Welcome to the Church of St. Columba

Sixth Sunday of Easter                         22/5/2022

Archbishop Dermot Farrell has launched the first phase of the Building Hope Initiative, which invites every parish in the diocese to participate in creating a diocesan plan for the future. The goal of Building Hope is to encourage us as a faith community to assess our pastoral strengths and resources for working in closer partnership with other parishes, in order to reach out in service to others. All parishioners are invited to a parish gathering at 7.30pm in St. Columba’s School next Wednesday 25^th May. In preparation for the meeting, parishioners are invited to read the Archbishop’s Easter Pastoral Letter, the Statement of Mission, and the Building Hope Prayer, all of which are posted on the noticeboard in the church and on our parish website.

The Building Hope prayer can be found at https://dublindiocese.ie/the-building-hope-prayer/ Archbishop Farrell’s Pastoral Letter, Living the Hope of Easter, can be found at https://dublindiocese.ie/category/building-hope/.

A ‘training’ session for new ministers of the Word will be held in the church next Saturday 28^th May from 11.00am-12.30pm. The session will outline the structure of the lectionary, from which the Sunday and weekday readings are selected, introduce participants to a way of preparing in a reflective way to read at Mass, and offer some practical tips. Ministers of the Word from all the parishes in the Glasnevin Grouping are welcome to attend.

Glasnevin parish Jubilee committee are organising a ‘Sunday Miscellany’: an afternoon of story and song, with the participation of the Forget Me Nots choir and children from St. Brigid’s GNS This Sunday 22^nd May, 4.00-5.00pm in the parish centre. Tickets are €5, with proceeds in aid of the Irish Red Cross Ukraine Appeal. Fr. Vasyl, who ministers to the Ukraine Catholic community in Dublin, and Frank Phelan, representing Irish Red Cross, will be in attendance.

 Many thanks to all those who have submitted applications to participate in the Glasnevin Grouping Pilgrimage to Lourdes from 2^nd-5^th September as part of our Jubilee celebrations. Already a large group have signed up. There are still a few places left. Please submit your completed booking form to the parish office (ourladyofdoloursparish@gmail.com ), and a deposit of €100 should be paid directly to Marian Pilgrimages (Tel. 01/8788159) to secure the booking.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to source accommodation for the refugees who continue to arrive in Ireland from Ukraine, fleeing the war which is devastating their country. Parishioners who are willing to offer a room in their home, or to assist in whatever practical way, are invited to register directly online with the Irish Red Cross at registerofpledges.redcross.ie  Sincere thanks to all who contributed generously to the recent Special Collection at Mass for Ukraine, which raised over €3.25 million in across the country. Let us continue to pray for the people of Ukraine and for an end to this humanitarian crisis.

Fr. Paddy and Fr. Richard wish to thank all those who have returned Easter Dues, which contribute to the remuneration of the priests of the parish and of the diocese. Easter Dues may be left in the safe at the back of the church.

We thank parishioners for your contributions to the First and Second Collections at Mass. A Tap and Go machine at the back of the church facilitates parishioners and visitors who wish to contribute to the First and Second collections but who don’t carry cash. Contributions to the parish can be made through the ‘Donate’ button on the parish website: www.ionaroadparish.ie

Reflection

Last Sunday Pope Francis canonised 10 individuals in Rome. Among them is a little known Frenchman, Charles de Foucauld. However, he is familiar to diocesan priests across the world as the inspiration for the Jesus Caritas Fraternity of priests. After an early life in the French military, Charles embraced Christian faith, turned his back on the material world and, becoming a monk, sought to imitate the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth. Charles eventually found his way to Algeria where he lived as a hermit among the Tuareg Muslim tribe. There he dedicated his life to prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and to living as a ‘universal brother’ among the local inhabitants, who revered him as a ‘marabout’ or holy man. He was tragically killed by a different tribe in 1916. His spirituality, which is one of simplicity and abandonment to the will of God, led to the founding of the Little Brothers and Little Sisters of Jesus, to the Jesus Caritas Fraternity of priests and to a lay fraternity. Many diocesan priests, who are members of the fraternity, meet once a month in small groups to pray, read the gospel and reflect on their common life together. After Charles’s death, the following prayer was found among his belongings.

Prayer of Abandonment

Father, I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands,
without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.

Please click on image to view Webcam for this service. Mass times may vary.