We welcome into our faith community the following infants:

Hannah Quinn-Shields  of 21 Hennessy Park

Anne Therese Murphy of 2 Derrybeg Lane

Quinn Joseph Brennan of 26 The Glen

Ella Rose Finnegan of 19 Knockdarragh

Aimee Teresa Strain of 18 Cherrywood Grove

Sarah Lucy Conlon

Jack Patrick Murphy of 23 Hill Crescent

Matthew Daniel Carroll of 15 Mullach Alainn

Tiernan Brendan Campbell of 65 Greenfield Park

Niall Cormac Fitzpatrick of 93 Sycamore, Forest Hills

Callum Martin Bradley of 39 Altnaveigh Park

Anna Hayes  of 6 Ardgreen Drive

Hollie Teresa Shields of 13 Innisfree Park

Kaylee Marie Mooney of 2 Carnmore Drive

Haydyn Mark Tumilty of 6 Castleowen

Kathleen Marie McDonagh of 58 Clanrye Avenue

Tom Joseph Ward of 58 Clanrye Avenue

.. and offer prayers for the repose of the souls of the recently deceased …

Maura McDermott of 74 Killeavey Road

Mark McDermott of Damolly Meadows

Jim McParland of 41 Damolly Road

James Kelly of Cairngrove Home 

Joe Lundy of Newry, formerly

Work on the new St Clare’s Abbey Primary School awaits the nod from the Department of Education – but is delayed! This time last year appeals at Mass resulted in £115,000 being raised in the parish over one weekend for victims of the Asian Tsunami.

Ballyholland Primary School had had additional classrooms provided. The mosaics of the Cathedral have been restored (beautiful – we were there this morning for 10 am Mass with Bishop John, Fathers Terry Rafferty and Andrew McMahon. Malachy Delahunt’s singing was sublime, as usual – the making of my Christmas every year!)

The huge work on the Parochial House/Office in Hill Street continues. Hopefully the Parish Office will reopen there in February. All the rest is to be ready by Easter.

Numbers of sick and housebound ministered to monthly by clergy is 250. Yet clergy numbers are falling dramatically and their age-profile rising. There are 41 priests in the diocese (and 16 in retirement) and one who works in St Colman’s College. Ten years ago these numbers were 53 and 4 respectively. 24 of the active priests are between 50-75 years of age. Rationalisation will have to come soon, especially in regard to the number of daily masses – perhaps some parishes may soon have to share the one priest. The parish of Dromara has already been without a resident priest for a number of years.