Parish of Kildysart

We will celebrate Mass in Kildysart cemetery at 8pm on Friday, 2 June. This is an opportunity for us to pray for all who are buried there and for our deceased parishioners, relatives and friends.

We will also bless the new extension to the cemetery at the end of Mass. Our appreciation is due to the committee that purchased and developed the extension and all those in our community and beyond who have contributed to the project.

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.    Amen

John Henry Newsman (1801-1890)

Marian Shrine, Kildysart

During May, the month of Our Lady, the rosary is prayed each Wednesday evening at 8pm at the Marian Grotto on the Ennis Road. All welcome.

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The Rosary helps us keep in mind certain principal events or mysteries in the history of our salvation, and to thank and praise God for them. There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in the Rosary, and these are divided into the five Joyful mysteries, the five Luminous mysteries,  the five Sorrowful mysteries, and the five Glorious mysteries. As suggested by the Pope John Paul, the Joyful mysteries are said on Monday and Saturday, the Luminous on Thursday, the Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, and the Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday.

The Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation: Mary learns that she has been chosen to be the mother of Jesus.
2. The Visitation: Mary visits Elizabeth, who tells her that she will always be remembered.
3. The Nativity: Jesus is born in a stable in Bethlehem.
4. The Presentation:Mary and Joseph take the infant Jesus to the Temple to present him to God.
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple: Jesus is found in the Temple discussing his faith with the teachers.

The Mysteries of Light

1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan: God proclaims that Jesus is his beloved Son.
2. The Wedding Feast at Cana: At Mary’s request, Jesus performs his first miracle.
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom: Jesus calls all to conversion.
4. The Transfiguration: Jesus is revealed in glory to Peter, James, and John.
5. The Institution of the Eucharist: Jesus offers his Body and Blood at the Last Supper.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony in the Garden: Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before he dies.
2. The Scourging at the Pillar: Jesus is lashed with whips.
3. The Crowning With Thorns: Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns.
4. The Carrying of the Cross: Jesus carries the cross that will be used to crucify him.
5. The Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross and dies.

The Glorious Mysteries

1. The Resurrection: God the Father raises Jesus from the dead.
2. The Ascension: Jesus returns to his Father in heaven.
3. The Coming of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit comes to bring new life.
4. The Assumption of Mary: At the end of her life on earth, Mary is taken body and soul into heaven.
5. The Coronation of Mary: Mary is crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Bishop Fintan Monahan has written a pastoral letter to the people of the Diocese, entitled ‘Diocese of Killaloe – A welcoming People of God’.

In his letter Bishop Fintan reflects on the many positive aspects of the faith he has encountered since he came to the diocese and speaks about the future of our faith communities.

You may download the pastoral letter here Bishop Fintan Pastoral Letter April 2017

Holy week and Easter in Kildysart 2017

• Palm Sunday- Blessing of Palms in the Square, followed by procession to the Church and Mass, 11am
• Liturgy of Reconciliation – St Michael’s Church, Kildysart Tuesday, 11 April, 8pm
• Holy Thursday (13 April) – Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 8.30pm
• Good Friday (14 April)- The Lord’s Passion, 5pm
• Holy Saturday (15 April)- Blessing of the Pasqual fire followed by candle lit procession to the Church and the Easter Vigil, 9.30pm
• Easter Sunday – Easter Mass of the Resurrection, 11am

The feast of our national patron, St Patrick will be celebrated on Friday, 17 March. It is a Holy Day of obligation. The vigil Mass will be celebrated on Thursday in St Mary’s Church, Cranny at 7pm. On the morning of the feast, Mass will be celebrated in St Benedict’s Church, Coolmeen at 9.45am, and in St Michael’s Church, Kildysart at 11am.

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 tradition of St Patrick)

We congratulate the girls and boys of our parish who received the Holy Spirit throught the Sacrament of Confirmation today. We thank Bishop Fintsn Monahan for being with us today, our school principal Ms Kathleen Ryan, our class teacher Ms Mary Moloney and all our teachers  for their dedication. We also thank our school choir, the parishioners who prepared the Church and all who took part in the liturgy.

We wish the children, their parents and families every blessing

Ash Wednesday:

Next Wednesday (1 March) is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent.

It is a day of fast and abstinence. Mass including the blessing and distribution of ashes will be celebrated in St Mary’ Church, Cranny on Wednesday at 9.30am and in St Michael’s Church, Kildysart at 8pm.

Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he was tempted by Satan. Lent originated as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter. Every Sunday is a commemoration of the Sunday of Christ’s resurrection and so as a feast day on which fasting was inappropriate.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from the palm branches blessed on the previous year’s Palm Sunday, and placing them on the foreheads of Christians to the accompaniment of the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”.

Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes

Bishop Fintan Monahan will lead his first Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes on 26 June. The 61st Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes will leave Shannon on Monday 26 June, returning on Saturday 1 July. The cost this year is €692 per person sharing and there will be a €10 discount for online booking at http://www.joewalshtours.ie

Booking forms can be obtained from: Joe Walsh Tours, 143 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2. Telephone: (01) 2410810

A limited number of sick pilgrims will be accommodated in the Sanctuary of Lourdes at a cost of €595. 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 more details, see poster in Church porch and on the Killaloe Diocese website http://www.killaloediocese.ie

The  Feast of our Lady of Lourdes ( 11 February) was chosen as the annual day of prayer for and with the sick by Pope John Paul II in 1992.
We will celebrate the feast day with Mass and the anointing of the sick in St Michael’s Church, Kildysart on Friday, 10 February at 8.00pm.
All members of our parish are welcome to attend the Mass and anybody suffering from an illness or old age is welcome to receive the sacrament of the sick.

You may access Pope Francis’ message for 2017 Day of Prayer for the Sick which is centred on the theme of ‘The Lord has done great things for me …’ (Luke 1:49) here

The financial report for our parish for the years ending 31 December 2016 may be viewed by clicking on kildysart-parish-accounts-2016

The parish finance council wishes to thank all the members of our parish for your generous support of the work of our parish during 2016. The finance council would also like to encourage as many parishioners as possible to use the parish collection envelopes and support the tax refund scheme.

We wish to thanks our fiance council for their careful oversight of our finances.

The following is a summary of our 2016 accounts:

• Current account opening balance:      €25,630.02
• Expenses in 2016:                                   €31,863.22
• Income in 2016:                                      €45,247.72
• Current account closing balance:        €38,158.92.

The blessing of throats will take place on Friday, 3 February at 6.30pm in St Benedict’s Church, Coolmeen; at 7.00pm in St Mary’s Church, Cranny after 8pm Mass in St Michael’s Church, Kildysart.
Using two crossed, blessed, unlit candles the minister touches the throat of each person using the following prayer of blessing:

Through the intercession of St Blaise, Bishop and Martyr,

may the Lord preserve you from aliments of the throat and every other illness.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Very few facts are known about Saint Blaise. It is believed that he was a bishop of Sebastea in Armenia who was martyred in the early fourth century.

The legend of his life that sprang up in the eighth century tells us that he was born in to a noble family who raised him as a Christian. After becoming a bishop, a new persecution of Christians began. He received a message from God to go into the hills to escape persecution. Men hunting in the mountains discovered a cave surrounded by wild animals who were sick. Among them Blaise walked unafraid, curing them of their illnesses. Recognizing Blaise as a bishop, they captured him to take him back for trial. On the way back, he talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged to a poor woman. When Blaise was sentenced to be starved to death, the woman, in gratitude, sneaked into the prison with food and candles. Finally Blaise was killed by the governor.

Friday next is the feast of the epiphany of the Lord (Little Christmas Day).

In Kildysart and Cranny-Coolmeen parishes we will have the following Mass schedule.

• Vigil Mass (Thursday,  5 January) St Mary’s Church, Cranny at  7pm
  St Benedict’s Church, Coolmeen on Friday at 9.45am
  St Michael’s Church, Kildysart on Friday at 8pm

The Feast of the Epiphany (the word means “manifestation”) celebrates the making known of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ. The feast commemorates the visit of the Three Kings (the Magi) to the Baby Jesus and the revelation Jesus’ birth beyond the Jewish world. The Kings brought gifts of gold (for a king), frankincense (for worship) and myrrh (for embalming, since Christ was to die for us). In Italy and other countries children receive gifts on this day. Traditionally in Ireland, the day was known as ‘Nollaig na mBan’ as it was the day when women celebrated Christmas

During 2016, the following celebrations took place in our parish church:

• Baptism                                   9
• First Holy Communion        15
• Confirmation                          20
• Marriages                                 3
• Funerals                                   12

We pray that the Lord will always be present to us in the special and in the ordinary moments of our lives