The Baptism of the Lord

Sat 11^th                  6:00 pm                 Mary & James McDonnell (M)

Sun 12^th                 10:00 am              People of the Community (A)

Mon 13^th   St Hilary (bishop & doctor of the Church)

10:00 am                Maud & Jimmy Hamilton (M)

Tues 14^th               10:00 am              Johnny, Liam & dec’d. Feely family (M)

Wed 15^th               St Ita (foster-mother of the saints of Ireland)

10:00 am        Private Intention (A)

Thurs 16^th             St Fursa (abbot & missionary)

10:00 am        Peter & Tess Marren, Dublin (M)

Fri 17^th St Anthony (abbot)

10:00 am        Private Intention (A)

Sat 18^th                  Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 18-25 January

12:00 pm        James & dec’d Feely & Marren families (M)

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sat 18^th                  6:00 pm                 Phil McFadden née Finan, Belra (M)

Sun 19^th                 10:00 am              John P. Davey & dec’d. family (A)

Readers of the Word

Saturdays of January 6pm: Mary Keane (M)

Sundays of January 10am: David / Eoin Kennedy (A)

Readings for 2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

1^st Reading Is 62:1-5. Psalm Ps 95.

2^nd Reading 1 Cor 12:4-11. Gospel Jn 2:1-11.

Ministers of the Eucharist

Saturdays of January 6pm: Johnny Finan (M)

Sundays of January 10am: Monica Henry (A)

JUBILEE YEAR 2025 ‘Pilgrims of Hope’

(Spes non Confundit – Hope Does Not Disappoint)

The Baptism of the Lord 12^th Jan: Focus: God seek out the sinner & loves us unconditionally. – Today’s feast is another “epiphany” – a revelation of who Jesus is. By submitting himself to John’s baptism (a baptism of repentance), Jesus, who is sinless, draws near to sinners & joins himself with them. The voice of the Father saying, You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased consoles us, because we who are joined to Christ in baptism are made beloved children of the Father. These truths reveal God’s goodness & his unconditional love for us.

Priesthood in Achonry Diocese – It is worth saying “yes” to God: For more information contact Achonry Diocesan Vocations Director, Fr Paul Kivlehan 094-9860011, or 087- 3683535, E-mail pkivlehan@achonrydiocese.org

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, January 11/12^th: invitation to families who have had a baby baptised during 2024 to bring the baby to the church for a blessing on that Saturday evening or Sunday.

Sunday February 9^th, at 3pm Bishop Doran will lead a liturgy of blessing in the Cathedral, Ballaghaderreen for all engaged couples & married couples celebrating significant wedding anniversaries. Refreshments in St Nathy’s College, following the liturgy of blessing.

Adoration in Mullinabreena Church 4-7pm on Tuesdays for the month of January.

Study Theology Online, is this for you? The Priory Institute provides online Theology courses to degree level. Attend Saturday lectures in Tallaght or from the comfort of your own home. Register before February 11. Find out more at priotyinstitute.com

THREE HILLS CAFÉ (beside Mullinabreena Church)

To maintain the success of the Three Hills Café we would ask households to commit to supporting at least once every few weeks. Café is open Saturday & Sunday 10am-2pm. Thank you for your continued support.

Book Swap / Sale every Sunday 2-4pm in Carrowmore School.

Camino de Santiago: Have you ever dreamed of walking the Camino de Santiago? Breakthrough Cancer Research are taking on the 'Portuguese Way' from the 13^th - 20^th June 2025. Starting in Baiona, experience camaraderie & reflection as you walk toward Santiago de Compostela, creating lasting memories on this historic pilgrimage. You can enjoy this amazing adventure with our experienced guide & help Make More Survivors. For more information, please contact edel@breakcancer.ie or phone 021 422 66 55.  

25 Drive: In St Nathy’s Hall every Friday at 8:30pm

Irish courses: Junior Cycle Exam Revision 18^th Jan 10am-2pm. Leaving Cert Irish Oral 8^th March 10am-2.30pm. Venue: Banada. Call or text Siobhán on 0876151581 to enquire or book a place. 

JUBILEE YEAR 2025 ‘Pilgrims of Hope’

(Spes non Confundit – Hope Does Not Disappoint)

From the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee Year

"Hope does not disappoint" (Rom 5:5). In the spirit of hope, the Apostle Paul addressed these words of encouragement to the Christian community of Rome. Hope is also the central message of the coming Jubilee that in accordance with an ancient tradition, the Pope proclaims every twenty-Five years. My thoughts turn to all those pilgrims of hope who will travel to Rome in order to experience the Holy Year & to all those others who, though unable to visit the City of the Apostles Peter & Paul, will celebrate it in their local Churches. For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus.

Everyone knows what it is to hope. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope.

Hope is born of love & based on the love springing from the pierced heart of Jesus upon the cross. By his perennial presence in the Life of the pilgrim Church, the Holy Spirit illumines all believers with the light of hope. He keeps that light burning, like an ever-burning lamp, to sustain & invigorate our lives. Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing & no one may ever separate us from God's love.

In addition to finding hope in God's grace, we are also called to discover hope in the signs of the times that the Lord gives us. As the Second Vatican Council observed: "In every age, the Church has the responsibility of reading the signs of the times & interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. In this way, in language adapted to every generation, she can respond to people's persistent questions about the meaning of this present life & of the life to come, & how one is related to the other". We need to recognize the immense goodness present in our world, lest we be tempted to think ourselves overwhelmed by evil & violence.

Through our witness, may hope spread to all those who anxiously seek it. May the way we live our lives say to them in so many words: "Hope in the Lord! Hold firm, take heart & hope in the Lord!" (Ps 27:14). May the power of hope fill our days, as we await with confidence the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise & glory, now & forever.

Living Well is a free HSE programme which helps people living with a long-term health condition to manage their condition & improve their overall wellbeing. Anyone with any chronic illness such as diabetes, arthritis, COPD, cardiac illness, anxiety, etc. can benefit from these workshops. The next programme commences in Ballaghaderreen on Friday 24^th January & is delivered over six weekly workshops (2.5 hrs x 6) by trained leaders. Advance registration is required. To find out more, please contact Liam Gildea on 086 014 2675 or at lgildea@southmayo.com 

Coleman Music Centre: Roscommon's Muileann Gaoithe Céilí Band on Saturday, 18^th January at 8pm. Tickets €20. Call 071 9182599 or book online www.colemanirishmusic.com

Fr Peyton Centre: Re-opening on Thurs 2^nd Jan 2025 at 9.30am. The Knock Centre is re-opening on Saturday 25^th Jan 2025.

Apostolic Work Achonry/Elphin Dioceses, would like to get in touch with any Parish group helping Missionaries from their area, with the possibility of helping that Missionary with our "Easter Chicken Fund". For more information please contact, Mary Lee, 087 135 3780 or Margaret Haughey 087 207 2400.

Cloonacool Drama: Laughter is what we all need, especially when it's comedy from Cloonacool Players. Yes, the group is back in rehearsal & has a great cast of firm favourites preparing to entertain you in John B. Keane's classic comedy 'Moll' - to make you laugh & laugh.  

It will be on stage in Cloonacool on Friday 21, Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 February. 

Jubilee Year 2025

Last May, Pope Francis announced that the theme for the Jubilee 2025 as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ (Spes non Confundit – Hope Does Not Disappoint). This theme of hope encourages each of us to be messengers of hope in our very troubled world. Everyone is invited to participate in this special year of faith.

The Jubilee has its origins in an ancient biblical tradition (Leviticus). Every 50^th year was celebrated as a time for setting slaves free, for forgiving debts, & for allowing the land to rest. In our Christian tradition the Jubilee has a strong focus on reconciliation & renewal, including reaching out to people on the margins. It is normally celebrated every 25 years, so that more people can celebrate it at least once in a lifetime. Already in Ireland, many different groups: clergy, religious various ministries & lay apostolates, are preparing to celebrate specific jubilee occasions throughout 2025 locally & in Rome. 

During the Jubilee year, at national & local level, the Irish Synodal Pathway will also journey with the theme of ‘Hope’ at its many meetings & prayerful discernment gatherings which will lead to a national assembly in 2025. 

On the first day of their Winter meeting in Maynooth, the bishops planned for the Holy Year’s faith-filled & social programme for the Church in Ireland. For Jubilee Year 2025, each diocese in Ireland will nominate a local pilgrimage site, & the bishops have designated the following three as national pilgrimage sites: Our Lady’s Shrine, Knock, Co Mayo. Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo. Saint Patrick’s Purgatory, Lough Derg, Co Donegal

Another focus of hope during the Jubilee Year will be the commemoration & appreciation of the great heritage of saints & martyrs we have in Ireland. In 2025, there will be a special commemoration to mark the birth, in 1625, of Saint Oliver Plunkett 400 years ago, & also to mark the 100^th anniversary of the death of Venerable Matt Talbot. The 2025 Year of Hope also marks the 800^th anniversary of the canonisation of St Laurence O’Toole, one of the patron saints of the Archdiocese of Dublin. An ecumenical diocesan pilgrimage to Eu, Normady, where St Laurence died on 14 November 1180, will be led by Archbishop Farrell along with Archbishop Michael Jackson, Dean Dermot Dunne, Dean of Christ Church, Saint Laurence’s Cathedral Church, & a group of parishioners from Christ Church. The pilgrimage will take place from 10 – 12 May. Reflection on the inspiration, dedication & devotion of these great role models is a help to unpack the treasures of hope.

One of the highlights of the year will be a specific youth pilgrimage to Rome next August, with Pope Francis celebrating Mass.  Individual dioceses are already making concrete plans to attend. At the end of the Jubilees for Teenagers in April, & for Young People in August, there will be a canonisation ceremony for contemporary witnesses to faith, Blessed Carlo Acutis & Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

A characteristic of a Holy Year – a plenary indulgence – has also been declared for specific jubilee pilgrimages. Last May, Pope Francis gave details for the Holy Year as well as conditions for the granting of Plenary Indulgence. Many pilgrimage locations have been designated internationally for pilgrims to avail of the opportunity of the indulgence.

Bishops invite the faithful of all ages to participate in this Holy Year by browsing https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en.html, & to stay informed with the dedicated app IUBILAEUM25. To encourage engagement, Jubilee Year updates are live on CatholicBishops.ie where many events will be featured as they arise. 

“The Family that Prays together stays together”