Coffee morning will take place  Friday 10th February after 10am Mass in the Chapter room.
This is part of an age friendly initiative being carried out as part of Ennis Gardai’s committee policing along with Transition Year Students from Colaiste Muire. Information will be given about free amenities and services.
All Welcome!

Mass in the extraordinary form (the Tridentine or ‘Latin’ rite)
In St Joseph’s Church
Sunday 5th February at 5.30pm
Mass will be enriched by beautiful Gregorian Chant led by the Schola Petra fertile (the choir of the fertile rock) from Corofin.

 All welcome.

The same Christ today works through us to bring the divine touch to the ailments of the us, His people. He knows the demons that afflict us - our bad habits, weaknesses, vices, compulsions, fears and worries.

Paul’s life too is a wonderful example of how God works through us. “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel!” he says to the Corinthians.
He has no option but to preach; it is a compulsion, an obligation. Preaching when he is discouraged, praying when everything is going wrong and it is the last thing he wants to do, witnessing to the faith when his own faith needs bolstering, and continuing on in faith knowing the importance of what he does.

Are there times when you are unable to experience the love of God? We move at a hectic pace. The cares of life overtake us. Like Jesus we need to practice prayerful solitude.

How do we make time for ourselves?
How do we set aside time for prayer and reflection.

Prayer was an essential part of His service. It was a refuge from the enthusiasm of the crowds. It was the secret to His great power.

If we want to be in touch with God, then we need to take the time to withdraw from the world to pray. Like Jesus we need time to recharge our batteries, to be alone, to be renewed.

Presentation of the Lord Thursday February 2nd or Candlemas Day.
Candles (for church and home use) will be blessed at all the Masses. There has been a great tradition of people donating candles for church use. Suitable candles Boramix Beeswax size 7″ x 1½ & Boramix ordinary candles size 9″. Candles can be left at the Parish Office or Sacristy & will be blessed on Thursday. Traditionally, this was the last day of the Christmas Season.

Our Lady offered her Son to God in the Temple. As was the Jewish custom she also offered pigeons, a sign of her purgation. Simeon was happy as he took the child in his arms and thanked God. Anna was also in the Temple and she believed and praised God. Candles are blessed on this day to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world.

The feast of St. Blaise is on February 3rd.

He was a bishop of Sebastea in Armenia. He cured a boy who was choking on a fish bone. He was martyred in 317 during the reign of the Emperor Licinius. Throats are blessed on this day.
Blessing of throats will take place after all Masses on Friday:
Through the intercession of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, may you be freed from all sickness of the throat and from any other illness.

The death has occurred of Paul Dilleen, Shanaway Road, Ennis.
Reposing at his residence on Sunday January 29th, 2012 from 4-7pm.
Removal on Sunday at 7pm to Ennis Cathedral.
Funeral Mass on Monday at 11am
Burial in Drumcliffe.

May he rest in peace.

New Home and new schedule
Beginning Thursday February 2nd we invite you to join us as we pray using the prayer songs of Taizé with reading from scripture and some quiet, reflective time.

Our new venue: The Church of Our Lady, Roslevan, adjacent to Fahy Hall. We will gather on the first Thursday of each month at 7.45pm.

 All welcome to come and join us.

Presentation of Awards on Thursday 8th March
The Old Ground Hotel at 8pmCongratulations to this year’s recipients:
Donal Griffin, Lahinch Road.
Katie Drennan, Claureen.
Patrick Murphy, Circular Road.
Carmel O’Grady, Childers Road.
Joe Martin, Tulla Road.

Special Merit Award: Canon Pat Taaffe.

Welcome to all.
All parishioners are invited to attend.

That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work.
She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she thought again about the verse, “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.” She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver were left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?” He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy…when I see my image in it.”

 If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Also, over Christmas we had a welcome visit from students from Boston College/University to Ecuador again all supported and looked after by the Volunteers of Rostro de Cristo.

Well, it’s great to be back again too in Africa. The rains get worse now in Ecuador so it’s not a bad time to be away! Also our school is closed. Our parish is well taken care of by all involved daily. There are many things on my mind here.

I took some ‘time out’ from the site this morning to try and catch up on some emails!

I am in awe where i sit as i am in the computer room of the school/training centre we built here in 2010 for Fr. Martin Keane.

It is just a dream come through. The way the school buildings are being cared for and numbers of students increasing (70 at present) is so good to see. The Principal, Robert Opemi is from the parish and is doing a wonderful job and registering the School with the State to receive diploma status. This is a success story born in Ireland. Similarly, this years project here is the building of a School and Residential Home for Children who are visually impaired. As witnessed by the 200 volunteers here in 2010 the buildings were in appalling conditions.

I thank God today and for all the giving of monies from so many people back home.

After fundraising, over the last two years or so, raising 3,000 euros each given generously from different fundraising events and contributions right across Ireland. The Volunteers come from Clare, Tipperary, Monaghan, Galway, Carlow, Kilkenny, Dublin, Louth, Cork, Limerick, Laois, Wicklow, Donegal, Cavan, Leitrim, Mayo, Kildare, Longford, Waterford, Sligo, Meath, Tyrone, Port Elizabeth, South Africa and Blois, France. I personally await tomorrow volunteers Gerry O’Rourke, Michael McGeeney and Tristan Horan from Terryglass my home-place in the great County Tipp! County Flags fly along side the site. Blocks are now up to roof level with some of the trusses up.

The welcome we received when we arrived here was emotional and uplifting. To witness small and not so small visually impaired children wait in the hot African Sun brought it’s share of heart versus head questioning of life. But, hope abounds here because of people willingly to think beyond and give generously to others who are in deep need.

We rise at 4.40am, breakfast, bus and on site for 6am as dawn breaks and work begins.

As this building goes up so rapidly we think of the generosity of so many who make things like this happen. It could not be done without the money. Every volunteer who fund raised and all the generous givers are making a huge difference in the lives of the children here who are visually impaired and many abandoned. I am seeing here again as i have seen so often at home in Ireland and now also see in Ecuador when people work as a team, looking outwardly in positive hope so much can happen.

The intense heat, change of food and poverty are testing factors for us all. I can honestly say i find it some what easier this time round as i live in a similar climate in Ecuador.

As I listen and laugh with each volunteer they tell me they are getting more out of it than they are giving. I believe that is true volunteering as many are so aware of at home daily, weekly and yearly giving time and talents to communities who need people pulling together to build up the community. Gandi said: ‘be the change you want to see in the world’. Care, Education, Hope and Support sum up for me what this project is about.

I look forward again in keeping you updated as time goes by.

Blessings, prayers and remembrance in our masses here for all your loyal dedicated support and generosity to me.

Continued Happy New Year,

amistad, amigo, john.

The death has occured of Maureen Lavery, 7 John Paul Avenue.
Reposing at her home on Sunday from 4pm to 8pm.
Removal on Monday to Ennis Cathedral for Funeral Mass @ 12noon.
Burial in Drumcliffe.
May she Rest in Peace

Monthly gathering in St. Joseph’s Church on Sunday 29th January @ 6.30pm with the Ennis Gospel Choir.
All Welcome

Each Tuesday evening @ 7pm in Christ the King Church, Cloughleigh a group of mothers meet to pray.
This meeting is simply a group of women meeting to Pray for all our children. We invite all mothers to join us for Prayer @ 7pm on Tuesday 24th January and we will have Mass @ 8pm.
All are welcome!

Transition Year stundents at Colaiste Muire are offering free grave tidying for Drumcliffe Cementery. This service is available to families who are unable to keep their loved ones grave tidy due to ill health, infirmity or age.
If you are interested in this service please contact the Parish Office 065 6824043

Beimid ag ceiliúradh Lá Fhéile Bríde (Muire na nGael) ar 1 Feabhra, agus Lá Fhéile Muire na gCoinnle ar 2 Feabhra. D’ofráil an Mhaighdean Mhuire a Mac do Dhia sa Teampall agus d’ofráil sí colúir mar chomhartha a saorghlanta. Bhí an deasghnáth seo riachtanach de réir dlí na nGiúdach. Ba mhór an t-áthas a bhí ar Shíomón agus é ag tógáil an linbh Íosa ina bhaclainn. Ghabh sé buíochas le Dia. Bhí Anna sa Teampall freisin agus chreid sí sa Tiarna ag tabhairt moladh Dó. Beannaítear coinnle ar an lá seo ag cur i gcuimhne dúinn gurb é Íosa solas an domhain.
Tá Lá Fhéile Naomh Blaisius ar 3 Feabhra. Easpag ab ea é Naomh Blaisius ar Shebaste san Arménia. D’fhulaing sé splíontaíocht agus dícheannadh é sa bhliain 317 le linn an Impire Licinius. Leigheas sé gasúr a bhí i mbaol an bháis ag cnámh éisc a chuaigh i bhfostú ina scornach. Beannaítear scornacha ar an lá seo.

We celebrate St. Bridget’s Day, Wednesday, February 1st. Brigid is seen as a model of equality. She was one of the founders and pioneers of monastic life in Ireland. She is a potent symbol of womanhood, showing us in so many ways, the feminine face of God.  
 St. Brigid is most often depicted with a cow. The legend says she had a famous cow that could provide an endless supply of milk for all visitors and for the poor.
To honour the spirit of this legend-to make the word flesh-the Liscannor community make thousands of Brigid’s Crosses and offer them at €3 a cross to raise funds to provide cows for African families.
Every 300 crosses buys one cow and the spirit of Brigid and her generosity lives.
If you would like to participate in this gift project, crosses are available in Church after Mass, at the entrance to the Cathedral, St. Joseph’s & the Friary or at the Parish Office this coming week.
May the blessing of Brigid be on us.

It is surprising that we easily distort the image of the church, by seeing it as a place for good people, a fellowship of the devout! Such a fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. The effect is that many Christians are horrified to find a real sinner among the righteous. Hence the shock if priest or bishop are publicly shown to be sinners. But the real shock would be to find a sinless church leader!

The true response to brokenness is, to accept the fact that we are ‘only human’, always incomplete, and imperfect, this side of the Blessed Vision. We reach with sympathy to those who show amiable human weakness: “Why should not frailty be frail?” (St. Francis de Sales).

At the heart of the faith is the good news that New Life comes out of the ultimate brokenness of death. This suggests that experiences of brokenness can become stepping stones to union with God, building blocks of transfigured humanity. Bad spiritual experiences have been described as the ‘recruiting ground of Christian hope’. This is the wisdom of the good use of bad experiences: it involves two movements:

First, a frank acknowledgement of the evil done, allowing it to open our eyes to the truth ‘I am a sinner’. God stoops down to the lowly of heart.
Immediately borrow from the Lord the grace we need.
His Spirit, life, prayer, love and strength are ours for the borrowing.

The death has occurred of Bridget Coote, 4 Cloughleigh Road, Ennis.
Reposing at Daly’s Funeral Home on Saturday 14th from 6pm to 8pm.
Removal at 8pm to Ennis Cathedral.
Funeral Mass on Sunday 15th at 1.30pm.
Burial in Drumcliffe Cemetery.
May she find Eternal Rest.