Sunday 27th December 2009

Feast of the Holy Family.

"His mother stored up all these things in her heart." One of the lovely things about a new young family is the excitement of recording every movement and sound of the newly born baby. Countless photographs are taken and produced on every occasion. Reports are sent around to family members and anyone else who will listen. This is the picture we have of Mary today as she marvelled at her newborn son Jesus. And this is where real holiness is found. We name Jesus, Mary and Joseph the Holy Family, not because they were pious but because of the great love that filled their hearts and their home. That is the challenge for every home and family. With the pressures of life the wonder of each person can be lost. The pressure of this feast is to get our priorities right, to put our love first and in this way make Jesus present.

Fr. Johnny Doherty. C.Ss.R.

Hot Dogs

One New Year’s Eve a prosperous business man was hurrying to a butcher’s shop before closing time. ‘Buying your New Year turkey?’ a friend asked. ‘No. Hot dogs,’ he answered.

Then he explained how, in the Depression, a bank failure suddenly wiped out his fortune. He faced the New Year with no job, no money and less than a dollar for food. He and his wife and small daughter said grace before dinner that New Year’s Day and then ate hot-dogs – a whole kennel of them in fact. His wife had given each frankfurter toothpicks for legs and broom straws for tails and whiskers.

Their child was enchanted and her infectious delight spread merriment among them all. After dinner they gave thanks again for the most loving and festive time they’d ever had. ‘Now it’s tradition,’ the man said. ‘Hot dogs for New Year’s Day – to remind us of that happy day when we realised we still had one another and our God-given sense of humour.

Saints of the Week

Week Beginning Sunday 27th December

Monday 28 – The Holy Innocents, Martyrs
Tuesday 29 – St Thomas a Beckett, bishop Thursday 31 – St Sylvester, pope
Friday 1 January – Mary, Mother of God
Saturday 2 – Sts Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church

Sacred Heart Church

Mass Intentions 7.30 pm

Mon Pat Vaughan – 1st Anniversary

Tue Winifred Phillips – Month’s Mind

Recent Deaths

We sympathise with the family of the following who died recently:

Kevin Colgan

May he rest in peace.

Baptisms

Erin McVey, 11 Coolnagard Court
Cahan McWilliams, 4 Coolnagard Hollow
Jamie John Raymond Reditt, 57 Centenary Park
Conan Liam Canavan, 6 Coolnagard Meadows

The Baptism of Our Lord

Service for Children Baptised in 2009

The Parish of Drumragh is hosting a liturgical celebration for all babies baptised in our parish during the year 2009. The celebration will take place in the Sacred Heart Church at 3 pm on Sunday 10th January – the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

We would like to thank all those who took an Advent calendar at the end of November. Donations can be returned to churches over the weekend of 2nd/3rd January. Collection bins will be positioned at the entrances to churches for donations to be placed into on the way into Mass.

First Friday Devotions
Friday is the First Friday of the month. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will be in the Sacred Heart Church from after 10 am Mass until 7.15 pm.

Visitation of the Sick

Monsignor Donnelly will visit the sick on Tuesday 5th, Thursday 7th and Friday 8th January at the usual times. Fr Canning’s sick will be attended in the second week of January: Brookmount Road and Hunter Crescent on Thursday 14th and the country areas and Castle Street on Friday 15th January. Fr McDevitt will visit the sick on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th January.

New Year Vigil
See in the New Year in the Sacred Heart Church in the presence of the Lord. There will be a short ceremony of welcome for the New Year, beginning at 11.30 pm in the Sacred Heart Church on Thursday 31st December, concluding with a blessing to mark the arrival of the New Year. Everyone welcome.

Questions people ask

Q. When Jesus was growing up in Nazareth did Mary and Joseph know that he was the Son of God?

A. The revelation of the divinity of Jesus was not yet complete. Because of the virgin birth and the annunciation by the angel Gabriel, Mary and Joseph knew that Jesus was unique. Yet we read in the Gospel that they did not understand what the twelve year-old Jesus meant in saying that he must be busy with his Father’s affairs.
Mary stored up these things in her heart. Mary and Joseph went forward in faith, accepting the mystery of what they did not fully understand.

Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap, Courtesy of Intercom Magazine

Email silvesteroflynn@gmail.com

Eucharistic Ministers for January

We are in the process of restructuring the Eucharistic Minister Rotas. In the meantime, we would appreciate if ministers could follow the rotas printed in the newsletter. New rotas will be sent out as soon as possible.

Vigil Mass – Gerald McCarney, Caroline Hannigan, Kathleen Fox, Donna Shiels, Claire Murray; 8.30 am – Sean Rodgers, Conrad Darcy, Sinead Slevin; 9.45 am – Peter McCromick, Seamus Sheridan, Shirley Norris, Maureen Miley; 11 am – Paula McCann, Roisin McKenny, Elizabeth Broderick, Deirdre Timoney, Colette Breslin; 12.30 pm – Sonya McDermott, Mary Camobell, Liz Doran, Michelle Lagan, Charles Colton; 10 am Drumragh – Niall Colgan, Anita Hackett.

Counters for January
Peter Davies, Gerard Haughey, Dermot McCann, J McDonnell, Patrick McMahon, John McGale.

Readers for January
6 pm – Marie Gallagher; 8.30 am – Gerard Haughey; 9.45 am – Mary Prunty; 11 am – Mary Haughey; 12.30 pm – Emmett Murray.

Collectors for January
6.00 pm – Thomas Logue, John Rafferty; 8.30 am – Phil McGovern, Sean McKenna, Linus Nugent, Patrick Cleary; 9.45 am – Liam McGrath, Tony Brogan, Eamon Prunty, Seamus Sheridan, Dr Pat O’Neill, Paddy McGowan; 11 am – James Murray, Thomas Bradley; 12.30 pm – Eugene McGrade, Tony McGarvey, Kevin Gallagher, Anthony Higgins, Patrick Gallagher.

Parish Draw 2010

Our thanks again to all the promoters who have helped with the running of our Parish Draw in 2009. As you may now be aware the draw will run again in 2010 to continue to pay for the cost of the redevelopment of the Drumragh Graveyard. The registration day will take place on Saturday 9th January in the Pastoral Centre, Brook Street between 3 pm and 5 pm. All promoters are asked to come along to register their draw cards. If you are still interested in becoming part of the draw please contact Fr Canning at the Parochial House. The first draw will be held on Tuesday 12th January, following the Parish Bingo in St Joseph’s Hall. All successive monthly returns will be made at St Joseph’s Hall on the first Tuesday of each month.

Week of Guided Prayer

Sunday 10th – Friday 15th January

Would you like to soften your heart for the Word of God? This is the week for you.

There will be praying with scripture on Sunday 10th January, when all participants meet in the Pastoral Centre at 7 pm for about an hour. There will also be an explanation of the week’s format. From Monday 11th to Thursday 14th there will be one-to-one half hour sessions with a trained prayer guide to reflect on a scripture passage. On Friday 15thJanuary at 8 pm all participants come together to share experiences and conclude the retreat.

The time spent alone with God, reflecting on Scripture, is the most important part of this week. The prayer guide helps but God alone is the guide.

Prayer for Priests

We ask for your prayers for the following priests this week:

Sunday 27th December – Fr Arthur O’Reilly
Monday 28th December – Fr Desmond Polke & Fr Michael Porter
Tuesday 29th December – Fr Anthony Quinn
Wednesday 30th December – Fr John Ryder & Fr Gerard Sweeney
Thursday 31st December – Fr Gary Wade & Fr John R Walsh
Friday 1st January – Fr Alex Anderson
Saturday 2nd January – Fr Patrick Arkinson

Tattyreagh GAC

A Family Quiz will be held in Tattyreagh GAC Clubrooms on Wednesday 30th December 2010, commencing at 8.30p.m. Music to follow with Poitin. This event concludes our "125 Celebrations" for the year. Everyone welcome and all proceeds to Tattyreagh Play Park Fund.

Gortmore Residents Group

The next meeting of the Gortmore Residents Group will be held in the Station Centre on Tuesday 5th January at 7 pm. All current and former residents are invited to attend this meeting in order to help prepare for the 60th Anniversary Celebration in June 2010.

GRAND CHRISTMAS CONCERT

St Joseph's Hall, Omagh

Featuring the King of Country, Mick Flavin and his band
Special Guests - Carmel Mc Loughlin, Kevin Logue and Sinead Taggart
Monday 28th December 2009 @ 8pm
Tickets are £15, available from Tops News - George's Street, Music Master - Foundry Lane and Xclusive - High Street, Omagh

Parish Dance

St Joseph’s Hall, Omagh

St Stephen’s Night (26th December)

Music is by Country Traditions

New Year’s Eve Dance

Music is by Cascades

Dancing 10 pm – 12.30 am

St Joseph’s Bookshop
Open Saturdays 10.30 am - 4 pm
Wide variety of Books, Holy Ornaments, Medals, Rosaries & Cards available.

What is Shopmobility Omagh?

Shopmobility Omagh is a registered charity and offers free daily hire of electrically powered scooters and wheelchairs to people with limited ability to help them get around. Limited ability could be as a result of a broken limb, a hip replacement, shortness of breath, Heart problems, stroke, pregnancy or sports injury.

We are based in the Community House on Drumragh Avenue and we currently have 8 scooters (6 of which can be dismantled and carried in the boot of a car) 2 motorised wheelchairs (1 left & 1 Right hand drive) and manual wheelchairs.

Membership and daily hire is free.

A small fee applies to short and long term hire.

The scooters are serviced regularly and are fully charged.