CEMETERY DEVOTIONS 2019

Killegland               Friday 24th May 7.00pm

Donaghmore          Sunday 26th May after 10.00am Mass

Ashbourne            Sunday 26th May after 12.30pm Mass

St. Declan’s            Sunday 26th May 6.00pm

Greenogue              Sunday 26th May 7.00pm

Bishop Deenihan has announced the following diocesan changes which will take effect on Monday 17th June next:

Fr Joe Gallagher, PP Tullamore to be Vicar General in addition to Fr Declan Hurley, Navan.

Fr Derek Darby, PP Ashbourne to be Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Planning and Development and Adm, Mullingar.  An Episcopal Vicar is a priest appointed by the Bishop to oversee an important aspect of Diocesan life on the Bishop’s behalf.

Fr Joe Clavin, PP Dunshaughlin to be AP Dunshaughlin, residing in Culmullen.

Fr Paddy Keary, PP Clara to retire.

Fr John Conlon, PP Duleek to be Adm Donore in addition.

Fr Sean Henry, PP Trim to be PP Dunshaughlin.

Fr Gabriel Flynn, AP Dunboyne to DCU and on loan to Dublin, Pro Tem.

Fr Joe Deegan to be PP Clara.

Fr Phil Gaffney, PP Saint Mary’s, Drogheda to be Adm Holy Family in addition.

Fr David Bradley, PP Holy Family, Drogheda to be PP Multyfarnham.

Fr Paul Crosbie, Adm, Mullingar to be PP Trim.

Fr John Nally, PP Ballynacargy to be PP Ashbourne. Read the full post »

We congratulate the children from St. Mary’s, Gaelscoil na Cille, St. Declan’s and the Sacramental Preparation Programme who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this weekend.  We welcome Bishop Tom, Bishop Michael and Fr. Declan as they join our parish community to confirm the students in the Holy Spirit through anointing with the oil of Chrism.  We pray for them: may they deepen their commitment in practising and living out their faith, grow in love of the Lord, and worship in the faith-community in which they have no become full members.  May this moment of special grace sustain them in faith, hope and love.  We thank the parents involved in our parish preparation programme: ‘Confirming our Children’, the Principals, teachers and staff of our schools and Parish Sacramental Preparation Programme, and all who supported the children in their preparation for the sacraments.

Congratulations to the children from St. Mary’s, Gaelscoil na Cille, Gaelscoil na Mí, St. Declan’s and Educate Together NS who receive their First Holy Communion this month.  We pray for them and their families: may this moment of special grace sustain them in faith, hope and love.  We thank the parents involved in our parish preparation programme: ‘Do This in Memory’, the Principals, teachers and staff of our schools and Parish Sacramental Preparation Programme, and all who supported the children in their preparation for the sacraments.

We are recruiting a new Parish Secretary

 Applications are invited for the post of Parish Secretary in Ashbourne-Donaghmore Parish which will become available towards the end of the summer.

• The successful candidate will have substantial clerical/administration experience (two to five years’ experience a desirable minimum).
• Good computer skills including the use of the internet, email, Microsoft Word and Excel. Microsoft Publisher would also be desirable.  A knowledge of basic book-keeping and record keeping.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively and work as part of a team.

Letters of application with enclosed up-to-date Curriculum Vitae should be sent to the Parish Office, Frederick Street, Ashbourne, Co. Meath or emailed to info@ashbourneparish.ie.

Closing date for completed applications is 12 noon on Friday 24th May 2019.

Further job description information available on request from the Parish Office.

POPE FRANCIS CONDEMNS SRI LANKAN BOMBINGS

Pope Francis denounced the “cruel violence” and “grave attacks” on Sri Lankan Christians as they celebrated Mass on Easter Sunday morning last.  He led thousands in praying for the 359 people who innocently and tragically died from the suicide bombings.  British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt lamented, “To attack Christian worshippers at Easter, which is a celebration of peace and the holiest day in the Christian calendar, betrays in the attackers an absence of the most basic values of humanity.”

Prayer for Sri Lanka:    

As brothers and sisters in your family we are called to care for one another and to carry each other’s burdens.

Open our hearts to our brothers and sisters who suffer because they voiced their faith in you,

because they bear the name of Christian,

because they dare to proclaim your name.

May they know that across the miles, beyond the silence, we add our prayers to yours for them.

Teach us how we can make a difference to their lives.

Turn our hearts to the members of your family who cry to you for help.  Amen.

Good Friday Reflection 2019

 ​(Fr. Derek Darby)​

This year’s Good Friday centre-piece​, created by Jessie Heung and Jane Singleton from Ashbourne Community School,​ focuses on the corpus of Jesus Christ.  The body of Christ-crucified is depicted as wood, sand and flesh.  As the figure of Christ crucified is three dimensional, so too there are three spiritual dimensions which invite us to reflect more deeply on the Passion and death of Jesus:

 Sand:

The sand on part of Jesus’ body, recalls the beginning of Lent where, ‘The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness and he remained there for forty days’ (Mt. 4:1).  There in the aloneness of the desert surrounded by sand, Jesus was tempted by the devil, lured by the promise of food and the glory of power should he bow before Satan.  In his weakened state, Satan derides Jesus: ‘If you are the ‘Son of God’, while at the same time challenging God to protect him should he throw himself off ‘the parapet of the Temple’.  The sand reminds us that throughout his desert experience, Jesus was protected by God who never abandoned him.  He experienced God’s strength, resolve, fortitude and love.  In a special way, the sand reminds us of our utter dependence on God at times when we need Him most.  Like Jesus, we surrender ourselves to Him.

 Wood:

The wood grain on a portion of Jesus’ body transports us from the manger to the cross.  As Jesus’ journey on earth begins with the wood of the manger, so does it end—not with the warm, welcoming wood of the manger, but with the rough wood of the cross.  Read the full post »

Congratulations to Ray Heffernan, Ashbourne-Donaghmore Parish who was recently commissioned for Peregrinatio Pro Christo work with the Legion of Mary in the UK.

Peregrinatio Pro Christo (PPC) is a part of the Legion of Mary apostolate of evangelising which invites the members to improve their skills by travelling to other regions, usually another country, to carry out assignments of spreading the faith.  Volunteers to PPC are doing work similar to that of the apostles and disciples of the early church.  They will spend no more than two weeks in a specific parish where they will engage with people, door-to-door about Jesus Christ.

Gracious God, we present our hopes for these specially commissioned this day. In every age you have chosen servants to speak your word in unique and special and various ways. We thank you for these people whom you have called to serve you. Give them each special gifts to do their special work. Fill them with the Holy Spirit so they may accept all they confront, and be faithful and joyful in their task. Bring them safely home and then let their experience further enrich us so that we, too, may better serve you.  Amen