Welcome to the website of St Matthew’s Parish, Ballyfermot. We hope you will find any information that you may require on our site, but should you need any help, please don’t hesitate to contact us in the Parish Office.

As you are probably aware, we have installed a webcam to allow parishioners and others to view our celebration of the Eucharist and other services in St. Matthews. If you would like to see the webcam, you’ll find a link in the menu above, or else just click here!

If you are considering making a donation to the parish, please use our online donation system which is linked via the “Donate” button below:

We are still looking for two animators for the Synodal Pathway

ROLE: TO animate local assemblies for the Synodal Pathway

ROLE DESCRIPTION
To organise together with the PPC a local gathering where people can share in an environment of prayer and acceptance To enable participants to listen well to each other To support a prayerful
process of discernment in the parish To ensure that anyone who wants to take part is included

SUPPORT AND RESOURCES PROVIDED: Diocesan Training Sessions, Resources for leaders and participants, Simply Synod online booklet, Ppt presentation slides for a local gathering, Online Web 2 minute Synod, bitsize videos, Ongoing accompaniment from the office of Mission and Ministry.

TIME REQUIRED:2 training opportunities of two hours each.
Organising assemblies of one hour per gathering
Commitment of eight months from November 21 to June 22

GIFTS AND TALENTS:
Welcoming and approachable, Open, Confident with groups, Able to use technology, Prayerful,
Sensitive to issues, Good at taking feedback, A basic understanding of discernment

For more information and resources please visit: Synod | Archdiocese of Dublin, (dublindiocese.ie)

The Joys of heaven.

It is a time of great stress when someone close to you is dying and a time of great grief when they die. It seems like a betrayal then to speak of joys of heaven, but we have this well-founded hope based on our belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This tells us that God from whom we came is a God of love; in fact he is Love. Here on earth we experience something of God’s kindly providence towards us, though we may indeed have difficulties. Yet, when we reflect, we learn to trust in God and come to believe that when we die we go to meet a loving Father who is waiting to welcome us home. The joys we experience on earth are then only a pale reflection of the joys of heaven where we and our loved ones will be met by that complete understanding and acceptance that we have always longed for. For this reason we will no longer have any cause for worries or distress. Instead we will be able without any resentment to rejoice in the great achievements of Mary and all the Saints, including many we have known in this life.  We have very good reason to remind ourselves of this joy so that we won’t want to miss out on it. So we will be motivated to strive harder to do well in this world and so show our gratitude to God. We know at the same time how imperfect we are and how easy it is to fall into sin. So we pray for each other that God will work his grace in us enabling us and our beloved deceased to be purified of any defects that bars our way to him.

 Task Force’s work of Building Hope. 

The task Force has produced a report from its consultation with the people of the diocese, and now work is proceeding to prepare for parish assemblies and the diocesan synod. In the meantime you are encouraged to pray:

Ever faithful God,

You sent your son into the darkness of human history

to fulfil your will, and guide your people home to you. 

Fill our hearts with the hope of your coming

that we may draw close to all our sisters and brothers

especially those who bear the cross of Jesus in the heart of our world.

May the Light of his victory over darkness and death,

guide our feet on the way of justice and peace.

We ask this in the name of Him who came and will come again,

Jesus, our Lord, for ever and ever. Amen

We welcome all those who join us for Mass.

It’s great that more are now able to attend in person.   We are also glad that others join us online. We ask those who attend to please to follow the same procedures as when we were allowed open before, that is, as regards facemasks, social distancing and sanitising hands; entrance is by the front doors and exit by the back doors; shrines are at the back of the Altar. We have returned to the practice of people coming up by the centre aisles to receive Holy Communion.

Finances

The necessary restriction of public worship has profoundly affected the two essential Sunday Mass collections on which parish funds depend. The first collection—as you know—supports clergy ministering throughout the diocese as well as sick and retired priests and priests working in other ministries throughout the diocese. The second collection in the red baskets—the ‘Share’ collection—supports diocesan services to parishes especially disadvantaged parishes. The family envelope collection is for the maintenance of the parish. I am grateful to all who have continued to give so generously .

Pope Francis’  Prayer for the Year of St Joseph (starting Friday 19th March)

Hail Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed virgin Mary.                                                              To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man.                Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life.                                         Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage and defend us from every evil. Amen

Prayer asking Mary’s Intercession for Protection from the Coronavirus

Covid 19 Funeral Arrangements in St Matthews Church

We offer our condolences to all those who are mourning the loss of a loved one at this time. We understand that this is a difficult time for you. We do not wish to make it any more difficult for you. However, to safeguard the wellbeing of all who attend the funeral in St Matthew’s Church we ask everyone to respect Covid arrangements. If there is likely to be a very big attendance everyone may not be able to enter the Church and in such circumstances it would be better if some decided to join us online. We do not allow people to stand at the back of the Church. People are asked to please move away from the Church when you come out. Social distancing will not allow people gathering in front of the Church. We would be very grateful if people would co-operate with the stewarding and follow these necessary arrangements.