Parish Webcam

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Holy Week Arrangements

Parish Council Membership
​We are in the process of renewing the Parish Pastoral Council.  We want to thank those who so generously served in the course of the past few years.  We would ask you to pray and reflect on who might serve the Parish community as a member of  the next Council.  An information leaflet on the purpose and functioning of the Parish Pastoral Council is available at the back of the church to assist in your consideration. Nomination forms for new members are available below.

Child Friendly Jubiliee Calendar for Lent 2025

Click on the button below to open the Calendar, Walk with Me, for the season of Lent.

Your Parishioner Voice-Thank You!​

​Sincere thanks to our parishioners who participated in our Parish Voice gathering on Sunday, 9th March.  We appreciate your feedback on how best we can strengthen the experience of being a parishioner of St. Mary’s Star of the Sea.  Your feedback will help us shape the Parish in the coming years.
​Click on the Button Below to see the Parishioner Voice Summary

Pockets of Hope-A Pilgrimage with Pope Francis​

While reflecting on where to find glimmers of hope in our world today, the team of Fr Alan Hillard & Mary-Aoife Ong came together. What emerged was an imaginative presentation entitled Pockets of Hope inspired by Pope Francis’ message Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint).
This presentation is the focus for a Pilgrimage during the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, hosted by four of the Churches in Dublin City: St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Marlborough Street; Our Lady of Lourdes, Sean McDermott Street*; Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, City Quay**; and St. Andrew’s Church, Westland Row. There is a further display in St. Kevin’s Church, Glendalough.
You are invited to journey the pilgrim path and reflect on the message of Hope this Jubilee Year. The desire is that many people in Ireland can be filled with the gift of Hope during this Jubilee Year and, more importantly, that all can become ‘bringers of hope’ to those we meet.
Scan the QR code to access all resources for the Jubilee Year of Hope. 
​*2025 celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the death of Matt Talbot whose shrine is in Sean MacDermott St. Church. **City Quay Church is listed for refurbishment. When works start alternative arrangements will be made.  ​There are brochures at the back of the Church. For more information, contact Mary-Aoife Ong: Call 0858289573 or email: [email protected]
Pope Francis reflecting from hospital:
"The walls of hospitals have heard more honest prayers than churches...
They have witnessed far more sincere kisses than those in airports...
It is in hospitals that you see a homophobe being saved by a gay doctor.
A privileged doctor saving the life of a beggar...
In intensive care, you see a Jew taking care of a racist...
A police officer and a prisoner in the same room receiving the same care...
A wealthy patient waiting for a liver transplant, ready to receive the
organ from a poor donor...
It is in these moments, when the hospital touches the wounds of people,
that different worlds intersect according to a divine design. And in this
communion of destinies, we realize that alone, we are nothing.
The absolute truth of people, most of the time, only reveals itself in
moments of pain or in the real threat of an irreversible loss.
A hospital is a place where human beings remove their masks and show
themselves as they truly are, in their purest essence.
This life will pass quickly, so do not waste it fighting with people.
Do not criticize your body too much.
Do not complain excessively.
Do not lose sleep over bills.
Make sure to hug your loved ones.
Do not worry too much about keeping the house spotless.
Material goods must be earned by each person—do not dedicate yourself to
accumulating an inheritance.
.You are waiting for too much: Christmas, Friday, next year, when you have
money, when love arrives, when everything is perfect...
Listen, perfection does not exist.
A human being cannot attain it because we are simply not made to be
fulfilled here.
Here, we are given an opportunity to learn.
So, make the most of this trial of life—and do it now.
Respect yourself, respect others. Walk your own path, and let go of the
path others have chosen for you.
Respect: do not comment, do not judge, do not interfere.
Love more, forgive more, embrace more, live more intensely!
And leave the rest in the hands of the Creator."
—Pope Francis 🙏

Reflections on our Christian Understanding of Hope 

What is Hope?
Hope is the power by which we firmly and constantly  long for what we were placed on earth to do :
to praise God and serve God
to find our fulfilment and true happiness in God.
 
Hope is trusting in what God has promised us
in creation
in the prophets
but especially in Jesus Christ
even though we do not yet see it.
 
Hope is directed,
it is humankind’s encourager,
it sustains us in times of abandonment,
it opens our heart to expect eternal life.
 
Hope energises us,
preserves us from selfishness
and  leads to the happiness that flows from charity. 

Sacramental Registration

First Communion preparation for 2025 (usually 2nd class):
First Communion preparation for 2026 (usually 1st class):

Confirmation preparation for 2025 (usually 6th class):
Confirmation preparation for 2026 (usually 5th class):

First Holy Communion Dates
​St. Matthews and Educate Together:
Sunday, 11th May 10:30am
 
Star of the Sea Boys:
Sunday, 18th May 12:00pm
 
Scoil Mhuire:
Sunday, 25th May 12:00pm

Sandymount Explorers
The next meeting of the Sandymount Explorers is scheduled for Monday 28th April at 7.30 p.m. in Christ Church Hall, Sandymount Green. Dr. Kieran O’ Mahony will continue with his elucidation of the letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians, which he will continue through April 24th. 
The Sandymount Explorers is a a local ecumenical initiative, bringing various Christian traditions together around the Word of God. This year, we are reading together St Paul’s great Letter to the Galatians, a passionate and even feisty document — in any case, not boring and full of potential for today’s church.

Pastoral Letter-Archbishop Dermot Farrell
Building Hope with Open Hearts

Click on Button below:

Sandymount Community Centre

The Sandymount Community Centre is thrilled to be participating in this year’s Age Action Positive Ageing Week from 30th September- 6th October. In line with this year’s event theme of Anti-Ageism we feel it is important to highlight the valuable contribution that people of all ages make to our community. We hope to demonstrate this with a week-long schedule of exciting activities commencing on 30th September 2024.  
You are cordially invited to:  
Sandymount Community Centre Positive Ageing Week 2024 and
 Google Digital Drop-In Launch Event
with Lord Mayor of Dublin James Geoghegan 
followed by coffee and treats 
30th Sept 2024 
13:00-13:30 
in the Sandymount Community Centre 
The Monthly Google Digital Drop-in space will also be open from 11:00-13:00 and participants are welcome to come along and have their technology questions answered by volunteers from Google as well as local Transition Year Students.  
Please RSVP to: [email protected]

COMMUNITY CENTRE MAP
​Home from Home
Sandymount Community Centre, formally the Irish Charles Centre, on Newbridge Ave is very excited to announce their new Home from Home initiative. Every Thursday from 10-12 the centre will be open to the community offering a warm cuppa, newspapers, cards and games as well as loads of chats!

Parish Collections
​​​Welcome to St. Mary's Star of the Sea, Sandymount

A warm welcome to the website of St Mary’s, Star of the Sea Parish, Sandymount. 

Our parish was constituted in 1876 to meet the needs of a growing population in Sandymount – Irishtown. The foundation stone of a new church was laid in  August 1851 and the church was officially opened. Designed by J.J. McCarthy, of the Pugin neo-Gothic school, Star of the Sea has served the people well in Sandymount and Irishtown over the years and they in turn have looked after it in its beauty and prayerful atmosphere. 

The gatherings for the liturgy are creative of a community in touch with God and with each other. 

We hope you’ll find our website interesting and helpful. Don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of any further assistance to you. 
​
Yours sincerely,
Fr. John Mc Donagh 

 Mass Schedule 

Weekly Mass:
For the week commencing 7th April,2024, and until further notice we will have one Mass per day. 
7.30am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
10am on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
Weekend Mass:
Saturday: 6pm
Sunday: 10:30am, 12 Noon

Cuppa after 12pm Mass- 1st Sunday of the Month

Please join us for a cuppa after the Sunday 12pm Mass on the First Sunday of the Month. We gather in the back of the Church.  All are welcome!

Trocaire Lenten Campaign​

Trócaire Boxes are available from this weekend. The work of Trócaire worldwide is one of the really positive features of the Irish Church and a lovely way to be linked as a family with its very significant work. Please consider entering into the spirit of Lent in support of people in greatest need through this invitation to share in the work of Trócaire with your family. 
Click on the blue buttons below for more information

Child Safeguarding Newsletter February 2025

DUBLIN DIOCESAN JUBILEE YEAR PILGRIMAGE​

Canon John Flaherty, writing from Lourdes on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, sends greetings and
“Some early details of our 2025 Jubilee Year Pilgrimage: The dates are 4th to 9th September 2025, led by Archbishop Farrell. The Pilgrimage is a fully escorted tour including: direct return flight from Dublin to Lourdes, airport transfers and assistance between Lourdes Airport and the hotels, five nights’ accommodation, meals, 20kg check-in luggage plus one small personal item in the cabin and full services of Joe Walsh Tours guides and representatives throughout.FURTHER INFORMATION [email protected] or phone : 01 241 0800.

About 100 Sick or Assisted Pilgrims will form a very important section of our Pilgrimage. Accueil Notre Dame, the special place of welcome for the Sick located in the Shrine opposite the Grotto, will house our Sick Pilgrims. A dedicated Team of Doctors, Nurses, Chaplains and several hundred Helpers of all ages will travel with us from Dublin to care for our Assisted Pilgrims from their arrival at Dublin Airport, during their time in the Lourdes and until they depart the airport on our return. Enquiries about travelling as a Sick/Assisted Pilgrim should be made to the Pilgrimage Office, 51 Home Farm Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, D09 W5W4. Deirdre Daly, Administrative Secretary,
[email protected] / 01 8087555 or to John Flaherty, [email protected]”

The Jubilee Prayer 

 Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.
Amen<

Synod Prayer​

​We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather in Your name.
with You alone to guide us,
make Yourself at home in our hearts;
 Teach us the way we must go
 and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful;
do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us
 down the wrong path nor partiality
 influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity
 so that we may journey together
 to eternal life and not stray from
 the way of truth and what is right.
All we ask of You,
who are at work in every place and time,
 in the communion of the Father and the Son forever and ever. Amen

Baptism Certificate Request​

Under our GDPR Policy a request for Baptism certs must be accompanied by a completed form either by the adult person requesting his or her own Baptism cert or by the parent requesting a son or daughter’s Baptism certificate.  Parents of children preparing for First Communion and for Confirmation will accordingly need to complete that form when seeking , as is required, their child’s certification of Baptism.  This applies to every parish in the Diocese.

​Updated Parish Privacy Statement 

August 2024 Safeguarding Newsletter