Sunday 30th September 2007

Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection - If I Were You

One of the healing ministries of great value that is open to every Christian is that of compassionate listening. In everyone's life there exist difficulties and also decisions that must be made. The need to share our heart's burdens with someone we trust is essential to good emotional, physical and even spiritual health. And what a holy, prayerful and healing action it is to listen to another person's concerns.

But if there is one enemy that prevents this exchange from being healing, it surely must be our human compulsion to give advice. For when advice is given without it being requested, it is "a-vice." Hidden, beneath the expression, "If I were you..." is a form of domination, a hidden sense of superiority. Indeed, if our opinion is requested, it may be of real service to give it. But usually when someone drops by for a cup of coffee and starts talking, he or she is not seeking advice but rather a listening and non-judgmental heart.
Set a guard over that desire to tell others how to get their marriages, children or business back in order and simply sit back and listen - and perhaps put yourself in a prayerful inner attitude. As people hear themselves expressing what's inside them, they may be surprised. For it is often simply in the "talking out" of an issue that they discover and clarify their own feelings or, as is sometimes happily the case, the escape route from their problem.

A frequently heard complaint from parents is that their teenage children do not share their problems with them. The reasons could be many for such a reluctance on the part of young people, but parents can ask themselves if they listen to the burdens of their children - if they truly listen. Or do they feel that the role of parents is to give advice or even to unilaterally dictate behaviour? It is not surprising that most young people seek elsewhere for a listener.

We all need good listeners to help us hear ourselves and to assist us in finding relief from the inner burdens we carry - especially if that person is a praying listener. But the next time a friend stops by "just for a cup of coffee," remember a word of wisdom from the Orient, "People who give advice when it is not requested, need advice."

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.

New Religious Order comes to Derry Diocese
The Sisters of St John have established a new convent in our diocese and will be formally welcomed by Bishop Hegarty on Mon 1st Oct @ 10am Mass in St Eugene’s Cathedral. All are welcome to attend. The Sisters are contemplative—their lives are dedicated to prayer, rather than pastoral ministry. The Sisters have a temporary
convent at 10 Belvoir Park, Culmore, but hope to build a new convent in the diocese.

The Parish Draw:
The draw will commence 1st October for 35 weeks.

Meeting of Steering Committee of Pastoral Council on
Sunday 30th September@ 8pm

Mass & Church Activities

Altar Servers:
Weekdays: E Rea
Vigil: N Larkin
11.30am: N McErlean

Eucharistic Ministers Scedule
Next Weekend (6th & 7th October)
Vigil: Kevin Toner, Dympna Gallagher, Marie Kilpatrick, Shauna Higgins.
11.30am: Tom O’Kane, Josephine Brennan, Kathleen O’Neill, Carmel Scullion.
Weekdays: Week Commencing 7th October
Morning: Jean McGoldrick
Evening: Gerry Diamond

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: : £2,295.00
Fr Magill’s Collection £ 1526.00
Thank You!

Deaths
We offer our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of
Kathleen McKenna
John McTaggart who died recently. May they Rest in Peace

Anniversaries
Anne Breslin, John O’Halloran, Emmett McElwee,
Damien Gallagher, James McCloy, Hugh Kilpatrick,
Alex & Patricia Mawhinney.

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: 8, 11, 19, 24, £4000 to Martin McPeake.
Jackpot now £2,000.00

GAA Notes: Senior championship semi-final on Sunday
B’derry v’s Glenullin 4.30pm @ Bellaghy.

Camogie Notes:
Urgent—meeting for all first & third players on Monday 1st Oct @ 7pm

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

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

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.

Blessing of the Roses Mass and Blessing of the Roses in honour of St Therese of Lisieux will take place in the Carmelite Retreat Centre, Termonbacca on Mon 1st Oct @ 8pm. Please bring a rose with you.

Monthly Devotions in honour of Our Lady in The Carmelite Centre on 2nd Oct.

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

Friday is First Friday: Mass at 6.45pm. Confessions before mass.
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: Gerard Trainor

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..

Co Derry Ceili Club: Ceili in Parochial Hall on Sat 6th Oct

Next Blood Donation Session: will be held on Wed 3rd October 3pm—4.30pm & 5.45pm—8pm

Anyone who has tables belonging to the Parochial Hall please return them as soon as possible.

The Thornhill Centre are offering a 1 year course in spirituality entitled “Pathways to Heaven” on Mondays from 1st Oct £160.00
Tel 028 71351233

Newbridge Comhaltas monthly sessions resume 4th October.

A Creative Writing Course for adults is running at Toome House from Tues 2nd Oct—20th Nov 7-9pm weekly. Cost £40 full and £35 concession.
Tel 028 94481338 for details.

Veritas Butcher Street, Derry Customer Appreciation Day on Thurs 4th Oct. 20% discount off all purchases. Open 9.30am—5.30pm.

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

Parents of P6/P7 children wishing to be altar servers are asked to come to a meeting in the Prayer Room on Wednesday 3rd @ 8.15pm.
Important to attend!!

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.