This Sunday’s Mass will be offered for:

Fr. Michael V. Daly (MM)

Baby Rory Ryan

Next Sunday’s Sunday, 2^nd May Mass will be offered for:

Gerry Brodigan (MM)

Gerard Mackin

Sonny (Richard) Whyte

A Mass for Fr. Michael Daly will also be broadcast live from Navan Parish.  This Mass will be livestreamed at 10 am on Sunday, 25^th on www.navanparish.ie livestream.

RIP

Your prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Andrew Whelan, Gormanston and Philomena (Phil) McEntee, Julianstown whose funerals took place in the parish this week and Sonny (Richard ) Whyte, brother of James (Scupps) Whyte who died in Redditch, England.  We remember the bereaved in our prayers.

Baptisms

Please contact the Parish Office by e-mail if you wish to have your child Baptised  You can contact us at: secretary@sjparish.ie.

Taoisieach Micheál Martin wrote to the Catholic Bishops this week concerning the re-opening of places of Public Worship:

All along in the management of the response to the Pandemic, Government has been motivated by the need to protect life and health. We clearly recognize the value of and right to public worship. I fully appreciate the difficulties people of faith face when they are unable to attend religious services or have the numbers at funerals and wedding restricted. We will review the re-commencement of public worship along with other sectors from 4^th May.

From this Monday, 26^th April the numbers of those who can attend funerals will increase from 10 to 25. I recognize the importance of faith and communal worship in peoples’ lives. I commend the vital role that faith leaders have played in supporting people and giving hope at this time of stress and worry – reaching out to those who feel isolated and marginalized. When places of worship last re-opened, you had very comprehensive measures in place to ensure the health and safety of your communities and I commend you for this. These measures will be as important as ever as we move to the next phase.

As we look forward to the gradual re-opening of society when the prevailing public health conditions allow, I wish you and your communities a safe return to worship.

Consecration to St. Joseph

O Dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to thy honor and give myself to thee, that thou mayest always be my father, my protector, and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life. After thine example, may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary! And do thou, O Blessed St. Joseph, pray for me that I may share in the peace and joy of thy holy death.

Creating a May Altar in your home:

Many people create a small May Altar in their home during the month of May. May is the Marian month when Catholics give special praise to Mary, gifted to us as our heavenly mother. May is also the first month of summer, so altars are adorned with flowers and items of devotion such as rosary beads, crucifix, candle or bible to express our love and honour to Mary in our home.  During May we invite families to pray a decade of the Rosary or Angelus together.

Vocations Sunday is celebrated this Sunday.

It is a special day of prayer and financial support for those studying for the Priesthood and Religious Life for our diocese in our country and throughout the world:

Please use Vocations Sunday Envelope in box of yearly envelopes or an ordinary envelope with Vocations Sunday written on it. These can be placed in the shrine collection box in Stamullen or the Post box at the gate of the Parish House.

Pope Francis, in his letter for Vocations Sunday focuses on St. Joseph and the dream of a vocation. Pope Francis says Saint Joseph is an extraordinary figure, yet at the same time one “so close to our own human experience”. He did not do astonishing things, he had no unique charisms, nor did he appear special in the eyes of those who met him. He was not famous or even note – worthy. The Gospels do not report even a single word of his. Still, through his ordinary life, he accomplished something extraordinary in the eyes of God. God looks on the heart and in Saint Joseph he recognized the heart of a father, able to give and generate life in the midst of daily routines.

Vocations have this same goal: to beget and renew lives every day We pray today for Vocations to priesthood and religious life.

Prayer for Vocations:

God our Father, send workers into your harvest. May the Spirit we received in baptism touch the hearts of many to offer themselves in priesthood, religious life and other forms of service. Give the parents and families of our diocese the wisdom and courage to support young people in searching for and following the call of God in their lives. Amen

Good Shepherd Sunday

The Lord who knows us by name, who gave himself in love for each one of us, also calls us by name. He calls us in our uniqueness with our very particular temperament, our unique identity, the background that is specific to each one of us. No one of us is like anyone else. From the time of our baptism, we are each called to be the Lord’s disciples, to follow the good Shepherd. However, the particular way in which the Lord works through us is unique to each one of us. I can do something for the Lord that only I can do.

Each one of us has a unique contribution to make to the work of the Lord in the world and in the life of the church. That contribution is just as vital as anyone else’s contribution. Each one of us is vitally important to the Lord. The first reading talks about the stone that was rejected by the builders becoming the keystone of the building. There is a clear reference there to Jesus himself, the rejected one. We can all feel at times like the rejected stone, for whatever reason. Yet, we are never rejected in the Lord’s eyes. He continues to call us in the way that is unique to us. He sees us as the keystone for some aspect of his work. He recognizes the potential for good that is within us all.

On this Vocations Sunday, we commit ourselves anew to hearing and responding to the call of the Good Shepherd.

Thanks

Thanks to all who have dropped donations, Offerings and weekly envelopes to the church or Parochial House and by standing order and/or bank Transfer.  Thank you also to those who have donated through the parish website.

Envelopes

Thank you to all who continue to drop weekly envelopes to the church/parochial house.  Your support is very much appreciated.

• Cheques: If you prefer to send cheques – please make them payable to Stamullen Julianstown Parish.
• If you wish to contribute to the church by bank transfer, you can e-mail your request to the parish at secretary@sjparish.ie and we will contact you.
• Parishioners can also donate through the parish website sjparish.ie and click the give button in the red box.
• We would like to advise Parishioners, that should they wish to place envelopes in the Post box at the Parish House, please be assured this box is monitored and overlooked by a security camera so it is very safe.

We are grateful to all who support our Parish especially in these difficult times when there is no Offertory Collection at Mass.

St. Patricks GFHC Lotto

Jackpot. €10,000.  No Jackpot Winner. Drawn on:  20^th April 2021.  Numbers Drawn:  1,15,21,25.  Lucky Dip Numbers:    15,21,25.  Lucky Dip Winners: (1) €100 – Catherine & Erskine Ryan.  Thank you to all our loyal supporters. Next Week’s Jackpot: €10,000.

Parish Office

The parish office remains closed.  You can contact Fr. Declan on 01-8412647.

Parishioners are also invited to e-mail requests or queries to the Parish Office:  secretary@sjparish.ie.  (We are checking e-mails regularly and will respond as quickly as possible, but please allow at least a week for replies).