Opening arrangements for St Matthew’s Church:

 Masses online only at present. Weekday Masses at 10am, weekend Masses, Saturday 6.30pm & Sunday 10.30am  Church open for private prayer on weekdays 10.30am till 12 noon. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on Fridays at this time. Everyone encouraged to pray for end of pandemic. 6 people only allowed at weddings and 10 at funerals. Parents and godparents only allowed at baptisms. Exposition every Friday after 10 Mass till 12 noon. 

Confessions: These are not normal times, and so Confession is not as readily available, and some see the danger of going to Confession, where you may have to queue with others, who may be carrying the virus, and then meet face to face with the priest, as daunting. In these circumstances it is not necessary or obligatory to go to Confession to receive absolution before you may receive Holy Communion. All you need do is to say a sincere act of sorrow and know that your sins are all forgiven. On the other hand, it is good to go to Confession if you can, just ask or call. 

Finances:  All the Church collections have fallen,  though some people have been more than generous. The Common Fund Collection has dropped by almost 70%. This is the fund that is divided to provide fairly for all the priests of the diocese. Besides the 1^st Collection at Sunday Masses, the money given as Christmas Dues (Offering) goes into that fund. So we would appeal to all our parishioners to remember in this way to send whatever they can afford. This is better than making private contributions to priests.

The Young Church Dublin – Young Adult Alpha Course

The Young Church Dublin team would like to invite you to join us for our Young Adult Alpha online course which we will start from Monday, 18th January, from 7.00-8:15pm. The course will be run from the comfort of your own home over Zoom for 11 weeks until March 29th. This Alpha course with YCD is an opportunity for you to grow in your own faith. Alpha is also a wonderful opportunity for friends, family or community members to explore the Christian faith together. Taking part might even encourage you to run Alpha yourself in the future!

All participants must register by emailing your name and contact details to kirsten.mahon@dublindiocese.ie *Please note that numbers are limited.

 A Prayer to Mary during the Coronavirus Pandemic                                                                                        (given to me by Sr. Anne Marie)

DUBLIN  CLOSEDOWN

Like everyone else in Dublin, I suppose, I was foolishly hoping that the corona virus could be brought under control, but this is not what has happened and so we’re upset.  At this stage people’s anxiety has deepened as they feel that their efforts are not working. Older people may feel it’s unfair that they have to bear the brunt of the restrictions, though it is for their own safety. Younger people may feel that they should not be restricted as they are likely to recover if they get the virus. People are fed up and just want to find someone to blame so that they may excuse themselves in their behaviour. But the fact is that many young and old are catching the virus and that this is having a terrible effect on their health, and the number dying is not going down. Compassion for all who are effected is what is needed, not anger and resentment.

The pandemic has hit us hard, because until this pandemic arrived, we as a country were doing so well. Please God we will continue to do well, but it is such a different situation now that we cannot expect that everyone will be as well-off as before, and there will be more need to take the needs of others into account. For the moment it’s a matter of staying calm, and following the guidelines for the sake of each other. When people have more time on their hands, they can reflect and be creative, and many are to be commended because they have found ways of doing so in a way that has helped others. We can all likewise use the opportunities we have to pray and this will enable us to see the good that God wishes to bring about at this time, and to control the ill-effects of the virus.

I am very grateful for all the support and co-operation. As the Church re-opens we will again have the same necessary restrictions as up till now.  They include measures like sanitising your hands, social distancing, and wearing  facemasks.  The obligation to attend Mass on a Sunday does not apply during these times of the pandemic and those who are vulnerable or who have been in touch with those affected by the virus should not attend. Entry only will be by the front doors and Exit only by the back doors. Exception will be made for those in wheelchairs. Toilets will be open, but those who use them will be expected to use hand sanitisers and clean the toilet furnishings after use. Only priest and sacristan will be allowed in the sacristy at Mass-times. The collection baskets  will be brought to the people in their seats. Similarly Holy Communion will be brought to the people and they may receive only in the hand. People will not be allowed to gather outside Church after leaving the Church.

We are unhappy that we are unable to accommodate more people at public Mass as this is so important in connecting people with each other in the faith we profess. Uncertainty about this and other matters  is distressing for everyone.  Finances are a particular concern  for the parish as well as for individuals, as when people are not coming to Church finances have dropped drastically. We would appreciate any help in this regard to any of our usual collections.

Let us see where our loving God is working in this pandemic. For example, this might be a time when someone with time on his/her hands and with competence in  I.T.  might help us to improve our communication with parishioners and meet their needs. Don’t keep a safe distance from God.