FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME

Educate Together NS                        Commences 18th September

First Class              Tuesdays    3.30pm-4.30pm

Second Class          Tuesdays    4.45pm-5.45pm

Gaelscoil na Mí                                 Commences 19th September

First Class              Wednesdays    3.30pm-4.30pm

Second Class          Wednesdays    4.45pm-5.45pm

CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME

Year I                                                     Commences 18th September

Tuesdays 3.30pm-4.30pm

Year II                                                    Commences 13th September

Thursdays 3.30pm—5.45pm

‘As I stand here and look out at this great congregation gathered in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar, I cannot help but think back to exactly this time last week when I stood on the sanctuary near Pope Francis at the beginning of the closing Mass for the World Meeting of Families.  That gathering was truly a family of families; people from all over Ireland and from more than one hundred countries of the world gathered to praise and worship God with our Holy Father himself.

Last Sunday, when speaking to the bishops of Ireland at the end of his visit, Pope Francis encouraged us, as bishops, to be fathers and shepherds of our people.  He reminded us to be fathers and shepherds of prayer, of hope and of mission so that we can lead the family of families that is the people of God with wisdom, faith and charity.  In today’s ceremony I encourage you to pray for your bishop elect.  Being a bishop today, conscience of our own personal unworthiness and simpleness, we realise that is only by God’s grace that we can be true fathers and shepherds.  During our Mass today let us pray in thankfulness for the Episcopal Ministry of Bishop Michael Smith who has led the faithful in this diocese as a bishop, for thirty-five years. (Extract from address of Archbishop Eamon Martin, Primate of all Ireland)

PRAYER FOR OUR NEW BISHOP ELECT, TOM

Eternal God, Shepherd and Guide,

may Tom who will serve your Church

be a shepherd after your own heart,

who will walk in your ways

and with loving care, watch over your people.

May he be a leader of vision

and a teacher of your truth.

So may your name be glorified

and your  Church built up

through Christ our Lord.  Amen

Bishop- elect Tom’s episcopal ordination takes place Sunday 2nd September at 3pm in Christ the King Cathedral, Mullingar.  Please keep him in your prayers.

“I have found so much faith in Ireland.  I am close to you: keep moving ahead with courage.  The light of Faith will show the path to renewal for the Irish Church.” – Pope Francis

Festival of Families – Croke Park – 25th August 2018

“It is true that I like to say that in our families we need to learn three words.  They are “sorry”, “please” and “thank you”. Three words. What were they? Everyone! [all: “sorry, please, thank you!”] Another time! [“sorry, please, thank you!”]. I can’t hear you! [“sorry, please, thank you!”] Thank you very much! When you quarrel at home, be sure that before going to bed you apologize and say you are sorry. Before the day is done, make peace. Do you want to know why it is necessary to make peace before ending the day? Because if you don’t make peace, the next day you have a “cold war” and that is very dangerous! Watch out for cold wars in the family! Maybe you get mad sometimes and are tempted to sleep in another room, all by yourself. If you feel that way, just knock on the door and say: “Please, can I come in?” All it takes is a look, a kiss, a soft word… and everything is back to the way it was! I say this because when families do this, they survive. There is no such thing as a perfect family; without the practice of forgiveness, families can grow sick and gradually collapse.”

Penitential Act of the Holy Father

(Papal Mass Croke Park – 26th August 2018)

Yesterday I met with eight persons who are survivors of the abuse of power, the abuse of conscience and sexual abuse. In reflecting on what they told me, I wish to implore the Lord’s mercy for these crimes and to ask forgiveness for them.

We ask forgiveness for the cases of abuse in Ireland, the abuse of power, the abuse of conscience and sexual abuse on the part of representatives of the Church. In a special way, we ask forgiveness for all those abuses that took place in different kinds of institutions directed by men and women religious and other members of the Church. We also ask forgiveness for cases in which many minors were exploited for their labour.

We ask forgiveness for all those times when, as a Church, we did not offer to the survivors of any type of abuse compassion and the pursuit of justice and truth by concrete actions. We ask forgiveness.

We ask forgiveness for some members of the hierarchy who took no responsibility for these painful situations and kept silent. We ask forgiveness.

We ask forgiveness those children who were taken away from their mothers and for all those times when so many single mothers who tried to find their children that had been taken away, or those children who tried to find their mothers, were told that this was a mortal sin. It is not a mortal sin; it is the fourth commandment! We ask forgiveness.

May the Lord preserve and increase this sense of shame and repentance, and grant us the strength to ensure that it never happens again and that justice is done. Amen.

We wish the WMOF volunteers from Ashbourne-Donaghmore Parish every success as they make their final preparations to welcome the many pilgrims from home and abroad travelling to Dublin for the World Meeting of Families.  May their support, enthusiasm and hospitality create an uplifting and enriching experience for all pilgrims.

Ashbourne-Donaghmore Parish welcomes pilgrims from Valencia, Spain and the UK who will be staying with host-families in Ashbourne and surrounding areas for the World Meeting of Families.  We pray their time among us will be a blessing for them and their families as they celebrate with joy and faith, the ‘Gospel of the Family: a Joy for the world.’

AS A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB WHEN PREPARING:

What you bring you have to carry.  Travel light!

• Wear comfortable walking shoes
• Water
• Rain Mac
• Portable radio (The Holy Father will speak in Italian)
• Lunch and drinks
• Money (drinks/merchandise etc.)
• Plastic bag to sit on ground/foldable seat (details provided with tickets)
• Camera/phone
• Papal Flag/Ashbourne Flag
• SMALL umbrella (large umbrellas are prohibited)

Multiple food and drinks stations will also be available, as will medical facilities, toilets and baby changing facilities. There will be volunteers throughout the venue, at the gates and at the hubs who will be able to help you.

The Parish has been advised that the coach packs for our parish pilgrimage to the Papal Mass in the Phoenix Park on Sunday 26th August have been dispatched.  It is hoped tickets, wristbands, travel details, prohibited items, etc., for pilgrims can be collected from the Parish Office from Wednesday.

We can advise that the parish coaches will be parked in the Kylemore Coach Park and access to the Phoenix Park will be via the Chapelizod Gate.  Organisers have advised that it is 2.5km from the coach park to the Chapelizod Gate with a further 1km walk to the Mass site once you gain entry.  They have reminded all  travelling to the Papal Mass that this is a pilgrimage and all should approach it as such.

Each bus will be given a designated time for arrival into the coach park.  The departure time for the parish coaches will be earlier than previously advised.  Parishioners will be advised of the departure time when tickets are collected from the Parish Office.

REVISED MASS TIMES

Thanks to the kind assistance of Fr. Tom Rafferty who is home from Pakistan on holidays to rest and spend time with his family, the following revised Mass schedule will be in place in the parish the weekend of Pope Francis’s visit to the WMOF:

Saturday 25th August  6pm—Ashbourne

Sunday 26th August    9am—Ashbourne

10am—Donaghmore

(Please be advised, the Festival of Families in Croke Park

(25th Aug) commences at 6.30pm.)