Welcome to the Church of St. Columba

Fourteenth Sunday of the Year            3/7/2022

At the 11.00am Mass this Sunday 3^rd July both Betty O’ Brien and Paul Lenehan will be presented with the Papal Award Benemerenti, in recognition of their voluntary service to the parish in various capacities over many years. This will also be Fr. Richard’s last weekend in the parish, as he prepares to take up his new ministry in the parish of Brackenstown, Swords next weekend, 9^th/10^th July. The Mass will be followed by a Café Columba, to which all are invited.

We welcome Fr. Joseph Ryan, who is taking over as Moderator of the Glasnevin Grouping of Parishes with particular responsibility for Iona Road.

The annual Cemetery Mass and Blessing of Graves for the Dublin Cemeteries Trust Cemeteries will take place in the Glasnevin Cemetery Chapel at 12.30pm this Sunday 3^rd July. The Mass will be live streamed, so that people can follow the Mass on their mobile device while standing at the grave of their loved ones in any of the cemeteries which are part of the Dublin Cemeteries Trust.

We recently submitted to the diocese our report on the Building Hope parish gathering. A copy of the report is displayed on the noticeboards at the back of the church and on our parish website please go to https://www.ionaroadparish.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Building-Faith-Iona-Rd-Summary-Findings-16.06.22-v0.5-1-2.pdf

This week we submitted our parish Safeguarding self-audit to the diocese. It is an appropriate time to remind parishioners that we strive to ensure that our parish is a safe place for children and for vulnerable adults. Our Parish Child Safeguarding Policy Statement is posted in the church porch, as well as in the sacristy, the parish office and the annex. It contains contact details for the Diocesan Child Safeguarding and Protection Service as well as for Tusla and the local Garda station, should you have any child safeguarding concerns. Our Parish Safeguarding representatives: Toni Nyhan and Tony Moroney, can be contacted through the parish office. All parish ministers, volunteers and staff are asked to attend a Child Safeguarding Information session presented by the diocesan Training Officer, Garry Kehoe, every three years.

Application is now open for the next intake of participants for Pathways. The programme, which explores faith and ministry and is run by the Archdiocese, begins this year on Thursday, September 29, in DCU St Patrick’s Campus. Pathways is a two-year, one evening a week course, for adults of all ages who wish to explore their faith. It runs from late September to May each year, with breaks for Christmas, Easter and mid-terms. There are no exams and no written work. The only requirement is an openness to listening to others and to participate. The cost is €400 per year which may be paid in instalments throughout the year. Places are limited so early application is advisable.

For more information visit www.missionministry.ie or contact Pathways director Eileen Houlahan, CHF at pathways@dublindiocese.ie

Young people are invited to register their interest in attending World Youth Day which will take place August 1 – 6 in Lisbon 2023. The registration system will open in September. At present it is intended to have the option for teenagers aged 16-18 to participate as well as those aged 18-29.

World Youth Day is a great opportunity for younger members of our parish to connect to young people in other parishes who will participate at WYD. A full pastoral programme for all pilgrims will also commence later in the year. Contact wyd@dublindiocese.ie.

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 other practical ways, are invited to register directly online with the Irish Red Cross at registerofpledges.redcross.ie

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. We plan to install a second Tap and Go device shortly for the benefit of receiving parish contributions. Contributions to the parish can be made through the ‘Donate’ button on the parish website: www.ionaroadparish.ie

We thank parishioners who have already contributed to the Summer Dues collection, which supports the priests of the parish and of the diocese.

Reflection

 ‘The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him in pairs…’ This week, many primary school pupils are preparing to move on to secondary school, while older students are preparing for the transition to third level, travel or the world of work. Being ‘sent out’ is a common biblical theme, beginning with Abraham, or perhaps even earlier with Adam and Eve! Moses is called to lead his people out of Egypt. Jesus leaves his home town of Nazareth and a secure job in order to take up a ministry of preaching and healing in the towns and villages around the Sea of Galilee. In each case, it is about leaving behind what is safe, comfortable and familiar in order to embrace the uncertainty but opportunity of something new. Fundamental to our call as diocesan priests is the willingness to move parish after a number of years. It is never easy, as the more you get to know a community and build relationships, the harder it is to move on, but it is a good thing to do: both for the priest and for the parish! How we embrace new situations and challenges is important. As this Sunday’s Gospel makes clear, our basic call as people of faith is to announce the kingdom or reign of God, and we do this above all through our attitudes, our openness to others, especially those who are different to us. Whether meeting new people while away on holiday or going into a new work situation, the openness we bring makes possible a deeper encounter: ‘Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, ‘Peace to this house!’

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