This Sundays Message.
In todays provocative Gospel, Jesus transcends cultural barriers to reach out to the unnamed Samaritan woman as an equal. Women like her are marginalized in many patriarchal societies. Women like her still do the most back breaking tasks of fetching water for their families and their animals. We see their images so often on the news, in pictures and images that cry out to us from the Third World. These women are responsible for hard domestic work.
In a way, the womans request for living water in todays Gospel story can also be symbolically interpreted as an expression of her thirst, dryness and emptiness longing to be filled. The Samaritans deep conversation with Jesus transforms her life totally. At the end, she leaves her jar the emptiness, dryness, thirst and went to the people from whom she is hiding. She shares with them her liberating encounter with Jesus the messiah. As a marginalized and perhaps excluded person, she thirsts for inclusion, and acceptance. She found in Jesus acceptance, and her true meaning and dignity for which she has searched so long!
Seeking Common Ground
Responding to the declining number of priests in Cork and Ross.
Dramatic decline in number of priests.
The late Cardinal Bernadin of Chicago often preached that common ground is holy ground. Certainly one of the great challenges facing the Church in Ireland today is how we can all work together to shape our future in a world and a church where so much seems to be changing so quickly . Consider for a moment the following statistics. In 1995 some one hundred and fifty four priests worked in the parishes of Cork and Ross. Today that figure stands at one hundred and three. By next year, twenty of that number will have reached the age of seventy five, the age at which priests are entitled to retire from active ministry.
These stark figures beg the question: How can we as a diocese prepare for the many challenges that this declining number of priests entails? How can we seek to plan for the future in a way that is fair and just to all the communities that make up our diocese? In a word, how can we find that holy ground that is common ground? (More next week – "Preparing to face this challenge?")
The 2010 A.G.M. of Comhar Creidmheasa Chriost Ri Teoranta will be held in Scoil Chriost Ri (Boys Primary School) on Monday 28th March 2011 at 8.00 pm. The election of 5 Directors, 1 Supervisor and an Auditor will take place at the meeting. Please bring your passbook. It may be required to establish your voting rights
Mothers Day: is next Sunday 3rd April. There will be a special Mass for all our Mothers living or deceased at 12 noon. If you would like your mother remembered special cards are available in the Parish Office after Mass today and in the Sacristy after 10am & 6pm Masses during the week.
Clock go forward 1 hour this weekend
Holy Hour
On the Wednesdays of Lent there will be Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament after the 10am Mass until 11am, including our Mass we will have an hour with the Lord.
Turners Cross Community Association will hold their A.G.M on Wednesday 30th of March at 7:30pm in the community centre on Curragh Road . Everybody welcome .
A New Book Club: will be commencing in the Turners Cross Daycare Centre , Capwell Rd at 8pm on Thurs. 31st March . All are welcome .
Gramophone Recital will be held on Tues 29th March in the Parish Centre at 7.30pm Presenter Tom Maher.
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 13th22nd Sept. Owing to a cancellation there are two places available. Contact one of the priests.
TEENSPIRIT III from the Kerry Diocesan Youth Service at the CORK OPERA HOUSE Sunday 10th April 8:00pm – Tickets: 21 adults 15 students/OAPs TEEN SPIRIT is a celebration of teen talent and Christian faith and includes popular chart hits as well as contemporary Christian music. The show tracks the faith journey of the teen in a modern and relevant style they can really relate to. Powerful imagery simultaneously displayed on large screens add a reflective video-style element to the music, combined with scriptural or inspirational voiceover links between songs to create a truly amazing experience!
Living Eucharist Today
A series of four evenings exploring the Mass and our lives today. This series is part of our diocesan preparation for the Eucharistic Congress in Ireland 2012 – March 21st: Jesus present in our gathering, March 28th: Jesus present in His Word; April 4th: Jesus present in the Eucharist; April 11th: Jesus present in our living. Presenters: Fr. Christy Fitzgerald and Anne Francis at Blackrock Parish Centre, Mondays 8.00-9.30pm. All Welcome. These nights may be of special interest to Ministers of the Word and Eucharist. Cost: 20 for the four nights. For further information and booking: Anne Francis, abfrancis@eircom.net 087-228-2134.
GOSPEL CORNER Young children are invited to collect a picture from the Altar rails in which they are to colour in and bring back next Sunday, the picture will depict next Sundays gospel. This will help our children to understand the story behind the picture. Over the weeks a collage of pictures will be displayed in our church.
Masses during Lent 10am & 6pm
Liam Lawton Concert in Farranree Church. An evening with Liam Lawton in Farranree church on Friday May 6th 2011 in aid of the church development fund.Tickets 20.
Kinsale Parish Church: Concert in aid of Restoration Fund with Finbar Wright Sun. 10th April at 8pm. Tickets available from Parish Office 021-4773821