29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mission Sunday

World Mission Sunday reminds us of our role
as disciples of Jesus.

The missionary command of today’s Gospel to ‘go and tell’ involves all the baptized. Our faith is strengthened when it is shared with others. There are different callings in the Church but all Christians are called to give personal witness. Words and witness of life go together. There is the special vocation of the missionary in a foreign land who goes and tells the Good News to people hearing it for the first time. Missionaries stay and serve the people entrusted to them in good times and in bad. During the recent painful times in Kenya and Liberia, it was the missionaries who were the ‘unsung heroes’, often at risk to their own lives. Missionaries need the primary support of prayer. Many missionaries will tell you of special strength received from an unknown source in times of civil war, illness or natural calamity. People can support missionaries by offering their suffering of mind or body. St Therese of Lisieux offered every painful step to assist some missionary in difficulty. Missionaries, especially those from the Young Churches, need financial support. The first official collection for the Propagation of the Faith, took place in Ireland in 1838 and for 170 years people have continued to be generous, this collection will be taken up next week. . Every penny collected is sent to a missionary Church, not yet self sufficient. The gift enables the formation of native priests, sisters, brothers and lay catechists. Some of these will be missionaries themselves. The money is also used for pastoral centres and the formation of lay leaders; the building of simple mission churches and health clinics for children; emergency aid in times of natural disasters or civil war; assisting missionaries serving refugees; and for pastoral and education support. People are hungry for God not just bread and freedom. As the Pope notes ‘when we bring people only knowledge, technical competency and tools, we bring them too little.’

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Daily Readings

You can access the daily readings on the parish website:

Bishop Noel Treanor this week made his first diocesan clerical changes. As part of these changes Fr.Devlin has been appointed as a curate in Downpatrick. I would like to pay tribute to Fr. Devlin for all his work in the parish over the last 8 years. He will be greatly missed by many in the parish. I pray God’s blessing on him for his new appointment. Owing to the scarcity of priests there is to be no replacement for him.

Parish Pilgrimage to Knock

May I on behalf of myself, and fellow pilgrims take this opportunity to thank Fr Devlin for his attendance and spiritual guidance during our recent pilgrimage to Knock also the celebration of Mass in the Apparition Chapel which we very much appreciated, a great inspirational and peaceful weekend was enjoyed by all.

Pat Rooney

St Oliver Plunkett/St Matthew’s Ecumenical Group

The Ecumenical Group will meet on
Sunday 19th October at 11am
at the Presbytery for the
Harvest Thanksgiving service in St Matthew’s Church.
All welcome

St Genevieve’s High School

St Genevieve’s High School presents its school show
Grease
Performances will take place on Monday 20th and Wednesday 22nd October at 7.30pm.
Tickets on sale at school reception price £5.

Mass Times From September

Diocesan Liturgical Seminar

The Annual Diocesan Liturgy Seminar, entitles ‘St Paul: His Teaching on the Eucharist and The Sacraments’ will be held on Saturday 25th October from 10.30am-4.30pm in St Anne’s Parish Centre, Finaghy, Belfast. It will be conducted by Mgr Paul Watson (Director, Maryvale Institute, Birmingham). Cost £5. Lunch may be purchased on the premises or you can bring a packed lunch along.