THANK YOU FOR LAST WEEK’S COLLECTION: €1911

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CONGRATULATIONS: to Padraig and Sue Vaughan who recently celebrated their Golden Jubilee of Marriage!

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LIVE CRIB in Kilshanny last Sunday was a lovely experience. Thank you very much to all involved.

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The Parish Finance Committee wish to remind you that CHRISTMAS DUES ENVELOPES are available for those who don’t use the weekly envelopes. As I’m sure you know by now, the priest does not have access to the weekly collection. For income, he relies primarily on the Christmas, Autumn, November and Easter Dues. Thank you so much for supporting the continued presence of a priest here.

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WELL DONE to the lads from Mary Immaculate Secondary School who beat Kildysart  in the U-17 County Final.

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CHRISTMAS MASSES:

‍Christmas Eve: Children’s Mass in Doolin at 3pm, Kilshanny, 7pm, Lisdoonvarna 10pm by candlelight, (Holly O’Connor, birthday remembrance),  No Mass on Christmas Eve morning.

Christmas Day: Toovahera 8am, Doolin 10am (Lala and John Shannon), Lisdoonvarna 11:30am (Vincent and Brian Gibbons, Clare Veronica Walsh.)      

‍Masses on St. Stephen’s Day and St.John (Thursday and Friday 26/27) at 7pm.

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ST. ANDREW’S CHRISTMAS NOVENA PRAYER: hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouch safe, I beseech thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen. Cead mile failte dhibh goleir a chairde, agus beannachti na Nolliag dhibh. A warm welcome and Christmas blessings to all, and a special welcome to all who have come home for Christmas or have made our parish your home. I want to say a warm thanks to our Parish Finance Committee, Parish Council, and to whomever serves the parish in whatever capacity, and to whatever groups and services serve the parish and surrounding area. A special blessing on all our schools, school staffs and students, and Boards of Management. Thank you very much for all you do. Love and blessings to all our sick, and those who mind them, and we remember our deceased, and those who miss them. When we look around us at the state of our world we can be tempted to despair, and think, ah sure Christmas is only for children! But remember that we Christians are missioned as, St. Peter said, to give an account to this world of the hope that is in us! Pope Francis, this Christmas Eve, is designating 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope, and opening a holy door in St. Peter’s in Rome. As Harry Casey of Aid to the Church in Need says, the reason there is hope at the heart of Christmas is because of the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel, a name which means “God is with us.” Because of Mary’s yes to God, the world was changed irrevocably by the presence and future actions of her special baby. Our mission is to keep daring to believe and encouraging others to believe that, however long it may take, the light and hope of Jesus will have the last word over evil, hatred, and fear, because that word has already been spoken on the Cross and it is: “forgive.” Because of the Cross, the power of sin and evil and hatred is now only temporary. As the kids from Glee used to sing: don’t stop believing. Wishing you a Christmas and 2025 full of blessings beyond your wildest dreams, Fr. Robert.

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