The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph
FIRST READING 28 December
Isaiah2014
43:18-19.21-22.24First Reading:
Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3
The word of the Lord was spoken to Abram in a vision,
‘Have no fear, Abram, I am your shield; your reward will
be very great.’ ‘My Lord,’ Abram replied ‘what do you
intend to give me? I go childless…’ Then Abram said,
‘See, you have given me no descendants; some man of
my household will be my heir’. And then this word of the
Lord was spoken to him, ‘He shall not be your heir; you
heir shall be one of your own flesh and blood’. Then
taking him outside he said, ‘Look up to heaven and count
the stars if you can. Such will be your descendants’ he
told him. Abram put his faith in the Lord, who counted this
as making him justified. The Lord dealt kindly with Sarah
as he had said, and did what he had promised her. So
Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old
age, at the time God had promised. Abraham named the
son born to him Isaac, the son to whom Sarah had given
birth.
R. :He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers his covenant
forever.
Second Reading:
Hebrews: 11:8.11-12.17-19
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for
a country that was the inheritance given to him and his
descendants, and that he set out without knowing where
he was going. It was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite
of being past the age, was made able to conceive,
because she believed that he who had made the promise
would be faithful to it. Because of this, there came form
one man, and one who was already as good as dead
himself, more descendants than could be counted, as
many as the stars of heaven or the grains of sand on the
seashore. It was by faith that Abraham, when put to the
test, offered up Isaac. He offered to sacrifice his only son
even though the promises had been made to him and he
had been told: It is through Isaac that your name will be
carried on. He was confident that God had the power
even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively speaking, he
was given back Isaac form the dead.
Alleluia, alleluia! At various times in the past and in
various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors
through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days,
he has spoken to us through his Son. Alleluia.
Gospel:
Luke 2: 22-40
When the day came for them to be purified as laid down
by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to
Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. When they had
done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went
back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile
the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom;
and God’s favour was with him.
Monday, 29 December
10am Lilly McLellan, Barnadearg/Bunree Rd.
(Month’s Mind)
Tuesday, 30 December
10am Ann Margaret (Margo) Gallagher, Moy Heights
(First Anniversary)
Wednesday, 31 December
10am Lena O’Boyle nee Keaveney,
Market St., Killala& Crossmolina Rd. (First Anniv.)
Thursday 1 January
10am Mass for Peace.
Friday 2 January
10am Joe Armstrong, The Quay
Saturday, 3 January
10am Johnny Melody, Rathkip
(First Anniversary)
St. Patrick’s Church – Daily Masses
Monday, 29December
7.30pm Thomas & Bridget Gaughan, Corrimbla.
Loretta McHale, Belleek.
John & Margaret McAndrew, Crofton Park;
Moll Corcoran & Dec’d Corcoran family,John St.
Michael Ruane, Behy Rd.
Wednesday, 31 December
9.30 am Margaret Gilger, Pawn Office Lane.
Thursday, 1 January
9.30 am Mass for Peace.
Friday, 2 January
9.30 am. Jenny & Henry Keane, Shanaghy;
Deceased Doherty & Keane families;
Michael Keane, Leeds.
Martin Moran, Faranoo.
Tom & Chrissie Maloney, 13 Fenian Tce.;
Shane Maloney;
Deceased Wade & Maloney families.
Saturday 3 January
9.30 a.m. Intention.
First Anniversary Mass for Gearoid O'Scolai (Scully), 16
The Commons/Dublin in St. Patrick’s Church at 11am on
New Year’s Day at 11am
Month’s Mind Mass for Michael (Mikie) Murphy, Mount
Assumpta/Kilcolgan, Galway on Saturday January 3 at
12.30 pm in St. Patrick’s Church.
Weekend Mass & Confession Times
Vigil Mass 7.30 pm; Sunday: 8.30 am, 11 am & 12.30 pm
Confessions: Sat. 12noon -1pm & 6.30pm – 7.15pm
, 'How could a sinner produce signs like this?' And there was them.
Priest on Duty: 087-2586015
Ava Teresa Gildea, Clarke's Rd., Gurteens
Michael Vincent Aschmann, St. Patrick's Est
Thomas John Charlie Conroy, St. Patrick’s Est.
Deaths
Seamus Burke, Carrowcushlaun, Ballin
St. Patrick’s Church
Vigil Mass: Sat. 8 pm; Sunday: 10 am & 12 noon
Confessions: Saturday 7.30 pm to 7.50pm
To book Masses tel. 096- 70555 9am & 6pm Mon. to Fri.
Parish Team: Fr. Gerry O’Hora P.P., tel.: 71365;
Sr. Maureen McDonnell, tel.: 23066
Fr. Liam Reilly C.C. tel. 71360
Fr. Tom Doherty C.C. tel. 71365
Ballina Parish Bookshop and Parish Office
re-opens on Monday, January 5, 2014
Farmers Market in Market Sq. every Saturday from 8.30am
to 5 pm.
Ballina Stephenites Bingo Sunday and Thursday nights at 8
p.m.
The Parish Team and the Parish Pastoral
Council wish you all a happy and a
peaceful Christmas. May the joy of
Christmas fill your hearts and your
homes now and throughout the year.
5K Walk on January 3 at 2 p.m. in Belleek Woods coordinated by relatives of Gerry Kelly, Lord Ed. St. in aid of
Console (Mayo the Prevention & Bereavement Charity)
begins at Clubhouse, Belleek. Tel. 087 9266788.
Distribution of Envelopes
Mayo Players visit Tumble Jungle for Children’s Charity
Event on December 28 between 3pm & 6 pm. Tickets €8 at
the door. Proceeds to Barnardo’s Ireland & Blossom Ireland
–two children’s charities. The Charity Event is hosted by
Fiona Rowe.
Many thanks to all who helped to organise and distribute
the 2015 boxes of Collection Envelopes and Cathedral
Restoration Envelopes (yellow with a white stripe) which
will be used from the weekend of January 3-4, 2015.
Gortnor Abbey, Crossmolina, Open & Enrolment Evening
Wednesday 14 January 2015, 6pm. – 9pm. Presentation by
Principal @6pm. Repeated @7:30pm. All welcome
Only one collection will be taken up at masses and
parishioners are asked to put their Regular Contribution
or Collection Envelope plus their Cathedral Restoration
Fund Envelope or Contribution for the Cathedral
Restoration into the one basket.
You will be updated weekly in the bulletin on what has
been contributed to the Cathedral Restoration Fund.
Coffee Morning on January 9
To support Loreto Day School Sealdah in Kolkata and the
Rainbow Children project Bertha Cooke, who is returning to
Kolkata, is holding a coffee morning from 11am to 3pm on
9th January, 2015 in Rouse's pub in Pearse Street. Your
support would be greatly appreciated.
Christmas Thanks
Bingo in Knockmore Community Hall
Bingo on Mon 29th December at 8.30pm in Knockmore
Community Hall. €2,600 in prize money paid out on the
night. Extra Raffle Prizes together with Free Door Prize
Please support.
Tuesday, 30 December
9.30 am Jim Hunter, Behybeg.
St. Muredach’s Cathedral
Keeping Children Safe The diocese of Killala is fully
committed to keeping children safe. If you have any
concerns around their safety in any circumstance please
tel. your Local Safeguarding Representative
SECOND
READING:
Sr. Maureen
Tel.087-7955726 Rockwell, Ballina or the
Diocesan confidential number: 087-1003554
Baptisms
St. Muredach’s Cathedral – Daily Masses
Many thanks to all who helped organise Christmas in the
parish and all who made a contribution to the decoration of
the churches, the different Masses and our Parish
celebrations of the birth of Christ. Special word of thanks to
Santa Claus for taking the time to make himself available
by video link from Lapland to St. Patrick’s Mass at the end
of the Children’s Christmas.
Mistletoe Market
A special thank you to all our parishioners who help to
organise the Mistletoe Market, the Choirs that sang, the
stewards who gave so generously of their time and those
who took up the bucket collection. €2600 was raised for
the Cathedral Restoration Fund.
Prayer for Vocations
Loving Father, send forth the power of your Holy
Spirit upon those in our diocese whom you are calling
to be priests. Grant them all the graces they need,
particularly the graces of clarity, simplicity of heart
and a deep personal relationship with Jesus, with a
strong trust that will enable them to respond
generously to your call. Grant them the gift of
wisdom to recognise your plan for them, and the
courage to follow it with all their hearts.
We ask this through the intercession of Mary our
Mother, St. Joseph, St. Muredach, patron of our
diocese and St John Vianney, patron of priests and in
the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen
Emergency Numbers
Useful Numbers
Women’s Refuge Service 094 90 25409
Organ Donation 1890 543639
Rape Crisis Centre 1800 234 900
Citizens Information Centre 076 1075990
Ballina Family Resource Centre is closed from 4.30pm on
rd
Tuesday 23 December 2014 and re-opens on Monday
th
5 January 2015 at 9.30am
Candlelight Concert
with Michael English in St Michael’s Church, Foxford on
January 2, 2015 at 7.30pm. Tickets €20 available from
Mairead Moore at 0863636896
Ballina Golf Club-Junior Programme
On Tuesday, 30th December, 2014 there will be a fun Table
Quiz in the club house to support the Junior Golf Programme
for 2015. Table of 4, 20 euro and starting at 9 sharp followed
by music.
Christmas Craft Fair in the Pastoral Centre
Special thank you to all who supported or helped with the
Christmas Craft Fair in the Pastoral Centre on December 14.
It raised €1870 for the Cathedral Restoration Fund.
Results of the Christmas Fair Raffle
st
1 Prize
Food Hamper
Ciara Murphy, Woodview Court, Killala
nd
2
Prize
rd
Fruit Basket
Mary Keane, Carrowcushlawn
3 Prize
Flower Arrangement
Fr. Liam Reilly
4th Prize
Christmas Cake
Seamus Toland,The Moorings
Bottle of Whiskey
Frankie Leonard, Rathowen
2 Bottle Wines
Kate O’ Connell, Castlefield Manor
5th Prize
th
6 Prize
Gardai 999
Priest 087 2586015
Cura 094 24866
Samaritans 1850 60 90 90
Aids Helpline 091 566266
Fire Brigade 999
Gardai 096 20560
Childline 1800 666 666
St. Vincent de Paul 72905
Ballina Hospital 21166
Westdoc 1850 365 000
Accord 21478
MABS 076-1072660
Grow 094 9026417