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Sunday
20th July 2008
The 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our Merciful Judge
“Listen, anyone who has
ears.” We live in a world of constant sound
and yet we are not all that good at listening.
Take a few moments as you read this to listen
to the sounds around you. What do you hear? Listen
to the sounds within you. What do you hear? A
lot of the time what we hear is discordant noise
and yet what Jesus wants us to hear is the love
of God that is all around us and within us and
between us. We will hear that sound if we listen
carefully enough with our hearts and minds. Listen
especially to the beautiful sounds of your love
for one another in marriage and/or family life.
It is so easy to get into a pattern of not listening
in these sacred places. Listen also to the goodness
of the people who make up your parish so that
you can become aware of Christ who lives in them.
And listen this week to the needs of the people
around you so that you can respond to those needs
in love.
Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.
Openness

For years, a mother duck led
her new family of ducklings to the same pond.
It was a place of safety and beauty. However,
one year she found it dry and empty. Nothing remained
but dried mud.
Yet she persisted in bringing
her babies down to the pond, where she would walk
about with flapping wings, anxiously quacking
and trying to get her brood to enter.
The ducklings, however, with
their fresh instincts, heard the far-off rippling
of the water in a new dam being built farther
upstream. The little ducklings refused to enter
the dried mudhole. Instead, they left their mother
quacking beside her empty pond and set out to
find new water.
The mother duck had a closed
mind. She could not accept the reality that the
water was gone. She chose not to live in the real
world so she remained in her little world because
it was familiar.
Like the little ducklings, we
must remain open to a new future, open to new
ideas, open to others, open to learning new things--no
matter what our age and experience. To do so is
to maintain a childlike faith in God.
Author unknown
Words of Wisdom

“The greatest happiness
in life is the conviction that we are loved, loved
for ourselves, or rather loved in spite ourselves.”
- Unknown
Week beginning Sunday 20th July
- This Week’s Saints

Monday 21 - St Lawrence of Brindisi,
priest and doctor of the Church.
Tuesday 22 - St Mary Magdalene.
Wednesday 23 - St Bridget of Sweden,
Religious, Patron of Europe.
Thursday 24 - St Declan, bishop.
Also St Charbel Makhluf, priest.
Friday 25 - St James, apostle.
Saturday 26 - Sts Joachim and
Anne, parents of Mary.
Recent Deaths
We sympathise with the family of the following
who died recently:
Mary Hackett - May she rest in
peace.

Mass Intentions
- Sacred Heart Church 7.30 pm
Tue Lawrence Mongan – 1st Anniversary
Wed Jean Sharkey – Month’s
Mind
Fri Martin McCrystal – Month’s
Mind
Baptisms
Aimee Mai Owens, 28 Clanabogan Road
Dáire Patrick Breen, 10 Lambrook Close
Weddings
We congratulate the following couples who were
married here recently:
Siobhan Maguire & Kieran Corry
Keira Magee & Aidan McCallan
Mary McDonagh & Tom McDonagh
May the grace of the sacrament
remain with them throughout their lives.

Holy Communion to the
Sick & Housebound
The Eucharistic Ministers will bring Holy Communion
to the sick and housebound who have requested
it, today Sunday 20th July after 9.45am Mass and
11am mass and after 10am Mass in St Mary’s
Church Drumragh.
Praying
for the Holy Souls
Larry Cummins, author of “Please pray for
us, we need your help”, will talk about
his ministry for the Holy Souls in the Pastoral
Centre, Omagh at 8 pm on Thursday 24th July. Everyone
welcome.
Sacred Heart Guides, Omagh
The few remaining places for September 2008 will
be allocated on a first come, first served basis
in St Mary’s Hall on:
Saturday 19th and 26th July @ 5 – 7 pm
Sunday 20th and Sunday 27th July @ 10 am –
2 pm.
Ladies aged 17+ are urgently required to help
as leaders. Please come along also. Thank you!

Q. Why is it that some people have such
a hatred for the Catholic Church that they can
see nothing good it?
A. Since human beings are part of the
Church we should not expect it to be perfect.
Jesus said: If the world hates you, you must realise
that it hated me before you. Jesus was not only
criticised, he was crucified. The eye is made
for light but light hurts the sick eye: the stomach
is made for food but food upsets the sick stomach:
the soul is made for God but the light of Gods
goodness enrages the sick soul. Criticism reveals
more about the critic that the object of criticism.
Fr Silvester OFlynn OFM Cap,
Courtesy of Intercom Magazine
Email silvesteroflynn@gmail.com

Clonmacnoise Summer
Youth Festival
14th – 17th
August 2008
This is a festival for young people, aged 16 –
35. The weekend will include inspiring talks,
dramas, a concert, prayer, Mass, games and times
of sharing. This year we are very excited to have
it beside the monastic ruins of Clonmacnoise,
particularly because Pope John Paul II requested
“pilgrimages of faith” there after
his visit in 1979. It promises to be a great opportunity
for young people from all around Ireland to explore
their Catholic faith, meet new friends and have
some craic! This is a donation-only retreat. Free
buses are available throughout the country –
just bring a sleeping bag and a pair of wellies!
(Over 18s may like to bring their own tent). For
more information contact 003531-6753690 or log
onto www.youth2000.ie or xx-youth2000-xx.bebo.com.

Knock Summer Youth Festival
Living life to the full? Looking
for something more? Tired of the same? This is
what you’re looking for! Time out for you…
Knock Summer Youth Festival 24th – 27th
July, Our Lady’s Shrine, Knock, Co. Mayo.
18 – 35 years.
For more information and to book your place contact
(094) 9388100 / 087 6927850 or check out www.knock-shrine.ie/youthministry
Knock Trip
The Omagh Unit of the Order of Malta Ambulance
Corps will hold their annual pilgrimage to Knock
on Sunday 31st August 2008. The Order offers specialist
assistance with the sick and disabled travelling
on this pilgrimage. All enquiries to Mary McMenamin
(Nursing Officer) on 07732328834.
N.I. Blood
Transfusion Service

The next blood donation sessions will be held
in Omagh College on the following dates:
Monday 4th August – 1.30
pm – 4 pm & 5.30 pm – 8 pm
Tuesday 5th August - 1.30 pm –
4 pm & 5.30 pm – 8 pm
Wednesday 6th August - 1.30 pm
– 4 pm & 5.30 pm – 8 pm
In order to maintain the vital
supply of blood to our hospitals, the Blood Transfusion
Service need the support, not only of existing
donors, but also of new donors. Please come along
– you could save a life!
Words
of Wisdom
“Happiness is not in our circumstance but
in ourselves. It is not something we see, like
a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness
is something we are.” -- John B. Sheerin

St Joseph’s
Hall
The hall has now closed for the
summer months. All activities are over except
Bingo on Tuesday nights. Details of the resumption
of the various clubs and classes will appear at
the end of the summer.
Parish Draw Winners July
2008

£2,000 Marie McKernan, 8 Ashbourne
Close. Promoter – Louise Kirwan
£1,000 John O’Hagan, 4 Harmony Heights.
Promoter – John O’Hagan
£500 Roma Barry, c/o Promoter. Promoter
– Elizabeth Broderick
£250 Tony Brogan, 2 Ardmore Avenue. Promoter
– Kathleen Brogan
£100 Gemma McGuigan, Old Dromore Road. Promoter
– Kevin Mullan
£100 Cathal Gormley, 129 Clanabogan Road.
Promoter – Elizabeth Broderick
£100 Dympna McKay, 24 Sperrin View. Promoter
– Raymond McNally
£100 John McDonnell, 72 Brookmount Road.
Promoter – Gerry Starrs
£100 Emily O’Neill, 14 Ardmore Heights.
Promoter – Joanne McGread
£100 Naoiscoil na gCrann. Promoter –
Brian McKenna
£100 – Lily McCrory, 7 Fairmount Road.
Promoter – Tommy Sharkey
£100 – Gerry Kirk, 70 Culmore Park.
Promoter – Rose Kirk
£100 – Yvonne Treacy, Ardmore Crescent.
Promoter – Mary McGlone
£100 – Mrs M Early, 33 Gortmore Park.
Promoter – Victor Caldwell
Promoters’ £100 Prize – Joe
Mulryan, 12 Clontarf Drive
Please Note: The next draw will take place on
Tuesday 5th August 2008.
Colmcille Pilgrimages ’
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Includes:
Egypt [the Pyramids]
Greece [Athens and Corinth]
Turkey [Ephesus]
In the footsteps of St. Paul.
Nine days beginning 6th March 2009
What is so special about this pilgrimage?
It will take the form of a cruise between these
different ports.
We have been allocated 30 places which will go
very quickly
Please book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Price £1145
Phone or text Margaret @ 07732468511
Or email:paddyokane@tiscali.co.uk
Omagh Independent Advice
Centre
Omagh Independent Advice Centre offers a free
and confidential advice service to anyone in financial
difficulty on all aspects of debt or any associated
financial problem. If you would like to speak
to someone about your financial difficulties,
please contact Michele in the Advice Centre on
028 82243252.
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