Sunday 7th October 2007

Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection - BAMBOO: AN INDIAN LEGEND

Once upon a time there was a beautiful garden. Of all the dwellers of the garden, the most beautiful and beloved was a gracious and noble Bamboo. Year after year, Bamboo grew more beautiful and gracious. Often when the Wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would toss aside his dignity. He would dance and sway merrily, tossing and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon. He would lead the great dance of the garden, which most delighted his master's heart.

One day the master himself drew near. Bamboo bowed his head to the ground in joyful greeting. The master spoke: 'Bamboo, I would use you.' Bamboo flung his head to the sky in utter delight. 'Master I am ready, use me as you want.' 'Bamboo, the master's voice was grave, 'I would be obliged to take you and cut you down.' A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo. 'Cut... me... down? Ah, not that; use me for your joy, O master, but cut me not down,' 'Beloved Bamboo, if I do not cut you down then I cannot use you.' The garden grew still. Wind held her breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head. There came a whisper. 'Master, if you cannot use me unless you cut me down, then do your will and cut.'
'Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut your leaves and branches from you also.' 'Master, master, spare me. Cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust, but would you take from me my leaves and branches also?' 'Alas, if I do not cut them away, I cannot use you.' The sun hid her ace. A listening butterfly glided fearfully away. Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low, 'Master, cut away.' 'Bamboo, Bamboo, I would divide you in two and cut out your heart, for if I do not cut so, I cannot use you.' 'Master, master, then cut and divide.'

So the master cut down Bamboo and chopped off his branches and stripped off his leaves and divided him in two and cut out his heart and, lifting him gently, carried him to a spring of fresh, sparkling water in the midst of the dry fields. He put down one end of broken Bamboo into the spring and the other end into the water channel in the field. The spring sang welcome. The clear sparkling water raced joyously down the channel of Bamboo's torn body into the waiting fields. Then the rice was planted and the days went by. The shoots grew. The harvest came. In that day was Bamboo, once so glorious in his stately beauty, yet more glorious in his brokenness and humility. For in his beauty he was life abundant. But in his brokenness he became a channel of abundant life into his master's world.

St Mary’s Church, Bellaghy.

Weekday Masses

Monday and Friday @ 7.30pm
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday @ 9.30am.

Vigil (Sat) @ 6.30pm; Sunday @ 11.30am.

Confessions
Every Friday 7.00pm—7.20pm.
Every Saturday 6.00pm—6.20pm.
First Friday: after Thursday morning Mass and
1st Friday evening 7.00pm—7.20pm.

Fr Alex Teputepu a Parish Priest in Malawi will speak at masses in the parish next weekend for the month of the missions. Envelopes are available in the church from today onwards for anyone who may wish to donate to his appeal next weekend. Fr Alex will also be available to meet people after the masses as he did when visiting last year.

Catholic Charismatic Renewal Derry Diocese invite you to a day of renewal on Sat 20th Oct 9am—5pm @ Mellon Country Hotel, Omagh. The Theme is “Growing to the fullness of our Christian vocation” with speaker Fr Paschal McDonnell. 028 82242092

Mass & Church Activities

Altar Servers:
Weekdays: A Quinn
Vigil: E Rea
11.30am: N Larkin

Eucharistic Ministers Scedule
Next Weekend (13th & 14th October)
Vigil: Gertrude Toner, Pauline McGoldrick, Barry Cassidy, Colette Glackin.
11.30am: Pat Henry, Patsy O’Neill, Mary Gibbons, Madeline Scullion.
Weekdays: Week Commencing 7th October
Morning: Ann Scullion
Evening: Mary Gibbons

Readers for the month of October
Vigil Mass: Stephen McKernan
11.30am: Sheila O’Neill

Church cleaners for October
Maura McCloy, Marian Scullion, Sheila O’Neill, Mary Lee, Kathleen O’Neill.

ALTAR SOCIETY: Sheena Scullion & Margaret Kearney

COLLECTORS FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER
Vigil Mass: Kevin Scullion (Ballyscullion) & Tommy Doherty
11.30am: Tom Scullion & Eamon Scullion

Last Week’s Church Collection: : £2,087.00
Recent Bequest £1000.
Thank You!

Anniversaries
Annie Scullion, Patrick McLaughlin, Sheila McCloy,
Paddy Scullion, Joe McKenna, Sheila Scullion, John and Frank Mullan

Children’s Liturgy will resume on 6th/7th October
Teams for October
Vigil: Bernie Quigley, Edel Quigley, Patricia Larkin.
11.30am: Kathleen O’Neill, Claire Brown, Edel Browne.

Prayer Meeting: Tuesday’s @ 8.15pm in the Prayer Room

Baptisms: To book a Baptism please contact the Parish Office 028 79386259

Weddings: Please check your wedding day details with Parish Office before you finalise your other arrangements for the day; 6 months in advance is advisable

New Cemetery: we request that no headstone should exceed 3ft 6` in width; and the height should be in keeping with the rest of the graves.

Wolfe Tones Bellaghy G.A. C.

GAA Notes:

Lotto No’s: 2, 9, 17, 26 £20 each to Claire Scullion, Kieran Murphy & Johnny. Jackpot now £2,100.00

Dancing Class: Tuesdays @ 7pm All new members welcome.

CCE Notes: Music classes are now full to capacity. Membership now due.

AGM on Sunday 7th Oct @ 12 noon in GAA Club. All available members please attend.

St Malachy’s Castledawson

Lotto No’s 2, 6, 9, 24. £25 each to Gerry Johnston & Pauline Crozier
Jackpot next week £1,300.

Bellaghy Women’s Group: Soft Furnishing classes will start 11th Oct @ 7pm. There are still a few places available, full fee £44, concession £25. Tel 79386311 or 79386745 for further details.

St John Bosco Youth Club, Ballynease:

Dancing Class: Monday’s @ 7pm Tuesday: Under 12’s 6.30pm—8.30pm
Wednesday: over 12’s 7pm-9pm Thursday: over 12’s 7pm-9pm

St John Bosco P.S Ballynease: Mother and Toddler Group each Thursday in the school @ 10.30am. Everyone welcome.

Alzheimer’s Society—Local Carer Support Group: The carer group will meet on the Fourth Thursday of every month @ 7.30pm.
Tel Louise Reilly 028 86765888 for further details.

Pioneer Notes:
The Annual Diocesan Mass will be held in Bellaghy @ 3pm on Sunday 21st October.
The Annual Dinner Dance will be held in The Drummond Hotel, Ballykelly on Frid 19th October @ 8pm sharp. Tickets £16. Tel 79386264

IHCPT—Young People’s Pilgrimage to Lourdes—Easter 2008
Around 500 young people from all over Ireland spend a week in Lourdes with IHCPT every Easter. Experienced adult carers visit the young people prior to trhe pilgrimage and accompany them throughout the week in Lourdes.

The Trust welcomes applications from young people of any religious denomination with:
A physical disability or illness (aged 9-18)
A learning disability (aged 11-21)
Very seriously ill children under the age of 9 (accompanied by parent/close relative)
Young adults 20-25yrs with a disability or illness
Contact IHCPT 0035391796622 for details. Applications close on 31st October.

Belfast Beginning Experience: support for widowed, separated & divorced
Residential Weekend—will be held in Drumalis Retreat & Conference Centre, Larne on 9,10, 11 November 2007. Tel Una 02828 274281 for information.

St Joseph’s Ballyscullion
Next Sunday.
Reader for September : Pearse O’Donnell
Sunday Mass at 10.00 am

The Sick and Housebound will be attended on Friday.

Collectors for October: Charlie Pat Scullion & Terence Duffin.

ALTAR SOCIETY: Helen Griffin & Jenny Griffin.

Eucharistic Minister for next Sunday: Kathleen McErlain

CCE Concert Tour of Ireland
Show of Trad music, song & dance in St Benedicts High Sch Mon 15th Oct 8-10pm Adm £8 Concess OAP/families

St Ergnats Moneyglass have received a letter of thanks from Mac Millan Cancer for the recent donation £2500.00

Fit and Active— Over 50’s Activity Programme—Antrim Forum.
Every Monday & Thursday in Antrim Forum. See poster at back of Church or tel 028 9446 3113

Interested in being a Loreto Sister? The next Loreto Life Weekend will be held in Donegal on 13th October. For more information contact
Therese @ loretonewmemberoffice@eircom.net or Tel 003531 4958346

Parochial Hall Activities
Bingo at 8.30 pm. Lines £20.
Houses £40, Last House £200. Books £6.
Flyer £1.

Whist Drive: Wednesday night as usual..

Parish Draw Winners ( week 1).
Prize Winners
£500 Hugh Heaney, B’macombs Rd 2191
Promoter: Jeananne Heaney
£200 Brendan Scullion, Springfield 2101
Promoter: Jean McGoldrick
£200 Paul Laverty, B’macombs Rd 2185
Promoter: Jeananne Heaney
£100 Jennifer O’Neill, B’nease Rd 1603
Promoter: Marian O’Neill

Bellaghy Historical Society: meeting on Tues 9th Oct @ 8pm in The Old School Centre, Castle St, Bellaghy. Dr Dermot Devlin will speak on
“Rose Young of Galgorm” Tel 79386413

The Gilmore/Carey families are hosting a night of entertainment in the Elk on Frid 12th Oct featuring “No Goats Toe” and “Hugo Duncan” with disco downstairs. Proceeds in aid of Friends of the Cancer Centre. Doors open 8.30pm. Adm £10

St Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt presents Oliver in The Grand Opera House, Belfast 13th—17th Nov. Ticket & travel packages available on: Wed 14th, Thurs 15th & Frid 16th November. Price £20.
For reservations tel Martina McCusker 028796 32320 ext 247

Bank of Ireland have advised us that, due to regulations from now on they will only accept cheques made payable to St Mary’s Church.

Notices for the Bulletin are now also being taken by email to mail@bellaghyparish.com Please mark these Bulletin News and have all notices into the office by lunchtime on Thursday‘s.

We would be happy to include anniversaries each week, names must be in to the Parish Office by Wednesday lunchtime.