You are Invited to Our
Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour
In St Columba’s Church, Long Tower
The annual Novena continues on Sunday at 6.00 pm.
Please note: The Novena tonight (Sunday) takes place
at the Vigil Mass, 6.00pm.
FAMILY ROSARY FOR ADVENT
We are inviting families to pray the
Rosary in the home each day of Advent. Rosary leaflets
are available at the church doors. Each day Fr Colhoun
and Fr Mongan will pray the Divine Office for the
families who are able to make this commitment. If
you would like to write your family name on the page
at the church doors the priests will put your intentions
before God each morning of Advent.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF OUR LADY
Tomorrow, Monday (8th December) we
celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
It is a Holyday of Obligation.
Masses for the Holyday are as
follows:
Sunday: Vigil 6.00
pm – Incorporating the Novena to Our Lady.
Monday: 8.00 am,
10.00 am, 12.00 noon (LATIN).
Please Note: The Novena
tonight will be included in the Vigil Mass for tomorrow.
Tonight’s Vigil Mass will fulfil the obligation
for Sunday or the Holyday but not for both.
A TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS will be
celebrated in Long Tower on Monday 8th December at
12.00 noon, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
All welcome.
BAPTISMS
We welcome: Louis Chambers,
10 Abercorn Road, Rhys Lavy, 14 Mary Street, Thomas
Mellon, 36 Rathmore Road, Oonagh O’Neill, 64
Ashthorpe and Jayden Friel, 18 Charlotte Street, who
were baptised recently.
REQUIESCANT IN PACE
We extend our sincere sympathy to the family and friends
of
Daniel Doran, 69 Pinetrees. May
he rest in peace.
CENTENARY CALENDAR a special edition
of the 2009 Centenary calendar is on sale. The calendar
contains a unique collection of rarely seen photographs,
covering the history of the Long Tower Church from
the early 1800s to the present day. This calendar
will make a unique gift and also become a collector’s
item. Price £6.99. The committee would like
to thank all those who supplied photographs for this
and for further publications.
LONG TOWER CHRISTMAS CARDS Price:
£3.99 for a pack of 12 assorted cards.
THE UNIVERSITY CHOIR ADVENT CAROL SERVICE
takes place in Long Tower on Wednesday at 8.15pm.
All welcome.
NAZARETH HOUSE PS/NURSERY UNIT is
having an Open Day in the school on Thursday, 11th
December 2008. P1-P4 Christmas Show 10.00 am; Choir
11.00 am; Carol Service 2.00 pm. Everyone welcome.
FR MONGAN will visit the sick in
his care on Monday and Tuesday, 15th and 16th December
2008.
LONG TOWER PARISH CHRISTMAS
SAVINGS SCHEME
‘As you know there has been significant instability
in the financial sector since September of this year.
The diocese, and indeed parishes, have, despite the
instability, maintained confidence in the financial
sector by continuing to support banks and other financial
institutions through depositing funds with them. This
support continues. The nature of the money held in
Parishioners’ Savings Schemes does not at any
stage belong to the parish. At all times – from
collection, while in the bank and at repayment, it
belongs to the individual parishioner. Accordingly,
the parish has a huge ethical responsibility to ensure
the safety and security of parishioners’ money,
remembering that the parishes would not have the financial
resources to repay parishioners’ money in the
event of a bank crisis and that for some parishioners
the loss of money would mean real financial hardship.
Accordingly, I have decided that the Parishioners’
Savings Scheme should not commence for 2009 and have
decided that they be suspended for one year. The year
will give an opportunity to investigate the possibility
of devising a scheme which protects the money of individual
parishioners.’ Extract of Letter
From Bishop Seamus Hegarty
We would like to take this opportunity to thank
the Savers, the Savings Collectors and the Savings
Committee for their support, dedication and commitment
during the 10 years that the Long Tower Christmas
Savings Scheme operated.
LONG
TOWER CHURCH
1909-2009
CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
Tuesday
9th December 2008
St Columba died on 9th June 597AD.
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.
On Tuesday the Centenary Committee invite you to participate
in our preparatory celebrations once again.
After 10.00 am Mass – Blessing
of Fr Lynch’s Grave and Planting of a Hawthorn
Tree at the Grotto Construction began on the earliest
part of the present Long Tower Church in 1784. Fr
John Lynch, the Parish Priest, had celebrated Mass
in the open air under the hawthorn trees for many
years previously. With the gradual relaxing of the
penal laws Fr Lynch saw his dream of a church for
the Catholic people of Derry become a reality. Before
it was completed his death had occurred and his funeral
took place in the Long Tower on 22nd December 1786.
At his own request he was buried under his beloved
hawthorn trees. In 1909 Fr Willie Doherty built the
Grotto over his tomb and put a plaque to commemorate
the history of the place. On Tuesday morning we will
unveil the restored plaque, bless the tomb and plant
a hawthorn tree as part of our Centenary celebrations.
All welcome.
7.30 pm Mass – Prayers for
Healing and Blessing with Relics of Padre Pio Padre
Pio is one of the most popular saints in the history
of the Church. Having died as recently as 1968 many
people today remember him and even got to meet him.
During his lifetime he had a special ministry of healing
and since his death many people have received mysterious
“visits” from him in times of suffering,
particularly in sickness.
On Tuesday evening we will offer the Mass
of Saint Pio for the healing of our people.
Furthermore, we will have first class relics of the
humble friar for blessing of everyone who attends
the Mass. All welcome.
SVDP ANNUAL CHURCH DOOR COLLECTION
will be taken up on 13th/14th December. Income and
Expenditure for 2007 will be included in next week’s
bulletin.
MASS IN HONOUR OF ALEXANDRINA MARIA DA COSTA
will take place on 14th December at 7.30pm in Termonbacca.
All welcome.
Bound for Baltimore - United in Promoting
our City A group of 30 of the city’s most talented
pupils from the 13 post primary schools are to take
part in the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in
Baltimore and Washington, at the invitation of the
Governor or Maryland himself. In order to raise funds
to make this possible a Prize Draw has been organised,
which is a great opportunity for you too! Over the
5 weeks of the Draw there is a total of over £20,000
worth of prizes to be won, including two super draws
where the top prize is a cool £3000! Tickets
priced at £50 allow entry to all 5 chances to
win and further details are available from St Cecilia’s
College or by enquiring at your local post primary
school.
CRAFT FAIR AT GREENHAW (LEARNING
DISABILITY) DAY CENTRE beside Greenhaw Lodge
Nursing Home Racecourse Road on Fri 12th December
from 10.30 am until 2.30 pm.
ADVENT WEEKEND RETREAT Registration
Friday 12th 7.30 pm to Sunday 14th December A quiet
residential weekend, which will be a spiritual preparation
for the feast of Christmas, will be conducted by the
Carmelite Fathers in Termonbacca, Carmelite Retreat
Centre, Derry. All are welcome to attend. For further
details and bookings Tel 7126 2512.
Community Celebration Day – St Mary’s
College
To acknowledge and celebrate the important role
the community serves, St Mary’s College is hosting
a Community Celebration Day in the school on Monday
8th December from 1.30pm – 3.30pm. Old photographs
and memorabilia will be on display and afternoon tea
will be served. Everyone is welcome. Please contact
Marie Lindsay on 71362154 or email principal@stmarysderry.com
if you would like to join us.
Bishop Street Community Development Association
Are Holding A Pensioners Buffet Dance In The Bishop
Street Community Centre on Saturday 13th December
from 8.30 pm to 12.00 am. Music and entertainment.
Prizes galore. Admission Free. To book places please
call or talk to any committee member:
James or Celine McCarron 7126 6441
Eugene or Patricia McLoone 71266363
Danny Wade or Jackie Gillespie 7137 1457
Cilla Doherty 1 Brook Street
Frankie Quigley Orchard Row
WE GRATEFULY ACKNOWLEDGE THE
ANONYMOUS DONATIONS TO THE LONG TOWER RENOVATION FUND:
£20, £20, £10, £5, £100,
£20. (Chernobyl - £80).
LAST WEEK’S ENVELOPE COLLECTION £2183.00
LAST WEEK’S RENOVATION
COLLECTION £568.00
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)
