Dear Friends,
Welcome to our weekly Masses. On this ‘Safeguarding Sunday’ it is important that you should know who our Safeguarding Representatives are. They are: Ms. Christine Halloran; Ms. Bernie Henry; Fr. Edmond Grace, S.J. They can be contacted through the Church Office.
Fr. Brendan
SAFEGUARDING SUNDAY- TODAY
The theme for this year’s Sunday is A Safe and Welcoming Church for Children and Vulnerable Adults.
“In this Safeguarding Day of 2024,I ask you to reflect on how you and your fellow parishioners relate to children, young people and vulnerable adults. Is yours a safe and welcoming parish? If the answer is yes, are there further avenues to be explored? Conscious of Pope Francis’s call to go to the margins, is there more we can all do to reach out to the most vulnerable in society, adults as well as children, so that they may know the love of God through involvement in his Church?”
Excerpt from the message of Archbishop Dermot Farrell for Safeguarding Day 2024
PRAYING WITH ST. IGNATIUS
In this year of prayer, take sometime to learn a little about the life of St. Ignatius, pray in the ways of Ignatian Spirituality and connect with fellow young people of faith.
St. Francis Xavier’s Church
Monday 30th September
7 pm – 9 pm
VISIT OF THE RELICS OF ST. BERNADETTE
Next Wednesday, September 25 at 2pm, Archbishop Farrell will welcome the relics of St Bernadette to Our Lady of Victories, Ballymun Road. Veneration of the Relics with Water Gesture Available on Wednesday from 4 to 6.30 pm and Thursday from 11 am. Mass of Anointing of the Sick (Thu. 12 m)
SEASON OF CREATION 2024
With today's responsorial psalm we proclaim that ‘the Lord is my help, God upholds my life’. God can give us the strength to defend creation and to find ways to care for and protect it.
Let us think how we can contribute to healing the damage created in this world and how we can help those who live in countries that suffer most from climate change, not out of pity, not even out of compassion, but out of justice.
DO YOU LIKE TO SING?
If you like singing, or are looking to join a choir, or sang years ago and would like to take it up again... we will give you a warm welcome on Sunday mornings for 11am mass. Singing releases endorphins, reduces stress, is sociable and fun, and builds community.
Get in touch through the sacristy or the shop with your details. Or pop up to Margaret (Cantor) any Sunday at11am mass. And spread the word! If you have any friends, neighbours or relatives who like to sing, let them know, they would be most welcome.
INTRODUCTION TO THE MYSTICS –
This is a series of talks by Fr Brendan Comerford SJ on eight different Christian mystics. Next talk on Saturday 28th September, at 10 am. Fr Brendan will give a talk on the English mystic Mary Ward.
Take a leaflet with the full programme at the back of the Church.
No need to register, just come!
No fee. Donations welcomed.
SAINTOF THE COMING WEEK – St. Padre Pio, feast day 23rd September
The feast day this week is of St. Padre Pio, a capuchin priest who lived in Italy. He is often known as St. Pio of Pietrelcina; the place of his birth. He spent most of his life in the monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo. Padre Pio suffered a lot during his lifetime, with various illnesses and even attacks from the devil. He was given a gift of stigmata (marks of Christ's wounds on his body) & bore them for50 years. He was a mystic and not always understood because of the supernatural gifts the Lord gave him to use in his ministry. But he allowed all that to help him grow in humility and holiness.
During the 2nd World War, St. Padre Pio's prayers protected the little town in Italy where he lived - no bomb fell on the town, even though the enemy soldiers tried to bomb it. There were reports of bombs harmlessly being dropped in the fields, or of sudden mechanical failures which caused the planes to veer off course.
Padre Pio helped a lot of people during his lifetime to come closer to the Lord. He would tell people if they cannot come to him with the prayer request “send me your guardian angel who will tell my guardian angel, and I will pray for you”. There are numerous accounts of answered prayers this way, even of people who doubted their guardian angels would go to Padre Pio.
When he takes on someone as his spiritual son or daughter, he said he takes on their whole family under his care too. He is a wonderful saint friend to have in Heaven. His intercession was powerful even during his life, how much more now when he is in Heaven.
His intercession was powerful even during his life, how much more now when he is in Heaven.
St. Padre Pio, pray for us!
Iva
LAST WEEK COLLECTION
Church: €848, Share: € 334(Crosscare appeal).
Card: € 397
All contributions are gratefully accepted, and the donors are remembered in our prayers.
The blue bag is for the Church and the red one for share.