Dear Friends,
Today is the 32ndSunday in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Week – Saint LaurenceO’Toole (1128 -80)– Saturday, 14th November
Born near Castledermot, Laurence was the son of a Leinster chieftain. He was a monk and abbot of Glendalough. He became Archbishop of Dublin in 1161. In 1169, the Normans came to Ireland and the rest of Laurence’s episcopate was conditioned by events that followed. He travelled to Rome in 1179 and was appointed papal legate to Ireland. This provoked the anger of King Henry II of England who forbade Laurence to return to Ireland. Laurence went to Henry II in Normandy, and induced him to lift his ban. Laurence had scarcely begun his journey home to Dublin when death overtook him at Eu, in Normandy.
In his private life, Laurence kept the simplicity and austerity of a monk, living in community with his cathedral clergy and returning every Lent to Glendalough for a period of quiet and solitude. Laurence’s memory is still honoured in the French diocese of Rouen. He was canonized in 1226 by Pope Honorius III.
Theology/Spirituality Course
The Introductory course on the Early Years of Christian Theology and Spirituality (33 AD – 1,000AD ) continues on Saturday mornings from 10.00 am.to 11.30am in the John Sullivan Room. There is a break for tea/coffee.
Yesterday, Saturday, I was speaking on The ‘Barbarians’ (the Goths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals and, briefly, on the Conversion of England. We moved on to treat of the Church under the Merovingian Dynasty and the Coming of Islam.
On Saturday, 14thNovember, I would hope to speak on the Era of Charlemagne.
It is very heartening to see how these talks are so well attended. Please feel free to come along, even if you have not reserved a place previously.
Upcoming Christmas Concert
The Three Tenors will give a Christmas Concert in Gardiner Street on Friday, 18th December at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale in the front office.
Volunteers to read at Mass and for the Choir
Margaret (our soloist) and Seamus(our organist) always welcome new members to join the choir. Rehearsals are on a Sunday morning at 10.30am in the John Sullivan Room, before the11.00am Mass.
If you feel that you would like toread at our weekday Masses (11.00 am and 1.00pm) or Sunday Masses(9.15am; 11.00am and 7.30pm), please feel free to make yourselfknown to me. The Parish Pastoral Council(the Cathedral, Berkely Road and Gardiner Street) have suggested that theirmight be a training day for readers and a formal commissioning service at somefurther date.
Reading Club
Our next meeting will be tomorrow, Monday,16th November. We are reading Surprised by Hope by the scripture scholar and former Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright.
Fr. Brendan
CHURCH COLLECTIONS
For Church: € 950. Share: € 168
Card reader:€ 315
All contributions are gratefully accepted, and the donors are remembered in our prayers.
BLESSED JON SULLIVANMONTHLY MASS
The monthly Mass in honour of Blessed John SullivanSJ will be celebrated on Saturday 21st November at 1 pm.
THELITTLE 11 -TODAY
Special activities for children every second Sunday at 11 am Mass. Children are led inspecial faith formation activities, such as guided prayer, storytelling,drawing, etc. by a group of safeguarded volunteers These activities take 15-20minutes in the Coffee Room, opposite the door leading to Pope Francis corridor.Parents are also welcome.
ALTAR LISTOF THE DEAD ENVELOPES available at the back of the Church and in the office
OUR RECENTLY DECEASED
We pray for those who have recently died:
Margaret O’Hare
Her funeral will be held at St. Francis Xavier’s Church on Monday, 9thNovember, at 11 am.
Through God’s mercy, may her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
POPE LEO XIV’s PRAYER INTENTION FOR NOVEMBER 2026
For the proper use of wealth.
Let us pray for the proper use of wealth, that not succumbing to the temptation of selfishness, it may always be put at the service of the common good and solidarity of those who have less.