Candles for Candlemass Day
Candles will be blessed on Thursday 2nd February at the 9.00am Mass. If you wish to order Candles for the home or make a donation towards altar candles, please leave your name and order in the sacristy as soon as possible.  Candles for the home £1 each and donations for altar candles £3 each.

Feast Days this week
Feast of St Brigid, Wednesday 1st February, will be celebrated in St Mary’s PS at 9.00am where St Brigid’s Crosses will be blessed.
Presentation of the Lord, Thursday 2nd February at 9.00am in St Joseph’s Church.  Candles will be blessed at this Mass.
Feast of St Blaise, Friday 3rd February, will be celebrated at 7.30pm in St Mary, Star of the Sea Church.  The Blessing of Throats will take place after Mass.

 Vocation Weekend for Students and Young Men
A weekend for students and young men interested in a vocation to the Priesthood will take place in Drumalis Retreat House, Larne on 10th – 12th February.  Contact Fr John Murray, St Michael’s Presbytery, 200 Finaghy Rd N, Belfast BT11 9EB

Ceili Class continues this Sunday 29th January at 7pm in McKenna Hall.  Come along for a bit of craic! Everyone welcome.

The Church Calendar
30 Jan  St Aidan, bishop.
            Blessed Margaret Ball and Francis Taylor, martyrs. Both died for their faith
31 Jan  St John Bosco, priest. He founded the Salesians to educate boys for life. Patron saint of youth and Catholic Publishers.
01 Feb  St Brigid, abbess. Secondary patron of Ireland, she is renowned for her hospitality, almsgiving and care of the sick.
02 Feb  Presentation of the Lord.  This feast is a remembrance of the Lord and Mary, mother of the Lord.  Simeon recognised Christ as “a light to reveal God to the nations.”
03 Feb  St Blaise, bishop and martyr. Patron saint of sore throats and sick cattle.
St Ansgar, bishop. Apostle of Scandinavia and Patron of Denmark.

Our prayers are requested for:
Our prayers and sympathy to the family and family circle of Roisin Anagnostides, (sister of the late Fr Patrick O’Neill) and Eileen Clarke, Main Street, Kircubbin (former postmistress) who died recently. On their souls Sweet Jesus have mercy.
Month’s mind:  Jim McNamara, Joe Toner, Josie Blaney
1st Anniversary: Maureen Owens
Anniversaries:  Eleanor Moore, Dan Shiels, Eileen Sheridan, Annabel Sheals, Mary Ellen Duggan, Kathleen McMullan, Philomena Gilmore, Elizabeth Andrews, Hugh Quail,  Josie Coll, Rosa Hoeritzauer, Elizabeth A Keating, Tommy Woods, Una Hughes, James Torney, Mary Murray, Alice Crawford, Stannis Woolsey, Dorothy Doherty, John Savage,  Eugene McEniff, James Doherty, Pat Joe Gilmore, Francis Bell,  John Brown, Vincent McCarthy, Hugh John Smyth, Fr Paul Lyttle, Mary Doherty and those whose anniversaries occur at this time.  We remember especially those who have no one to pray for them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.

First Friday Visits
The sick and housebound will be attended this coming week.  Please note the visits to Kircubbin and Greyabbey will take place on Thursday morning and the country area will be done on Friday morning.

Dates for your Diary
The Sacrament of First Confession                    Monday 19th March
The Sacrament of Confirmation                         Friday 30th March
The Sacrament of First Holy Communion           Saturday 26th May
More details to follow.

Can you spare an hour once a month?
More volunteers are needed to help with the ‘housekeeping’ in St Mary’s and St Joseph’s.  If you can spare an hour once a month and would be interested in joining the ‘St Martha’s’, please leave your name and telephone number with Fr Neeson – Many hands make light work!

Society of St Vincent de Paul
Owing to a current member shortage,  The Parish' St Vincent DePaul Society is seeking the assistance of a volunteer parishioner to hold one of its red boxes following the Saturday Vigil Mass at St Mary Star of the Sea, Nunsquarter.
Would anyone willing to hold a box after this Mass please make themselves known to the Society member positioned outside the Church.

Parish Silver Circle
The 10th Draw of the Parish Silver Circle will take place this Sunday 29th January after 11am Mass.  Come along to the Old School House and enjoy a cup of tea and a yarn while the draw is taking place.
Remember ‘If you’re not in – you can’t win!!’

St Mary’s Primary School - Telephone 427 38581

• St Mary’s PS is collecting Titanic Belfast Experience tokens from the Irish News.  All tokens sent to the school will be greatly appreciated!
• Congratulations to our P5, P6 and P7 pupils on being chosen to take part in a Lyric Theatre project, which will involve them putting on a specially written play about Titanic entitled “She was alright when she left us….”  The school is only one of 10 to be chosen from all the primary schools in NI.  We are all looking forward to working with The Lyric Theatre’s team and meeting actor and playwright, Dan Gordon!  More details of dates etc to follow.
• Wednesday 1st February is the Feast of St Brigid and Fr Neeson will bless the St Brigid’s Crosses at the Wednesday Mass.  Several parents/grandparents have offered to come into the school this Monday between 11.00am and 12 noon to show the children how the crosses are made and to help keep the tradition going.  If you can make St Brigid’s crosses and would like to help, please come along. (Don’t forget the Rush Party on Monday evening in the Old School House, Ballycran at 7.30pm.)
• Cash for Clobber: Sincere thanks to all who continue to fill and use the Clothing Bank – all money received from this facility is put to good use!!  May we ask that you use small bags (carrier bag size) for placing in the container as large bin bags sometimes wedge in the ‘tray’  causing it to jam?  Many thanks!!!
• Visit our school website www.stmaryskircubbin.co.uk. Lots of pictures to view and news to read of recent events!!

Ballycran GAC News – www.ballycran.down@gaa.ie

• Lottery winners for 22nd January 2012:Eileen Caldwell, Chereene Arthurs, Conor McCarthy, Cheryl Masterson
• Registration for Camogie and Hurling (Adult and Juvenile) – opportunities to renew membership or to become a member: Friday 3rd February 7.00-8.00pm or Sunday 5th February 12 noon-1.00pm
• Ballycran Camogie Club is looking for people who would be interested in managing teams or helping out in any way.  If interested, please contact Margaret McCarthy on 427 38574.

Prayer in honor of St. Blaise
O God, deliver us through the intercession of Thy holy bishop and martyr Blaise, from all evil of soul and body, especially from all ills of the throat; and grant us the grace to make a good confession
in the confident hope of obtaining Thy pardon, and ever to praise with worthy lips Thy most holy name.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.