Canons’ Island in the Shannon estuary is part of the parish of Kildysart. It is the largest in a cluster of over twenty islands that occupy the expansive stretch of water formed by the confluence of the Shannon and Fergus estuaries.

The island is the site of a medieval Monastery and a traditional pilgrim site for people on both sides of the estuary. The Canons Regular of St Augustine who lived in the Abbey provided pastoral care for the nearby parishes until its suppression during the rule of Henry VIII. An article, by Michael Mac Mahon, detailing the  history of the Abbey may be found on the website of Clare Library.

While the island are no longer inhabited, several of them continue to serve as pasture for cattle.

The island has continued to serve as a place of burial up to the present.  In 1990 the late Fr Michael Hillery, PP revived the tradition of going on pilgrimage to the Canons’ Island   A large number of pilgrims travel to the island now for the annual Mass. This year is the 25th annual pilgrimage and our Bishop, Kieran O’Reilly will lead our pilgrimage on Sunday 27 July 2014.

Our Lady’s Blessed Well Lacknashannagh

Friday 15 August 2014 is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a holy day of obligation and celebrates Mary’s role as mother of the Saviour and her union with her Son in eternity.

The vigil Mass will be celebrated in St Mary’s Church, Cranny at 8pm on Thursday (14th). On Friday (15th) Mass will be celebrated in St Benedict’s Church, Coolmeen at 9.45am and at the Blessed Well, Lacknashannagh, Kildysart at 8pm.  August 15 is the traditional day for visiting the Holy Well at Lacknashannagh (just off the Ennis, Road, Kildysart)

The financial report for our parish for the year ending 31 December 2013 may be viewed by clicking here Kildysart Parish 2013 Financial Report Final

We wish to thank all the members of our parish for their unfailing generosity and our parish finance council for their work.

The members of our parish finance council are

Gerard Kelly

Noel McMahon

Brendan McMahon

Mary Keane

Fr Albert McDonnell.

Mass will be celebrated in Kildysart cemetery on Friday, 4 July 2014 at 8pm.

All are welcome to participate in the Mass and to remember and pray for their relatives and friends who are buried there, for the deceased of the parish and for all the faithful departed.

Blessed John Henry Newman’s Prayer for the Departed

May He support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen

and the evening comes,

and the busy world is hushed,

and the fever of life is over,

and our work is done.

Then in His mercy

may He give us a safe lodging,

and a holy rest

and peace at the last.

Review of Safeguarding Practice May 2014

Statement of Bishop Kieran O’Reilly 12th May 2014

» Download the Review of Safeguarding Practice in the Diocese of Killaloe

Killaloe diocese welcomes child safeguarding report and urges anybody who has been abused to come forward.

I welcome the publication today of the review of safeguarding practice in the diocese of Killaloe by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland. The Board has conducted a comprehensive audit of safeguarding practice in the diocese and have made four recommendations. On behalf of the diocese we accept these recommendations.

I would like to express my thanks to the members of the National Board for their help in the process of ensuring that our safeguarding systems are the best they can possibly be. Their continued support is appreciated.

The report – one of nine published today in relation to four dioceses and five congregations – follows a full review in November 2013 of case files in the Diocese as well as interviews with key personnel involved in safeguarding children.

The safeguarding practices were assessed against the seven national standards and 48 criteria. The Report found that 44 out of 48 criteria have been fully met, the remaining four are partially met at the time of the audit.

Our first thoughts today are with the victims/survivors of abuse. Abuse of children is reprehensible and there are no words that can adequately express the depth of pain endured by people who have been sexually abused.

The Diocesan Child Safeguarding office under the Director, Ms Cleo Yates, is a key and central part of the commitment of the diocese to the safeguarding of children within the diocese.

I would like to express our appreciation for the support, guidance and assistance afforded to us by An Garda Síochána and the HSE. We have excellent relationships with both statutory bodies. We look forward to working with the newly established Child and Family Agency – Tusla.

The diocese of Killaloe extends our heartfelt apologies to all those who suffered abuse at the hands of a small number of priests of Killaloe. I would like to assure parents and children that the diocese is committed to ensuring that best practices are in place and operational at all times to safeguard children and to listen to their voices.

The report is complementary yet it still is a work in progress. Care, vigilance and monitoring are our approach to all aspects of child safeguarding – involving continual monitoring of all protocols and procedures ensuring that best practice is followed at all times.

Bishop Kieran O’Reilly

End

Killaloe Diocese safeguarding and Child protection contact information
Anyone with a child protection concern may contact:

• Diocesan Designated Persons:
• Ms. Cleo Yates (086) 809 60 27
• Fr. Pat Malone (086) 809 60 74

Postal correspondence: Diocesan Office, Westbourne, Cusack Road, Ennis, Co. Clare.

For further information including the review please see:
http://www.killaloediocese.ie/safeguarding

Support/Counselling
Towards Healing is an organisation which provides telephone counselling and a counselling and psychotherapy referral service for survivors of Institutional, Clerical and Religious abuse.
Towards Healing can be contacted on Freephone 1800 303416 (Rep. of Ireland) Freephone 0800 0963315 (Northern Ireland and UK)

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Confirmation:

We congratulate the twenty-one children who received the sacrament of Confirmation during 11am Mass on Sunday 11 May 2014 at St Michael’s Church, Kildysart.  May the Holy Spirit always protect and bless the children, their parents and families.

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First Holy Communion:

We congratulate the twenty-one children who received Holy Communion for the first time during 11am Mass on Sunday 4 May 2014 at St Michael’s Church, Kildysart.  May the Lord always protect and bless the children, their parents and families.

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The year 2014 will be an important year for the children in our parish who will receives the Lord for the first time in Holy Communion on Sunday 4 May 2014 and for their families.

These final months of preparation will involve the families, our school and parish working together for the good of the children. The parish part of our preparation is based on the ‘Do This in Memory’ programme. Our thanks are due to the group of parents who have kindly volunteered to organise our parish programme.

One Sunday each month, our parish celebration of the Eucharist will focus on our children who are preparing to receive the sacrament and their families. The list of dates, including the children’s first celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation (confession), is as follows:

• Enrolment Mass                       Sunday 20 October 2013 at 11am;
• Preparation Mass                     Sunday 10 November 2013 at 11am;
• Preparation Mass                     Sunday 15 December 2013 at 11am;
• Preparation Mass                     Sunday 26 January 2014 at 11am;
• Preparation Mass                     Sunday 16 February 2014 at 11am;
• Preparation Mass                     Sunday 23 March 2014 at 11am;
• Sacrament of Reconciliation   Wednesday 9 April 2014 at 7.30pm;
• First Holy Communion             Sunday 4 May 2014 at 11am.

A meeting for the parents of children who are preparing to receive Holy Communion for the first time this year will take place in the Community Centre, Kildysart at 8pm on Monday 23 September.

Confirmation:

Confirmation will be celebrated in St Michael’s Church, Kildysart on Sunday 11 May.

A liturgy in preparation for the sacrament of confirmation will take place in St Michael’s Church, Kildysart on Thursday 10 April 2014 at 8pm. Parents, other family members and members of our parish are welcome to join the candidates for confirmation in this liturgy.

A meeting for the parents of the young people preparing to receive the sacrament of confirmation will take place in the Community Centre, Kildysart on Tuesday 1 October at 8pm.

Fr Pat Larkin PP, Kilmaley will lead both meetings.

A ceremony of light in preparation for the sacrament of confirmation will take place in st Michael’s Church, Kildysart on Thursday 10 April 2014

The Mass times in each parish and church in the cluster is as  follows:

St Mary’s Church, Cranny                                         Saturday 7pm (winter) 8pm (summer time) – times changes     when the clock changes

Church of Christ the King, Ballycorick                   Saturday 7pm (winder) 8pm (summer time) – times changes when the clock changes.

St Benedict’s Church, Coolmeen                             Sunday 9.00am

St Michael’s Church, Kildysart                                Sunday 1o.30am

Church of Our Lady of the Wayside, Lissycasey  Sunday 12noon

The Kildysart Parish Office is located in the Community Centre and office hours are from 9.30 to 14.30 on Monday to Thursday.

You may contact Tara O’Shea, our parish secretary  by ‘phone 065-6832838, email parishoffice@kildysart.com or by calling to the office.

Tara will be glad to help you with Mass Cards, issue sacramental certificates, arrange baptisms, take names for inclusion in the monthly shared anniversary Mass, accepts items for the parish newsletter and other parish matters.

Palm Sunday 13 April      Procession and Mass                 11am

Monday 14 April               Reconciliation Service               8pm

Holy Thursday, 17 April  Mass of the Lord’s Supper        8.30pm

Good Friday, 18 April     The Passion of the Lord             4.30pm

Holy Saturday 19 April    Easter Vigil                                  9.30pm

For the times of the Holy Week liturgies in Coolmeen/Cranny please click here

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The present carrara marble altar in St Michael’s Church, Kildysart was first erected during March 1914 in the Chapel of the Presentation Convent, Tuam, Co Galway. A plaque attached to the altar recalls that the first Mass was celebrated on the altar by Most Revd Dr Healy, Archbishop of Tuam on Holy Thursday (9 April) 1914. The altar features a depiction of the Agony in the Garden. In November 1991 Fr Michael Hillary, PP Kildysart on behalf of the parish, acquired this altar together with the matching tabernacle, ambo and chair. The total cost was £1,100 (€1,397). Michael Haugh and Michael Corry re-assembled and erected the altar and other items in the sanctuary of Kildysart Church during January 1992.

Previously, an altar of Caen stone was erected in St Michael’s Church and was consecrated by Bishop James Ryan in 1877. One the occasion of the consecration the sermon was preached by the distinguished Dominican Fr Slattery and the proceeds were used to defray the parish debt. This altar, in turn, was replaced during the renovation of the Church in 1973.

Introduction of new Mass schedule        5-6 April, 2014;

Shared Anniversary Mass (April)   11am Sunday 6 April, 2014;

First Confessions                    7.30pm Wednesday 9 April, 2014;

Ceremony of Light for confirmation 8pm Thursday 10 April, 2014;

First Holy Communion                            11am Sunday 4 May, 2014;

Confirmation                                    11am Sunday 11 May, 2014;

Shared Anniversary Mass (May)             11am 18 May, 2014.

The theme of this years Trócaire Lenten campaign is ‘Let Justice flow like a river’ (Amos 5:24) and the focus is on ‘Water’. In the African countries where Trócaire works 51% of people do not have access to clean water. The Trócaire box and poster this year features Enestina, a nine year old girl from Malawi. Until Trócaire worked with her community to develop a borehole, Enestina had to carry 15 litres of water twice a day a distance of 1 KM for her family. During the dry season the queue to get waters can take hours. As a result she frequently missed school or arrived there feeling tired.

Trócaire boxes will be available in our Church next weekend. You are welcome to take one for your home and/or place of work and use it during Lent. The people of Kildysart have been extremely generous in the past in support of the work of Trócaire.