will take place after 12 noon Mass in the Church of The Immaculate Conception, Rathass, on Sunday June 23rd and will process via Haig’s Terrace and Killerisk to Manor Village. There will be no 10am Mass in the Church of The Immaculate Conception on that day.

Volunteers are needed for the guard of honour for the Blessed Sacrament. Please give your name and contact details to the Parish Centre. Practice for the guard of honour and stewards will be held on Wednesday, May 19th, at 7pm in The Church of The Immaculate Conception.

 SacredHeart

Nine Days of Prayer & Novena in Honour of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Thursday 20th June—Friday 28th June (inclusive).

* Novena Prayers and reflection at 6.10pm Mass each evening.

* Service of Reconciliation with Confessions (no Mass) on Sunday, June 23rd at 6.10pm.

* Blessing of Sacred Heart images and consecration of homes on Friday 28th June during the 6.10pm Mass.

All Welcome.

Please pray for our young people who are doing exams at this time.

Lord, pour out your Spirit of Wisdom on me. Help me to remain clam, to attend carefully to the questions asked, to think clearly, to remember accurately and to express myself well.
Grant that I may reflect on the best of the work that I have done and the best of the teaching that I have received.
Accept my best efforts in these exams and the great test of life on earth. May your love be upon me O Lord, as I place all my trust in you. Amen.

Next year, 2020, will mark the 150th anniversary of the dedication of St. John’s Church. A meeting will be held in the Parish Centre on Wednesday June 26th at 7.30pm to get ideas on how to mark this special occasion. All welcome.

will be celebrated on Wednesday June 19th at 10am in St. John’s Church.

will be celebrated on Wednesday July 10th at 7.30pm. There will be no 6.10pm Mass in St. John’s Church that evening. It would be appreciated if families attend to their own graves prior to the Mass. All welcome.

Saturday Vigil Mass in Curraheen will be at 8pm for the months of June, July and August, beginning on Saturday June 1st.

Communities organising an Area Mass for their neighbourhood are asked to contact their local priest through the Parish Centre ( 066 7122522) to make the necessary arrangements. The following Area Masses have already been scheduled:
Ashgrove: Friday June 28th at 7pm.
Knockmoyle: Monday 1st July, 7.30pm.
Ballinorig Estate & Close: Monday 1st July, 7.30pm
Racecourse Lawn: Monday 1st July, 7.30pm
Ballybeggan: at Poll an Aifreann, Monday 8th July at 7.30pm.
O’Rahilly’s Villas: Friday July 12th at 7.30pm.
Fountain Court: Wednesday July 24th at 7pm.

In the changes to tax relief on donations to charities effective from 01/01/2013, St. John’s Parish can successfully benefit from a tax rebate on contributions of €250 or more per annum. For instance, for the year 2017, the parish received a total of €38,457 from the scheme. The Parish Finance Committee wish to thank all parishioners who continuously and so generously contribute to the parish. Thanks also to all those who participate in the tax rebate scheme and have kindly returned the tax rebate scheme certificate for 2018. A gentle reminder to anyone who may have over-looked doing so. If you are not already participating in the scheme and think you might be eligible, please contact Catherine Dwyer at the Parish Centre for further details.

Stained Glass Windows in

St. John’s Church

John Griffin

Stained glass is often referred to as the poor man’s Bible as it was used from the Early Middle Ages to illustrate scriptural stories and the lives of the saints to largely uneducated congregations. Interestingly, at least sixty-five fragments of glass, including some painted medieval pieces, were found during the excavations in Ardfert Cathedral in the 1990s.   In more recent times, stained glass is viewed as a spectacular art form to enlighten, inspire, console and instruct those who look upon them. 

The Lord is a master craftsman. He has moulded a beautiful world full of mountains and seas and all that they contain. He has filled the world with his beloved sons and daughters who are custodians of his benevolent creation. He has handed over a world full of colour, beauty, and sacredness so that we can enjoy all it has to offer. Such a generous gift demands that in return we act justly and with tenderness of heart and spirit to each other and to the world......   Margaret Theresa Naughton.