSES 8th - 14th MARCH 2021

ST. PATRICK’S CHURCH, BALLYHAUNIS

8th - 14th MARCH READERS

Monday Martin Fitzmaurice

Tuesday Mary Donnelly

Wednesday Tommy Caulfield

Friday Christina Concannon

Saturday 7.30pm. James Reidy

Sunday 10.00am. Anne Durkan

Recently Deceased

We remember in our prayers

Kevin Finn, Nottingham, UK & formerly Pattenspark

PASTORAL MESSAGE from the Bishops of the Six

Dioceses of the Tuam Province 3rd March 2021 Dear Parishioners, brother Priests and Deacons, Religious and

Friends

Covid-19: A Year On

This week we mark the first anniversary of the appearance of the

Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland. As we consider how this has

touched our parish communities, particularly given the tragic loss

of so many lives, we wish to share some thoughts with you, the

people of the six Dioceses of the Tuam Province.

Further to Climb

Many of us will be familiar with the experience of arriving at

what we thought was the top of a mountain only to discover that

there is still further to climb. Sometimes the last bit can be the

hardest of all. We understand the experience of disappointment

and frustration that many people feel, at the news of an indefinite

extension of lockdown. We are delighted, however, that children

have the opportunity to return to school and we wish them and

their teachers every blessing.

Until we are all “Ok”

All of us appreciate the efforts and the sacrifices of those in our

community who provide essential services. For many people,

however, the continued high level of restriction poses practical

and emotional challenges. We want to say very clearly that, in the

Christian vision of things, every person is essential and no person

is more important or necessary than any other. When we pray the

Stations of the Cross, we celebrate people like Veronica, who

wiped the face of Jesus, and Simon of Cyrene who shard with

Him the burden of the cross.

Serving the Common Good and Supporting Restrictions

As Church leaders, we have consistently supported the public

health restrictions on the grounds that they serve the common

good. The state has a particular responsibility for the common

good and, on that basis, the Church teaches that Catholics must

obey the law unless it is manifestly unjust or immoral. That does

not mean that we cannon or should not speak out when we believe

that something seems unfair or could be done better. We have

consistently made representations, not only for the timely reopen-

ing of the public pastoral life of the Church, but also for better

protection for elderly residents in nursing home, for equity in the

delivery of critical care in our hospitals and for a fair distribution

of vaccines both in our own society and in the wider world.

Difficulties with “Covid-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021: The

Path Ahead”

We recognise the need for prudence and caution at the present

time, in the light of the terrible loss of life in January and Febru-

ary, and we accept absolutely that now is not the time for a major

reopening of society. We have carefully considered the five stage

plan “Covid-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021: The Path Ahead”,

published by the Government last week. There are two things in

this plan which we find very difficult to support.

One is the fact that at level 5, all funerals are still limited to 10

people. We believe that a modest increase to 25 would, without

compromising safety, bring much consolation to grieving

families.

Our second concern is that public worship is still excluded even

at level 3. This would suggest that we may not have the oppor-

tunity to celebrate Mass together for months to come. It ignores

the important contribution of communal worship to the mental

and spiritual well-being of people of faith. The fundamental im-

portance of Holy Week and Easter for all Christians, makes the

prohibition of public worship particularly painful. While, as

Christians, we are obliged to obey these regulations, we believe

that it is our responsibility as Church leaders to make the case for

change. We will continue to make fair and reasonable representa-

tion and we encourage you to do likewise.

Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation

In so far as the Government plan currently offers no clarity about

when we might expect to return to public Sacramental life, we

find it difficult to have any confidence that the Sacraments of First

Communion and Confirmation can be celebrated before the end of

the present school year. As of now, we have decided to defer the

Sacrament of Confirmation for the 2021 class until the Autumn,

and we encourage our parishes to consider doing the same in rela-

tion to First Communion. Should circumstances change for the

better, this decision can be revisited in each Diocese. In the

meantime, we encourage young people and their parents to contin-

ue with their preparation. We have provided online resources to

support what is being done through the Religious Education pro-

grammes with the teachers in the schools.

Continuing Pastoral and Sacramental Care

Bearing all of the foregoing in mind, it is also important for us to

do as much as we can within the current restrictions to provide

pastoral and sacramental care to our parishioners. Experience

teaches us that with suitable precautions, the individual celebra-

tion of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is possible, as is the sacra-

mental care of the sick. These, together with various other pasto-

ral initiatives, can supplement the various online outreaches that

have proved so helpful and successful.

Towards Easter 2021

God’s love for us is revealed in the life, death and resurrection of

Jesus, who shared our human condition, with all its joys and sor-

rows. As his disciples today, we can have confidence in his prom-

ise to be with us always, even to the end of time. During this sea-

son of Lent, He walks the way of the cross with us and we journey

in hope toward the joy of sharing in his Resurrection which, one

way or another, we will celebrate together at Easter.

Sincerely in Christ,

Michael Neary (Archbishop of Tuam), John Flemin (Bishop of

Killala), Michael Duignan (Bishop of Clonfert), Brendan Kelly

(Bishop of Galway), Paul Dempsey (Bishop of Achonry). ******************************************************************

FAITH RENEWAL EVENTS Online www.knockshrine.ie/

‘Living Christian Faith’ - Lenten Conversations

Thursday 11th March: ‘Living Christian Faith in Public Life’

Baroness Nuala O’Loan, Senator Ronan Mullen discuss their own

faith, how it informs their public service and the challenges peo-

ple of faith encounter in the public sphere today.

Join Fr. Eamonn Conway and guests online each Thursday even-ing at 8.30pm. To watch, simply log on to www.knockshrine.ie/watch-live Full programme details are avail-

able at www.knockshrine.ie/news

BALLYHAUNIS COMMUNITY COUNCIL AGM will be

held on Monday 29th March at 8.00pm. via Zoom. For further

details please contact 087-9777899 or 087-6982473. Email: bally-

hauniscommunitycouncil@gmail.com Visit our website

www.ballyhauniscc.ie or Facebook page: Ballyhaunis Community

Council