Sunday 22nd March 2009

4th Sunday of Lent

Christ, the Redeemer

"God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved." We can become so familiar with a sentence like this that we miss the profound truth in it of how much God loves us and longs for us. We think of faith as meaning our belief in God. It is much more about God's intense belief in us and in our goodness and beauty and he wants us to come to a knowledge of that too. We have a serious responsibility to one another of constantly bringing that knowledge to one another in every way we can. One of the major tasks for every married couple is to help each other to know how much they are loved and treasured. This is done through affirmation and affection. Parents have this same responsibility towards their children. They can help each one be a truly successful human being by building up their goodness. And in the parish community we help one another by looking out for each other.

Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

 

A Present For Mothers’ Day

The photographic print of the restored opus sectile would make an ideal present for Mothers’ Day today. The opus has been recently restored and the experts say it 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 we are already able to offer a reduced price. Cost: £19.95 (A3) or £45 (A1).

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: Evelyn Marie McLaughlin, 40 Lower Nassau Street, Niamh Molly Deane, 73 Glen Road, Jayden Peter Houston, 10 Dervock Street and Cathal Pádraig Antoin O’Hara-McGowan, 18 Glendale Gardens, who were all baptised recently.

 

LEGION OF MARY ANNUAL ACIES CEREMONY in St Eugene’s Cathedral on Sunday 29th March at 3.00 pm. All Legionaries and auxiliary members welcome.

MASS IN HONOUR OF ALEXANDRINA MARIA DA COSTA on Sunday 29th March at 7.30 pm in Termonbacca. All welcome.

 

CONFIRMATION of P7 children will take place on Saturday 4th April at 11.00am.

 

SPECIAL DIOCESAN MASS

The Annual Diocesan Mass for those with special needs, and their families and friends, will take place in Saint Joseph’s Church, Galliagh, Derry on Saturday 9th May 2009 at 3pm. Bishop Hegarty will celebrate the Mass. If you have a child who wishes to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation or First Communion at this Mass please contact the Catechetical Centre on 7126 4087.

CATHOLIC TV is broadcast on SKY channel number 589. The channel is called EWTN – Eternal Word Television Network.

YOUTH 2000 group meets in Long Tower on Wednesdays at 8.00pm. Prayer, praise and craic! Tea and coffee afterwards. 16-35 year olds welcome. Why not join us for Lent?

 

APPRECIATING THE PASSOVER

This is a great opportunity to understand the Jewish Passover and the significance it has for Christians in Holy Week. Date: Tuesday 7 April. Time: From 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Place: Thornhill Centre. Suggested Donation: £7.00.

 

FLOWER CRAFT FAIR

St Eithne’s Primary School presents an evening of flower arranging by Caroline. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets £3.00 available from the school. Wednesday 1st April from 7.30 pm. All welcome.

 

YOU DON’T BRING ME FLOWERS

In keeping with the penitential character of Lent, flowers are not usually placed in the Church during this season. Accordingly, we would ask you to postpone the donation of flowers until the great season of Easter.

 

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

 

WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE ANONYMOUS DONATIONS TO THE RESTORATION FUND: £10, £5, £20, £10, £20, £10, £5.

LAST WEEK’S RENOVATION COLLECTION £ 714.00

LAST WEEK’S ENVELOPE COLLECTION £1960.00

 

 

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)