Lourdes Diocesan Pilgrimage: Bishop Kieran O’Reilly SMA will lead this year’s Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes from June 26th to 1st July . Direct from Shannon Airport €670 inclusive.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the first Irish pilgrimage to Lourdes when people travelled overland. Bookings Joe Walsh Tours on (01) 2410810 or see http://www.killaloediocese.ie

Book online at www.joewalshtours.ie and you will be entered in a draw for 1 free place.

A limited number of sick pilgrims will be accommodated in the Sanctuary of Lourdes at a cost of €560 Applications for sick pilgrims only to Fr Tom Ryan, Pilgrimage Director, SS John & Paul Presbytery, Shannon, Co. Clare. Telephone: (061) 364133

Families or individuals often sponsor a family member, parents, or a friend on the occasion of an anniversary or Jubilee with a visit to Lourdes. Sponsorship for sick people is always welcome.

For further information regarding Lourdes see http://en.lourdes-france.org

Parish of Kildysart

Meeting for Sixth Class and their Parents

Community Centre, 8pm Thursday 2  May 2013

As our meeting of the parents of the confirmation class at the beginning of the school year, it was suggested that we organise an evening that would help parents and children discuss the appropriate use of alcohol. In response to hat request we have invited Joe Lynch to lead and discussion entitled  

 CHOICES: Talking to our children about topics that matter – Alcohol.

 The presentation will include:

• What influences young people when they choose to use alcohol – or not;
• How to offer our children choices that will help their personal and social skills;
• How to have positive conversations with our children that will make a difference;,
• How to handle difficult situations or what to do ‘when things go wrong’.

Joe Lynch, a qualified music and maths teacher, has been teaching for thirty years.  He trained as a Resource Teacher, working as a Senior Level for a number of years in London in a large inner-city comprehensive school. He has, over the last seven years, specialised in working with schools, supporting teachers and young people in the area of Positive Behaviour Management. Joe is also a psychotherapist with a Masters in Individual Humanistic Psychotherapy from the University of Middlesex and a recently qualified Group Analytic Psychotherapist with a Masters in Science from the Department of Medicine and Health, UCD

Friday 15 March            Stations of the Cross                   8pm

Thursday 21 March       Reconciliation Service                  8pm

Palm Sunday 24 March Procession and Mass                 11am

Holy Thursday, 28 March  Mass of the Lord’s Supper      8.30pm

Good Friday, 29 March   The Passion of the Lord            4.30pm

Holy Saturday   30 March Easter Vigil                                9pm

Saturday, 23 March 2013 The Clare Inn, Newmarket on Fergus Co Clare.

Opening the Windows Reliving Vatican II

Confrence Brochure  Opening the Windows 23 March 2013

The Diocese of Killaloe has organised this one day gathering, ‘Opening the Windows’, to give us an opportunity to reflect on how the Second Vatican Council can help us live as Christians today. Vatican II which has been described as the most important event in the life of our Church in modern times, began its work fifty  years ago. Pope John XXIII called the Council because he wanted “to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in.”. To help us relive and rediscover the richness of this great event Pope Benedict XVI has declared 2013 a Year of Faith.

During our Conference we reflected on four important topics discussed by the Council:

• The Word of God;
• Prayer and liturgy;
• Being part of the Church;
• Church and society.

The approach wwas practical with the focus on the daily experience of living as a Christian in today’s world.  The day provided an occasion to reflect on the beauty of our faith, to share and to encourage each other .

To hear Bishop Kieran O Reilly’s presentation at the conference please click here

To hear Liam Lawton’s paper delivered at the conference please click here 

To read Dermot Ryan’s paper delivered at the conference please click here Dermot Ryan Believing and Belonging 

To view images of the day see

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.451131621629175.1073741825.402785606463777&type=1

http://www.ennisparish.com/gallery/?album=12&gallery=356

St Patrick by M.I. Rupnik SJ.

Sunday 17 March is the feast of St Patrick, our national apostle and patron.

A short celebration of the Saint in music and dance will take place in St Michael’s Church, Kildysart immediately after 11am Mass on the feast day.  Local performers will give us  a taste of Irish music on the accordion, fiddle and flute, set dancing, broom dancing and folk and traditional singing.

The congregation will be invited to make a donation which will be used to fund the maintenance and the enhancement of the local cemetery and Marian grotto.  

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

(Prayer in the traditon of St Patrick)

An afternoon for readers involved in the liturgical life of the parishes in our cluster (Coolmeen-Cranny, Kildysart and Lissycasey-Ballynacally) will take place in the pastoral centre in Lissycasey (at the rear of the Church) on Sunday 3 March 2013 from 4pm to 5.30. It will be led by Fr Vincent Sherlock, Achonry Diocese, and will conclude with a light supper. The afternoon will include discussion of God’s word and some practical suggestions on how best to proclaim it

During 2012 the following celebrations took place in our parish:

Baptisms             12;

Confirmation        16;

Weddings              3;

Funerals                7.

We pray that the Lord will always be close to each of us particularly at the special times in our lives.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 3,300 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 6 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Christmas Mass

Mass will be celebrated in St Michael’s Church, Kildysart on Christmas Eve at 22,00 and at 11,15 on Christmas morning.  

Kildysart Primary School Christmas Mass: The teachers and students of Kildysart Primary School together with parents and other members of the community will celebrate their Christmas Mass in St Michael’s Church on Thursday 20 December at 10am.

Sacrament of Reconcilation

You will have the opportunty to celebrate the sacrament of confession in St Michael’s Church on Christmas Eve at 12noon.

New Year Mass

Mass will be celebrated in St Michael’s Church, Kildysart at 5pm on Monday 31 December as the sun sets on the 2012.

Mass on New Years Day will be celebrated in St Mary’s Church, Cranny on 1 January, 2013 at 12noon. January 1st is the world day of prayer for peace. The theme chosen this year by Pope Benedict is ‘Blessed are the Peacemakers’.

Primary School Christmas Concert

Kildysart primary school will hold their Christmas concert on Thursday 13 December at 7pm in the Community centre. Admission €5. Primary school children free.   

 Christmas Party

The annual Social Services Christmas Party will be held on Sunday 16 December in the Community Centre. Please give names to any member of the Social Services Team, Post Office or the Parish Office.

Carol Singing

Kildysart Church Choir will perform Christmas Carols after 8pm Mass on Saturday 15 December and after 11am Mass on Sunday 16 December.

The proceeds will go towards the restoration and upkeep of Our Lady’s Grotto in the village.

Congratulations to Kildysart National School Boys team on their victory over Corofin in extra time to win the School’s Division 2 final.  

The closely contested match ended in a draw at full time making extra time necessary.   Congratulations to the members of the team and to their coaches and teachers.

Final score:                      Kildysart 3-6                Corofin 2-7.

Team: Garry Murrihy, Paul O’Sullivan, Luke Kirrane, Darren Crehan, Seamus Casey (1-3), Conor Cusack, Jack Reidy, Emmet McMahon (0-1, 1f), Patrick O’Connell (1-0), Diarmuid O’Donnell (0-2), Conor Hasset (1-0), Shane Frawley, JJ McQuaid, James Kelly, Kevin Meaney, Darragh Sheerer, Conor Moloney, Kieran Lorrigan, Matthew Reidy, Fergal Ginnane.

A match report and video may be found on the Kildysart GAA website.

St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart will hold a Gala Concert on Friday 23 November in the school hall at 8pm.

The concert will feature  Katie Purcell, Anne Droney,Garoid &Eimear Coughlan, Stephen Flatley, The Kildysart all Ireland Winning Set Dancers and local artists.

Tickets only €10.00. All welcome.