Newsletter Saturday 12 to 18 September 2020

 

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Your prayers are requested for the soul of David Dunphy recently deceased and for Joan Mulcahy whose anniversary occurs about this time. 

 

MAY THEIR SOULS AND THE SOULS OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED THROUGH THE MERCY OF GOD REST IN PEACE. AMEN.

Mass Times and Intentions

Saturday 12

10 am

Special Intention

4.30 pm

Intentions of Parishioners

6 pm

Anthony Buckley – Recently Deceased

Very Rev. Michael O’Donoghue - Anniversary

Sunday 13

9.00 am

Intentions of Celebrant

10.30 am

Also

Deceased members of the Perry Family

Paddy Keogh – Recently Deceased

12 noon

Also

Also

May Kearns – Months Mind

James + Eileen Fitzgerald – Anniversary

Carmel Cush – 1st Anniversary

Monday 14

10 am

Donor’s Intention

Special Intention

Tuesday 15

10 am

Tess Flynn – Recently Deceased

Holy Souls

 

Wednesday 16

10 am

Very Rev. Michael O’Donoghue - Anniversary

Thursday 17

10 am

Noel Poynton - Recently Deceased

Fay Mandt - Recently Deceased

Des Howe - Recently Deceased

Friday 18 10 am Guillermo Saruda - 1st Anniversary

 

Kindly note that once the list of intentions for the coming week as above has been posted to the Newsletter page on the Parish website (www.holyfamilyparish.ie) and printed off for the Priests’ use during the Masses, additions/adjustments to that week’s list cannot be easily and conveniently made after 11.30 a.m. Thursday of the week.

 

The September collection for the ST VINCENT DE PAUL will take place this weekend 12th and 13th September.  Please give as generously as you can.

 

LETTER OF ARCHBISHOP DIARMUID MARTIN IN SUPPORT OF THE

CROSSCARE APPEAL

TO BE READ AT ALL MASSES ON SEPTEMBER 19th and 20th 2020

My Dear People,

This weekend the Annual Collection to support the work of Crosscare takes place and replaces the Share Collection at all Masses.  Now more than ever before Crosscare need our help to sustain their critical services to people in need. This current pandemic has put enormous pressure on the agency as it strives to reconcile increasing demands on services with cuts in funding across the board. Crosscare are determined to continue to offer the care and support we know them for and thousands of young people, families and service users need them to continue. 

Crosscare is the social support agency of the Archdiocese of Dublin and sets out to ease the harsh burden that so many feel.  This year of 2020 has been extraordinary and I am very proud of the way the staff and volunteers in Crosscare have responded to the challenges. Quickly, in March, Crosscare adjusted to the Covid threat. To ensure that all of their vulnerable clients and services users remained safe services were adjusted and a new 100 bed cocooning service for particularly vulnerable homeless people was established.

 Where services could not be adapted to allow face to face contact they moved to telephone and on line support. New initiatives particularly in the area of food support were provided for thousands of families who were unable to cope in the initial stages of the pandemic. Where services had to close, staff were quickly redeployed to support the front line residential and food supports that were under enormous pressure.

What needs to be done is being done without hesitation. However, Crosscare like many other charities are now finding it difficult to sustain their efforts due to shortfalls in funding.

Crosscare needs our help now more than ever before. Please give as generously as you can in the collection today by donating at the back of the church, taking away one of the free post envelopes and posting a contribution or by giving on line at www.crosscare.ie

Yours sincerely

+ Diarmuid Martin,

Archbishop of Dublin.

 

UPDATED CORONAVIRUS PASTORAL ADVICE FOR PRIESTS AND PARISHES

 

10 September 2020

 

            I have received a number of queries concerning comments of the Acting Chief Medical Officer about gatherings in households after Baptism and First Holy Communion liturgies. The comments of the CMO were clearly about celebrations in households and did not refer to religious ceremonies themselves. 

 

            Indeed I have been receiving many positive comments on the manner in which First Holy Communion liturgies are being celebrated in small groups, with full respect for the social distancing and face covering norms.  Many have found these intimate celebrations – often with the participation of just both parents - more prayerful and reflective than the traditional larger school-class based ceremonies. 

 

            Where these norms are being respected and where the religious ceremony is carried out safely with thoughtfulness and dignity, I see no reason - as some have suggested - that such liturgies should be cancelled. However we have to be careful that our liturgies do not – despite our efforts – become the occasion of irresponsible behaviour by families when they return home.  If such irresponsible behaviour were to continue, the public health authorities would rightly become concerned. 

 

            This is something that should be stressed at eventual registration for First Holy Communions and at possible practices for the ceremony.  The current increase in infections in the greater Dublin area requires scrupulous adherence to the restrictions on household gatherings. 

 

            Similarly the special norms regarding the numbers who may attend regular religious services (50 people or “pods” of 50 people) are conditional on ensuring that there be staggered entry and exiting from Churches to prevent large gatherings after a religious ceremony.  If Churches were to become the focus of large gatherings, this could easily lead to restrictions being introduced.

 

            I am aware of the challenge this places on priests who despite asking people not to gather, find that their advice is at times not being respected.   It is not the task of priests to have to police such situations. However, we have to strongly remind people that the restrictions in place are not arbitrary or optional.  It is a question of Christian responsibility and solidarity in the common task of limiting the spread of the virus.

 

 

+Diarmuid Martin

Thursday 10 September 2020

LEGAL NOTICE:

 

CORONAVIRUS ADVICE TO PARISHES

8 SEPTEMBER 2020

 

          The Acting Chief Medical Officer has drawn attention to the worrying increase in people contracting the Coronavirus in the greater Dublin area.  He addressed an urgent appeal for strict observance of all the hygiene measures that are needed at this moment.

 

            It is important that our parishes and Churches give good example and that we remind people of our common responsibility to prevent the spreading of the virus.

 

            In my experience parishes have been scrupulous in respecting the current norms.  Stewarding has been correct without being offensively martial.  Numbers attending have not been great but there has been a slow increase as people begin to overcome initial fears. First communions and confirmations have taken place in small groups and I have heard many positive comments on the prayerful atmosphere of these celebrations.   

 

            There are indications however that social distancing in some cases has become loose, especially before and after liturgical ceremonies.  I know that the public health authorities have contacted several bishops concerned about breaches of social distancing.

 

            I have seen some examples in our Dublin Churches and indeed some parishes have published photos on parish websites that indicate poor practice. I would ask all parishes to examine carefully how they can foster staggered exiting from Churches and prevent gatherings at Church entrances.  

 

            In addition, I would remind parishes that the norms which permit gatherings of up to 50 people or “pods” of 50 people in Church buildings applies to religious services alone.  For any other gatherings such as meetings or concerts, the limit is 6 people. 

 

            For the moment the framework document of the Irish Bishops, requires strict limitation on concelebration.  In such cases, concelebrants should receive from separate vessels.  Concelebrants must receive under both species and it is not permitted for concelebrants to receive under one species alone. 

 

            There is a growing awareness internationally that “visors” provide less protection than face masks.  While the current public health norms permit the use of “visors” where there are health reasons for not wearing face masks prudence is advised. 

 

            Should a participant at liturgies and especially a priest, deacon or parish worker contract the virus, they should inform the public health authorities and facilitate tracing measures and follow public health advice regarding deep cleaning of the Church building where this is required.

 

            Once again I am happy that for the most part Churches are exemplary in their respect for the norms.  The growing number of cases in the greater Dublin area would urge us to be particularly vigilant at this moment.

 

            For your convenience, I reproduce below the general liturgical advice from the Irish Bishops Framework document.

 

A return to public worship, even gradually, will be a source of great joy and hope to our parish communities. Public health considerations will, however, require some practical adjustments to the way we celebrate our liturgies. These should not in any way compromise the integrity of the liturgy and every effort should be made to support active participation and prayerful and joyful celebration.

 

The following should be noted:

 

The dispensation from the Sunday and Holy Day obligation is extended for the time being.

 

Careful consideration should be given to the number of priests and other liturgical ministers that can be safely accommodated in the sanctuary, allowing for physical distancing and ease of movement.

 

The sanctuary area should be arranged in such a way that those exercising a liturgical role can do so while respecting the required physical distance.

 

Concelebration should be limited, and concelebrants should receive Communion under both kinds using separate chalices or by intinction.

 

Deacons should continue to proclaim the Gospel and give the Homily, but caution should be exercised regarding ministering at the altar for the time being.

 

Parishes are recommended to have designated places for Readers and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.

 

In the interests of physical distancing, parishes may wish, for the time being, to limit music ministry to a single cantor and a single instrumentalist.

 

Altar servers should assist only when all physical distancing/hygiene considerations have been taken into account, and with careful supervision.

 

Regarding processions, the simple Entrance and Recessional format is recommended at this time.

 

Rather than an Offertory Procession, the gifts of bread and wine should be brought by the celebrant from a credence table, placed near the altar, which will also hold the water bowl and finger towel.

 

Care should be taken to avoid the contamination of the hosts which are to be consecrated. It is recommended liturgical practice to consecrate at each Mass a sufficient number of hosts for that celebration only.

 

At this time, the optional exchange of the Sign of Peace can be omitted, or offered in a manner which avoids any physical contact.

 

The procession for people approaching for Holy Communion should be carefully planned. Stewards may assist if required.

 

For the time being, it is recommended that Communion should not be given under both kinds, and should be received in the hand.

 

Priests and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should visibly sanitise their hands both before and after the distribution of Communion.

 

Priests and ministers should wear a face-covering while distributing Communion.

 

It is advisable to provide a small table at each point of distribution with a bottle of sanitiser. This would enable the priest/minister to re-sanitise their hands if necessary during the distribution of Communion.

 

Care should be taken to thoroughly clean all vessels and to change purificators and finger towels after each Mass.

 

+Diarmuid Martin

8 September 2020