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St. Mary’s Church Greenlough

 Restoration and Repairs

Work commenced 28^th September 2015

 Scope of Work

• Protect all marble items and terrazzo floors and decorative timbers during the works.
• Removal of all dry rot infected timbers in wall plates, rafter ends, timber padstones and bearing ends of main trusses.
• Specialist treatment to timber and masonry to treat dry rot and woodworm.
• Checking and replacing lead in parapet walls as necessary.
• Replace missing slates and ridge tiles.
• Replacing gutters and downpipes.
• Clean down slate roof and external masonry.
• Remove dry rot infected truss legs at internal walls and replace with new timber sections.
• Strip plaster internally for specialist treatment.
• Renew plaster and/or dry lining system to internal walls.
• Replace timber ceilings removed in previous exploration for defects.
• Replace damaged sections of main gallery beams.
• Remove all timber floors, treat for dry rot and replace with concrete floor.
• Damaged sections of window frames to be replaced.
• Storm glazing which is damaged or missing to be restored.
• Structural strengthening at bell tower.

External Works:

• Lower ground level at back path and form French drain to stop rising damp.
• New main storm drainage to rear of church.
• Reinstate main steps from road.

Donations can be made to a dedicated bank account noted below.

Danske Bank – Acc. No.  80038067

Sort Code – 95-04-21

Living the Sunday Liturgy

Yes, it is true, the Lord is risen

Prayer Focus

May we look forward with hope to our own resurrection.
What do you need for this prayer to be answered?

Think of some missionary group who work at bringing faith and hope to others.
How could you help them this week?

NEW BISHOP OF DERRY TO THE PEOPLE OF THE DIOCESE

 25 February 2014, St. Eugene’s Cathedral

Your Excellency Archbishop Charles Brown, people, priests and religious of the Diocese of Derry, agus a chairde go léir!

We all know that things in life can change very quickly. Man proposes but God disposes. It is only six days since my work in Belfast was interrupted by an invitation to go to Dublin to meet the Apostolic Nuncio that afternoon. Archbishop Brown’s words still ring in my ears – “the Holy Father has chosen you to be Bishop of Derry”. They sound so disarmingly simple!

However, as we prepared for this announcement this morning in the beautiful Saint Eugene’s Cathedral, I began to realise just what an enormous task is involved. Leadership is not easy – in Church, business, politics, sport or family. I grew up not far from the River Bann and have passed through this historic city many times – but much of the area covered by the diocese of Derry is new to me. All of my 37 years as a priest have been spent in Down and Connor – and almost all of that in Belfast. So moving to the banks of the Foyle means leaving behind streets and families where I have felt at home. It means moving aside from the network of relations and friendships that have been such an integral part of my being a priest. They have helped to keep my feet on the ground – and reminded me of the advice that one wise bishop gave me: “If the Holy Spirit has picked you for the person that you are, be sure that, when he comes back, he can still recognise you!”

But the Scriptures are clear that faith is never about moving forward with confidence in ourselves. Everyone – from Abraham and Moses through Saints Eugene and Columba to modern men and women of faith – knows that we are called to let God be God in our lives and to allow the Lord to lead. I have the words of Saint Paul in our second reading last Sunday ringing in my ears, “if anyone of you thinks of himself as wise, then he must learn to be a fool before he can be really wise” (1 Cor 3:18).

So, I may come here, wondering what I have to offer – but I come with the knowledge that many solid foundations have been laid in the Church of this diocese. Indeed this city has, for many decades, developed its own sense of independence and cultural pride, epitomised in the City of Culture celebrations last year. The local communities in Derry have found ways of cherishing diversity rather than fearing it. And local people of faith from across the Churches have played prominent roles in civic society. You have shown what it means to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

I know that many people across the diocese have suffered hard times. The Troubles scarred many lives and we know from the Inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse that many people have terrible memories of their upbringing. Dungiven, and its surroundings, have very recently suffered the loss of many jobs at KPL – just as this area no longer has its long tradition of shirt making.

But Pope Francis has given us all huge encouragement to be people of faith in the realities of our time and environment. There is no solid future that can be built on pride, revenge, greed or scorn for others who are weaker or different from ourselves. The Church is not just for ‘people like us’. Pope Francis wrote recently that all we do in Church has to be “channelled for the evangelisation of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation” (Evangelii Gaudium/The Joy of the Gospel 27).

So I arrive here with much enthusiasm – not based on my own experience – rather with trust in the goodness of so many people and with confidence in the foolishness of the Gospel that is wiser than human wisdom. If we place ourselves in the hands of the Lord, he will lead us as we try to follow Pope Francis’ call that each particular Church should “undertake a resolute process of discernment, purification and reform” (EG 30). Renewal will take place, only if we go out of ourselves, not into ourselves.

When I googled the name Saint Eugene, I saw that his name in Irish was Eoghan. In Irish, my own surname is MacEoghain – and part of Tír Eoghain lies in this diocese, as well as Inis Eoghain. Ag tús ár dturas le chéile guímis trí idir-ghuí ár naomh áitiúla – Colm, fear na síochána agus Eoghan fear na bpaidreacha doimhne. And I pray that I may be able to become a MacEoghain, idir anam agus corp in the service of the people of God in this diocese.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end, Amen.

25 February 2014, St. Eugene’s Cathedral

Words of greeting to media by Bishop Donal McKeown, on his appointment as Bishop of Derry

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for coming here this morning. I know that you have many calls on your time. I thank you for the important role that you have played and continue to play in both Church and civic society. In communicating the news, and in helping to inform public opinion, you are a vital part of a healthy society, at local, national and international level.

Some 41 years ago, when I first went to Rome as a seminarian, my brothers and sisters gave me a poster. It consisted of a human figure – but only when you looked at it carefully, could you see that the figure was made up of a lot of people clinging onto one another. And the caption read: “None of us is as smart as all of us.” That is not just a piece of human wisdom but also a sound theological insight. We are all members of the Body of Christ, where all have an equal dignity.

Therefore, I stand here before you this morning as just one person – an individual with some experience and many frailties, but who is happy to become part of a team of the pilgrim people in the diocese of Derry. Leadership is important – but its only task is to ensure that people on the ground can be helped to blossom, develop and work together in the service of the common good. Leadership is a service, not an honour.

I believe that this is an exciting time to witness to, and speak the Gospel, into the Church and into civic life. As a society, we have to discern what sort of communities we want to build. We have wonderful new opportunities to travel, to learn and to exploit modern technology. But we all need to engage to seek agreement on what we consider true, or good or beautiful. If there are no shared values, no shared vision for what sort of future we want to build for our children, then it is difficult for a society to hold together and grow. As Viktor Frankl said, “we have to give people, not just the means by which to live but also a meaning for which to live.”

And that is where the role of the Church comes in. We do not seek to control or dominate public discourse. But, as in the case of Jesus, the Suffering Servant, we aim only to speak the language of healing where there has been hurt, to generate hope where the future seems bleak, to model solidarity where fragmentation threatens, to create beauty that can touch the soul. And the Churches, working together, can play an important service as critical friends of our political structures. Faith has a place in the public square and not just in the sacristy.

We see this in Pope Francis. The Holy Father has generated an enormous amount of goodwill and energy in the face of the challenges that we encounter. The Pope is modelling a new way of relating to people and of incarnating the values of the Gospel. Anyone whom he appoints to local diocesan leadership has to take on board that grace-filled way of being with people wherever they are on their journey in life. That is quite an undertaking!

The Church on this island is experiencing many difficulties. But the Scriptures are clear that a humbled contrite heart is much more open to God than a proud and powerful one. Pope Francis has been clear that the followers of Jesus have to be at the uncomfortable margins, outside our comfort zones rather than in the cosy centre. That is why our present situation is a time of grace rather than a reason for despair.

I look forward to working with people of faith and people of doubt within this wonderful and historic diocese, so that together we can generate hope for our young people. I feel energised by this challenge. I look forward to working with you as we remember the past and confidently face the future with Christ as our constant friend and guide.

Parish/Church Notices will be given first preference.

Tel: 028 2582 1190.  Email: greenloughparish@gmail.com

Due to demand and space notices will not be included more than twice.

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