Dear Friends,
Today is The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Week – St. John Vianney– The Curé d’Ars – Tuesday, 4th August
Born near Lyons in 1786, the son of a peasant farmer. John’s studies for the priesthood lasted from 1806 until1815, interrupted for fourteen months when he was in hiding to avoid military service. He struggled through his studies and was eventually ordained. He was sent as parish priest to Ars, a lonely and neglected village; he remained therefor forty years until his death, devoted to his parishioners and their needs. He became known as an especially gifted confessor. Thousands of people came to Ars and from all over France and beyond to seek John’s spiritual help in the confessional. Sometimes, he would spend up to eighteen hours a day hearing confessions. Some of his fellow clergy misjudged him saying that he was ignorant, even mentally deranged. Their bishop answered them: “I wish, gentlemen, that all my clergy had a touch of the same madness.” He died in 1859. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and named patron saint of parish priests in 1929.
Proposed Course in the Autumn
I propose offering an introductory course on the Early Years of Christian Theology and Spirituality (33 – 1,000 AD) in the autumn. You do not have to have any prior knowledge of this subject. I would hope to make the talks as accessible as possible. These talks will take place on Saturday mornings from 10.00 am. to 12 noon in the John Sullivan Room. You might give it some thought over the summer. Further details later.
Volunteers to read at Mass and forthe Choir
Margaret (our soloist) and Seamus(our organist) always welcome new members to join the choir. Rehearsals are on a Sunday morningat 10.30am in the John Sullivan Room, before the 11.00am Mass.
Reading Club
We are taking a break for the summermonths and will return on Monday, 28th September.
Fr. Brendan
CHURCH COLLECTIONS
For Church: € 982. Share: € 174
Card reader: €493
IDonate: € 80
All contributions are gratefully accepted, and the donors are remembered in our prayers.
AUTUMN COURSE
Interested in the Early Years of Christian Theology and Spirituality course? Please let us know online (gardinerstchurch.ie/upcoming events), by email (sfx@jesuit.ie) or by phone (8363411).
OUR RECENTLY DECEASED
Weremember in prayer those who have died recently:
Annette Finnegan
May her soul andthe souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace
POPE LEO XIV’s PRAYERINTENTION FOR AUGUST
For evangelization in the city
Let uspray that in large cities often marked by anonymity and loneliness we find newways to proclaim the Gospel, discovering creative paths to build community.