A Very Warm Welcome to the Parish of Magheralin

St. Patrick's & St. Ronan's,                         St. Colman's Kilwarlin,
Belfast Road Magheralin                             Bottier Road Moira.

Updated:  4th December 2021.  (Please note, to view current content you may have to refresh your browser).

To contact the parish office please e-mail on - magheralinparish@dromorediocese.org
or telephone 02892 617435. Attended Office Hours 10.30 am - 1.00 pm on Wednesdays.

CHANGES TO MASS TIMES.
Forthcoming Changes to Weekend Mass Times starting on Saturday 4th December..
Please Note the change of Weekend Mass Times from this Weekend
Saturday 4th December 2021- Vigil Mass 6.00pm in Saints Patrick & Ronan Church Magheralin.
Sunday 5th December 2021 - Morning Mass at 11.00am in Saints Patrick & Ronan Church Magheralin..
Sunday 5th Dec 2021 - Morning Mass at 9.30 am in Saint Colman's Church Kilwarlin.
See revised Mass times on bulletin and Mass Times pages

A Pastoral Message from Archbishop Eamon Martin and the Synodal Core Group for the Diocese Of Dromore

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
On Sunday in Rome (October10th 2021) the Holy Father, Pope Francis, invited Catholics all over the world to come with him "on a journey" as a "Synodal Church".   The word synod means "walking together".   It indicates a way of being together as Church and "discerning" how best to spread the Gospel amidst the challenges of life in the 21St century.

On Pentecost Day the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, giving them the guidance and courage they needed to go out and spread the Good News about Jesus Christ to all the nations of the world. Like those in the early Christian Church, we pray together today, asking the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us to discern what God wants of the Church in our time.

We encourage you to join us as we respond to Pope Francis' call and set out on a synodal journey in the Diocese of Dromore.  We want to involve as many people as possible so that we can harvest the ideas and wisdom of all the baptised and listen to the `sense of the faith' that is alive in the People of God.  Our challenge is to discern together what the Holy Spirit is telling us at this critical juncture in our history.

The theme which Pope Francis has chosen for the synodal process 2021-­2023 is: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission.   As Catholics we are spread across the world in many different communities, large and small, but God unites us all as one.  To develop greater "communion" is not to expect everyone to be the same, but to overcome divisions and to walk forward together,  sharing a common path.    Even within our own diocese,  stretching  from Lurgan to Warrenpoint, there is  a wide variety of parishes,  movements,  and communities. Hopefully,  the  forthcoming  synodal  process  will  bring  us  closer  together  and  help  us  to recognise that we are united by our common baptism ­as members of the Body of Christ.

The life of the Church will be much richer and more dynamic if all baptised Catholics can find ways to answer God's call and bring a variety of gifts to the service of all.  Although the faith has  been  handed  on  for  centuries  in  Ireland,  we  live  today  in  a very  challenging  secular environment, where, sadly, many people do not know the joy of encountering, believing in, and following, Jesus Christ.  Some have lost their sense of being part of the Church and others, for various reasons, may feel they no longer wish to be involved.  It is therefore important that this synodal process will be an inclusive one where we listen to others who have many different perspectives.  No one is excluded.  All are invited and welcome to participate.

We pray that, as we walk together on this "synodal journey", we will find a greater sense of our shared mission to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ in faith, hope and love.  How much the world today needs  to encounter Christ and to understand how his  Word gives  `a reason for living', `a reason for hoping' !  You, the lay women and men of our diocese, have a vital  role  to  play  in  this.    Sometimes  the  work of spreading  the  Gospel  and  building  the Kingdom of God is left to ordained priests and deacons, or to those who are consecrated as religious.   You, however, have a special mission in witnessing to the Gospel.   As baptised members of the Church, as disciples of Jesus, you are called to act in the midst of humanity to bring the Kingdom of God to life in every facet of society.

Here in the Diocese of Dromore over the next few months, we will be joining the worldwide synodal consultation, seeking to understand how well we are "journeying together", and how we might, in our parishes and diocese, "journey better together".  We will soon be inviting your responses to a number of questions.  You can choose to answer these as individuals, as families, as members of your parish community or any other group.  We hope to gather your responses via questionnaires,  online and  "in person"  group  discussion,  and a  variety of social media platforms.  This initial phase will lead to further opportunities for you to participate at diocesan and national level.

All the replies will be collated and sent in response to Pope Francis' invitation to the universal Church.  As he said himself last week in Rome: "Let us listen to one another", and "Whenever we enter into dialogue, we allow ourselves to be challenged, to advance on the journey".

This is therefore an opportunity for us to listen to the Holy Spirit and discern what God wants from the Church around the world, in Ireland and in the Diocese of Dromore. Please God, it will lead us to renewal and to new life in the years ahead.

Thank you, in anticipation of your support.  Let us journey together! With blessings to you all.
Archbishop Eamon Martin,
with members of the Synodal Core Group for the Diocese of Dromore.

Update on the concept of A Synodal Church - Issued 18th November 2021.
Dromore Diocese Synodal Core Group - Orientation Meetings.
Further to the Archbishop's letter of the 10th November on the Synodal Pathway, the Diocesan Core Group have been meeting on a weekly basis and now want to hold three Orientation Evenings.

Monday 29th November 2021 at 7:15pm via Zoom.
Tuesday 30th November 2021 at 7:15pm Banbridge Parish Centre.
Thursday 2nd December 2021 at 7:15pm via Zoom.

The Purpose of the Diocesan Group Orientation Meetings
"The purpose of the Synod ... is to plant dreams ... allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds ... learn from one another." - Pope Francis.

To meet the purpose of the Synod as expressed by Pope Francis; we as the Diocese of Dromore want to ensure by the end of 2021 the people of the Diocese will have seen or heard about the Synod and will have been provided with the opportunity to avail of a structured way in which to respond to the questions and will feel part of the Synodal Journey. One of the many ways in which to achieve this is through meetings. We are asking you to send 3-4 Parish representatives to one of the above meetings.
The evening will be Orientational in delivery i.e., attendees will be provided with an overview of the Synod Process and a walk through of a facilitated group discussion on the 6 questions. Expectation is that the attendees will go forth within their own communities to harvest information through a number of ways e.g., in-person and online meetings, the distribution of questionnaires, and the use of parish social media sites and websites. 
Please provide assurances to those attending that the Core Group will still be available for support and guidance. The focus will be on The Questions below which Archbishop Eamon included in his letter of the 10th November 2021.

Take a moment to reflect on what kind of journey, in Church and in faith, you've been on so far. You may wish to explore some of the following themes in your answers:
Prayer and the sacraments:
Participation, Inclusion and Dialogue (who are we walking with and who might be feeling left out or ignored?)
The role of lay people, especially young people and women..
Governance and Decision Making in the church:
Our relations with other Christian denominations and people of other faiths.

The Questions.
1. In what ways is the church important to you?
2. How can the church welcome and include everyone?
3. How can people be listened to more effectively and encouraged to participate in decision making within the Church?
4. How can more people be encouraged to participate in the life of the church?
5, In your experience, how has the church motivated you to share the love of Christ and help those in need?
6. How would you like to see the future of the Diocese of Dromore?

Please let us know either through the Parish Office or at dromoreparish@dromorediocese.org by Friday 26th November 2021 if you wish to attend, providing your name, parish and contact details (including email if you are wishing to join a Zoom meeting) and your evening of preference - although as you will appreciate at the present time, numbers for Banbridge will have to be restricted.
We look forward to continuing the Synodal Pathway Journey with you and your parishes.
God Bless.
Patricia Maguire & Mark McDonnell on Behalf of the Dromore Diocesan Synodal Core Group 

Redress Scheme for Victims of Sexual Abuse. 
The Diocese of Dromore has opened a Redress Scheme for survivors and victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the clergy and others acting under the authority of the Diocese. Details of the scheme can be found on the following website: https://www.dromoreredress.org/

Resumption of Public Masses
For those attending the current Covid Restrictions will apply.
As before, please note that due to the restrictions numbers in each church will be limited but during Mass at Magheralin video links to the Prayer Room and our adjacent Parish Hall will enable further people to be accommodated if required.
Parishioners will be guided to appropriate seats by stewards and given advice as required on how to follow the one way system that is in place both for receiving Holy Communion and leaving the church at the end of Mass.
Face Coverings.
Archbishop Eamon Martin (along with the other Christian church leaders all over this island) has formally recommended and encouraged the use of face coverings at all Masses and other liturgical celebrations, together with the on-going maintenance of the 2 metre physical distancing with immediate effect. 

Please remember that you will need to follow the guidelines outlined below during attendance at Mass:-
-Use sanitisers on entry and exit to the church.
-Keep your hands away from your face  and try to touch surfaces within the church as   little  as possible.
-To ensure sufficient social distancing is maintained sit only where directed by the stewards and do not attempt to move seating.
-Follow steward's instructions on when and where to go to receive Holy Communion.
-Please take communion in your hand only.
-Do not attend church if you or someone in your household is unwell or has   Covid-19 symptoms.
Please bear in mind that the Sunday and Holy Day obligation to attend Mass is still suspended, and it is advisable that if you are in any of the designated vulnerable categories, are elderly or infirm or have any concerns in this area you should avoid any large gatherings until further notice.
Thank you for your co-operation and thank you to everyone who volunteered as stewards to facilitate the weekend masses.

Opening of Churches for Private Prayer 
Please note the following update.
Opening times for individual visits and personal prayer:

Private worship from Mon to Sat in both churches: 10:30am-4pm

Private worship on Sundays - St. Patrick & St. Ronan’s Church: 1-4pm

Private worship on Sundays - St. Colman’s Church: 11am-4pm

Weekday Mass Church Radio Broadcasts:

St. Patrick & St. Ronan’s Church Radio Broadcast: Mon & Wed 10am.

St. Colman’s Church Radio Broadcast: Tue & Thu 10am.

Viewing daily & weekend Masses on Webcams.
To find out where and when weekday and weekend Masses can be viewed on webcams please go to the links page and click on the appropriate parish links. The daily & Sunday Masses in Magheralin Parish can be picked up on the parish radio by those with radio access. 

Baptism.
Please note that Baptisms & Weddings can now take place subject to compliance with Covid-19 requirements. Please see contact details on main bulletin page.