Parishes Working Together
Edgeworthstown – Rathowen – Streete

The three Roman Catholic parishes of St. Mary’s serve the adjacent communities of Edgeworthstown, County Longford and Streete and Rathowen, both in County Westmeath. We share a rich historic, cultural and literary tradition, counting Maria Edgeworth, Oliver Goldsmith and Oscar Wilde among those that lived or visited here. To this day there continues a vibrant and talented music, drama and written tradition, most delightfully practiced by our youngest generation.

Na trí paróistí Caitliceacha Rómhánacha Naomh Muire freastal ar na pobail in aice na Meathas Troim, Contae an Longfoirt agus Streete agus Ráth Eoghain, i gContae na hIarmhí. Roinnimid traidisiún stairiúil, cultúrtha agus liteartha saibhir, comhaireamh Maria Edgeworth, Oliver Goldsmith agus Oscar Wilde i measc iad siúd a raibh cónaí nó thug cuairt anseo. Go dtí an lá, tá fós le ceol bríomhar agus cumasach, drámaíocht agus traidisiún scríofa, an chuid is mó iontais chleachtadh ag ár ghlúin is óige.

Throughout the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois neighbouring parishes have been asked to explore ways of co-operating together which could lead to better communication and a better use of personnel and resources in providing the best possible service to our people. With this in mind our parishes of Edgeworthstown, Streete and Rathowen have begun a journey of exploration together.

Le linn an Deoise Ardach agus Chluain Mhic Nóis paróistí comharsanacha iarradh ar bhealaí comhoibriú le chéile a d’fhéadfadh bheith ina chúis le cumarsáid níos fearr agus úsáid níos fearr pearsanra agus acmhainní chun an tseirbhís is fearr is féidir a sholáthar dár ndaoine iniúchadh. Sin san áireamh inár bparóistí de Meathas Troim, Streete agus Ráth Eoghain tá tús curtha turas taiscéalaíochta chéile.

Update 03-11-2019:

PROPOSED CHANGE OF MASS TIMES

“The whole group of believers were united heart and soul”….Acts of the Apostles.

Edgeworthstown Parish Pastoral Council has been considering the Sunday Mass schedule and attendances for the past year or so. While congregations vary in size, it has become evident that frequently, a large number of seats are vacant at our weekend Masses.

There is a very different experience in being part of a gathering that is small in size as opposed to one that has a fulsome congregation.

With a full gathering of the community there is more energy and engagement and it seems that a richer experience of being at prayer together is possible. We have experienced such richness at Masses on Christmas Day, Easter Sunhttps://edgeworthstownparish.ie/wp-admin/upload.phpday and St. Patrick’s Day etc.

The Pastoral Council is mindful of the scarcity and aging profile of the priests of the diocese. There are no students in training for the priesthood for our diocese so there are a lot of changes on the horizon in the next few years. The Diocesan Assembly next Spring is a response to this real challenge.

As announced last Sunday, from January 2020 the Parish Pastoral Council is proposing to merge the 10.00 and 12.00 Sunday Masses into an 11 o’clock ceremony. This should ensure that we have a large attendance at both the Saturday evening and Sunday morning Masses in our parish. Hopefully this will lead to a richer, more vibrant celebration and our Sunday Mass will be a place to meet and greet neighbours and friends and a place for the Massgoing public to feel strength and support in worshipping together in good numbers.

This initiative does ask for some compromise from all. Those who are used to coming to 10.00 will have to come an hour later while those who are used to 12.00 will have to come an hour earlier.

In considering this proposal the Pastoral Council has been liaising with the parishes of Rathowen and Streete to ensure that our Mass times are streamlined so that one priest can celebrate all ceremonies if the need arises and indeed, this may be the pattern in the future.

This new proposal would see a 10.00 Mass in Rathowen Church each Sunday morning. It is always preferable that people would worship in their own community but on occasion, that earlier option would be available just a few miles up the road.

The Parish Pastoral Council has given this change a lot of thought. We hope you will see the merit of this decision and that it will meet with the approval of the community. Once more the ultimate goal of this change is to enrich, enliven and strengthen our Sunday celebration of the Eucharist.

“The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself”. – Catechism of the Catholic Church.

“The celebration of the Eucharist is not a private devotion but rather a communal gathering much like a family meal. We come together at the same time and in the same place so that we can take part in a common action. We then gather around the table of the Lord for our family meal. The actual partaking of the food is referred to as “communion”, a joining together of the members of the community, not only with their God but also with each other. Our celebration closes with a charge to go forth as a community and bring God’s love to the world”. – LOYOLA PRESS

‘Remember In November’ – A Pastoral Letter for November 2020

Bishop Francis Duffy, Bishop of Ardagh & Clonmacnois

November is a time to remember and pray for family members, colleagues, neighbours and friends who have died since this time last year. Those who have gone before us, those who were so much present with us, so central to our lives, have left us with a deep sense of loss. We look for peace, for healing of heartache, and for hope.

This year is particularly difficult for those who have been bereaved since March. Those profound feelings of loss have been heightened by not being able to be present at a time of death and by the absence of the familiar family and community supports.

Familiar Faces
The lockdown and restrictions have impacted on how we say goodbye to our loved ones. Some sadly died without familiar faces around them, some left this life with the caring presence of hospital and nursing home staff, we are grateful to them.

Familiar faces, consoling words and reminiscence are all important in our grieving process. Many have not had the traditional practices that help us: wakes, gatherings at home, reception of remains at the church and a funeral Mass with an unrestricted attendance. These experiences have added to the sense of loss.

Sacraments
We have been without the normal free flowing schedule of Masses and sacraments for over seven months now. Our priests and parishioners have made great efforts to keep our churches open and safe and welcoming, for this we are very thankful. Although we have moved online, and on television, for Mass, it is not the same. In his message for World Mission Day 2020, Pope Francis writes,
‘Being forced to observe social distancing and to stay at home invites us to rediscover that we need social relationships as well as our communal relationship with God.’

We long so much to be back in church, with the support of a gathering, and the meaningful participation of being present with others, an expression of who we are and what we believe in.

Uncertainty for young people and the economy
Our remembrance this November takes place at a time of continuing uncertainty, isolation and economic hardship. We take reassurance from the good practices learned in all areas of life about how to keep ourselves and others safe. Every day we should reassure our young people of our love and support and help them to nurture their God-given gifts.

We take reassurance from the determination of our political leaders to bring us through this pandemic as safely and as socially and economically resilient as possible. We take reassurance from our belief in a caring God who encourages us to make wise decisions for the common good and to look out for each other. Jesus’ call to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ has taken on a new meaning in the current context of caring and of keeping safe.

Hope based in Jesus ensures all will be well
We have the reassurance of the Lord that all will be well and that He will strengthen our ability to lift ourselves and others with resolve and hope during this terrible time. Resolve to do our very best to ensure maximum safety. Hope based in Jesus’ promise to be with us always ‘until the end of time’ (Matt 28: 20). In his extraordinary Urbi et Orbi address of March 2020, Pope Francis said,
‘In the midst of isolation when we are suffering from a lack of tenderness and chances to meet up, and we experience the loss of so many things, let us once again listen to the proclamation that saves us: he is risen and is living by our side’

The risen Lord is with us.

#Remember in November
During the month of November parishes will continue with their remembrance practices in so far as the restrictions allow, November lists, remembrance trees, candles and other local traditions.

On Sunday 1 November at 3.00pm a special Remembrance Service will take place in Saint Mel’s Cathedral, Longford, and will be broadcast by webcam on www.longfordparish.com. I invite you to join us online as we remember, pray for those who have gone before us and for those who mourn. In a similar way on social media I encourage you to use the hastag #RememberInNovember along with your prayerful messages to commemorate the souls of our loved ones. May our departed rest in peace and may the Lord bring consolation to those who grieve.

+Francis Duffy
Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois

Shaping the Future with Hope

~ January ~

• Tuesday 1st January – New Year’s Day (public holiday)
• Sunday 6th January – Epiphany of the Lord

~ February ~

• 17th February – Ash Wednesday

~ March ~

• Wednesday 17th March – St. Patrick’s Day (also a public holiday)
• Wednesday 24th March – First Confession (Edgeworthstown)

~ April ~

• Sunday 27th March – Palm Sunday
• Thursday 31st March – Holy Thursday
• Friday 1st April – Good Friday (not a public holiday)
• Saturday 11th April – Holy Saturday
• Sunday 12th April – Easter Sunday
• Monday 13th April – Easter Monday (public holiday)

~ May ~

• Monday 3rd May – May Day (public holiday)
• Saturday 8th May -Sacrament of Confirmation (Edgeworthstown)
• Thursday May 13th – Ascension Thursday, Holy Day of Obligation, celebrated on Sunday May 16th
• Sunday May 23rd – Pentecost Sunday

~ June ~

• Monday 7th June – June Bank Holiday (public holiday)
• Thursday 3rd June – Corpus Christi, celebrated on Sunday June 6th

~ July ~

~ August ~

• Monday 2nd August – August Bank Holiday (public holiday)
• Sunday 15th August – Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary

~ September ~

~ October ~

• Monday 25th October – October Bank Holiday (public holiday)

~ November ~

• Monday 1st November – All Saints Day
• Sunday 28th November – 1st Sunday of Advent

~ December ~

• Wednesday 8th December – Feast of the Immaculate Conception
• Saturday 25th December – Christmas Day (also public holiday)
• Sunday 26th December – St. Stephen’s Day (public holiday)

Mass Times and Church Notices

Mass Times This Week:

PARISH WEBCAM
A webcam has recently been installed in the Parish Church in Edgeworthstown. This means that the local parish community will be able to be united again in prayer albeit in a virtual manner. The webcam will be especially useful in this difficult time of lockdown but will also have a long term benefit for the housebound and for those who live far away who wish to participate in our parish ceremonies.

The webcam will be accessible from Monday 22nd February at:
churchtv.ie -> Longford -> Edgeworthstown
or via link on the home page of this website

Sunday Mass Times from January 2020 (except during periods of Covid-19 lockdown):
Vigil Mass Saturday evening: Edgeworthstown @ 7.00 p.m. & Boherquill @ 8.00 p.m.
Sunday Morning: Rathowen @ 10.00 a.m. & Edgeworthstown @ 11.00 a.m.
Mass times will remain the same throughout the year.

Sunday morning Rathowen Mass at 10.00 a.m. is live streamed on Rathowen Community Development Facebook page

Eucharistic Adoration this week:

Edgeworthstown (St. Mary’s Church):
• Monday to Friday 11.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon

Boherquill:
• Tuesday 10.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m.
• Friday: 7.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.

Rathowen:
• Wednesday & Thursday 10.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m.

Worship from December 26th onwards
The Government have introduced new restrictions due to the current health crisis. Accordingly relgious services will have to cease.

• Churches will remain open for private prayer
• Funerals – up to 10 mourners
• Weddings – up to 6 people (from January (3rd)
• First Friday calls are suspended
• Annointing of the sick may take place when the priest is invited by a family

Legion of Mary
Meeting every Thursday from 11.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. in the parish hall, Edgeworthstown (behind the church). New members are always very welcome.

Weddings:
Three months notice must be given to the Parish and to the State.
Pre Marriage course is required – ACCORD.

Baptisms:
By arrangement.

Parish Secretary (Edgeworthstown):
If you wish to book Anniversary Masses.
Also if you wish to contribute to Offertory Collections and to Priests Dues by way of the weekly envelope system the parish secretary will include you.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
The Presbetry
St. Mary’s Church
Dublin Road
Edgeworthstown
Co. Longford.

Phone no. 043 6671046
E-mail edgeworthstownparish@gmail.com

Live Mass Streaming