Happy New Year ~ 30th December 2023

Published on December 29, 2023

Happy New Year

We had a wonderful celebration of Christmas in our parish and throughout our Family of Parishes this year.  We had huge attendances at all Christmas Masses in St. Michael’s.  There was a sense, this year, that attendances continue to return to normal after the pandemic.  Please God, this will continue to be the situation as we prepare for the coming year with the formation of a new parish council and other initiatives to grow and develop our parish.

Christmas is a huge collaborative effort in our parish.  We are deeply grateful to all who give their time voluntarily to do so much for the parish in so many different ways.  You make our parish welcoming, prayerful and attractive for everyone.  To all our volunteers, we say thank you and may God bless you and your families for your generosity and in your parish ministries.

It has been lovely to see so many people and families come to the church in recent days to kneel and pray in front of our crib.  It is always special to see children visiting with parents or grandparents.  This is how we shape faith memories for the children and we hope that they all have a time of rest over Christmas and the new year.

May God bless you and your family for 2024 and the words of the first reading on 1st January, the Feast of Mary the Mother of God and World Day of Prayer for Peace be special for you and your family:

‘May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.

Fr. Michael

Saturday 6th January, Feast of the Epiphany

Mass @ 9.30am

Ballinlough, Blackrock, Blackrock Road, Mahon Family of Parishes

Representatives from the Office of Mission and Ministry in the Diocese will speak at all Masses across the four parishes during February.  In preparation for this we will pray at all Masses during January asking God’s blessing so that parish councils will be formed in a spirit of prayer and discernment to specifically serve the prayer and faith lives of the parishes.

This will not be rushed and will be a more synodal way of discernment, prayer and eventually parish council formation.