Following our initial introduction to the necessity of lay involvement in church ministry, we are holding a meeting of all interested members of our parish community, in the meeting room in St. John the Baptist Church on Tuesday 7 February at 7.30pm. Fr. Michael Collins will speak on the situation that exists in the church today, and the possible vision for the future. We would ask everyone who can,
to consider attending this meeting to help understand the situation in the church
today.

It is with enormous sadness we have learned of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger ascended to the Papacy during challenging times for the world and those whose trust was betrayed by some members of the church. He became Pope during a time of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. He became the spiritual leader of the world’s Catholics following the lengthy tenure of the popular Pope John Paul II.

Possessed with a towering intellect but yet a deeply humble individual at a personal level, Pope Benedict XVI, apparently the ultimate traditionalist, broke with one of the most sacred traditions of his office when he faced the reality of his physical and emotional health and announced his resignation in the Spring of 2013.

In the great tradition of Catholic communities, we in Nenagh Parish join our sisters and brothers across the world in prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as the angels carry him home to the house of the Father.

Nenagh Parish is delighted to unveil our first full and unrestricted Christmas Schedule since 2019. While the past number of years have been difficult, filled at times with fear, apprehension, worry and darkness, we always believed that this brighter day would dawn. While life remains tough, both at home and in the wider world, we take comfort from the fact that we are again able to come together at Christmas to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus.

We look forward to seeing you all – our regular congregation, absent friends, those returning home for the Christmas season, or visitors to our town – at many of our ceremonies at this special time. As always, we extend a warm welcome to the New Irish, who have come to live among us in the Nenagh community since this time last year.

Christmas Triduum Mass Intentions, an ideal way to link with our loved ones this Christmas is to send them a parish Christmas card and include them in our Christmas Triduum of Masses. Cards are available in the Parish office. Proceeds go to St. Vincent de Paul and Carmha Ireland.

On Wednesday 19 October 2022 at 7.30pm, Nenagh Parish will hold a special Vigil of Prayers with and for the community of Creeslough, Co Donegal.

Like the entire country, the people of Nenagh and the neighbouring parishes, have been deeply shocked and moved by the loss of so many innocent lives arising from a single moment of devastation.

We will remember the dead. We will pray for the injured. We will extend payers of love and healing to all the bereaved families, friends and members of the broader Creeslough and Donegal community. Please join us in this act of solidarity.

After several years of delay, Nenagh Parish is delighted to announce that a joint celebration will take place to honour the 125th Anniversary of St Mary of the Rosary Church, and the 50th Anniversary of St John the Baptist Church.

Bishop Fintan Monahan of the Diocese of Killaloe and Fr Pat Gilbert of Nenagh, will lead walkers from the Franciscan Friary at 5.30pm on Saturday 8 October. The walk will proceed from the old Abbey, up Bachelor’s Walk, through the Castle Field and Gill’s Garden to St Mary of the Rosary Church for 6.15pm Mass. Refreshments will be served afterwards at the Pastoral Centre.

A special booklet commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the opening of St John the Baptist Church will be launched on the evening.

Fr Pat Gilbert commented, ‘this promises to be an afternoon and evening filled with joy. The people of Nenagh Parish have waited patiently to celebrate these two milestones. We hope anyone with current or past associations with both places of worship will join us for what promises to be a truly memorable event’.

Those who use the car park at St Mary of the Rosary during weekdays for the purposes of visiting the church, are asked to return any exit tokens you may have in your possession.

The Parish Office supply of these tokens is now down to under ten tokens!

Please check your handbags, purses, wallets, glove compartments (and other secret spaces in your car!), inside pockets and piggy banks, and drop any spare tokens back to the office AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. We won’t judge you but we do need them back!!!!

The Synthesis of the Consultation in Ireland for the Diocesan Stage of the Universal Synod 2021-2023 has been forwarded to the General Secretariat of the Synod, in Rome, and published by the Catholic Church in Ireland.

The 29-page document is the result of Synodal Pathway conversations at Parish, Diocesan, and national level, among the faithful in Ireland, on the future of our global church.

During the past year, the Nenagh Parish Pastoral Council invited all parishioners to contribute their thoughts and responses in person or to a dedicated online questionnaire. The level of the response was encouraging as parishioners took the opportunity to voice their opinions on pressing matters such as inclusivity and mission.

The responses from Nenagh Parish were collated and sent to the Synodal Pathway team at Diocesan level in Ennis. The Nenagh report fed into a Diocesan report, which was in turn taken to national level.

That national report, published this week, can be accessed here.