THANK YOU FOR LAST WEEK’S COLLECTION: €1178

‍

WE NEED A NEW VOLUNTEER FLOWER-ARRANGER FOR KILSHANNYCHURCH PLEASE. Would anyone or even a group of people like to come forward please?

‍

HARRY’S MIRACLE RIDE: because we are Christians who believe in the limitless power of the risen Jesus over time, space, and nature, miracles should come as no surprise to us. They are opportunities to give Jesus and Our Lady even more glory, praise, and thanks. In that spirit of thanksgiving and wanting to give something back, our very own miracle boy, Harry O’ Dwyer and his Kilshanny community are hosting a “miracle ride”, inviting all tractors, vintage cars, motorbikes and lorries. This wonderful celebration powered by community spirit and the Holy Spirit will begin with registration at the Pavilion, Lisdoonvarna, V95YW1C, this Sunday, February 2^nd from 3pm, departing at 5pm. All proceeds will go that wonderful place of healing and hope, Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Dublin. This project is typical of the kind of boy Harry is who, even in the midst of his illness, was always thinking of others. Let’s also keep in our prayers others who could do with a miracle. Thank you to Noel and Ann Thynne for leading this.  

‍

ST. BRIGID’S CROSSES available for €5 each. Beautifully hand-made by Nicky Considine, thanks Nicky.

‍

NEXT CHILDREN’S ROSARY EVENING: Sunday, February 2^nd at 6pm in Lisdoonvarna Church.

‍

STORMY TIMES: we have all put down a very difficult week, and let’s thank the Lord for getting us through it. Let’s keep in prayer all those whose homes, property, health, livestock, and livelihoods were affected by that terrible storm. Unfortunately, there is damage to the four churches too. On Monday morning we offered Mass for all those working to restore power and water and thank you so much to them. While I am not at all minimalizing what people went through and are still enduring in Ireland, especially the seriously ill, a prayer of the faithful at Anthony O’ Donohue’s recent funeral put things into perspective, saying that power and water-outages are on-going realities for many people in Gaza, and other troubled spots in our world. Hopefully the storm and its effects helped us prioritise who and what’s important in our lives and gave us pause to be grateful for all we take for granted. I checked in with our schools and thank you to all the school staffs who dealt with such disruption. I also visited some of our sick and housebound and thank you so much to their wonderful families and neighbours who are looking after them so well. A special thank you to our wonderful sacristans in the four churches who single-handedly stepped up to the plate in lighting and preparing our churches as best they could. Another special thank you to the kind and caring parishioners who checked in with me, showed kindness and care by offering me warm meals, and even provided the hospitality of a warm place to stay. I will never forget you for your love and kindness.

‍

CLERGY MEETING with Bishop Michael was held in Spanish Point this week. We looked at facing the future with “a stubborn hope” in changing times, remembering that it’s the same Jesus Christ “yesterday, today, and forever,” Whose Spirit dwells within each of us since our Baptism, and is leading us. Like Abraham and Sarah, we have to trust and follow. We had a report from the two sessions of the Synod in Rome, from Bishop Brendan Leahy who represented Ireland. It was most interesting, as I hadn’t really understood what it was all about. More on that later.

‍