Dear Friends,
Today is The Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Week - Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (PadrePio) – Wednesday, 23rd September
Francesco Forgiano was born in Campania in southern Italy in 1887. Hejoined the Capuchin Franciscans at the age of 15. He took the religious name Fra Pio (Brother Pius). He was ordained priest in 1910. Apart from a short timeof military service as a chaplain during World War 1, Padre Pio spent most of his priestly life in the Capuchin Friary of San Giovanni Rotondo. He was endowed with extraordinary mystical gifts, chief among them being the stigmata(the wounds of the Crucified Christ). He endured the pain of the stigmata for fifty years. Padre Pio is also said to have had the spiritual experiences of ecstasy and levitation during prayer. He was ‘an apostle of the confessional’, often hearing confessions for up to seventeen hours a day! He had the spiritualgift of kardiagnosis (being able to read people’s hearts). His spiritual adviceto his penitents was often Prega, Spera e non Preoccuparti - Pray, Hope andDon’t Worry! When he died in 1968, over 100,000 people attended his funeral. Padre Pio was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1992.
Theology/Spirituality Course in the Autumn
The introductory course on the Early Years of Christian Theology and Spirituality (33 AD – 1,000 AD ) will take place on Saturday mornings from10.00 am. to 12 noon in the John Sullivan Room. There will be a break for tea/coffee.
PLEASE NOTE: The first talk in this series will be on this coming Saturday, 26th September. The number of attendees who have booked a place now stands at over 40. Such a number is very encouraging and all will be welcome.
Volunteers to read at Mass and for the Choir
Margaret (our soloist) and Seamus (our organist) always welcome newmembers to join the choir. Rehearsals are on a Sunday morning at 10.30am in the John Sullivan Room, before the 11.00am Mass.
If you feel that you would like to read at our weekday Masses (11.00 amand 1.00pm) or Sunday Masses (9.15am; 11.00am and 7.30pm), please feel free tomake yourself known to me.
ReadingClub
We will begin our autumn session on Monday, 28th September. We will be reading Consider Jesus – Waves of Renewal in Christology by Elizabeth A. Johnson.
Fr.Brendan
CHURCH COLLECTIONS
For Church: € 925. Share: € 104. Card reader: €325
Allcontributions are gratefully accepted, and the donors are remembered in ourprayers.
CROSSCARE COLLECTION
The annual collection for Crosscare takes place this weekend, September 19/20 in place of the usual Share collection. Parishioners who may not be able to contribute on these date scan support the appeal online at www.crosscare.ie.
RCIA PROGRAMME 2026-2027
Starting Sunday 20th September at 2 pm.
For adults who seek to be baptised, confirmed, or received into full communion with the Catholic Church. 2-hour session, 2 Sundays every month. Mentors: Sr. MarieDominique Treacy and Fr. Teodor Avram SJ For details contact Fr. Teodor Avram, SJ at fravramsj@gmail.com / 087 3313676
ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL is temporarily closed for essentialconservation, accessibility and renewal works. Parish administration will continue as normal, although some initial delays may occur during the move to St Joseph’s Church,Berkeley Road, Dublin 7, D07 F592.
Full details are available on thediocesan website.
MASS FOR THE MISSING
A remembrance Mass for missing people and their families will be held in St Mary's Church, Sandyford, D18E5R3, on Saturday, October 10, at 2.30pm. The Mass will be celebrated by Fr Aquinas Duffy.
POPE LEO XIV’s PRAYER INTENTION FOR SEPTEMBER 2026
For the care of water.
Let us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.