Newsletter

             PARISH OF LISDOONVARNA, KILSHANNY, TOOVAHERA, AND DOOLIN. December 27/28, 2025.

Fr. Robert Mc Namara PP, 065 7074142, 087 0949030 lisdoonpp@galwaydiocese.ieLisdoonvarnaparish.ie

CORPUS CHRISTI, LISDOONVARNA 10am: Vincent and Brian Gibbons. Tommy, Mary, and Gerry Howley, late of Bog Road, 25th and 4th anniversary.

Next week: David O' Connor, Luogh, Doolin. Anna and Joe Duffy, Chicago.

Monday, December 29th, 9.30am Lisdoonvarna: Phyllis Mc Namara and Peadar Clair, both birthday remembrances.

7pm Saturday evening Masses in January:

Doolin: Nora O' Leary, Boherboy.

Kilshanny: Diane Mc Mahon, First anniversary. Patrick and Mary Thynne. Andrew and Nora Thynne. Geraldine Kelly, Slievenagry, First anniversary. Toovahera: no booking as yet.

THANKYOU FOR LAST WEEK'S COLLECTION: euro 1095.

TAP AND GO SYSTEM: we have introduced a tap and go facility for parish offerings. The unit is located in the front porch of Corpus Christi Church, Lisdoonvarna. Thank you very much to the Parish Finance Committee for their hard work on this. There are fixed amounts of euro 5, 10, 20, and 50, and also the option to choose your own amount. You can also request a receipt via email, which would be helpful if you are availing of the CHY Charitable Rebate Scheme from Revenue. Donations go into the number one Church Maintenance Account, for the heating, lighting, insuring and general upkeep of our four heritage churches.

CHRISTMAS DUES: please use the envelopes provided if you don't use the boxes. Thank you for your support.

MASS OF THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2026: will be celebrated in Ennistymon at 10am, not the usual time of 8.30am.

SINCERE THANKS: to Noel Considine for the Christmas tree in Toovahera, and to Neville Engineering for the one in Lisdoonvarna. Thank you to Heather Crowe and Mairead Healy of The Ritz for the generous free gift of food after my 30th celebration, and indeed to all who contributed. As we come to the end of 2025, thank you very much to our many volunteer Church ministers throughout the four churches in whatever capacity you serve. Thank you to our Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Committee, and to our school communities. Thank you to our Transition Years from Mary Immaculate School who participate in a weekly parish Mass.

It was quite a year. Among other things, we had thorough safeguarding training with Ms Isabelle Mulkern, Director of Safeguarding for Galway/Clonfert Dioceses, for our parish safeguarding reps. The Parish Pastoral Council led a very effective evening with First Communion/Confirmation children and parents, speaking as one parent to another about the importance of their own faith. A Sacramental Preparation Group was set up, whose first major undertaking was the establishment of a monthly Play and Pray group for younger children at Sunday Masses. Mary's Meals continue their monthly coffee morning after Sunday Mass and their other fundraising activities. The Children's Rosary group led prayer at a national gathering in Knock and recently celebrated its first anniversary. Major repairs were done to Lisdoonvarna church heating system by Albert Stringer. I am advised that the other three church boilers urgently need replacing. Considerable renovations and painting were carried out in St Augustine's Church, Kishanny, and are continuing, due to the obtaining of grant funding and some local contributions from generous parishioners. During Lent 2025 Fr Robert offered a Scripture course, where we studied the Word of God in greater detail and even learnt the basics of Biblical Hebrew. We initiated the involvement of lay funeral ministers. Around Easter time, Doolin, Kilshanny, and Toovahera churches moved to a rotating Saturday evening Mass schedule. Then in Summer, Bishop Michael asked Fr Robert to assume pastoral care of the adjoining parish of Ennistymon, Lahinch, and Clouna, necessitating more changes of Mass times and schedules. Thank you so very much to everyone for your graciousness, patience, and openness.

I wish you all the blessings of the Christmas season. May Jesus, the Prince of Peace, truly be born again in the hearts of all of us, individually, nationally, and internationally, and, through the intercession of Our Lady and St Joseph, may 2026 be a new era of peace and reconciliation. Fr Robert.