28 March 2024

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Parish of the Assumption

Area Code: 057 Tel: 93 21587 - 93 22415 Fax: 93 51510
www.tullamoreparish.ie 
E-mail Parish Secretary:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ 14th January 2018

Fr. Joseph Gallaghar P.P
Rt Rev Sean Heaney CC VG
Fr. Shane Crombie C.C.
Fr Kevin Fleming SSC
Sr. Genny Hassey
Sr. Margaret Burke    

MASS TIMES 

Weekend Masses

Church of the Assumption:  Saturday (Vigil) 6.30pm

Sunday 8.30a.m, 10.00a.m, 11.30am & 1.00p.m

St Colmcille’s Church Durrow:  Sunday 11.30a.m

Holy Days

Church of the Assumption: 7.45a.m, 10.00a.m, 1.10p.m, 6.30p.m.

St Colmcille’s Church Durrow: Vigil 8.00pm

Weekday Masses 

Monday-Friday 7.45am & 10.00am

Saturday 10.00am 

First Friday 7.45am & 10.00am

CONFESSIONS

Saturday:  12 noon-1.00pm, 3.00-4.00pm

GET IN TOUCH

St Mary’s Parish Centre, Benburb St, Tullamore, Phone: 0579321587

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web: www.tullamoreparish.ie

Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 9.30am-1pm; 1.30-5pm to book weddings, baptisms, certs, etc;  

Reception service 5-9pm.

Priest available for emergencies 24 hours daily.  

Parish Shop selling a selection of religious items.  

Teas after 10am Mass Mon, Wed & Fri.  

Meeting Rooms available: Contact Administrator for details of rates, availability etc. 

Parish Support Services:  Bereavement Listening, etc.  For appointment, ph 0579326604, Monday-Thursday 9.30am-1.00pm; Wednesday & Thursday 6.00-8.00pm.


THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP

The Book of Samuel and the gospel deal with the “call” to discipleship and the response. The call of Samuel is a wonderful story to reflect on at the beginning of a new year. His response to his call is an example of the perfect prayer of a true disciple. We must be attentive to the voice of God whether it comes in the darkness of uncertainty or in our everyday experiences. We have to discern the voice of the Spirit in our often hectic daily lives.

Placed alongside this story is the call of Andrew in the gospel. Having been baptised by John the Baptist, Jesus was beginning to attract and gather followers. Initially they sought out Jesus primarily because of the preaching and the witness of John the Baptist. Andrew while standing with John heard him exclaim “Look, there is the Lamb of God” and Andrew followed Jesus who in turn asked him “What are you looking for? “How might we respond to that question? What does Jesus mean to us and how does our living reflect His message? We can learn from the “call stories”, remember we are never called for our own sake but to help and serve others.

To be called doesn’t require perfection only fidelity. Samuel, Andrew, Simon Peter and even the tax collectors were not called because of their achievements, status or qualifications. The journey of discipleship doesn’t require anything more than a willing heart. Have you a willing heart? 


PASTORAL MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP EAMON MARTIN:

“To Serve Human Life is to Serve God” (Pope Francis)

TWO LIVES, ONE LOVE!

Women’s lives are precious, to be loved, valued and protected. Their babies’ lives are precious, to be loved, valued and protected. Two lives, one love!... 

It is falsely claimed that wide access to abortion will mark Ireland out as a “modern” country, placing the needs of women “at the centre”. Abortion ends the human life of an unborn girl or boy. It deceives women – and men – by creating a culture where the decision to end the life of an unborn child is portrayed as simply a matter of individual “choice”.

Since the introduction of the 1967 Abortion Act in Britain there have been almost nine million abortions. One-in-five pregnancies in Britain end in abortion; one-in-four in Sweden… Are these the so-called “modern abortion regimes” that Ireland is seeking to emulate?

When women are in crisis during pregnancy, feeling frightened or isolated, they need to know they are not alone. A woman facing such a crisis deserves time, compassion, meaningful support and life-affirming alternatives to abortion and its harmful legacy. Our ambition as a people should be to guarantee genuine care for pregnant mothers, encourage responsible support from fathers, and to truly cherish all children equally.

We should focus our energies and resources on making Ireland the most welcoming country in the world for a woman and her baby in the womb. Our doctors, nurses, midwives and other care professionals have already helped to earn Ireland’s place as one of the safest countries in the world for mothers and their babies during pregnancy. Ireland now has an opportunity to give even stronger witness that: we value all life equally; we care for the weakest and smallest, the strongest and healthiest, the youngest, the oldest, and the whole wonderful and beautiful spectrum of life in-between.

INTERVENTION

Regarding medical intervention, Catholic teaching is clear: where a seriously-ill pregnant woman requires medical treatment which may put the life of her baby at risk, such treatments are ethically permissible provided every effort is made to save both the mother and her baby. Such an intervention would be different from an abortion, which is the direct and intentional taking of the innocent life of the unborn.

BE MISSIONARIES FOR LIFE!

The innate dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death, is a value for the whole of society, rooted in reason as well as in faith…  

Brothers and sisters I encourage you to be missionaries for the cause of life.  Remember those words of Pope Francis: “To serve human life is to serve God”.  Speak to your families, your children and grandchildren, friends and colleagues about cherishing the precious gift of life at all times from conception to natural death.  Despite the strong pressures to remain silent, do not be afraid to witness to the equality of all life in private conversations and public discussions in the coming months.  As citizens committed to the Common Good, you have a democratic right to make your views known, respectfully, to our public representatives.

THE POWER OF PRAYER

Please pray earnestly with me that Ireland will “choose life” and that the lives of all women and their unborn children will always be loved, valued, welcomed and respected in this country.


SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

The next available Baptism dates are Sat 20th & Sat 27th Jan & Sun 4th Feb in Tullamore & Sun 11th Feb in Durrow. The pre-baptism meeting for these dates is on Wed 17th Jan.

To book in for the meeting and baptisms, contact the Parish Secretary, at the Parish Office, Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm.


SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

It is advisable to give six months’ notice of your intention to marry to both the Church and the Registrar. To book the Church for weddings, contact the Parish Secretary, Monday-Friday, 9.30am-5.00pm.

All couples getting married must attend a pre-marriage course.  Contact ACCORD, 9341831 or www.accord.ie.  ACCORD also available for marriage and relationship counseling.


NB:  NOTICES FOR THE BULLETIN MUST BE IN THE PARISH CENTRE BY 9.30AM WEDNESDAY.

Only notices from parish groups, non-profit making organisations & clubs included.


MASS INTENTIONS

Mon 15     7.45  Marcella Martin 

              10.00  Patrick & Therese Powell

Tues 16    7.45  Seamus, Ann & James Murphy

              10.00  Joe & Margaret White & Family. Kathleen &

                        Joe Doyle & Pickett Family

Wed 17   10.00  Joan McLoughlin, Arden Vale

Thurs 18 10.00  Joey & Billy Kelly, Tinnycross 

Fri 19       7.45  Dermot & Gerardine Cusack

              10.00  Patrick Clarke

Sun 21      8.30  James, Kathleen & Joseph Kelly, O’Molloy St

              10.00  Joseph & David Doheny, Roselawn

Shared Mass, Sat 20, 10am: Denis & Kathleen O’Meara; Deirdre & Fiacre Ryan; Margaret Carroll & Bessie Dowling; John & Elizabeth Killeavy; Maddie Carty; Lily Slater; Paddy & Eileen Feery; Sr. Carmel McDonagh; Ann, Frank & Agnes Dunne; James Devaney; Barney & Peg Murray; Michael, Annie & Nancy Feery; Mary Murray; William Walsh; Tom Kelly; Paddy & Anne Pidgeon; Robert Alexander; Tommy Deevy & Patrick Cunningham; Michael & Julia Egan; Marie McIntyre; Joseph & MaryAnn Feery & Family; John O’Toole; Francis Gorman; Stephen, Harry & John Lowbridge & Family; Thomas McDonagh; Jason McDonagh, Esther & Des Galvin; Susan Hanley; Paddy, Sheila & John O’Reilly; Dooley Family, Molly & Jimmy McGarry; Mark Heffernan; Imelda Rooney, Gertie Rowney, Peter Berry & Mary Ganley; John, Jerome & Desmond Murphy; John, Margaret, Sean & Pascal Murray; Siobhán Drea & Mikaela Ardelenau; Francis Keoghan; Maura & Jack Lowbridge; John, Elizabeth, Michael, Tom, Paddy, John & Eileen Lewis & Dan, Hannah, Patrick & Patricia Galvin; Gladys, Kevin & Maura Adams; John O’Hanlon & Joe O’Hare.


BAPTISMS

Welcome to God’s Family Grace Maryann Holleran who was baptised recently.


DEATHS

We offer our sympathy to the families of Vincent Connell, Gabriel Johnson, Sr. Annunciata Dillon & Liam Wyer.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

…As the sun makes the ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust and hostility to evaporate…


PARISH COLLECTIONS

Tullamore €3568; Durrow €223;

Envelopes €2615

Thank you for your continued support


PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR FIONA PENDER, OUR PARISHIONER WHO HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE 22ND AUG 1996.


COMMUNITY NOTICES 

PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION HOSPITAL CHAPEL:  Can you cover Sun 2-3am, short term - 3 weeks. Most Urgent! Ph: 0851162668.

ST. PADRE PIO MASS: Tues 16, 7.30pm, Church of the Assumption. All welcome.

STOMA SUPPORT GROUP: meeting Tues 16, 6.30-8.30pm, Dóchas Offaly Cancer Support Group Centre. Contact Anne: 086 3074846.  All are welcome.

DURROW CEILI CLUB: Ceili & set dancing classes every Tues night, Durrow hall 8.30. New members welcome.

VOLUNTEERS FOR LOURDES: If you would like to travel with us to volunteer in the Service of Hospitalite Notre Dame de Lourdes: 8-16 July. Please contact Liz Byrne: email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it /Ph.: 087-1926346. 

TULLAMORE LIBRARY: Dr. Diane Cooper, of True Fitness will give a talk Tues 16, 6.30-7.30. Booking essential -0579346832.

MOJO: mental health & wellbeing programme for men, 18 years & older. 12 week programme starts 24 & 25, Offaly Local Development Company, Main St.  Further info: mojo.ngo/ 087-6028801. 

CLONMACNOIS PRAYER VIGIL: Cluain Chiarain Prayer Centre, Fri 19 & every third Friday. Mass at 9pm. All Welcome. Enquiries Dave: 0857746763.

GROW COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH MOVEMENT:  every Wed 11.00a.m, Tullamore Library. If you are feeling lonely/ isolated - contact Michelle 0864183805/Visit: www.grow.ie.  

OFFALY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT SERVICES: Helpline 9351886 for information or to make an appointment.

SEXUAL ABUSE & RAPE CRISIS CENTRE: Confidential Counseling Service, Helpline 1800323232.