Entrance Hymn: All people that on earth do dwell

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 – One Body One Spirit

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a response to Christ’s prayer “that they all may be one” (John 17:21). It is an eight-day period of prayer in which all Christians are invited to participate. This year’s theme reminds us that the call to unity is a call to work for peace for all people everywhere.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) takes place each year from 18 to 25 January. This ecumenical celebration provides an opportunity to focus our prayers on Christian unity and to know that we are joining with international siblings in Christ. WPCU is also a great chance to speak about and experience Christian unity personally.

This year WPCU takes Ephesians 4 v 1-13 as its central text which includes the words “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.” (Ephesians 4:4).

           Much progress has been made in the last 100 years to bring all Christians together. One good example is the fact that the Baptism celebrated by all Christian denominations is mutually recognized. This means that if a Methodist wants to become a Catholic (or vice versa) the Baptism they received in their ‘mother’ church is accepted by the ‘adoptive’ church.

Catholic Schools Week runs from 18 – 24  January with the theme,

Normal Lives, Called to Holiness!

The 2026 theme invites pupils, teachers, families, and parishes to explore the call to holiness as something both universal and accessible. Holiness is not for a few, but for all; for every student, teacher, parent, and grandparent living each day in friendship with Jesus. We give thanks for the great work of our Catholic schools and pray for all involved.

Altar Servers We welcome two new altar servers this weekend. They are brothers, Ryan and David. Altar server application forms are available from the sacristy.

New Boiler We expect the new boiler to be installed during the week. Hopefully that will mark the end of a cold spell in the church.

FYI It was a gas burner which was replaced in 2023. This will be attached to the new boiler.

Recent Deaths: The deaths have occurred of Jim Groarke, Summerhill South; Maureen Ho, late of High St; Mary Hallahan, South Douglas Rd. May they rest in peace. We offer our sympathy and prayers to their families.

With heart and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done,

In whom his world rejoices;

Who from our mothers’ arms

Has blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love,

And still is ours today

Through all our life be near us,

With ever joyful hearts

And blessed peace to cheer us,

To keep us in his grace,

And guide us when perplexed,

And free us from all ills

Of this world and the next.

Entrance Hymn: O Come, all ye faithful

Week of prayer for Christian Unity begins next Sunday, 18^th

Recent Death: The death has occurred of Richard Hewitt, South Douglas Road. May he rest in peace. Our sympathy to his family.

1.          Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born king!

Christ, the everlasting Lord,

Late in time behold him come,

Offspring of the virgin’s womb;

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail the incarnate deity,

Pleased as man with man to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Entrance Hymn: O Come, all ye faithful

Preparing for the Feast of the Epiphany

Epiphany : This Christian festival held on January 6 is in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, i.e. to the non-Jews. They contrast so graphically with the shepherds who were the first human witnesses to the birth of Jesus. They were local people who were told by an angel that Jesus had been born in a stable in Bethlehem. The Magi, on the other hand, are unknown people from some faraway place, possibly Persia. They come to the stable with exotic presents: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold is offered to a king and Christ is a king; frankincense is offered to God; myrrh is symbolic of death, so from the beginning the infant Jesus is destined to suffer death.

Literal meaning of epiphany: It owes its origin to  the Greek term ἐπιφάνεια, epiphanea, meaning “manifestation, striking appearance”. Technically it is an experience of a sudden and striking realization. Generally the term is used to describe a scientific breakthrough or a religious or philosophical discovery, but it can apply in any situation in which an enlightening realization allows a problem or situation to be understood from a new and deeper perspective. 

We should visit Christ while there is opportunity, take care of him and feed him. We should clothe Christ and welcome him. We should honour him, not only at our table, like some; not only with ointments, like Mary; not only with a sepulchre, like Joseph of Arimathea; nor with things which have to do with his burial, like Nicodemus, who loved Christ only by half; nor finally with gold, incense and myrrh, like the Magi, who came before all those whom we have mentioned. St Gregory Nazianzen (329-390) Archbishop of Constantinople.

Tuesday, 6^th January Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

Holy Day of Obligation. Mass here at 10.00 am

Coffee Morning Tuesday 6^th January after the 10.00 am Mass. All welcome.

First Wednesday Prayer service led by the Legion of Mary at 10.00.

Second Collection next weekend for Diocesan Needs.

Parish Assembly meets on Monday 12^th January, at 8.00 pm.

Recent Deaths: The deaths have occurred of Joan Lyons, formerly of Doyle Road; Dan Dorgan, O’Connell Ave; Mary Mortell, late of Turner’s Cross.  May they rest in peace. We sympathise with their families, neighbours and friends.

2.          Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born king!

Christ, the everlasting Lord,

Late in time behold him come,

Offspring of the virgin’s womb;

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail the incarnate deity,

Pleased as man with man to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Entrance Hymn: O Come, all ye faithful

Thanks to all who ensured that we had a worthy celebration of Christmas this year. The preparation of the crib and sanctuary in the weeks prior to the feast gave us a fitting setting for our Christmas Masses. Singing makes such a difference to the liturgy and the choir and music groups this year were very much appreciated by the congregations, as evidenced by the spontaneous applause at each Mass. Thanks to the priests who concelebrated the Masses and were available for Confession the previous weekend. A special word of thanks to the collectors and the generous offerings which they collected at the Masses. Mile buiochas for the generous contributions to the Christmas collections which goes towards to the priests’ income.

New Boiler has been ordered. The old boiler went out of action at such an unfortunate time of the year. Cost of new boiler: €29,303.00!

Happy New Year

I wish you every blessing, good health and freedom from needless worry in 2025. The future is always uncertain. We rely on God’s providence to lead us into the future with hope, hope being the theme of the Jubilee Year.

New Year’s Day: Solemnity of Mary Mother of God

A New Year is about to dawn for us, 2026. Thursday next is the solemnity of Mary Mother of God. Incidentally, this feast is not primarily about Mary; it has to do with Christ. The identity of Jesus Christ is revealed in this feast of Mary, Mother of God. Of the many titles given to Our Lady, this title is among the most controversial. In the early church there were two views about the motherhood of Mary. One suggested that Mary was the mother of the human Jesus only but was not mother of the divine Jesus. The other position disagreed with this because it recognized a problem, viz. if Mary is the mother of the human Jesus only then the unity of the human and divine in Jesus is in question. The more correct view is that Mary is the mother of Jesus God and man. This view was accepted by the Church at the Council of Ephesus in 431. It protected the unity of the divine and human in Jesus: there are not two persons in Jesus. This means that we can call Mary mother of God. She is obviously not mother of God the Father or God the Holy Spirit: she is mother of Jesus Christ, who is God and man, the second person of the Blessed Trinity. What we discover in this Marian feast is that doctrines concerning Mary are not primarily about Mary but about her Son.

2.          Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born king!

Christ, the everlasting Lord,

Late in time behold him come,

Offspring of the virgin’s womb;

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail the incarnate deity,

Pleased as man with man to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Entrance Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

A blessed and joyful Christmas to all parishioners and guests at our Masses this week. May the coming of God among us deepen our appreciation of his presence in our lives every minute of every day.

Christmas is the time when people become important again. Christmas brings out the best in people. And this all happens because the Son of God came to show us the face of God and, in doing so, to show us the dignity of the human being. He did so in the most unusual of ways, by choosing a setting for Jesus’ birth that was truly shocking.

Note: New parish email address: ctkc1931@gmail.com

Christmas Collection

The collections at the Christmas Masses are part of the priests’ income. All the weekend collections, apart from Christmas and Easter, are for the running of the parish. Sincere thanks for all who support in so many ways.

Sacrament of Penance/Confession will be offered after each of the three Masses this weekend: Saturday 6.00 pm; Sunday 10.00 am and 12 Noon.   The Sacrament of Penance is one of the great gifts of the Catholic Church. Sin is an absence of love. We all fall short of the life of the love to which Jesus calls us. We need to ask ourselves in what ways have we failed to love God and love others. Lord Jesus have mercy on us and forgive us for the times when we have not loved You and not loved others. Amen.

How to go to Confession?

1.     In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

2.     It is ———— months/years since my last Confession.

3.     These are my sins……

4.     The priest suggests a penance which may be a prayer or an act of charity (the purpose of this penance is to underline the seriousness of our Confession and our resolve – with God’s grace – not to sin again.

5.     Act of Sorrow (one suggested form): O my God, I am sorry for all my sins because they offend you who are so good and, with your help, I will not sin again. Amen

Christmas Mass Cards Shared Christmas Mass Cards are available at the office inside the main entrance to the Church.

Poinsettia As is customary, you are welcome to present poinsettia plants for display in the sanctuary for Christmas

Recent Deaths: Kathleen (Kay) Healy, Greenhills Court; Thomas (Tom) Lernihan, Friars Walk. May they rest in peace. We offer our sympathy and prayers to their families.

Ave Maria
Gratia plena

Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu

Ave Maria…

Entrance Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Gaudete Sunday

The term Gaudete literally means ‘Rejoice’. It is taken from the Letter to the Philippians: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’. So this is a day to rejoice. It’s not any kind of rejoicing: it is an invitation to rejoice ‘in the Lord’. Because the Lord is near we have every reason to rejoice.  At the Last Supper Jesus sums up the purpose of his teaching in this way: ‘I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete’. His joy is not any kind of joy. The Lord’s gift of joy is not necessarily exuberant or externally evident: it is a deep sense of contentment that comes from knowing that life has meaning; that we are loved as we are, despite our limitations. Christmas is just a fortnight away. The mood of today’s Mass comes into full voice on Christmas Day as we celebrate the birth of Christ. That is surely Gaudete Day par excellence.

A Gaudete Experience On Thursday evening we had a wonderful experience of reflection with Br Martin Kenneally. All involved in ministry and service in the parish had been invited. They, in turn, provided refreshments after the reflection/discussion, including a delicious home-made Christmas cake! Thanks so much to those who organized the function.

The theme of the talk was: ‘Finding Hope in Challenging Times’. Br Martin’s talk was most engaging. His experience of working with young people, helping them to recover their faith, was inspiring. His main point was that Christ is in each one of us and it’s simply a matter of being open to his presence. That is the source of Christian hope. Also present was a newly professed Presentation Brother, Simon Fernandez. He shared his faith/vocation story with us and it was an effective witness to the theme of the evening. We ended with Night Prayer from the Divine Office.

Sacrament of Penance/Confession will be offered next weekend after each of the three Masses, Saturday 6.00 pm; Sunday 10.00 am and 12 Noon. The Sacrament of Penance (or Confession) is one of the great gifts of the Catholic Church. To get the most from this sacrament it is essential to prepare well. The Sacrament of Penance is above all an act of God’s love; it is a personal moment in a relationship of love with God. It is not a routine to be gone through but very much part of the personal renewal that takes place in each person, especially at Christmas and Easter. We are invited in the light of God’s love: to recognize the sinfulness of our life; to have a true sorrow for our sins; to have a firm intention to avoid them in the future.  Sin is not merely a series of failures. It is also a sharing in what is really negative and sometimes evil: unbelief, indifference, selfishness; violence, contempt for the weak, eroticism; racism, neglect of the poor; greed, wastefulness; pride and a sense of superiority

Christmas Mass Cards Shared Christmas Mass Cards are available at the office inside the main entrance to the Church.

Poinsettia As is customary, you are welcome to present poinsettia plants for display in the sanctuary for Christmas

Ave Maria
Gratia plena
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu

Ave Maria…

Entrance Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

What Is Advent?

Advent is not just about preparing for Christmas. In fact, it is only in the final week of the season that the focus is on commemorating the coming of Christ at Christmas. The emphasis in the first three weeks of Advent is on the second coming of Christ. The season of Advent is proposed to us every year by the Church to enable us to prepare for the end time, when Christ will return to take us into the community of the Trinity in a definitive way. His kingdom will then be fully established.

Some people may know that the Advent season focuses on expectation and think it serves as an anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. This is part of the story, but there’s more to Advent. The word ‘Advent’ is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning ‘coming’. By the 6^th century Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the ‘coming’ they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming at the end of time. The Advent season was not explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas until the Middle Ages.

‘Waiting’, ‘expectation’, ‘preparation’, ‘coming’: this is where we are this Advent. For Advent to be productive for us we need to rely on the help of the Holy Spirit who will enable us to deal with what looks impossible to our weak human way of thinking. Advent is the season when we prepare for Christ to come to each one of us. May our prayer be: ‘Come, Lord Jesus.’

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be celebrated tomorrow, 8^th December. Mass at 10.00 am.

An evening for those in ministries and services

On Thursday next, 11^th December, there will be an evening of reflection for those involved in parish ministries and services. Presentation Brother Martin Kenneally will be our facilitator. The title of his intervention is: ‘Finding hope in challenging times’. The function will take place in the Day Care Centre on Capwell Rd and will begin at 7.00 pm. Light refreshments will be available. The church car park will be open all evening to facilitate those attending.

Morning Prayer (Lauds) will be offered after Mass on Fridays of Advent

Sacrament of Penance will be offered after all Masses the weekend of 20/21 December, a most appropriate preparation for Christmas.

Christmas Cards

Shared Mass Cards are available from this weekend at the office inside the main entrance to the Church.

St Vincent de Paul Collection will be held next weekend 13/14 December.

Ave Maria
Gratia plena
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu

Ave Maria…

Entrance Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

An evening for those in ministries and services

On Thursday next, 11^th December, there will be an evening of reflection for those involved in parish ministries and services. Presentation Brother Martin Kenneally will be our facilitator. The title of his intervention is: ‘Finding hope in challenging times’. The function will take place in the Day Care Centre on Capwell Rd and will begin at 7.00 pm. Light refreshments will be available. The church car park will be open all evening to facilitate those attending.

Ministries and Services (in alphabetical order): Baptism Team, Caretaker, Choir, Church Cleaning, Collectors, Finance Committee, Flower Management, Funeral Team, Ministers of the Eucharist, Ministers of the Word, Parish Assembly, Sacristans, Safeguarding Personnel.

Morning Prayer (Lauds) will be offered after Mass on Fridays of Advent

Recent Death: Marie Dineen, Fr Matthew Rd. May she rest in peace.

Sacrament of Penance will be offered after all Masses the weekend of 20/21 December, a most appropriate preparation for Christmas.

Thanks Sincere thanks to all who have contributed to the Autumn Dues in support of the priests’ income. The weekly collections are for the running of the parish and do not go to the priests. Thanks to the many parishioners who presented the names of the deceased for the All Souls Novena and for the offerings attached. Mile buiochas.

New Rotas New rotas for Ministers of the Word and Eucharist have just been released by the coordinators, Maeve Kennedy  and Christine O’Neill. Sincere thanks to them and to all the Ministers.

Christmas Cards

Shared Mass Cards are available from this weekend at the office inside the main entrance to the Church. The parish is indebted to Margaret Barry for this service.

Coffee Morning

Our next coffee morning will take place this Tuesday after the 10.00 Mass in the Parish Centre across from the side door of the Church. All are most welcome.

First Wednesday

Novena prayers to Our Lady next Wednesday at 10.00 am. Thanks to the Legion of Mary for providing this service.

Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party takes place in Nemo Rangers on Sunday December 7^th at 3.00 pm. All senior citizens are welcome to attend and the afternoon is free. The meal will be followed by music and dancing. Just book in by ringing Nemo at 021 4291038 before 5^th December.

Ave Maria
Gratia plena
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu

Ave Maria…

Entrance Hymn: Hail, Redeemer, King Divine

Continuing the History of Christ the King Church…

The Turner’s Cross building commission was subject to an overall cost restriction of £30,000. After some investigation, site supervising architect J.R. Boyd Barrett reported that a brick and wood building could not be accomplished on that budget and suggested that a complete concrete construction with plaster ceiling would be more realistic. Although somewhat reluctant to sacrifice the brick and wood design, Byrne reworked his solution to use concrete as the main construction material. The result would involve the use of large sections of cast and steel re-enforced concrete. The reissued model, depicted a new departure in Byrne’s style and the Church of Christ the King, became the first Irish church ever built from concrete.

Work began in March 1929 with foundations being blessed on 21st July of the same year by Dr. Cohalan. Initial problems were mostly in relation to the foundation. The soft marsh-like terrain of the site was no match for the heavy foundation. Before any walls could be erected, the building contractor, John Buckley, had to sink foundations some fifteen feet to reach a solid base, well above the 5-6 feet estimations of Byrne. Other issues included a strong opposition from the Society of Stone Cutters and Marble Masons. Their anger related to the selection of concrete as a base material and instructed that the foundation stone “..shall not be worked, as the building of the said Church is detrimental to our trade”. A general building trade strike took place the following year from May to August causing significant delays in the project. The church did however open on time on the Feast of Christ the King, October 25th 1931. Such was his delight with the results, Barry Byrne would never again choose brick as his preferred material. His later churches would perfect the use of concrete, not only as a more versatile material, but as a cheap alternative to brick. In 1957, Turner’s Cross was designated an independent parish by Bishop Cornelius Lucey. This coincided with the construction of five new churches under the direction of Bishop Lucey. Several Irish architecture publications feature this church and on an international scale, the only two Cork churches to frequently feature in journals and books are the Church of Christ the King and the Protestant Cathedral of St. Finbarr.

Thanks

Sincere thanks to all who have contributed to the Autumn Dues in support of the priests’ income. The weekly collections are for the running of the parish and do not go to the priests. Thanks to the many parishioners who presented the names of the deceased for the All Souls Novena and for the offerings attached. Mile buiochas.

Recent Death:

The death has occurred of Declan Burke, Erin Tce. May he rest in peace. We offer our sympthay and prayers to his family.

Entrance Hymn: Amazing Grace

This is the penultimate Sunday of the current liturgical year.

Next Sunday is the feast of Christ the King, patron of this church and parish.

Advent begins in a fortnight’s time.

Today we begin with a summary of the history of our church, to be continued next weekend.

§  Commissioned in 1927 by Rev Daniel Cohalan D.D., Bishop of Cork

§  Designed by Chicago Architect Barry Byrne

§  Built through 1929-1931 by John Buckley

§  Opened on the Feast of Christ the King, October 25th 1931.

§  Cost £30,000

§  The first Irish church to be designed by a foreign architect

§  The first Irish church to be built from concrete instead of brick

§  One of the largest suspended-ceiling churches in Europe.

§  Seating Capacity of 1200

By the mid 1920’s, the South Parish of Cork city, had grown in both population and area to a point where it could no longer function with a single church. In an effort to address the situation, the bishop of Cork, Rev. Daniel Cohalan D.D designated Turners Cross as the location for a second parish church to serve the ever growing congregation. The architect chosen was the American Barry Byrne, who had already designed three Catholic churches in the US. The first model of the church had the same octagonal shape as we see today but was based on a brick exterior/interior and featured a suspended wooden ceiling. It was a larger-scale development on a previous Byrne design in Tulsa, Oklahoma (1926).

Department of Education Survey about School Choice (message from the diocese):

The current Department of Education survey on the future of patronage in the primary sector is important in that it will shape the discussion on primary school divesting for the years to come throughout the Republic of Ireland. While it is important that those who wish for a change in patronage would have their voice heard, it is equally important that those who wish for a Catholic Education for their children and for those who would wish for sacramental preparation within the school would have their voice heard also. For those reasons and to ensure that an accurate picture emerges, please participate in this survey if you are a parent, prospective parent of a Primary school student. The survey can be accessed at www.gov.ie/primary-school-survey The IEC message regarding this survey is available on the Cork and Ross Social media platforms.

Recent Deaths: The deaths have occurred of Phyllis Doyle, Doyle Road; Michael (Mick) Murphy, Mercier Park. May they rest in peace. We extend our sympathy to their families.

Sweet shall my weeping be, Grief surely leading me, Nearer my God to Thee, nearer to Thee.