Fr Patrick Doherty, PP 816 71393

Fr Colm O’Doherty, CC 816 61475

Sunday 10th February 2008 - First Sunday in Lent

Bingo and Whist - We would appreciate your support for the Bingo
Bingo on Tuesday night @ 9 pm – Snowball £1,500 – IN ST PATRICK’S HALL
Whist on Thursday night @ 8.30 pm – Snowball rolling

Legion of Mary meets every Monday at 6.30 pm in the meeting room in church. New members welcome

Eucharistic Ministers for February
Vigil : Rosie Loughrey and Anthony Harkin
9.00: Margaret Cassidy and Seamus Duffy
11.00: Vera Catterson and Jean Coyle

Offertory Procession for February
Vigil: Harper Family
9 am: Paddy Carlin and Peter McCullagh
11 am: John McCallion and Jimmy Duffy

Readers for February : Vigil: Maureen Lynch 11.00: Ann Marie Anderson

Church Cleaners this week – Kathleen Arkinson, Mary McGlinchey, Mary McHugh, Margaret Gillespie

ALTAR SERVERS–Group 3 – Emma Campbell, Sarah Campbell, James Campbell, Kevin Shaughnessy, Seafra Gallagher, Niko Svanias, Mathew Traynor

MARRIAGE PREPARATION COURSES 07-08 - ACCORD
Email : accordomagh@btopenworld.com : February 22nd & 23rd - April 4th & 5th - April 25th & 26th - May 23rd & 24th - June 13th & 14th. Application Forms from your Priest or apply to 028 82242439 or Mount Saint Columba Pastoral Centre 48 Brook Street, Omagh

FEASTS THIS WEEK: Monday : Our Lady of Lourdes Thursday : Sts Cyril & Methodius

APOSTOLIC WORK: Honorary Membership subscriptions for Apostolic Work are collected annually. Envelopes will be distributed at the church door on 16th & 17th February and collected on 23rd & 24th February. Living and deceased family members may be enrolled. The usual donation is £2. Mass will be offered during Lent for all Honorary members. All your donations and fundraising by Apostolic Work is given directly to missionaries known to us who are working is Third World countries to relieve victims of aids, famine and extreme poverty

MEDJUGORJE - Pilgrim Tours - Group Leader : Hilary Lynch, Accompanied by a Spiritual Director. 17th May 2008 - 7 nights - Half Board £419. Includes full religious programme.
For information contact : 81671046

CAISLEAN NA DEIRGE G.A.C.

G.A.A. Lotto : 05/02/08 (2, 4, 6), 5, 3, 7, 1 Next Week Jackpot £1750 - winners £25 each
Sadie Keenan, 21 Brooke Park - David Bonner, 14 Alexander Park - Freddie Kyle, Marian Nichols
Training Continues - Mondays/Wednesdays at St Eugene’s HS for all senior/reserve/minors - 7pm
Registration is now due - £25 for adults and £5 for all under 18s - Contact: John Harper
Please make sure Registration is paid in good time!!
Anyone wishing to participate in the Club’s Yearly Lotto Extra – must contact a Committee Member by the end of February
Up to date information can be found on www.caisleannadeirgegac.org
Clubs Monthly Meeting : Monday 11th February 2008 at 8 pm. This will be preceded by

Youth Meeting at 7.30 pm, all youth team coaches are asked to attend
The Club is embarking on a major fundraising initiative Cairde Na Deirge. This will be vital in assisting in the provision of changing facilities to meet the needs of the Club and compliment the facilities that are already in place. Everyone will be asked to give commitment to this serious consideration for the long term benefit of all the people of the parish for generations to come

Many thanks to Frances O’Loughlin and Catriona Haughey who participated in the Scor last week

Good luck to Mná na Deirge with their Novelty Act, Ballad Group and Recitation this weekend

SPAMOUNT SWIFTS F.C. - MINI LOTTO - JACKPOT STANDS AT £3500
Saturday 02/02/08 3, 13, 14, 24 NO JACKPOT WINNER

SPAMOUNT CROSS COMMUNITY HALL - Jiving Lessons continue on Thursday nights at 9.00 pm. New members all welcome

BARROWFIELD F.C. LOTTO - Numbers 10 - 12 - 16 - 17 - Winners :Danny Keenan - £30

CASTLEDERG YOUTH FORUM
- Jewellery making - Friday 15th February 7.30 pm - 9 pm - 6 week course
- Intermediate Food Hygiene - Tuesday 19th February at 7 pm
- Health & Safety @ work - 5th & 6th March - 6 - 9 pm
There may be a small cover charge for each course - contact : 028 81670636

SPECIAL DOCESAN MASS - for those with special needs, and their families and friends, will take place in St Joseph’s Church, Galliagh Derry on Saturday 12th April. Bishop Lagan will celebrate the Mass. If you have a child who wishes to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation or First Communion at this Mass please contact the Catechetical Centre on 71264087

CONCERNED ABOUT SUICIDE - An Information evening will be held in the City Hotel, Derry on Tuesday 19th February from 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm. This has been organised by representatives from the four main Christian Churches and will be lead by Mr Barry McGale and Mrs Anne McGarrigle

PRECIOUS LIFE - Abortion Threat from Westminster - a group of MPs in Westminster want to change the law and legalise abortion in N.I. Precious Life have launched a Postcard Petition Campaign asking the Secretary of State to ensure abortion will not be imposed on N.I. from Westminster. You can help by ordering FREE Campaign Postcards to distribute amongst your family and friends. For further information please contact : Precious Life 028 90278484

OLDE TYME DANCE - In Killeter Parish Hall on Friday 15th February 2008 - Music by : Country Legends - 10 pm to late - Spot Prizes

THE LITTLE THEATRE, ST COLUMB’S HALL
The Dark Daughter - Wednesday 13th February at 8.00 pm. A powerful account of Red Hugh O’Donnell’s mother, Fiona O’Donnell
Foy Vance - Thursday 14th February at 8.00 pm - A Northern Irish Musician with a spine tingling voice. Any queries contact The Playhouse Box Office - Tel 71368027 - Tickets £10 / £7

C.B.S. (Omagh)

BOLIVIAN IMMERSION PROJECT

During October last year, two members from our Parish, Luke McMenamin and Joseph McCrory, As students at Omagh CBS., travelled to Bolivia, South America to work along with the Religious Orders in the Bolivian Immersion Project.

Luke gives us a brief account:
South America is a land full of diversity and beauty from its beginning in Mexico to its South Shore of Argentina. Bolivia, our destination, is in the heart of South America. Bolivia, like every country in South America, has its areas of natural beauty as well as eye - opening poverty. One of the worst areas is Cochabamba, where we stayed. The ethos of the Project throughout the Christian Brothers Community is:

‘Being with and not seeing and passing through’ and
‘Come and be rather than come and see’

With this idea firmly in our minds, we began to immerse ourselves in the lives of the Bolivian people. With determination and our Spanish, we did our best to fit into Bolivian Culture. We were ‘average Joes’ of pale complexion exceeding the average height of the locals by six inches - Luke became ‘Lucas’ for the rest of our stay.

One story remains in my mind. One night we travelled with a brother to the south side of the City to give food and comfort to the street children. A good majority of them were younger than us, and they live on whatever they could find and stayed wherever they could find shelter. All the children were addicted to glue. They did this not to be rebellious but to numb the pain of hunger, loneliness and desperation. I met one fifteen year old girl, Teresa. She was a drug addict and sold herself for money to feed herself. She became pregnant; was on her own on the streets and had no support of any kind. The sad fact is that if I went back to Cochabamba in three years time; she probably would be dead and her child would be taking her place on the street.

Amidst all this poverty, there were rays of hope down to the hard work of the Religious Orders there. With the continued support of the Christian Church, hopefully future Immersion Projects will be able to paint a brighter picture.

On behalf of Joseph, myself, the entire project and the children of Bolivia, I would like to thank you, the people of the Parish of Ardstraw West and Castlederg, for your kind donations and all who got involved to help. Gracias.