Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sat 18^th                  7:00 pm Achonry Cemetery Knock Novena

Sun 19^th                 10:00 am              Patrick & Eleanor O’Brien (A) Novena

                                                        11:30 am              Courtabbey Cemetery Knock Novena

Mon 20^th               St Bernard (abbot & doctor of the Church)

9:00 am          Private Intention (M)

Tues 21^st               St Pius X (pope)

10:00 am        Private Intention (M) Knock Novena

WMoF                   8:00 pm                 Celebration in Cathedral

Wed 22^nd               The Queenship of Mary

10:00 am        Private Intention (A) Knock Novena

Thurs 23^rd            St Rose of Lima, St Eugene (bishop)

10:00 am        Private Intention (M)

Fri 24^th                  St Bartholomew (apostle)

12:00 pm        Owen McGuinness (M)

Sat 25^th St Louis of France, St Joseph Calasanz (priest)

10:00 am        Private Intention (M)

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sat 25^th                  8:00 pm                 Liam & Stephen Doddy (A)

                                                9:00 pm                 People of the Parish (M)

Sun 26^th                 10:00 am              No Mass – Papal Visit to Knock (A)

                                                11:30 am              No Mass – Papal Visit to Knock (M)

Readers of the Word

Saturday 25^th 8pm Anthony Benson (A)

Saturday 25^th 9pm Mary Henry (M)

Sunday 26^th 10am No Mass –Papal Visit (A)

Sunday 26^th 11:30am No Mass – Papal Visit (M)

1^st Reading Jos 24:1-2, 15-18. Psalm Ps 33.

2^nd Reading Eph 5:21-32. Gospel Jn 6:60-69.

Readers of Universal Prayer

Saturday 25^th 9pm Shane Finan (M)

World Meeting of Families; Presentation to the following:

August 25^th 8pm (A) John & Martina Brennan & family

20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time 19^th August: Focus: We grow in wisdom as we grow in our understanding of God. – Our human understanding limits us, & so Scripture & the Church provide teachings that help us to know, love & trust in God. In Jesus, we come to know the Father; & through Jesus, as the Bread of Life, we come to have eternal life.

SYMPATHY: We remember in our prayers at this time: Lesley Johnston, Tullamore, (aged 31, daughter of Gerry Johnston, formerly of Cloonarara).

May the Souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

MASS SERVERS-Teams

Achonry Saturday 8pm 25^th August:  ST DAVNET

Mullinabreena Sunday 9pm 25^th August: ST. BENEDICT

Achonry Sunday 10am 26^th August: Papal Visit

Mullinabreena Sunday 11:30am 26^th August: Papal Visit

Day Trip to Lough Derg on Tuesday 4^th September: Organised by Tubbercurry Active Retirement. You don’t have to be a member of the Active Retirement to go on this trip. Further information from Maura Coleman 9184053.

Due to the WMoF celebration in St Nathy’s Cathedral, on Tuesday 21^st Aug. at 8pm, the Adoration that day in Achonry & Mullinabreena churches is cancelled. You are invited to the Cathedral that evening.

Best of luck to Laoise Gannon in the (100m), Ben Clavin (800m), Barry Clavin (1500m), they are competing in the Community Games National finals in UL this weekend.

Memorial Run: In Memory of the late James Feely, Tubbertelly takes place on Sunday 16^th Sept. at 12;30pm from St Nathy’s Hall Mullinabreena. All tractors, bikes, vintage cars & other means of transport are welcome. Refreshments before & after, with an excellent raffle on return. All proceeds towards a Defibrillator at Nace O’Dowd Park, & the Irish Heart Foundation. Contact Lorraine Feely for details 0876779836

A benefit night for Sr Cait Wims (Peru), in the form of a House Concert, on Fri. 24^th Aug. at Moy River Folk Club (Moy River B&B). The Demolition String Band from USA will provide entertainment (Bluegrass & Country) with support by local singer, Lana Moore. Spaces limited so booking essential; 0872512030. Those interested in donating to the fund can do so even if they do not attend the concert.

The Coleman Traditional Festival, dedicated to the world renowned fiddle player Michael Coleman takes place August 22^nd - 26^th.  All concerts commence at 8.30pm in the Coleman Centre. Sunday Aug 26^th 3 – 5pm visit the Coleman Cottage, Mount Irwin for a music session.

Drummartin Indoor Country Market: (9km from Tubbercurry beside Joe Dan’s Pub). Every Saturday 10.30 to 12.30. Take a trip to Drummartin for perfect presents - eco prints, window stickers with Celtic designs, as well as fabulous food - home baked bread & soup, summer salads & more. Coffee from Bean West.

PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION: We still need your help. If you or some of your family could identify some of the faces, type names, count photos, sort photos into townlands, anything really to help speed up the process....Contact Anne Marie 0876235468.

A clothes bag collection will take place on the weekend of the 26^th & 27^th August.  Proceeds go to Community Centre. The centre will be open on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday morning of the coming week. For further details, you can contact Attracta McIntyre on 086 3058844.

The Cloonacool Card Game continues at 9pm every Monday.

1. To mark the beginning of the World Meeting of Families, every diocese has been asked to host a special celebration in the cathedral on the evening of August 21^st. Our celebration in the Cathedral in Ballaghaderreen will take place at 8 p.m. on August 21^st. It will have as its theme the message of the Servant of God, Fr Patrick Peyton, 'The family that prays together stays together' & 'A world at prayer is a world at peace.' His message seems particularly relevant in the context of the World Meeting of Families & given that he is a native of our diocese & recently declared 'Venerable', a significant step on the path to canonisation, it seems appropriate to centre our diocesan celebration on the message he brought to Rosary Rallies all across the globe. The celebration will involve families from all the parishes in the diocese. Let us make this a memorable moment in our marking the World Meeting of Families.
2. For the Festival of Families in Croke Park on Saturday, August 25^th, every parish in the country is being offered ten tickets (first come first served basis). The Festival of Families, a celebration of family in music & in word, will be attended by Pope Francis who will address those present. It begins at 6.30pm & ends at 8.30pm

Buses for the event will leave the diocese from two points, Ballymote & Charlestown, & bring those attending directly to Croke Park & back again. The buses will need to leave around 11.30am on Sat, August 25^th.

TubbercurryFRC Notes. Parent & Toddler Group; will be back to running weekly in September. The group meet every Monday from 10.30am. All parents/ guardians/ grandparent babies & toddlers are welcome. There are plenty of activities for the little one & the all-important cup of tea for the adults. Inquiries welcome to 0719186926.

Counselling Service; FRC provides an adult bereavement & relationship Counselling service. It is open to the public & you do not need a referral. A fully qualified & accredited therapist is available for appointments. At times a waiting list applies but this is kept as short as possible. If you would like to find out more please contact the centre on 0719186926.

TubbercurryFRC Childcare have limited spaces available in their pre-school & after school services. Funding schemes available for more information contact Martina on 071-9186926.

Medjugorje Pilgrimage: September 27^th Flight from Knock Airport. Contact Tommy Moran immediately to book your place phone 0860815635

NORTH CONNAUGHT COLLEGE OPEN EVENING

North Connaught College Tubbercurry is hosting it’s Open Evening on Monday, 3^rd Sept. from 3-6pm for PLC & VTOS courses commencing in Sept. School leavers & adults are all welcome.  Teachers, Guidance Counsellor, Student Support Tutor & current students will be available to deal with any queries or questions that you may have.  There will be taster sessions in some of the various courses e.g Beauty Therapy, IT/Business, Childcare, Nursing & Healthcare. Further details on our website www.northconnaughtcollege.net or on Facebook www.facebook.com/northconnaughtcollege or call (071) 9185035.

Cast of Thousands to lead Global Celebration of Families in Croke Park!

The Festival of Families will be one of the highlights of WMOF2018 & is choreographed as a celebration of family life. It will include national & international performers, hundreds of musicians, dancers, choirs & flag-bearers & features community-based groups & artists. Pope Francis will deliver an address to the families in the stadium & will hear five family testimonies, shared by families from Ireland, Canada, India, Iraq & Africa. The selection of themes & artists featured in the event reflect many of the priorities in the ministry of Pope Francis including homelessness & those on the margins; migrants & refugees; care for our common home & the importance of the family.

Youth 2000 Summer Festival: Cistercian College, Roscrea Thurs 16^th to Sun 20^th Aug 2018. For young people aged 16-35, an opportunity not to be missed to experience the Catholic faith & meet many new people, with over 1000 young people from all corners of Ireland attending last year. The festival is donation only. Free buses travelling from all around Ireland. For more info see www.youth2000.ie

Second Look - OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENT

Dear Pro-Life Supporter,

We are sending out this email to show how skewed and fatuous the Government's "research" on the 8th Amendment was and how disgracefully false the Government's and the Together for YES campaign was.  Suspicions of crooked manipulation of votes are not without credibility. The Referendum will have removed the 8th Amendment and empowered the Government to legislate for abortion but does not compel it to do so.  Every future effort to introduce abortion must be faced robustly.

The Government's moves to brainwash the Irish people to accept abortion.

Our Government decided on a referendum to repeal Article 40.3.3 which protects the lives of unborn children just as the lives of all others are protected.  The abortion rates of Irish residents declined by 52% over the past 16 years. It is one of the lowest abortion rates in the world, as is Northern Ireland's.  Respect for unborn life is equally valued in both parts of Ireland.

Ironically one great threat to unborn life in both parts of Ireland is Sinn Fein.  Indeed, many of our supporters have said that if they lived in Northern Ireland, they would vote for the DUP, as the only viable Christian party in the whole island, guided by Christian principles.

Why the sudden clamour for legal baby-killing in the Republic?

Prior to the General Election in 2011, both Enda Kenny and Miceal Martin pledged to defend the right to life of the unborn child and to legislate to protect human embryos outside the womb.  The same promise was made then by Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris. Then Fine Gael formed a coalition with abortion-loving Labour and the 2013 abortion legislation resulted. There was no respect shown by Fine Gael for the consciences of Oireachtas Members and gifted people like Lucinda Creighton and the late Peter Matthews who were expelled from the party.

At the 2016 General Election, Fine Gael/Labour seats declined by 50% and Labour's by a staggering 81%.  Promoting abortion was not an electoral asset!

We now have people as Ministers and Junior Ministers in Government of a quality that beggars belief.  The cry for abortion became louder and much foreign money poured in from foreign billionaires, driven by Malthusian zeal for reducing world population by abortion.

Ironically, the present and last two Ministers for Children campaigned for abortion. The Taoiseach's office (Enda Kenny's) set up the Citizens Assembly- an insult to the intelligence of the Irish people.  But there was not one squeak of outrage from RTE, the Irish Times et cetera.  99 people were chosen, allegedly by random sample, and then charged to take account of those who could not take off weekends to go to Malahide for months on end.  To ensure that the 99 reached the right conclusions, they were divided into groups of 6 with a paid note-taker and facilitator at each table to "guide" them. To complete their education, there was an expert panel that chose "suitable" speakers. Two panel members are well known campaigners.

Those 99 people were fair game for brain-washing and they came up with recommendations that merited rejection. To give an air of respectability to the whole pantomime, a judge was appointed as Chairperson.  The "findings" of the Assembly were then promulgated as if they had come from elected representatives or even from a Court.

The Assembly's Report then went to a largely self-selected Oireachtas Committee of 21 about two or three of whom respected the unborns' right to life and the Pantomime continued.  The whole scenario is somewhat like the Nazi era which began in the 1930s with the extermination of the sick and disabled. Later, they worked up to Jews, Gypsies, Poles and Slavs. Nazi-like movements are rising again in many parts of Europe including Ireland.

It is a tricky, cruel, brutal and inhuman road that is planned.  It is a total reversal of democracy and real human rights.

Background to the actual referendum campaigners for YES

The Together for YES campaign was the official Government campaign which Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris fought alongside.  This again was controlled by the Council for the Status of Women, a totally Government funded operation and probably now funded more than normal from public funds.  Unknown to most citizens, the homosexual organisation GLEN was comfortably funded from the HSE since Mary Harney was Minister of Health in 2006. During Leo Varadkar's Ministry in 2015, while the "gay marriage" referendum was in progress, GLEN received extra funds from two different sections of HSE!  GLEN went bankrupt after 2015 and there appears to have been many abuses.

The Together for YES campaign issued constant falsehoods and misleading statements. Some voters thought they were campaigning for better healthcare and less crowded A&Es.  They stated emphatically that Savita Halapanaver would be alive today if she had had an abortion. This was a deliberate lie. Four investigative committees – the Coroner's court, hospital doctors' committee, HSE and HIQUA committees saw no connection between her death and the 8th Amendment, Both Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris, both of whom knew the truth of the matter, backed that story all the way.  If the Taoiseach and the Minister of Health, come out with such blatant untruths, how could anyone accept their word on anything.

The Together for YES in a nationwide leaflet said that 70% of Irish women who have abortions are married. In truth, it seldom exceeded 19%.and the Campaign's publication proudly sported two pro-abortion obstetricians who had been roundly condemned by a number of past chairmen of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for spreading misleading and false comments.

Aftermath of the Referendum

The scene in Dublin Castle Yard on May 26th as the count concluded showed a jubilant concourse with the prospect of the massive slaughter of the unborn on Irish soil. Highly predictable people were there including Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris.

Other Matters

The Taoiseach then proceeded up to Northern Ireland to address a meeting of Sinn Fein in a Catholic institution chaired by Gerry Adams. From there he called upon Northern Ireland to legalise abortion, much to the disgust of the Catholic institution & the DUP.

The Republic is over 80% Christian, & since 2011, the Government has adopted a very hostile and insolent attitude to religion. This may be a consequence of its constant promotion of all things relating to LGBT.  If a Taoiseach or a Minister is homosexual, bi-sexual or lesbian, that should be their own private and personal business. But while prancing abroad, representing the Republic, it is the worst of bad taste to attend numerous "gay Pride" marches. It was recently revealed that the Government plans to promote LGBT activities though all Government Departments.  According to US and UK statistics, active homosexuals total no more than 1.5% of the adult population for all cases. There is a very dark side to it too – AIDS, HIV, suicides, high rates of STDs and homosexual rape, chronicled by the CSO, the Gardai and the Rape Crisis Centres. This is a matter of grave concern.

The threats by both Leo Varadkar & Simon Harris to deny freedom of conscience on abortion to doctors & nurses & to try to force Catholic Hospitals to do abortions is despotic and Fascist & cannot be tolerated.

Some journalists recently claimed on very tenuous grounds that some of the founders of our State were homosexual.  What is certain is that there were a number of homosexuals in the Nazi Party & Hitler's brownshirts. That is a matter of historical record also

Mr.Varadkar said recently that he was inspired by Mr. John A. Costello. In our Republic's short history we have had Taoisigh of integrity, character & good judgement including Eamon de Valera, John A Costello, Liam Cosgrave et cetera. They would not be inspired by Mr. Varadkar's activities & knowingly false statements.

Thanks and Admiration to those opposing the Government's murderous plans

Thanks to every organisation and individual who opposed those plans – all the Christian churches, the pro-life bodies and a number of Oireachtas, Members, including, Mattie McGrath, Peadar Toibin, Carol Nolan, Sean Barrett, Peter Fitzpatrick, Sean Haughey, Michael Harty, Danny and Michael Healy Rea, Eamon O’Cuiv, Michael McGrath, Bobby Aylward and a large number of Fianna Fail, who rejected the Party attitude to abortion accepted by the Fianna Fail leadership.

Things to Remember for  the Future

If the Referendum result is judged valid, despite the lies of the Together for YES Campaign (and Messers Varadkar's and Harris's endorsement of those lies) and the grave suspicions about vote-counting etc, one fact remains.  The vote simply removes the 8^th Amendment and allows the Government to legislate on abortion.

It does not compel it to do so to any particular degree or at all.

Killing any human being is a very serious matter.  Of all human beings the baby is totally innocent of any wrong-doing, no matter how conceived or handicapped.

The battle is far from over.

It is time we discarded political correctness and regained freedom of speech. We cannot allow the murder of our children, serious insults to churches and the undermining of religious freedom and the right to have our children educated in conformity with their religion without our Government's interventions designed to undermine their morality and cause confusion.

WHAT WE ARE FACING IS A MASSACRE OF INNOCENT HUMAN LIVES, THE PERSECUTION OF RELIGION and THE EROSION OF REAL DEMOCRACY.

Yours faithfully

John O'Reilly

Secretary