NEWSLETTER
17th August 2025
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
PRAY FOR:
KILLEIGH: SATURDAY 6.00pm
John & Mary Meacle, Killurin &
John’s parents Patrick & Rose.
Johnny (Jake) Dunne & his father Terrence & his uncle Tom Dunne, Derrybeg.
Peter & Nora Gallagher & their son James, Killeenmore.
Victor & Bridget Meredith, Ballymacrossan & their daughter Teresa & Michael Connolly
Ned Quinn, Killeigh.
RAHEEN: SATURDAY 7.30pm
Johanna Conroy, 1st Anniv &
her husband James, Urney Hse.
Bernie Starkin, Milltownpass & Geashill.
Jim & Martha Seery, Ballydownan & their son Seamus & Daughter Peg Leavy &
Deceased Family.
BALLINAGAR: SUNDAY 10.30am
Trisha & Padraig Hanlon, Ballinagar.
KILLEIGH: SUNDAY 11.30am
Paddy Brazil, Clonad.
MASSES FOR NEXT WEEKEND:
KILLEIGH: SATURDAY 6.00pm
Tim Murray, Scrubb &
Deceased Casey Family, Killeenmore.
RAHEEN: SATURDAY 7.30pm
Patricia Byrne, Killelary.
Richard & Mary Dunne, Ard &
Deceased Dunne & Conroy Families.
BALLINAGAR: SUNDAY 10.30am
.
KILLEIGH: SUNDAY 11.30am
Philomena Sheil, Meelaghans.
Denis & Bridget Sheil, Meelaghans.
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Next Week Ministers of Holy Eucharist:-
Killeigh -Sat: Marie Geraghty/Henry Bagnall
Killeigh Sun: Anne Brady/Patricia Nunan
Raheen Sat: Carolina von Ow/Gretta Clear
Ballinagar Sun: Johnnie Dunne
READERS for next week-end:-
Killeigh 6.00pm: Deirdre Feery
Raheen Sat 7.30pm: Collete Carty
Ballinagar 10.30am: Margaret Murphy
Killeigh 11.30am: Aileen McDermott
See Posters about the Jubilee year at Lough Derg & Top 10 Pollinators.
Parish Office open next week:
Tues, Thurs & Friday 11-1pm
Call 057 93 44161 leave a message with your Name and Number.
IF URGENT Call 087 number given …
TAX RELIEF for 2024:
Thanks so much to all who are returning their forms. (74 Forms back to date & have applied for Tax Return of €16,711 on them).
The Parish received €24,186.40 on your 2023 donations
If you did not get a letter and gave over €250 to the Parish & Clergy Envelopes please contact the Office.
Kildare and Leighlin Liturgy Conference: It is Good for us to be Here (Mark 9:5)
Bishop Denis says: “I warmly invite every parishioner in our diocese – congregation member and liturgical minister – and our clergy to come along to this day. I know it will be personally enriching, informative and practical, as well as being a time to meet old friends and make new ones! I look forward to personally welcoming you in Carlow on the 20th September.”
Come and join us for a day of personal enrichment as we explore many aspects of the celebration of Mass and liturgy in our parishes - taking place in the Cathedral of the Assumption and Carlow College on Saturday, 20th September. We start with registration in Carlow College from 9-9:30am, Morning Prayer in the Cathedral at 9:30am followed by a day of keynote speakers and workshops, concluding at 5 pm. For more details go to www.kandle.ie/LiturgyConference. Booking will go live in the coming week.
A Presentation of the History of Ballinagar will be held in the Community Hall this Sunday 17th 11am to 3pm. Hosted by Ballinagar Planning Group and John Malone will do a display of articles and photos by John Conroy, about the village and some of people who lived here. If anyone has old photos of Ballinagar or people please bring them along.
Killeigh Tidy Towns Fundraiser:
RUGS ON THE GREEN:
Family Fun Day on the 23rd of August 6pm to 9pm. BBQ, Ice cream, music, children's entertainment and lots of fun. Bring your Picnic Rug.
Tickets on sale from Tidy Town’s Committee €10 each and Family €30.
“Frank McEvoy Memorial Road Race takes place Friday 5th September at 6.30pm. Registration is in Killeigh N.S. from 5.30pm.”
Mountmellick Pilgrimage to Knock: Jubilee Year of Hope. On our Lady’s Birthday Monday September 8th.
Bus cost €20. To book call
057 86 24390 or email stjosephs1878@gmail.com
Raheen Cemetery Committee and Offaly County Council are looking into erecting headstones on the unmarked graves in Raheen Cemetery anyone interested in helping out please contact Paddy Bracken 087 621 1521,
Pauric Pierce 087 683 3535 or Matthew O Byrne 086 197 3237.
Day of Prayer for Gaza –
Sunday Next 24th August:
At the opening of the Jubilee of Youth in a packed St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV said: “We must cry out for peace in the world” and he then invited all the young people to join him in saying: “We want peace in the world!” In the words of Cardinal Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem: “Christ is not absent from Gaza. He is there, crucified in the wounded, buried under rubble and yet present in every act of mercy, every candle in the darkness, every hand extended to the suffering”.
Archbishop Eamon Martin has called on parishes to set aside Sunday, 24 August as a day of prayer and reflection for Gaza. I echo his call and ask all our parishes in Kildare & Leighlin to observe this day of prayer.
We can light a candle in our family home or local parish church; attend Mass, spend time before the Blessed Sacrament; pray the Rosary; make some small personal penance or sacrifice, and on that day “let the light of hope radiate out from the island of Ireland for peace, for Gaza and for the future of its people." XDenis
ACN Pilgrimage to Knock
Papal charity Aid to the Church in Need Ireland invites people to join their national pilgrimage to Knock Shrine on Saturday August 30th to highlight the plight of Christians who suffer persecution for their faith in many parts of the world. Mass is in the basilica at 3pm – all welcome. For more details, see www.acnireland.org
Very best wishes to Nicole, our parishioner, and ‘OFFALY ROSE’, as she competes for title ‘Rose of Tralee’
Festival of the Mountain returns to Glenbarrow, Rosenallis, Co. Laois this Sunday, August 17th at 12:00PM.
Mass Times.
Saturday evening Mass in Killeigh is at 6pm.
Saturday evening in Raheen at 7.30pm
Sunday morning in Ballinagar at 10.30am
Sunday morning in Killeigh at 11.30am
These times are provisional.
Interesting Catholic News
View interesting videos.
Welcome and Thank God for Pope Leo.
Pope Leo XIV The untold story of new elected Pope Robert Prevost:
In 1975 Robert Prevost was at the top of his game. Chicago math teacher. Devout Catholic. Accepted into Harvard Law. He had everything a young man could dream of, But then—he made a decision that no one saw coming...Read MORE...
Congratulations to the Committee.
All updates on Facebook page.
Email:- info@killeighcommunitycentre.com
Useful contacts for Information on Marian Shrines, and others:-
http://www.knock-shrine.ie/
History; Pilgrims Guide; Facilities; Accommodation; News; Shop; etc
http://en.lourdes-france.org/tv-lourdes/
See Live TV from the shrine; Deepen [history, Messages, Cures, etc]; Youth
http://sacredsites.com/europe/
portugal/fatima.html
Sacred Sites; Places of Peace and Power throughout the world
A Copy of the Scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, found in 1948 in a cave near the Dead Sea.
Carbon dated showing it was writen in 70 B.C.
SLIDE SHOWS:-
Visit your ancestors grave in
Visit your ancestors grave in
Thanks to work of Roseanna and Emma.
See slides of the Easter Morning Mass on the mountain
View some pics from the Official Opening of Ballinagar School.
See slides of the Easter Morning Mass on the mountain
View some pics from the Official Opening of Ballinagar School.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Warning signs of a STROKE:
The following can help you recognise if someone is having a stroke and ACT FAST if you see any of them.
The following can help you recognise if someone is having a stroke and ACT FAST if you see any of them.
F – FACE: Ask the person to smile-does one side droop?
A – ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms and keep them there.
S – SPEECH: Can the person repeat a sentence? Is their speech slurred?
T – TIME: If you see any of the above signs – even just one – call 999 for an ambulance
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Suicidal Thoughts?
Share the Load!
….others can help you carry it.
Midlands Living Links 086-1600641
MABS – Money Advice – Hibernian Hse, 076-107-2710 (free & confidential).
C.I.C. – Citizens Information Centre
Mon-Sat, 10.30am-12.30pm 057 9352204.
Samaritans: 1850 60 90 90
Pieta House 1800 247 247 or 0818 277 438
Suicidal Thoughts?
Share the Load!
….others can help you carry it.
Midlands Living Links 086-1600641
MABS – Money Advice – Hibernian Hse, 076-107-2710 (free & confidential).
C.I.C. – Citizens Information Centre
Mon-Sat, 10.30am-12.30pm 057 9352204.
Samaritans: 1850 60 90 90
Pieta House 1800 247 247 or 0818 277 438
Samaritans new freephone number 116 123
visit www.3ts.ie/need-help/ for a full list of crisis helplines
Domestic Violence
We can help! Contact Offaly Domestic Violence Support Service (ODVSS)
on our Confidential Information Line 057 9351886. (Open Mon to Fri 10am to 12pm2pm to 4pm)
Have you got a number in your phone after the letters I.C.E.?
In Case of Emergency?
DO IT NOW!
Grow: World Community Mental Health Movement in Ireland.
You alone can dot it,
but you can’t do it alone.
If you are anxious, depressed,
or feeling suicidal,
GROW can support you.
Strictly Confidential. www.grow.ie
Young Adult Group Monday 7.30pm,
Community Group Thurs 3.00pm
Community Health Centre 057 9351124.
You alone can dot it,
but you can’t do it alone.
If you are anxious, depressed,
or feeling suicidal,
GROW can support you.
Strictly Confidential. www.grow.ie
Young Adult Group Monday 7.30pm,
Community Group Thurs 3.00pm
Community Health Centre 057 9351124.
Pontifical University – St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
Higher Diploma in Theological Studies One-year part-time evening course. Lectures are held on: Mon’s & Wed’s 6.30-9.30pmFour Saturdays ( 2 Sat every semester) 10am – 4pm. Info etcContact 01-7084772 email: admissions@spcm.ie or maynoothcollee.ie
Pope Leo XIV
The untold story of new elected Pope Robert Prevost:
In 1975 Robert Prevost was at the top of his game. Chicago math teacher. Devout Catholic. Accepted into Harvard Law. He had everything a young man could dream of, But then—he made a decision that no one saw coming. He said no to Harvard
No to a six-figure future. No to fame. No to comfort
And yes—to something few dare to choose: A life of complete surrender. He joined a missionary group and moved to Peru. Not to the cities. Not to the tourist spots .
But to the *most* remote villages—where children die from treatable diseases. And families walk miles just for clean water. There were no roads. No running water. No WiFi
Just mountains. Silence And poverty. But he embraced it like home
Robert didn’t just live *among* the people. He became *one* of them
• Learned Quechua—the sacred language of the Incas
• Carried food on foot for days
• Slept on dirt floors with the villagers
• Prayed under the stars
When he wasn’t building shelters. He taught math to barefoot kids under broken rooftops. When he wasn’t teaching. He carried the sick on donkeys to get help. When he wasn’t healing. He listened—truly listened—to stories no one else cared to hear.
While his friends from back home became lawyers and doctors. He became something else entirely.
A shepherd
A brother
A quiet warrior of faith
And slowly—his legend grew. His acts weren’t broadcasted. But they echoed through the Andes
Bishops noticed
Priests noticed
And eventually—the Vatican noticed
They called him back to lead his entire Augustinian order. From serving a village. To overseeing 2,800 brothers in over 40 countries.
Still—he kept his same sandals
Still—he walked with the poor
Still—he rejected luxury
Then came the call that changed everything:
Rome wanted him closer. In 2020 He was appointed Archbishop and assigned to govern other bishops globally. It was rare. But Robert had never chased tradition. He wasn’t just fluent in Latin or Canon Law.
He was fluent in *compassion*
In humility
In listening
In *presence*
The Vatican didn’t just see a priest. They saw a *leader with soul*. On September 30, 2023. Pope Francis made it official:
Robert Prevost was named a Cardinal. Just one step below the Pope
And then… in 2025
History was made. For the first time ever
An American
A former math teacher
A missionary to the forgotten
Was elevated as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church
And he didn’t forget the people who shaped him. To this day [the day he became Pope] Robert still returns to the same villages.
Still prays in Quechua
Still sits on dirt floors
Still holds the hands of the elderly in silence
Because leadership he believes:
Is about *presence* not position
The world is obsessed with power.
But Robert Prevost proves:
• Titles mean nothing without service
• Knowledge is useless without love
• And faith—without sacrifice—is noise
He turned down the world. And changed it instead.
Message to Priests & People on the death of Pope Francis
It is with great sadness that we learned of the news of the death of Pope Francis. While we knew he was very ill, seeing him on Easter Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, greeting the faithful, brought great comfort. The announcement of his death on Easter Monday morning was all the more a shock and sad, at the suddenness of his passing.
Pope Francis came from the periphery, as the first Pope from the Americas, and those at the periphery - the poor, the migrant, the prisoner, the refugee, the outcast – were always at the centre of his pontificate. Only last Holy Thursday, despite his own frailty, he took time to visit Rome’s Regina Coeli prison and his first visit outside Rome as Pope was to the tiny island of Lampedusa to remember the many drowned at sea, in search of refuge and a new beginning on mainland Europe.
Pope Francis will be remembered for many things and there will be much commentary over the next while, but for me, his message of inclusion and mercy was key. “The name of God is mercy” he reminded us. And now we commend him to the mercy of God.
I ask every parish to celebrate a Requiem Mass for the happy repose of the soul of Pope Francis on a date and time that is convenient for you. You may ring your Church Bells 88 times, if you wish, at the end of that Mass (once for every year of his life). We should include Pope Francis in our intercessory prayers for the dead at all Masses over the coming days.
I will celebrate a Requiem Mass in the Cathedral on Thursday 24 April at 10am for the repose of his soul.
At the heart of Pope Francis’ message of hope in this Jubilee Year was the reality of the life, death and resurrection of Christ and in this Easter Octave, Pope Francis is welcomed into the eternal embrace of the resurrection. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Every blessing and good wish to all of you during this Easter Octave,
22 April 2025 + Denis