Welcome
Welcome to the website for the Loughshore Parishes.
This is a group of three parishes that came together in 2009:
St Mary’s Greencastle, Star of The Sea Whitehouse & St James’ Whiteabbey.
There are four churches in this group:
St Mary’s Greencastle, Star of The Sea Whitehouse, St James’ Whiteabbey & St Colman’s Greenisland
The links to the webcam for each of the churches is below:
Preparing for Christmas - an Advent Resource
The Church has many seasons. Advent is a season of preparation for the great feast of Christmas. In the four weeks of Advent we have a time to prepare spiritually for Christmas marking the arrival of the Son of God to a stable in Bethlehem…
Please find attached an Advent resource for families and parishes over the Advent season >>
We invite you to use this resource through each of the four Sundays of Advent. Week by week, may the candles on our Advent wreaths dispel the darkness as we journey towards Christmas and the arrival of the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.”
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is on Friday 8th December.
This is a Holy Day of Obligation.
Mass will be celebrated at 9.30am in St Mary’s, Greencastle and at 10.00am in St James’, Whiteabbey.
Voices of Hope
This weekend (4th & 5th November) sees the commencement of a Diocesan-wide conversation on the future mission and priorities of the Diocese of Down and Connor.
Please click on this link to read Bishop McKeown’s Pastoral Letter in which he encourages all parishioners to be missionary disciples for the Diocese and to part of the conversation on its future, sharing their hopes and dreams, their cares and concerns. A one page summary of the Bishop’s Pastoral Letter can be accessed by following this link >>
A short video from Bishop McKeown can be accessed on the Diocesan YouTube Channel >>
Pathways to the Future
A talent was a huge sum of money, thought to equate to the pay for 15 to 20 years’ of work. The Master in today’s Gospel reading has, therefore, placed great trust in his servants, giving them stewardship of such vast riches. God, Our Father, has placed the same trust in each one of us. At our baptism, He gave each one of us a unique set of gifts and charisms, “each in proportion to [our] ability”. We received this lifetime of riches to equip us to continue God’s work on earth, to build His Kingdom, to scatter on His behalf and to yield fruit for His harvest. Our lives as baptized Catholics are lives of service and mission, in our homes, our schools, our workplaces, and our parishes. We are called to use the baptismal gifts we have received, the talents we have been trusted to grow, in the service of God, the people we encounter in our daily lives, and the communities within which we live, work and study. Our faith is not passive or individual to us. Our faith is active and to be shared and grown. God is calling each one of us to renew His Church in Down and Connor using the talents He has entrusted us with. How will you use yours?
“Give her a share in what her hands have worked for, and let her works
tell her praises at the city gates.”
Proverbs 31:31
To find out more go to www.pathwaystothefuture.org
Prayer, Sharing, Listening, Discerning
Adoptive Parents Needed Urgently
Family Care Adoption Services is an Adoption Agency, and a core part of our work is to place children with new adoptive families. We provide adoption services throughout all Northern Ireland and work with Health and Social Care Trusts to place single children and sibling groups for adoption.
These children are aged from babyhood to approximately 5 years old.
There are currently more children waiting to be adopted in Northern Ireland than families approved to adopt and there is an urgent need for new families to come forward.
All sorts of people from all walks of life can be considered for adoption.
So, wherever you live in Northern Ireland if you think you could offer a child/ren a new life in a family of their own and would like an informal chat to discuss this and to find out more about adoption,
CONTACT US!
Email: email@familycareadoption.org
Phone: 02890 691133
Website: www.familycareadoption.com
We are waiting to hear from you!
VOICES & BRASS CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Come and join us for a festive Christmas concert at Star of the Sea, Whitehouse on Friday 8th December at 7.30pm. Performing will be Third Carrickfergus Brass Band and Concordia, a small choir of which Fr David Delargy is a member. Admission will be by ticket only. Recommended donation is £15. All funds raised will go towards the urgent restoration repairs required at Whitehouse. This promises to be a wonderful evening of music, not to be missed!
Two year part-time Certificate in Counselling
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BECOME A MARRIAGE AND RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLOR WITH ACCORD NI?
Accord NI Catholic Marriage Care Service is seeking applications for a 2- year part-time Certificate in Counselling (Couple and Relationship)). You will need weekend availability for our funded residential training courses in Crossgar, Co. Down and a commitment to complete the course over 2 years, beginning in April 2024. You do not need previous counselling experience or qualifications, academic qualifications or to pay academic rates. Whilst there is no charge to trainees for the training itself, there is a one-off non-refundable deposit of £200 to secure your place. Course fees will be funded and placement will be provided by Accord NI. The closing date for receipt of applications is 20th December 2023. If you would like further information, please contact Brenda at 02890233002 or info@accordni.co.
Mary’s Meals – Double the Love
Mary’s Meals is keeping the promise of a daily school meal to over 2.4 million children in 18 countries. Our Double the Love Campaign has launched, and all donations made to Mary’s Meals until 22nd January 2024 will be doubled by a group of generous supporters, up to £1million. Amongst the many challenges we see in today’s world, from conflict to the cost-of-living crisis, your little acts of love can go further thanks to Double the Love, bringing hope to desperately hungry children and their families. Please pray that we can reach even more children around the world with our life-changing school meals this Christmas. Find out more and browse our Christmas gift cards at marysmeals.org.uk or freephone 0800 698 1212.
SVP Christmas Dinner 🎄
Tuesday 5th December
Time – 7.30pm
Venue – Fortwilliam Golf Club
Cost – £15.00
A list will be available to complete your food choices and contact details from Saturday 4th November.
Please pay your £15.00 when you complete the form with your food choice.
A Day of Prayer and Fasting For Peace - 27 October
INVITATION OF THE HOLY FATHER TO
A DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING FOR PEACE
(General Audience, 18th October 2023)
“Today too, dear brothers and sisters, our thoughts turn to Palestine and Israel. The number of victims is rising and the situation in Gaza is desperate. Please, let everything possible be done to avoid a humanitarian disaster. The possible widening of the conflict is disturbing, while so many war fronts are already open in the world. May weapons be silenced, and let us heed the cry for peace of the poor, the people, the children… Brothers and sisters, war does not solve any problem: it sows only death and destruction, foments hate, proliferates revenge. War cancels out the future, it cancels out the future. I urge believers to take just one side in this conflict: that of peace. But not in words – in prayer, with total dedication. With this in mind, I have decided to call for a day of fasting and prayer on Friday 27 October, a day of penance to which I invite sisters and brothers of the various Christian denominations, those belonging to other religions and all those who have at heart the cause of peace in the world, to join in as they see fit. That evening, at 18.00 at Saint Peter’s, we will spend an hour of prayer in a spirit of penance to implore peace in our time, peace in this world. I ask all the particular Churches to participate by arranging similar activities involving the People of God”.
Have you, or someone you know been bereaved by suicide?
The Northern Trust have designed a guide dedicated to those grieving the death of someone they love >>
Local support groups and individual support sessions are available throughout the Northern Trust area to help you deal with a bereavement through suicide.
If you would like more information about a support group in your area, or to be referred to the individual support service, please
contact:
Danielle Gallagher
Bereaved by Suicide Service Officer
Holywell Hospital Site
60 Steeple Road
Antrim
BT41 2RJ
028 9441 3544
danielle.gallagher@northerntrust.hscni.net
David Olphert
Family Liason Officer
Holywell Hospital Site
60 Steeple Road
Antrim
BT41 2RJ
028 9441 3544
david.olphert@northerntrust.hscni.net
World Day of Prayer for Migrants and Refugees - 24 September 2023
God, Father Almighty,
grant us the grace to work tirelessly for justice, solidarity and peace,
so that all your children may enjoy the freedom to choose whether to migrate or to stay.
Grant us the courage to denounce
all the horrors of our world,
and to combat every injustice that mars the beauty of your children
and the harmony of our common home.
Sustain us by the power of your Spirit,
so that we can reflect your tender love
to every migrant whom you place in our path,
and to spread in hearts and in every situation
the culture of encounter and of care.
To read Pope Francis’ message, please click on this link Message for the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2023
Weekday Masses in St Mary's, Greencastle
St Gerard’s will no longer be able to use their church for weekday Masses while roadworks are being carried out in the vicinity of their church. Mass will be celebrated in St Mary’s, Greencastle instead at 9.30am each weekday morning while this work is under way.
The time of our usual morning Mass on Wednesday morning will also be changed to 9.30am during this period.
SUPPORT AVAILABLE FROM ST VINCENT DE PAUL
Loughshore Parishes have St Vincent de Paul conferences in each Church.
If you or you anyone you know is in crisis or need, please ask for help. You can speak to any Conference member or put your name, address and phone number in the red box at the church door.
Phone 02890351561 and request a call from your local conference