Parish Contacts –
Fr Peter Finnerty, PP, Ph: 01-832-3150.
Fr Séamus Connell, Ph: 087-702-5120.
Fr Godfrey Sunday Ph 089 206 4610
Janice Dornan, Parish Sec, Parish Office, Ph 01-839-0433.
Email info@kilbarrackfoxfieldparish.ie
www.kilbarrackfoxfieldparish.ie
Mass times – Mon-Wed 10am; Thurs, 7.30pm; Fri 10am. Sat 6pm. Sun 9.30am and 12 noon. Bayside– Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri &-Sat 10am; Sat 7pm. Sun 8am and 11.00am
Our parish is part of the partnership in the Howth Deanery as follows – Baldoyle, Bayside, Howth, Kilbarrack/Foxfield, Sutton. Registered Charity Number 20016166.
Masses for the coming week
| Name | Date | Time |
| Funeral Mass for Emmelia Nugent, RIP | Mon. 1st | 10am |
| Mary Lawlor (A) and pray for Edward, Eddie and Anna Lawlor | Fri. 5th | 10am |
| Pauline Wogan (A) | Sat. 6th | 6pm |
| Brendan Greene (A) | Sat. 6th | 6pm |
| Edward & Liam Connell (A) | Sat. 6th | 6pm |
| Martin Horan (A) | Sun. 7th | 9.30am |
| Esther Theresa Ryan, Month’s Mind | Sun. 7th | 12pm |
| Noeleen Pickett, Birthday Rem. | Sun. 7th | 12pm |
Recently Deceased
We remember in our prayers
Joanne Sattell RIP late of Darndale & Thornville Drive
Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and neighbours. May she rest in Peace.
Spend time with the Lord in the wonderful ministry of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in our Church from 11am- 3pm Tuesdays to Fridays each week. Please leave your name and time/day available on a card from back table, and put in envelope on Adoration table.
Parish Christmas ~Cards – Pack of 5 for €5 are now on sale in the Repository.
Volunteer drivers are sought by the Irish Cancer Society to drive patients going for cancer treatment Contact Monica at volunteer@irishcancer.ie.
Advent in our Church
The symbol is Awake for the First Sunday. The Advent Wreath will be blessed. The wreath consists of evergreen branches, representing everlasting life, with candles representing the light of Christ. This week we light the purple candle of hope. The symbols of the apple, ark and shepherd’s crook on the Jesse tree remind us of the ancestry of Jesus.
A Reflection on Today’s Gospel
‘You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’
Today marks season of Advent, a time of watching and waiting, of longing and preparation for the Lord.
Isaiah (First Reading) presents his vision of a peaceful world, where weapons of conflict are turned into tools to rebuild communities, as people grow together in God’s love.
The Psalm continues this prayer for peace and security, with a reminder to look to the Lord for guidance on how to live in unity, peace and joy.
In the Second Reading, Paul urges the Romans to wake up; to abandon thoughts and behaviour that keep God in the dark, and to live in the light of his love. He is direct but reassuring that God’s salvation is as attainable as putting on new clothes.
The theme of awakening features again in the Gospel, as Jesus calls on people to ‘be ready’ for God’s salvation by living in love and faith. Jesus uses examples ranging from the events of Noah and the flood, the mundane image of workers in the field and at the mill, and the unexpected thieves breaking into a house. All of these highlight that God is constantly inviting us to follow his example in all that we do.
As Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee year, we reflect on how we might cast off old habits that keep us in the dark and walk in the light and hope of God’s eternal love.
Want to make your Sunday Mass more meaningful?
7.15 – 8.30pm each Tuesday in the Parish Centre. Praying, sharing and staying with the Sunday readings, to make them more meaningful, alive and life-giving in a relaxed prayerful atmosphere. Fr Séamus and prayer group. All welcome.
Collection for St Vincent de Paul
The St Vincent de Paul Society will hold a church collection next weekend 6th/7th December to raise funds for people who are struggling this Christmas. Please support.
“The word advent means ‘expectation’.
What advent can do for us is create a sense of hope.
The Lord is coming, always coming.
When you have ears to hear and eyes to see,
you will recognize Him at any moment of your life.
Life is Advent.
Life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.’
Photographs for collection
Photographs from our Annual Mass for the Dead may be collected from the Church at the back table.
First Saturday Conference in Knock
To mark the 100th anniversary of the First Saturday Apparition in Pontevedra, Spain, a special conference will take place in Knock next Saturday 6th December. More details from firstSaturdays.ie.
“First Saturday devotions with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for offences against her, take place on Saturday, 6th December at 8.45am in Church of the Resurrection in Bayside. Those who cannot attend may join online. For those who observe the requirements of the first Saturday for five consecutive months our Blessed Lady promises her assistance at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation. Establishing devotion to her Immaculate Heart will result in the salvation of souls and peace.”
The Priory Institute offers a free online Advent retreat, of four 15-minute recorded presentations by Fr John Harris OP. Presentations are available from this Sunday 30th November and subsequent Sundays. Registration at prioryinstitute.com. Link https://prioryinstitute.com/events/2025-online-advent-retreat
Invitation to be part of an Important Research Study
A PhD researcher is seeking volunteers to be part of an important research study exploring the experiences and needs of people living with both cancer and dementia, and the family members who care for them. This study is funded by the Irish Cancer Society, in partnership with St. Vincent’s Hospital and Our Lady’s Hospice. Its aim is to understand the challenges faced by people with these conditions and their caregivers, and to identify ways healthcare services can provide better support. Please contact Jane at 089 216 3991 or jane.gaffey4@mail.dcu.ie
Have Your Say about your Catholic School
For Attention of Parents of children attending Primary Schools or have yet to start: The Department of Education is currently conducting a Primary School Survey that will determine the future provision of Primary Schools and crucially could lead to lasting changes in your school. In simple, direct terms, you are being asked if you want your school to stay a Catholic school or if you want that to change. Don’t leave it to others, have your say before 16 December 2025. See – https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/campaigns/primary-school-survey/
Our local dementia inclusive choir, Forget Me Nots will feature in a Christmas Concert, tomorrow Monday, 1st December, in St. Patrick’s Cathedral starting at 8pm. Tickets are €10 available on Eventbrite or at the door on the night. Please support and enjoy a wonderful night of music.
What’s on:
- Vocations Society of St Joseph Holy Hour for Priests and Religious 2-3pm Tuesday 2nd our Church. https://www.mcn.live/Camera/st-johns-church
- Zoom reflections Mondays 7.30-8.30pm. Contact Phyllis 086 890 9488.
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 11am-3pm Tuesdays – Fridays.
- Chairobics in the Parish Centre each Tuesday from 11.30am. All welcome.
- Naomh Barróg Popup Gaeltacht 8pm. Juvenile Room. Thurs. 4th 8pm. All welcome.
- Kilbarrack Fire Station. Sat 6th from 10am. Coffee morning for St Francis Hospice. Santa Claus & friends. View fire engines & equipment. All welcome
- Country Markets. C of I Raheny. 4th, 11th and 18th
- Visit Sensory Garden Edenmore. 14th from 2.30pm for children and adults with autism and special needs. Booking on Facebook.
- Advent Weekend Retreat – Fri-Sun, 5th-7th Dec and
- Triduum Retreat, Mon-Fri 1st-5th Dec or 8th-12th Silent retreat with Jesuit community.
- New Year Retreat: reflect on 2025. Guidance for 2026 Mon 29th December- Thurs 1st Bookings 01-5529448 or email reception@manresa.ie.
- Portmarnock Singers Christmas Concert. Sunday 7th Portmarnock Church. €15. Children €5.
- Third Day Chorale Christmas concert Sunday 14th December in St Gabriel’s church at 3pm. Donation.
- Youth 2000 Ireland annual Christmas retreat. Dominican College, Newbridge.12th-14th December for ages 16-35. All details – www. youth2000.ie
- Crosscare Christmas Appeal Please support the 2025 Christmas Food Poverty Appeal. Your donation – big or small – will help provide food, stability, and a pathway towards independence for those who need it most. Donate at crosscare.ieor call 01 836 0011.
Stay Alive
“Whatever happens, stay alive.
Don’t die before you’re dead.
Don’t lose yourself, don’t lose hope, don’t lose direction. Stay alive, with yourself, with every cell of your body, with every fibre of your skin.
Stay alive, learn, study, think, read, build, invent, create, speak, write, dream, design.
Stay alive, stay alive inside you, stay alive also outside, fill yourself with colours of the world, fill yourself with peace, fill yourself with hope.
Stay alive with joy.
There is only one thing you should not waste in life,
and that’s life itself… “
Virginia Woolf .
Thought for the Week
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
– Edith Sitwell
