Long
Tower One Hundred
MONSTER
DRAW 2009
CLICK THE 'I' FOR MORE INFO
***
LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS REMAINING ***
To enter the Draw
Members of the committee will be available in the
Sacristy after each Mass today to sign up new members
and for giving out pre-booked tickets.
Tickets available:
Daily 10.00-2.30 pm, Parochial House
Please! Please give
the parish your enthusiastic support in this essential
fund-raising venture. The priests of the parish will
recite the Divine Office for the intentions and well-being
of all the promoters and the members every day until
the Centenary. Thank you!
CENTENARY
CELEBRATIONS
Tuesday 9th September 2008
St Columba died on 9th June 597. In honour of this
revered date we will celebrate the Centenary of Long
Tower Church on 9th June 2009. On each 9th of the
month before that we are honouring St Columba and
his church with a different ceremony. This week the
Centenary Committee invite you to participate in our
preparatory celebrations once again. All welcome!
Holy Water Fonts: The old fonts in
the stairwells have been restored. In 1909 they were
fixed to the walls on the stairs to the gallery but
fell into disuse many years ago when the lead inserts
perished. Their purpose is to provide Holy Water for
the people who use the gallery. They are made in mahogany
and will have new stainless steel insets. They will
be unveiled and blessed on Tuesday morning after the
10 o’clock Mass.
Plaque to Bishop Raymond O’Gallagher
(1521-1601): Bishop of Derry for 32 years,
he was killed by English soldiers at Cumber, near
Claudy in 1601. He was very wise in spiritual and
political matters when it was considered an act of
treason to be a Catholic. A kind, honourable and just
man he had laboured long and hard to implement the
reforms of the Council of Trent during times of persecution
and danger. The story of this heroic Bishop who was
martyred for the Faith will be placed in granite at
the AOH Pietà monument and unveiled on Tuesday
evening after the 7:30 Mass. We are grateful to the
Ancient Order of Hibernians for requesting the ceremony
and to Devlin Memorials, Bridgend for donating the
plaque.
BAPTISMS
We welcome Zach-Lee John Maye-Moore,
63 Pinetrees, who was baptised recently.
REQUIESCANT IN PACE
We extend our sincere sympathy to
the family of Margaret Murray, 17
Sheriffs Road. May she rest in peace.
PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS FROM LONG TOWER PARISH
We are seeking the names and addresses of all priests
and religious who originally came from the Long Tower
Parish, to invite them to our centenary celebrations
in 2009. If you have contact details please leave
them in either the sacristy or the Parochial House
or telephone 7126 2301.
ST JOSEPH’S YOUNG PRIESTS SOCIETY monthly
meeting will take place on Monday, 8th September at
8.30 pm. All welcome.
KNIGHTS OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Calling men to
prayer!
A Knight of the Blessed Sacrament is a man who will
be prepared and inducted for veneration and protection
of the Eucharist when it is exposed on the altar.
He will commit to one hour’s Adoration on a
Wednesday, during which time he will wear a special
garment of veneration that marks him out as a protector
of the Blessed Sacrament. One definition of a knight
is a man who stands for a just cause or a special
lady. We readily think of holy men such as St Joseph
and St John the Evangelist who both appeared with
Our Lady in Knock. That level of sanctity will be
beyond what most of us can reach but we need not be
discouraged.
The calling to be a knight will have a lot of significance
for our parish as we prepare for the Centenary. It
invites men to be courageous in their faith, to show
leadership in prayer, to give example to their families,
to enhance their self-esteem, to claim their dignity
as dutiful servants of Christ, to protect the Eucharist
and to grow in love. True masculinity implies strength
with gentleness, the kind of qualities that come from
prayer.
Society tries to immerse men in a generally superficial
style of living, in a culture of obsession with sports,
of alcohol consumption and gambling. The Church invites
men to counteract the social trend, to be truly earnest
about their vocation as brothers, uncles, husbands,
fathers and grandfathers and to enrich their lives
with prayer and the Sacraments. A very profound way
of doing this is to become a Knight of the Blessed
Sacrament.
Long Tower is an ideal location for the Knights since
it was here that St Columba formed his community of
monks 14 centuries ago. That Columban spirit is alive
and well in Long Tower because to this day many men
here show great devotion to God. We would be very
grateful to any men who will volunteer. The benefits
are immediate and eternal.
Invitation to become a Knight:
Preparation – Set aside an hour for
formation each Thursday of this month (September),
8:15-9:15 pm, in Long Tower Sacristy, beginning on
Thursday 11th Sept.
Dedication – Devote a specific hour
for Adoration each Wednesday.
Fidelity – Be living the Ten Commandments.
Age – Be 18 years or older.
To volunteer – Please collect a form
in the Sacristy and return it by Tuesday.
LONG TOWER ONE DAY PILGRIMAGE TO LOUGH DERG
on Tuesday 23rd September. Bus departs from the top
of Abercorn Road at 8.00 am. Bus and island £30.
Please contact the Parochial House on 7126 2301.
SVDP THRIFT SHOP has moved to 34
William Street. The shop is open Monday to Saturday
from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. All donations are gratefully
appreciated. For collection please ring 7126 5489
or 7126 98325.
DOVE HOUSE ENROLMENT FOR COURSES
on Tuesday 9th September. Telephone 7126 9327 or 7127
3973 for further information.
LAST WEEK’S ENVELOPE COLLECTION
£1993.00
LAST WEEK’S RENOVATION COLLECTION £ 623.00
WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE
THE ANONYMOUS DONATIONS TO THE LONG TOWER RENOVATION
FUND: £5, £10, £5, £20, £10,
£100, £300, £180.
SUICIDAL?
Counselling available
at ZEST, 15 Queen Street, 7126 6999.
P.S.
‘If people want to have hope and find meaning
in their lives, they need to take God out of the "parentheses".
(Pope Benedict XVI)
