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