Sunday 15th February 2009

6th Sunday of the Year

Jesus, friend of outcasts

“Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God.” We often think of faith and religion only in terms of prayer. The extraordinary thing about Jesus and his teaching, as seen in this passage from St. Paul, is that true religion is to be found in the ordinary things of life and true faith is to be lived in daily life. This is especially true in the day-to-day loving that is marriage. Each couple live out their spirituality in the ways they tenderly love one another. And in family life the quality of love is what makes people holy. In our life together in our parish we are called to the spirituality of being a community in which we care for one another. We need prayer as part of it all both to grow in the power to love and to celebrate the goodness of love. It is only through the power of God that we can love as we should.

Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

REV PATRICK DOHERTY
Tel 028 816 71393
patrick.doherty@derrydiocese.org

REV COLM O’DOHERTY
Tel 028 816 61475
07786115471 (emergencies only)
c.odoherty@btinternet.com

NEIGHBOURING PRIESTS:
Fr K Mullan 82 831225 Fr J Gilmore 816 70728 Fr E Graham 816 61445

Parish website: www.castledergparish.com
Derry Diocesan website: www.derrydiocese.org
Derry Diocesan Catechetical Centre: www.catecheticalcentre.org
Irish Bishops’ Conference: www.catholicbishops.ie

Q. ‘Why did Jesus tell the man he had cured to tell nobody about it? Surely we are called to give public witness to the works of God?

A. This is usually called ‘the Messianic secret’. Jesus was well aware that many people at that time expected the Messiah to be a political power, inspiring the nation to freedom from Roman domination, but this was not His mission. Secondly, too much excitement about miracles would generate mass hysteria and a celebrity cult which would obscure the teaching he wished to impart: especially His mission to die on our behalf and His message to take up our crosses and follow him.’ Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap

WEEKDAY MASSES
St Francis of Assisi, Drumnabey:
Monday 10.00am, Thursday 7.30pm

St Mary’s, Dregish:
Wednesday 10.00am, Friday 10.00am

THANK YOU for your generosity in last week’s collection:
Dregish £240, Drumnabey £350.

CONFIRMATION: Please remember in your prayers the children in our parish who are preparing for Confirmation. Bishop Hegarty will administer the Sacrament of Confirmation in our parish next Sunday, 22 February, in St Patrick’s Church, Castlederg, at 11.00am Mass.

WE WELCOME His Eminence Keith Cardinal O’Brien, Cardinal and Archbishop of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, who will make an official visit to our diocese next week.

Cardinal O’Brien will be in the Millennium Forum in Derry on the evening of Monday 23rd February for the presentation of the Pope John Paul II Awards to young people from Co Tyrone and Co Derry, in recognition of their voluntary work for their parish and social awareness activities.

The Cardinal will be Principal Celebrant at Mass in St Eugene’s Cathedral , Derry, on the morning of Tuesday 24th February, at 10.00am. After Mass, Cardinal O’Brien will be available to meet and greet those who come along. Everyone is welcome to this Mass.

CONGRATULATIONS to the young people from Dregish and Drumnabey who will be recipients of the Pope John Paul II Award on the evening of Monday 24th February.

LENTEN RETREAT, ‘Share a Faith Journey’, on Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 March, in the Ards Friary, Creeslough, Co Donegal. Facilitator: Fr Owen O’Sullivan OFM Capuchin. Starts at 9.30am on the Saturday, and finishes with lunch on the Sunday. Cost €85. To book, or fur further details, contact Ards Friary on 0035374 9138 909 or mailtoardsfriary@info.ie

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS

A Day of Prayer and Reflection, for all the Eucharistic Ministers of our parish, will be held in the Thornhill Centre, Derry, on Saturday 7th March, as part of the ongoing formation in your ministry. Eucharistic Ministers, please note the date in your diaries. Further details will be available in the coming weeks.

NAISCOIL NA DEIRGE are now registering for September 2009. For more information, contact Catriona at Naiscoil on 816 79 967, between 9am and 1pm, weekdays.

DREGISH GFC Lotto: Numbers last week: 2, 6, 4, 7, 1, 3, 5. £50 shared between Kay Nugent and Sean Taggart. Jackpot £700.
25 CARD PLAY tomorrow night at 8.30pm.

SPAMOUNT SWIFTS LOTTO Numbers last week: 5, 13, 19, 23. No winners. Jackpot £3,500.

PLEASE NOTE: Notices for the parish bulletin are welcome; however, they need to be with Fr O’Doherty by Thursday afternoon at the latest, for inclusion.