Masses for Feast of Immaculate Conception

Masses will be celebrated for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary as follows: Monday 7th December 7.30pm (Vigil); Tuesday 8th December 10.00am, 11.00am 7.30pm

Churchgate Collection for Flood Relief - 5/6 December

The parish will hold a churchgate collection for the Irish Red Cross to give relief to people who have been badly affected by floods in Ireland in recent weeks. This will take place after Masses on Saturday 5th / Sunday 6th December.

Johnstown Girl Guides

Johnstown Girl Guides are currently looking for new members! We are an exciting youth group aged between 10 and 15yrs who meet every Monday evening in the Johnstown Pastoral centre from 7.30pm to 9.00pm.If you are looking for a fun way to fill your Monday evenings doing everything from arts and crafts, quizzes, dancing, drama, team building games, outdoor pursuits, cinema, bowling trips and ice-skating please come along. It's a great way to make new friends and to start the school week. We also go on weekend trips, we've been to Belfast, Cork and Glendalough recently and we've been on camping trips to Larch Hill. The more members we have the more places we'll go so please come along and sign up. If you would like to become a Girl Guide please call to the Johnstown Pastoral Centre any Monday evening at 7.30p.m. where the Leaders will be delighted to welcome you and answer all your questions.

School Fair - December 5th

Our School’s Annual Christmas Fair takes place on Saturday December 5th from 1.30 -5p.m. Lots of fun for everyone. Thank you in advance for your Support

Book Club December and January Dates

The Book Club will meet on Thursday 3rd December 2009 and Thursday 7th January 2010 at 8pm in Johnstown Pastoral Centre. Currently,we are reading 'Why Go To Church' by Timothy Radcliffe OP. All welcome.

Advent Reflection Mornings

A series of Advent Reflection Mornings will be held in Johnstown Pastoral Centre from 11.00am - 12.30pm on Thursdays 3rd, 10th and 17th of December. The mornings will be presented by Cenacle Sisters Jo Bagnall and Helen Grealy. The aim of these sessions is to help us appreciate the richness of the advent liturgical season and prepare well for Christmas.

Palestine Experiences Talk

The Justice & Peace Group Invite you to attend an open meeting in Johnstown Pastoral Centre on Wednesday December 2nd at 7.30p.m. Mr. Joe O’Brien, Human Rights Observer, with the Quaker Peace and Social Witness programme will speak about his experiences in Palestine. All are welcome.

Morning Prayer for Advent on Weekdays

Morning Prayer for Advent will be celebrated in the church during Advent from Monday to Friday at 9.45, except when there is a funeral at 10am.

Commitment Ceremony for 6th Class Girls

Good Luck to the 6th Class girls of Our Lady of Good Counsel G.N.S., who will celebrate their Commitment Ceremony on Sunday 29th November at 12.45pm Mass. This is the first step towards the Sacrament of Confirmation, which these girls will receive on Friday 5th March 2010.

Coffee Morning for Sumatra

Erna O'Connell has written to thank parishioners for your support of the coffee morning which she and her Indonesian friends held a number of weeks ago. Erna and her friends raised €2,200, which has been donated to Concern's Sumatra Fund as a response to the earthquake in that region. Well done Erna and friends, the money raised will make a big difference to the people of Sumatra.

Fun Day Proceeds Presented to Fr. Frank Taylor

At the 11.30 Mass on Sunday 15th November a cheque for €4.500 was presented by Paddy Barry, Chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council, to Fr Frank Taylor, a missionary priest based in Malawi. Fr Taylor, a member of the St. Patrick’s Missionary Society (the Kiltegan Fathers) had been home on leave here in the parish staying with members of his family. While here he had celebrated Mass in our Church on weekdays and on Sundays. During this time parishioners came to appreciate his strong Christian commitment and personal spiritual gifts. His love of and compassion for the impoverished people of Malawi was apparent from the way in which he spoke of their situation and of his work among them. Thank You to all who participated in any way to our Parish Fun Day earlier this year.

Do This In Memory Mass November Nov 21/22

The next Masses in the 'Do This In Memory' series will be celebrated on Saturday 21st November at 7.00pm and Sunday 22nd November at 10.00am. The 'Do This In Memory' programme helps children and their families prepare for First Penance and First Holy Communion. This month, the children are asked to bring with them an autumn leaf to remember those who have died, and of course, their Do This In Memory Candle

Girls Enrolment for First Holy Communion

The girls from 2nd Class in Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS will enrol for First Penance and First Holy Communion at the 10 o'clock Mass on Sunday 15th November. Best wishes to them as they formally mark the beginning to their preparation for these two sacraments. As usual, this will be a Family Mass. Primary School children from 2nd Class up are specially invited to take part in the Family Mass. The practice is at 6.30 every Friday in the church.

Enrolment for First Holy Communion

The boys from 2nd Class in Our Lady of Good Counsel BNS will enrol for First Penance and First Holy Communion at the 10 o'clock Mass on Sunday 8th November. Best wishes to them as they formally mark the beginning to their preparation for these two sacraments. As usual, this will be a Family Mass. Primary School children from 2nd Class up are specially invited to take part in the Family Mass. The practice is at 6.30 every Friday in the church.

Annual Mass for Deceased Parishioners

The annual Mass for deceased parishioners will be celebrated in the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel on Friday 6th November at 7.30pm. This Mass will be offered for all whose Funeral Masses were celebrated in our parish church since last November, and they will all be remembered by name. This Mass is organised with the assistance of the Bethany Bereavement Team.

Book Club Meeting - Thursday 5th November 8.00pm

The next meeting of the Book Club with Fr. Aidan Kieran will be on Thursday 5th November at 8.00pm in Johnstown Pastoral Centre. At this meeting, we will discuss pages 16-96 of ' Why Go To Church' by Timothy Radcliffe OP. All welcome, even if you haven't read all those pages!

John Murray to speak on Papal Encyclical

At this month's meeting of the Justice and Peace Group, Wednesday 4th November at 7.30pm in Johnstown Pastoral Centre, John Murray will give a talk on 'Charity in Truth' (Caritas in Veritate), the latest encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI. The encyclical deals with economic issues, so this talk will be very relevant to all the important issues at play in Ireland at this time. All welcome. John Murray lectures in Moral Theology at Mater Dei Institute, and is a member of Johnstown Family Mass Group

October Divine Mercy Meeting

The Divine Mercy Group will meet on Wednesday 14th October from 7.30 - 8.15pm in Johnstown Pastoral Centre. All welcome. Further information about the devotion of Divine Mercy can be found at: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/index.htm

Coffee Morning for Sumatra

Erna O'Connell and Indonesian Friends will host a coffee morning on Sunday 11th October from 11am - 1.30pm. The venue will be 11 Churchview Park. All proceeds will go to Concern's Sumatra Fund. All welcome

Rev. Ian Poulton on Rwanda and Burundi

On Wednesday 7th October at 7.30pm in Johnstown Pastoral Centre, Rev. Ian Poulton will speak about his recent visit to Rwanda and Burundi. This has been organised by the Justice and Peace Group.

Rosary Weds. 7th October 3 - 4pm

The Rosary will be recited in Our Lady of Good Counsel Church on Wednesday 7th October from 3 - 4pm to mark the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The special intention will be all who have suffered in Indonesia and all who are sick at this time.

Helping Children With Painful Transitions

A Rainbows programme will begin in our parish in November, to assist children who have experienced a death, separation, divorce or other painful transition in their family. The programme is open to children aged 9 - 11 years. the aim of the programme is to give children an understanding of their new family unit and to assist them in the building of self-esteem; and to direct them towards a healthy acceptance of the changes that have taken place in their lives. It will run under the supervision of adults who have undertaken training. Rainbows is a peer to peer support group. The adults will ot counsel the children, the children come to new insights through art, music and other activities. This module of Rainbows will begin on Thursday 6th November from 6.30 - 7.30pm. Further details from the Parish Office or Sacristy.

An Invitation from the Bethany Bereavement Team

The Bethany Bereavement Team will hold their monthly meeting on Friday 2nd October at 8.00pm in the Pastoral Centre. If you have experienced a bereavement, whether recent or in the past, you are welcome to attend. There is an opportunity to attend a group meeting or a one-to-one meeting with a member of the team, you can decide which would be more helpful for you at this time. The meeting is a drop-in meeting, there is no need to make an appointment. The Bethany Team looks forward to welcoming you.

Open Day in St.Joseph of Cluny Secondary School

There will be an open day in St.Jospeh of Cluny Secondary School, Avondale Road on Thursday 1st October. The opening ceremony will be at 1.15pm.

Parish Book Club

Fr. Aidan Kieran will begin a book club on Thursday 1st October at 8.00pm in Johnstown Pastoral Centre. The club will meet once a month. The assignment will be to read a few chapters of a specified book before the next monthly meeting. The group will discuss these chapters at the next meeting. Then we will read the next few chapters and so on. The pace will be manageable. All welcome.

Johnstown Youth Club Returns

Johnstown Youth Club returns to action this weekend. The Youth Club is open to 1st, 2nd and 3rd Year students and meets in Johnstown Pastoral Centre on Saturday 26th September from 7.00 - 10.00pm.

Do This In Memory 2009-10

The Do This In Memory programme, preparing children for 1st Holy Communion begins again this weekend. Children who will receive their 1st Holy Communion in May 2010 can come to Mass on Saturday 26th September at 7.00pm or Sunday 27th September at 10.00am. Do This In Memory is always very popular with the children and their parents. Good luck everyone, have a great year!

Good Luck to our Gospel Choir

Good luck to Johnstown Gospel Choir who this weekend, are "on tour" in Co. Wexford. On Saturday evening at 6pm, they are singing at Mass in St.Brigid's Church, Rosslare Strand. On Sunday, they are singing at 12.30pm Mass in St. Aidan's Cathedral, Enniscorthy. Rosslare and Enniscorthy are in for a treat!

If you Received a Charity Tax Form

If you received a charity tax form, please sign it and return it to the parish office. It costs you nothing extra and it can really help the parish. If you return the form,the parish can claim a tax refund from the Revenue Commissioners at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your co-operation.

Rosary - Thursday 16th July

Rosary for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Thursday 16th July from 3 - 4pm in the church. All welcome

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Monday 13th July, 6.30-7.30pm.

Mass 7.30pm,

Benediction after Mass.

11th July - Feast of St. Benedict

Saturday 11th July, Feast of St.Benedict, patron saint of Europe. We pray for the future of Europe and for a wise decison in the October referendum