ST PATRICK’S
DAY
Tuesday 17th March: Masses for the
Holyday of Obligation
Monday 16th March Vigil 7.30pm
Tuesday 8.00am, 10.00am, 12 noon.
Please note that the 12 noon Mass
will be in LATIN.
Selling Prints of the
Opus Sectile
Last Monday we formally unveiled the restored opus
sectile in Long Tower. The experts say this is a masterpiece,
an extremely rare work of art. Pictures of these three
grand panels behind the high altar – the Ascension
of Christ flanked by St Peter and St Paul –
are now on sale.
The restoration project is costing over £20,000.
To help us fund the restoration we are selling prints.
The mounted pictures will be available for purchase
from the Long Tower Church and the Parochial House.
With the orders received during the week we are already
able to offer a reduced price. Cost: £19.95
(A3) or £45 (A1). Please note that this does
not include a frame.
You might consider it to be your own memento of the
100th year of Long Tower. The proceeds go towards
the cost of the repairs and the general restoration
of the Long Tower.
BAPTISMS
We welcome: Jack Michael McMenamin,
35 Bard’s Hill and Ava Ann Harris, 2 Old City
Close, who were all baptised recently.
REQUIESCANT IN PACE
We extend our sincere sympathy
to the family and friends of
Benny Barrett,
Edenballymore Lodge and
Eddie Doherty, 64
Rosskean Park. May they rest in peace.
CARLISLE ROAD METHODIST CHURCH will
be open for prayers for our land from 4.00 to 5.00pm
on Sunday 15th March. This is an opportunity to pray
for peace. We do not want to return to the violence
we experienced before. All welcome.
STREET COLLECTION FOR THE ANGELS
One of our Centenary projects is to restore the
statues of the angels to the roof of the church. To
aid the cost we are holding a street collection on
Saturday (21st March). Many people have volunteered
to take part. The collectors are young people who
will be assisted and supervised by adults. With their
buckets they will be at four locations: Top of Flyover
junction, Creggan Hill junction, Dunnes Stores in
Ballymagroarty and at Sainsburys. We would be glad
of your support and your prayers for the success of
the project. Thanks!
FAMILY ROSARY FOR LENT
Each day the priests will pray the Divine Office
for the families who commit to recite the daily family
Rosary in the home. Please put your family name on
the list at the church doors.
SEALING OF PORCHES FROM RAIN –
Each of the porches is taking in rain-water. The effect
is that the paint is coming off and the plaster then
disintegrates. There is some damage to the ceilings
also, especially in the stairwells at the main door.
We have made several attempts to repair the plaster
over the years but the problem persists. Therefore,
over the next number of weeks we will be repairing
the roofs of the porches, one at a time. We apologise
for the scaffolding. The western gable and copings
are now complete and water-tight. Thank you for your
generosity and patience.
YOUTH 2000 group meets in Long Tower
on Wednesdays at 8.00pm. Prayer, praise and new friendships.
Tea and coffee afterwards. 16-35 year olds welcome.
Why not join us for Lent?
CHURCH FLOWER ARRANGERS
The date of the next meeting has been
changed to Thursday 26 March at 7.30 pm in Thornhill
Centre.
CHAIN LETTERS AND CHAIN PRAYERS
have no validity in Church teaching. Many of these
letters and prayers are in circulation, promising
a definite answer to the prayer within a specific
time-frame, and sometimes threatening bad luck if
the recipient does not fulfil the conditions. The
usual instruction given is to put a certain number
of copies of the prayer in a church every day. This
warning is most unfair because it instils fear and
only ensures that the malpractice thrives and continues.
Such letters and prayers are closer to superstition
than to faith and are to be discouraged. Genuine prayers
and novenas are certainly heard and answered by God
but do not give a definite time-frame and are without
any instruction to pass them on to a specific number
of people or to place them in churches. Let us pray
with faith not with fear or superstition.
BIG
BINGO
ST COLUMB’S HALL
EVERY SUNDAY AT
8.30 PM
LEGION OF MARY ANNUAL ACIES CEREMONY in
St Eugene’s Cathedral on Sunday 29th March at
3.00 pm. All legionaries and auxiliare members welcome.
FREE PARENTING COURSES Building
Self Esteem on 27th March 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and
Handling Teenagers, 8 week course commencing 22nd
April from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm. Please contact the
office on 7137 2006 for further information or email
marie@pachelp.org.
CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS of St. Patrick's
National School, Murlog, Lifford take place this year.
Did you go to Murlog School? If so join us as we celebrate
our centenary on Saturday 23rd May 2009. Open day
in the School from 12.00 noon until 4.00pm. Evening
Mass in St. Patrick's Church, Murlog. Dinner Dance
at 9.30pm in St Patrick's Hall in Strabane. For information,
contact the School on 00-353-74-9141 450.
LAST WEEK’S RENOVATION
COLLECTION £ 570.00
LAST WEEK’S ENVELOPE
COLLECTION £2136.00
WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE
THE ANONYMOUS DONATIONS TO THE RESTORATION FUND:£10,
£5, £20, £10, £20, £10,
£50, £ 100, £100, £170, £400,
£100.
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)
