Parish Newsletter- 1st February 2026
| Mass times for the week ahead | MASS INTENTIONS |
|---|---|
| Saturday 31st January @7.00pm Clara | Aidan Reilly. Kathleen Malone. |
| ST. BRIGID’S DAY Sunday 1st February @10.00am Horseleap | St. Brigid, Patron of Ireland. No Intention. |
| ST. BRIGID’S DAY Sunday 1st February @11.30am Clara | St. Brigid, Patron of Ireland. Rose, Joseph, Margaret Farrell. Lillian Nicholson. Voicheta Cenan. Special Intention. |
| Monday 2nd February @10.00am Clara | The Presentation of the Lord. Candlemas Day. No Intention. |
| Tuesday 3rd February @7.30pm Clara | St. Blaise. No Intention. |
| Wednesday 4th February @7.30pm Clara | Jack & Mary Grennan. Deceased of Grennan & Hogan families. |
| Thursday 5th February @10.00am Clara | St. Agatha No Intention |
| FIRST FRIDAY Friday 6th February @10.00am Clara | Ss. Paul Mike & Companions. Mass for All on the Parish List of the Dead. |
| Saturday 7th February @10.00am Clara | St. Mel Johnny & deceased of Hickey family. |
| Saturday 7th February @7.00pm Clara | Patrick & Maggie Ann Berry. Pat Wood. Christy & Bernadette Egan. Joe (Gunner) Walsh. Joseph & deceased of Mannion family. Josie & Dan Smyth. |
| Sunday 8th February @10.00am Horseleap | Michael Pettit. Fr. Seamus Sheerin. Eileen & Michael Digan. Deceased of Digan & Bermingham families |
| Sunday 8th February @11.30am Clara | Catherine Kelly. Nano & Michael Brennan. Pat Cunningham. |
Adoration of the Blessed Eucharist
CLARA: Monday & Friday – 5.00pm-6.00pm
CLARA: Tuesday & Wednesday – after 7.30pm Mass to 9.00pm.
HORSELEAP: Tuesday – 7.00pm-9.00pm
All are welcome!
Come and find peace in the Lord.
God wants nothing more only Our Happiness…
Our Gospel this week is about God’s desire for our happiness. Anything leading to our unhappiness can never be from God. The Gospel is simply saying, “In the Kingdom of God there is Happiness.” In God’s Kingdom it is OK to mourn, or be meek, or merciful, or a peacemaker or even persecuted….. It is OK because it is GOD who is there to comfort us, satisfy us, free us. No human Kingdom can do that. In the Kingdoms of this world if you are not strong, you are trampled on. If you are meek, you are weak. In the Kingdoms of this world we look after ourselves first… always first; others don’t matter unless we can ‘use‘ them in some way; peace is always on our terms; winning, being first is always right. In the Kingdoms of this world we are taught/told that these things make us happy… but they don’t make us happy in any lasting sense. All we need do is look around our world to see this. Jesus brings us the alternative Kingdom. Here, God is King… and he wants only our happiness. Everything in God’s Kingdom is for our happiness, and our God is there … close, caring, loving, protecting, picking us up when we fall, ensuring that everything is aimed at making us happy. Now we come to the crux of the matter. How can we know that this strange, upside down Kingdom is where we will find happiness? The answer to that is simple, yet extraordinarily difficult! The Kingdom of God is only possible if we trust Jesus – his words, his actions, his death and his resurrection, his promise to be with us always, and…his promise that the Kingdom of God has come….. that the ‘Reign of God’ has begun. This is a big ask! It demands faith in the person of Jesus and in the truth of the Gospels. To do it we must become “poor in spirit” – the first step to being happy. Trusting in God, not myself; accepting that I don’t have to be in control of everything; that I can be weak, and lose, and still be happy… because in God’s Kingdom these things are OK.
Collections 24th/25th January- Development Fund: €1,650; Plate: €885; Christmas Offerings: €510.
Thank You Very Much!
For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can support our parish with a quick and simple donation, by simply clicking the button below:
Dates for Your Diary!
Confirmation: Monday 9th March.
First Holy Communion:
Boys School, Clara: Sunday 3rd May.
Girls School, Clara: Sunday 10th May.
Horseleap & Streamstown Schools: Sunday 17th May.
Blessings of Graves in Clara & Horseleap: Sunday 31st May.
Day for Religious in Diocese: Next Sunday, February 8th, the Religious of the Diocese will gather with the Bishop for a Celebration of Sung Evening Prayer at 4.00pm in the Cathedral. This is a way of acknowledging the contribution of Religious to our Diocese. All welcome to this celebration.
Young Adults! (18-40 Yrs) A retreat to prepare for the season of Lent, Abbey of Our Lady of Silence Roscrea, 13-15 February. Prayer, Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, friendship in the faith, inspiring talks, confession/personal chat with one of the monks. Contact: Sr Úna 090 6481666 or Michael 086 2453123 or email:
The Irish Cancer Society is seeking dedicated volunteers with organisational skills who are willing to bring Daffodil Day fundraising events to our community. Daffodil Day is Ireland’s largest flagship fundraising day and requires the support of volunteers across the country to coordinate the sale of Daffodil Day merchandise. If you are available on Friday 20th March and can become a Daffodil Day Community Organiser, contact Monica at .
The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme provides financial payments, and health supports to eligible people who spent time in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions in Ireland. Eligibility criteria can be found online, and applications can be made via an online portal or by post. Visit: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/campaigns/mother-and-baby-institutions-payment-scheme/ Contact Helpline: (01) 522 9922 to request application pack.
A Catholic Praise and Worship Night will take place on Saturday 21st February at 7:00pm in Emmanuel House, Clonfert, Galway, Eircode H53E5N6.The evening will include praise and worship music, prayer, and time before the Blessed Sacrament. All are welcome.
Pilgrimages 2026
Holy Week Camino: Experience the Camino de Santiago in the Spirit of St. James for Holy Week, Sarria to Santiago – the last 100km! Departing Dublin on 27th March. Contact Marian Pilgrimages (01) 878 8159 or www.marian.ie
Pilgrimage to Medjugorje: 15th April for 7 nights. Spiritual Director, Fr Oliver Devine. Phone Amy on (087) 655 2453 for details.
Trip to Medjugorje: June 17th to 24th. Cost €805 when booked before the end of January. Contact (087) 123 2611 or (01) 878 8159 for further information.
Kingscourt Parish Pilgrimage: in the footsteps of St. Blaise to Medjugorje 22/29 September. Bookings; Navan Travel 046 9068600 or (042) 966 7314.
theway.ie – is a new national platform for our church providing high quality content about our catholic faith for all ages. Take a look and share it with your family and friends. You can also follow their content on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and YouTube.
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