NEWSLETTER FOR SUNDAY 7 JUNE 2020
SACRED HEART NOVENA Our Sacred Heart Novena begins this Thursday, 11 June, and continues until Friday 19 June, the Feast of the Sacred Heart. We will be saying the Novena Prayer at each of our Masses. The priests will be keeping all your prayers and petitions in mind during all our Masses from 11 – 19 June. We suggest that you write out your petitions once again this year but keep them at home. I know that some of you have set up your own small shrines, even if you didn’t have a little shrine in your home already.
Our Masses will continue as normal, to be said in the presbytery chapel:
- 10.00 am each morning Monday to Saturday
- 7.30 pm Friday evening
- The Sunday Masses will be said as usual at 6.00 pm (Saturday Vigil), 9.30 am and 11.30 am on Sunday
During the Novena we will also be remembering all the petitions that have been written into the Prayer Book, which we normally keep at the back of the church. If you would like something to be written into the Prayer Book during the novena then you can text or phone Fr Hugh on 086 210 2451.
NOVENA PRAYER Jesus, you have said: “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you.”
Relying on these promises, I come in confidence to ask you for the favours I need......(pause)
From whom shall I ask, O Jesus, if not from you, whose heart is an unfailing source of grace and mercy.
Most loving heart of Jesus, I believe in your power, I believe in your wisdom, I believe in your personal love for me. Therefore, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Amen.
CONFESSIONS During our novenas we normally have invited priests who make themselves available for confession. We are going to miss that opportunity this year. Remember that the priests of the parish are available to hear your confession at any time during the day in normal circumstances, and we are still available during the lockdown. Ring the doorbell or phone to make an appointment on the parish number 847 4123. Normally we then find a quiet spot near the house or the church, keeping our social distance.
These days we hear confessions quite often, though it’s often people who come from other parishes.
OUR MASSES LIVE ON FACEBOOK For more than a month now we have been live-streaming the Masses that we say in the house on Facebook (see John Vianney, ‘Dublin’). The word is spreading and many people who have never been on Facebook but who can get online have been able to get people to set up a Facebook button for them. Or if there is someone else watching the Mass online they can copy you in to allow you to watch it as well.
It’s quite easy to set up your own Facebook page to access the Masses. You can just set up a basic page if you want - you don’t have to add any posts of your own, but can just use it to view other Facebook pages. All you basically need is an email address or mobile phone number. Just follow the link on our home page to sign up.
MASS INTENTIONS The priests continue to offer their Masses for the intentions that were already booked in the office diary. We are also adding in your family anniversaries that were down to be said on these days last year. But if you would like us to include any other intentions for the coming weeks or even for dates later in the year ring Fr Hugh on 086 210 2451.
20 JULY This is the date that the Government has said that we might be able to start having Mass in the church again. The Bishops of Ireland are working on a common policy that will be asked of all the parishes in Ireland so that we can assure cleanliness and sanitisation and safe distances.
ARCHDEACON KIERAN HOLAHAN RIP Last week we asked if anyone had any further information on Fr Holahan or had any particular memory of him. Simon Carroll has done some research on him and also shares some of the details that he heard when he watched Fr Ciarán’s funeral online. “Fr Holahan spent his early years living in the grounds of Arás an Uachtaráin, the home of the President of Ireland in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. I presume it was because his father was a civil servant or a member of the defence forces. It was during the war and they were provided with accommodation on site.
He was a twin. His twin, Sean, predeceased him. I would guess that he was sent to Choláiste Mhuire Primary School on Parnell Square. It was an all-Irish school and I gathered that he was a good Irish-speaker. It was a CBS school. The president at that time was Sean T Ó Ceallaigh. When curate in Donnybrook he officiated at the Mass for the well-known Irish writer and playwright Brendan Behan, 1964. Behan was a staunch Irish Republican and was interned in both British and Irish gaols in the 1940s. Fr Holahan said a decade of the rosary in Irish at his funeral in Glasnevin Cemetery.
A large photo of Fr Ciarán was displayed on an inside wall of the church in Foxrock at his funeral Mass in the purple vestments of an archdeacon. His official title was Archdeacon of Dublin (there is only one other archdeacon in the diocese and that is at Glendalough).
One of his best friends is Bishop Jim Moriarty, who was Bishop-in-charge of the Howth Deanery in the ‘90s and visited his parish on many occasions. The bishop was unable to attend the funeral due to the pandemic.
He baptised my daughter Clare in Ardlea in August 1976.
After the funeral a guard of honour was provided by parishioners on Kill Avenue, which leads to Dean’s Grange Cemetery.
In his retirement he did a lot of travel to Europe and further afield, accompanied by his sister.
When he was here in the parish in Ardlea he was in charge of the choir and took a great interest in music.
On the morning of the funeral Archbishop Martin phoned the celebrant to apologise for his non-attendance due to the virus and to offer his sympathy to all Fr Ciarán’s family”.
Breda and Larry also watched the Mass online, which was said by Fr John Bracken, who had been a curate under Fr Holahan and spoke very gratefully of all that the archdeacon had done for him. They remember it being said that Bishop Moriarty had been a school-friend of Fr Kieran.
Fr Ciarán Holahan was a priest in this parish and area from 1970 – 1978. He was born on 3 February 1936, studied at Clonliffe and Maynooth, being ordained on 21 May 1961. As was traditional in those days, as a young priest he was a chaplain to Connolly Hospital, and later St Michael’s Hospital, Dun Laoghaire. He was also chaplain to the Dominican Convent, Blackrock. For his first parish he was sent to Donnybrook as assistant in 1963, but then served as a chaplain to emigrants 1967-1970. When he came to St John Vianney parish he also served at Kilmore Road West before moving to Dalkey 1978 – 1986. He moved to St John’s, Clontarf as administrator, becoming parish priest there in 1990, moving to Foxrock in 1998 from where he retired in 2011. There is a photograph in our jubilee booklet of him with Fr Newth taken in 1972. May he rest in peace and God reward him for all his labours. If anyone has any other memories of Fr Kieran you could let us know on 086 210 2451.
NEWSLETTER FOR SUNDAY 31 MAY 2020
20 JULY This is the date that the Government has said that we might be able to start having Mass in the church again. The Bishops of Ireland are working on a common policy that will be asked of all the parishes in Ireland so that we can assure cleanliness and sanitisation and safe distances.
HOUSE MASSES Meanwhile we continue to say Mass for your intentions in the chapel in the presbytery at our normal times: 10.00 am Monday to Saturday, Sunday vigil 6.00 pm, 9.30 am and 11.30 am. There is also a Mass on the Friday evening at 7.30 pm.
MASS INTENTIONS The priests continue to offer their Masses for the intentions that were already booked in the office diary. We are also adding in your family anniversaries that were down to be said on these days last year. But if you would like us to include any other intentions for the coming weeks or even for dates later in the year ring Fr Hugh on 086 210 2451.
OUR MASSES LIVE ON FACEBOOK For more than a month now we have been live-streaming the Masses that we say in the house on Facebook (see John Vianney, ‘Dublin’). The word is spreading and many people who have never been on Facebook but who can get online have been able to get people to set up a Facebook button for them. Or if there is someone else watching the Mass online they can copy you in to allow you to watch it as well.
SACRED HEART NOVENA Our Sacred Heart Novena begins on Thursday 11 June and continues until Friday 19 June, the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Many of you normally write out your petitions, which are placed in the sanctuary. We suggest that you write out your petitions once again this year but keep them at home with you rather than endangering yourselves by delivering them to the presbytery. The priests will be keeping all your prayers and petitions in mind during all our Masses from 11 – 19 June.
LAUDATO SI Last week Pope Francis announced that from now until this time next year we are encouraged to celebrate a year of Laudato Si. This was an encyclical which he wrote a few years ago asking us to respect creation and to care for our common earth. These days of glorious sunshine hopefully have helped us to be more in touch with creation and has encouraged us to get outdoors whenever possible. Covid-19 has shown us to what extent we are part of nature and dependent on and linked to all God’s creatures. One of the theories of why the virus got a grip in Wuhan was that animals that were being sold for profit were not being cared for properly and were passing on various viruses from species to species.
Although our church remains closed until there are clear guidelines from the Government and the Bishops, we are very fortunate to be surrounded by a beautiful park space. Many of the local people take the opportunity to walk round the garden and others come as a pilgrimage to stand before the closed doors, or walk around imagining the various shrines and windows centring on the tabernacle.
ARCHDEACON KIERAN HOLAHAN A few weeks ago we missed the announcement of the death of Fr Ciarán Holahan, who was a priest in this parish and area from 1970 – 1978. He was born on 3 February 1936, studied at Clonliffe and Maynooth, being ordained on 21 May 1961. As was traditional in those days, as a young priest he was a chaplain to Connolly Hospital, and later St Michael’s Hospital, Dun Laoghaire. He was also chaplain to the Dominican Convent, Blackrock. For his first parish he was sent to Donnybrook as assistant in 1963, but then served as a chaplain to emigrants 1967-1970. When he came to St John Vianney parish he also served at Kilmore Road West before moving to Dalkey 1978 – 1986. He moved to St John’s, Clontarf as administrator, becoming parish priest there in 1990, moving to Foxrock in 1998 from where he retired in 2011. There is a photograph in our jubilee booklet of him with Fr Newth taken in 1972. May he rest in peace and God reward him for all his labours. If anyone has any particular memories of Fr Kieran you could let us know on 086 210 2451 and we can let people know in a future newsletter.
NEWSLETTER FOR SUNDAY 24 MAY 2020
DONATIONS In the past few weeks a number of people have delivered donations through the presbytery letterbox. Mostly these have been donations for the priests, now that you’ve heard that we are having a 25% deduction from our wages. Thank you very much, but possibly more important is that the parish income has likely diminished by 75% in recent weeks. Although I know that people are saving up their B & M envelopes and many are returning the one envelope to cover the previous weeks.
Possibly more in difficulty are the Common Fund and Share. It might be more difficult for these collections to make up what has been lost. Thinking of the Common Fund, which pays the wages of the priests and looks after the retired priests, many of the diocesan priests don’t have the same back-up as we have as a Religious community. When we think of Share it’s possible that some parishes will never be able to recover from the loss of income and they might need to close because the diocese will not have enough to support them.
You’ll have noticed that we have a donate button on the parish website. This is for giving contributions directly to the parish, but note there is also a link to the diocesan page which gives a simple way to allow you to donate to the Common Fund and Share.
TRÓCAIRE APPEAL Every year Trócaire asks for your help during Lent to fund lifesaving programmes around the world. This year, of course, it was not possible to return Trócaire boxes through schools or parishes in the usual way. This is the worst possible timing coming just as the world’s poorest people need us most. Therefore, Trócaire are appealing to you to return your Lenten donation. Simply count or estimate what is in your box and donate in the following ways:
- Online at www.trocaire.org
- By phone: 1850 408 408 (ROI) or 0800 912 1200 (NI)
- By post to Trócaire, Maynooth, Co. Kildare (ROI) or Trócaire, 10 King Street, Belfast, BT1 6AD (NI)
- Envelopes can also be handed in to the presbytery, and the boxes can also be handed in. Ask someone to do that if you are only allowed to go out for a walk and not allowed to be doing business.
The contents of each and every Trócaire box, no matter how small, come together to make a significant difference. This virus knows no borders, but neither does our compassion.
CHURCH RE-OPENING It’s hoped that we should be able to start saying Masses in the church for restricted numbers from 20 July. Last week we were looking seriously at opening the church again for private prayer, but in the end we decided to leave it for a while until further restrictions are lifted from those who are cocooned, in case we would be encouraging people to endanger themselves and others by coming to the church.
3 - 10 MAY 2020
THE MONTH OF MAY Pope Francis has asked that during the month of May the Rosary should be recited in the Church throughout the world in the context of the coronavirus and its effects. The Pope has composed a special prayer for these times.
POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER:
“We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God”.
In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you, Mother of God and our Mother and seek refuge under your protection.
Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy and employment.
Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust.
Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers and volunteers who are on the frontline of this emergency, and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort and grant them strength, generosity and continued health.
Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone.
Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research, that they may find effective solutions to overcome this virus.
Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude and generosity, that they may come to the aid of those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions inspired by farsightedness and solidarity.
Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Beloved Mother, help us realise that we are all members of one great family and to recognise the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.
Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so that life can serenely resume its normal course.
To you, who shine on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope do we entrust ourselves, O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.
CEMETERY MASSES Each year we give the details of the Masses that are said in our local cemeteries in the months of June and July. Archbishop Diarmuid suggests that all these Cemetery Masses should be postponed until later in the summer when circumstances will permit them to be truly family and community celebrations. In the meantime he stresses that it is important that, where possible, people have access to cemeteries to be able to remember and pray for their deceased loved ones.
MASS INTENTIONS If you would like a Mass to be offered for the intentions of yourselves or your family, living and dead, then email hughhanley@btinternet.com You can also ring or leave a message on 01 8474 123/086 210 2451.
ARCHBISHOP MARTIN WRITES: I would encourage parishes to remind people of the importance of observing the current public health norms, no matter how restrictive they may appear. We have great admiration for our public health workers in the front line. We can easily forget that the long term success of their dedication depends on how we scrupulously respect measures to reduce social contact and thus reduce the danger of community infection. Failure to respect these norms is irresponsible and could quickly set back the extraordinary work of our front line workers.
FREE DIGITAL EDITION OF THE SACRED HEART MESSENGER During the coronavirus crisis the Sacred Heart Messenger will be available FREE OF CHARGE until normal delivery can be resumed. If you would like to receive a link to the Messenger for your laptop, tablet or mobile phone, please send an email request to c.henry@messenger.ie
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