Newsletter

                               PARISH OF LISDOONVARNA, KILSHANNY, TOOVAHERA, DOOLIN. August 15/16, 2026.

Fr Robert McNamara, PP, 065 7074142, 087 0949030

lisdoonpp@galwaydiocese.ieLisdoonvarnaparish.ie

Corpus Christi, Lisdoonvarna, 10am: Gussie and Finnula Connole. Margaret and Brud Petty, Ballyreen, Doolin. Tom Quinn.

Next week: Manus and Bridget Sammon and their daughter Margaret Carey. Sile Mc Mahon, Month's Mind. Mary O' Gorman, Carnane, Doolin, Month's Mind.

Daily Masses are booked on condition that they may have to be moved in the event of a funeral. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility.

Saturday evening 7pm Masses in August:

Toovahera 15th: Stephen, Eileen, John, and Anthony O' Donohue. Michael McNamara.

Saturday evening 7pm Masses in September:

Doolin 5th: Michael Finucane and his parents, John and Kitty. This Mass will be celebrated in Doolin cemetery, weather permitting.

Kilshanny 12th: John Blood, Carroweragh. Michael Nestor, Caheramore. This Mass will be celebrated in Kilshanny cemetery, weather permitting.

Toovahera 19th: no booking as yet. This Mass will be celebrated in Kilmoon Cemetery, weather permitting.

Thank you for last week's collection: €1503.

Mass for the holy day: Saturday, August 15th, Our Lady's Assumption, 7pm vigil in Lisdoonvarna, 11am in Clouna.

Mass at St. Augustine's Well, Kilshanny: Friday, August 28th at 7pm, followed by a kind invitation to refreshments from the proprietor of The Hedgerow. Thank you to them. This Mass is offered for all the extended Kilshanny family at home and abroad, living and deceased. If the weather is inclement, we will move to St. Augustine's Church.

Welcome to Fr. Lance Mc Grath: we welcome Fr. Lance to the parish. He has been appointed by Bishop Michael to assist me in the two parishes whenever he can.

KNOCK NOVENA, theme "Sheltered in God's Love," August 13-21, can also be followed on-line at knockshrine.ie There's a variety of interesting speakers, with a family fun day on Sunday the 17th.

Keep up your prayers for vocations: remember in prayer Cathal Hickey from Castlegar, studying for our Diocese in Maynooth, and Jack Kennedy from Lahinch, studying with the Dominican Order. Please pray for us priests as well. We are human, "wounded healers," and never claimed to be perfect, reliant on the grace of the Sacrament of Confession and the Divine Mercy of Jesus like everyone else. Our Lady in Medjugorje says, "God will judge them as they were as priests, but He will also judge our behaviour with priests. They don't need your judgment and criticism, but your payers and love. Take the Rosary and pray for your brother!"

A funny reflection I got from another priest: The Parish Priest: if he preaches a while, he's long-winded. If his sermon is short, he didn't prepare. If Sunday Mass is an hour long, he thinks we have all day. If Sunday Mass is half an hour, he has no devotion and is in a hurry to a match! If he celebrates Mass in a soft voice, he's boring. If he puts feeing into it, he's an attention-seeker. If he sings, he's a show-off. If he doesn't, he has no sense of reverence. If he starts Mass on time, his watch is fast. If he starts late, he's holding us up. If he takes time in Confession, he's too spiritual, if he doesn't, he has no empathy. If he visits, he's a nuisance, if he doesn't, he's lazy. If he's jovial, he has a great welcome for himself, if he's serious, he's aloof. If parish funds are good, he's mad for money. If they're not, he's too spiritual. If he has fundraisers, he's bleeding people dry. If he doesn't, there's no life in the parish. If he renovates the church, he's wasting money. If he doesn't, he's letting it run down. If he teaches the belief of the Church, he's too conservative. If he talks about the compassion of God, he's too liberal. If he's young, he has no experience. If he's old, he needs to retire. But if he dies, he was a great man altogether, and his likes will never be seen again!

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