Fifth Sunday of Easter Print

Fifth Sunday of Eastervine
Gerry Boyle PP  046 9054138

Churches reopen for Masses and services from Monday 10 May.
Thanks to all our efforts and sacrifices, normality is beginning to return.
Deepest appreciation for every sacrifice and effort made. The first Mass in the parish will be at 9am on Monday 10th and we will follow the programme from before.

Weekdays:
Rathkenny    Monday,      9am
                       Wednesday  9am
                       Friday          7.30pm
Grangegeeth Tuesday       7.30pm
Rushwee        Thursday     7.30pm  

Weekends:
Rushwee         Sat Vigil   6.30pm
Rathkenny      Sat Vigil   7.30pm
Grangegeeth   Sunday     10am
Rathkenny      Sunday     11.30am

Sincere thanks to all who helped with cleaning and stewarding last year. Please contact me during the coming week if you can continue (no pressure) and if you are a new volunteer, you would be most welcome.
Meeting of cleaners after Mass (9.20am) Wednesday 12 May.
Meeting of stewards after Mass (8pm) Friday 14 May.

The Month of the Rosary
Pope Francis is encouraging us to say a Rosary each day in May for an end to the pandemic. A Rosary will be said online from a Marian shrine.

Guidelines
Government guidelines for religious services are available at the back of the churches.
They are:
- 2 meters social distancing,
- masks and hand sanitizer,
- separate entrance and exit,
- no meeting up before or after Mass,
- stewards to assist.
Also, 1st Communion and Confirmation are not to take place at this time. Bishop Deenihan has asked us to postpone 1st Communion until September and we have decided to do so. Confirmation will proceed when it is safe to do so.
Thank you for your patience.

I will offer Mass with Fr. Timothy in Lobinstown, this weekend and next, and daily Mass at 10.30am with Mass on RTÉ News Now.

The Readings  - click on pic. above
The readings this week are helpful.
In the first reading it takes Paul a while to be trusted by the disciples. It will take us a while to rebuild families and community.
St. John in the second reading says ‘Our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active’. We’ve seen this in many ways over the past year.
The Gospel talks of the vine and the branches. We’ve had to practice many different ways to stay connected with Jesus, church and community over these last months.

Online Donations
Online donations can now be made to parish and diocesan collections
via the Diocesan website HERE
Thanks to all who have returned envelopes, for parish funds, priest’s offerings and Trócaire, over the past few weeks.

Easter Blessing
May the Lord bless you this Easter time:
Bless you with faith, guard you against doubt
Bless you with hope, uplift you in despair;
Bless you with love,keep you from fear;
Bless you with race, calm you in trouble;
Bless you with mercy, help you to forgive
Bless you with joy, comfort you in sorrow;
So that your heart may rejoice in the Risen Lord