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GOOD NEWS
We rejoice that we may begin again after four months of empty churches at times of Mass and of religious ceremonies to welcome a congregation of 50 persons. Please God we can all do so safely and that the road to social recovery will be more secure than it was before Christmas.
From May 10th, Monday week, we will resume normal Mass times. That means that daily Masses will be at 7.30am (Mon to Fri) and 10am (Mon to Sat), with weekend Masses on Sat at 6pm (vigil) and on Sunday morning at 9am, 10.30am and 12 noon. In planning the coming weeks, our first thoughts will be with the young people in 6th class anticipating the celebration of Confirmation. We would see it as important to facilitate their celebrations before they leave Primary School. We were delighted to have opportunity to celebrate their enrolment as candidates on Thursday last and hope that they themselves and their families found it helpful. When Confirmation days have been scheduled, we will work on possible days for the celebration of Baptism, aware that there are many parents awaiting the opportunity to have a baby baptised. There are a number of weddings planned also in the coming months. We will await direction from the diocese in respect of the celebration of sacraments and we cannot be sure at this stage that first Communion celebrations will be possible before the summer break. It may be necessary to focus on September instead. Beginning next week, May 10th, a long-awaited project to introduce LED lighting in the church will begin and we anticipate it as a three-week undertaking. It should improve the light in the body of the church but also reduce the cost of lighting significantly for us into the future. There is a time factor involved if we are to avail of a partial grant for which successful application was made. It is a first step in a number of undertakings to refurbish the church. As we return to the position where up to 50 people may attend Mass we do so with caution and ask everybody to exercise vigilance. The appalling state of affairs in India, which is home to 18% of the world’s population is a sobering reminder that this virus and its increasingly dangerous variants is a global threat and will remain so for a long time. We ask everyone to wear a mask, keep 2 metres distance from others unless they are from under the same home roof, to avail of the sanitizer and respect the rules of movement when attending the church as a congregation.
Dear Parishioners,
The Parish Office is closed to the public for the time being. Because of the current seriousness of concern for public health, we have decided to close the parish office to the public for the time being. However, parishioners are invited to leave a message on the phone (01 6683316 or 01 6683894) or to contact Fr John (01 6684265/0876294325) or Fr Cormac (01 6686845) for any services required. Phone messages to the parish office will be checked daily and responded to. We are happy to facilitate the booking of Masses, the provision of Baptism application forms and Statement of Freedom Forms for those planning a marriage in the coming months, the procurement of Certificates, or of items from the shop such as Mass cards, or the weekly editions of the Tablet or the monthly magazines such as Reality and Messenger. We can arrange the safe collection of items as needed and should a payment be involved it can be made appropriately by dropping an envelope through the parish office letter box. Newspapers like the Irish Catholic are at the back of the Church but should not be handled unless purchased and taken home. We encourage your support of the Catholic Press at a very difficult time for it. For those in preparation for marriage it is best that they contact Fr John or Fr Cormac directly to arrange appropriate meetings.
Sacramental PreparationWhen the announcement of 50 persons to be allowed in church was made our immediate thoughts were with the young people preparing for Confirmation and those, too, who missed out last year on their first celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Would it be possible to see those celebrations through before the young people in 6th class, particularly, leave primary school at the end of June? The answer is ‘not yet’. If matters improve the Government and its advisors may see a possibility in June but there’s no guarantee. First Communion celebrations will not take place now until Autumn but whenever the restriction on sacramental celebrations is lifted the priority attention will be given to Confirmation candidates and to those awaiting First Reconciliation celebrations since last year. We hope also that by September we will somehow be able to continue a programme of preparation towards the sacraments for children not attending a Catholic school. Their two year programme towards each sacrament was curtailed necessarily under Covid restrictions this year.
We celebrated a webcam commitment ceremony with Confirmation candidates last week and we hope to continue in a link between candidates, parents and the parish in coming weeks, preparing now so that whenever the opportunity comes we will be ready.
A Diocesan Video Link Programme with Confirmation families.
The diocese is currently inviting parish participation in a zoom and video link (30 mins duration per session) with parents and candidates over three sessions. In relation to that programme, entitled ‘Walking with Families’, 3 volunteers from a parish are asked to engage in a preparation. Two volunteers will be trained as facilitators for these zoom sessions and a third will be trained to technically support the zoom sessions. Training sessions for volunteers begin this coming Thurs, May 13th (5pm or 7.30pm), or on Monday May 17th (5pm or 7.30pm). The next session for the second step of the programme will be on the use of zoom and will be on Thurs, May 20th (5pm or 7.30pm) and then following a practice run at local level, the final training session will be on Mon 31st May or on Thurs June 3rd (both evenings again offering 5pm or 7.30pm). It is necessary for us to register the three volunteers so that they can indicate time preferences and be invited into the zoom training sessions. Word of this programme came today, Thursday May 6th, so time is very short. But should a parishioner like to get involved in this programme please let Fr John or Fr Cormac know. Meanwhile we’ll be on the look out ourselves to see if we can locate interested volunteers and if the programme is possible for our parish.
We are currently inviting parents in both Scoil Mhuire and Star of the Sea Schools to register a boy or girl in 2nd class who may wish to celebrate First Communion this year. It’s important to note that the child should be baptised in the Catholic Church and a copy presented of the child’s baptism certificate. It is out of respect for another Christian tradition in which a child may have been baptised that this principle is upheld just as it would cause offence to us as a Church if a baptised Catholic child were to receive sacraments in another Church tradition without prior consultation and understanding. If you’re sure that the child was baptised in Star of the Sea Parish, it will be sufficient to share the date of birth with us and possibly an indication in that case of when baptism took place. We’ll then trace the detail ourselves in the parish office. Some parents registered before Easter and others are still doing so. When the list is complete we will be in further touch with parents. It is diocesan policy now that children who wish to celebrate the sacraments must register with the parish. It is not enough to presume registration on the basis of school attendance.
We are very grateful indeed to the teachers in our schools who teach the ‘Grow in Love Programme’ to the children and thereby, as well as by their personal witness of faith, play such an important part in the children’s faith development and preparation for the sacraments.
Well Deserved
Many of our parishioners over the years have merited a ‘well done’ accolade. We are in debt to all who voluntarily commit themselves to serve the parish community in a host of different ways.
When Paddy Kavanagh reluctantly, and with doctor’s direction, reached a time to ‘step back,’ it brought to a close a service which Paddy had given over a span of seventy years. Apart from a short time spent outside his parish, Paddy was altar server, church collector, assistant sacristan and latterly assisted at every Baptism in the parish. Anxious to mark his long years of service the pastoral council decided to petition the Benemerenti Medal for him. Bob Harewood has been our wonderful sacristan since the death of a great servant of the parish, Margaret O’Doherty, nine years ago but over many years, like Paddy, he has been consistently present to help, counting and banking Sunday collections and ready to stand in whenever and wherever there was a need. We greatly appreciate Bob’s great commitment to the parish in a totally voluntary capacity with kindly cheerful disposition. We readily sought that he also should be honoured with the Benemerenti Medal. It’s a Pontifical medal requested by the Archbishop on behalf of each recipient and a limited number are awarded yearly. We are delighted that both Bob and Paddy have been honoured and were presented with Benemerenti Medals at the end of the 12 o’clock Mass on Sunday, 9th June. 
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.
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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 1851 to meet the needs of a growing population in Sandymount – Irishtown. The foundation stone of a new church was laid in that year and in August 1853 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 P.P 
Mass and Confession Times:
Sunday
9:00 a.m. 10.30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Weekday 7:30.a.m. 10.00 a.m. Saturdays: 10.00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Vigil First Fridays: 10.00 a.m. Confessions Saturdays: After 10.00 a.m Mass (Suspended for now due to Covid Restrictions) And at 5.30 p.m (Suspended for now due to Covid Restrictions) Open Hours: Weekdays: 7:15am to 5:30pm Saturday: 9:15am to 7:00pm Sunday: 8:45am to 7:00pm Sacrament of Marriage: Please contact the Parish Office at 668-3316. 
Funerals
Funerals are still to be considered as private family events during this pandemic. The maximum number allowed in the church is 50 persons and any gathering outside the church is to be discouraged. The gathering at funerals remains a significant risk and we’re asked to take every precaution.
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Welcoming the Next Step
This Monday we will resume with the celebration of the weekday Masses attended by up to 50 persons at 7.30am (Mon to Fri) and 10am (Mon to Sat).
Then next weekend we will also welcome up to 50 persons at each of four weekend Masses; Sat 6pm, Sun 9am, 10.30am and 12 noon. After this lengthy period since Christmas Day when nobody could attend Mass, apart from 10 persons at a funeral or wedding, it will be a great joy to see a small congregation regularly attending Mass in our church. Not only is it a welcome step for the faithful who have missed all that the gathering for the celebration of the Eucharist means to them but an important indicator that we may be making significant headway in the battle against the corona virus. We thank all who have given their best efforts to following the HSE and Government guidelines in these months but also those who have enabled emergence of vaccines and their distribution thus far that have given us hope in the face of this deadly virus. Our hearts go out to all the families affected by what is now more than 7,000 deaths on this island because of Covid and as the threat is ongoing, though mitigated somewhat, by vaccines, we still ask all to keep with the discipline asked of us. Keep 2 metres distance unless you’re with people who live under the same roof with you, wash hands regularly, use the sanitizer when entering or leaving a building like the church, wear a mask and in the church use only those seats that are permitted and follow the established directions of movement especially at communion time. Appreciate too the importance of separate entrance and exit doors when we gather. Although you may have been fully vaccinated there is still a chance that you could be a victim of Covid or that you could be a carrier, unknown to yourself. So please keep with the advice given by those who know best.
Sacramental Preparation
When the announcement of 50 persons to be allowed in church was made our immediate thoughts were with the young people preparing for Confirmation and those, too, who missed out last year on their first celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Would it be possible to see those celebrations through before the young people in 6th class, particularly, leave primary school at the end of June? The answer is ‘not yet’. If matters improve the Government and its advisors may see a possibility in June but there’s no guarantee. First Communion celebrations will not take place now until Autumn but whenever the restriction on sacramental celebrations is lifted the priority attention will be given to Confirmation candidates and to those awaiting First Reconciliation celebrations since last year. We hope also that by September we will somehow be able to continue a programme of preparation towards the sacraments for children not attending a Catholic school. Their two year programme towards each sacrament was curtailed necessarily under Covid restrictions this year.
We celebrated a webcam commitment ceremony with Confirmation candidates last week and we hope to continue in a link between candidates, parents and the parish in coming weeks, preparing now so that whenever the opportunity comes we will be ready.
The ‘Flourish’ RSE Programme
Parents should also be aware that the Bishops have approved and published a resource programme for all Catholic Primary Schools, outlining the RSE (Relationship and Sex Education) component of the Primary School SPHE programme. You can view the programme entitled ‘Flourish’ and its outline of classes from junior infants to 6th class on the CPSMA (Catholic Primary School Managers Association) website. The ethos of a Catholic School is protected in law and the Flourish programme upholds that ethos while delivering the RSE programme. It is the prescribed RSE programme for all Catholic Schools both in the Republic and in Northern Ireland and has emerged through consultation over a long time with principals, teachers and parents of Catholic schools.
Young Peoples’ Corner
Calling all teenagers! Join us for an evening of games, music, workshop, chats andprayer. Faithfest will take place 21 May from 6:30 – 8:30 online. You can register online using this link: https://forms.office.com/r/ZRLPXhUvSP Registration closes on next Thursday the 13th May at 5pm. For more information email: st.pauls@dublindiocese.ie
Three Week Series on Prayer on Wednesdays from 6pm to 7pm forteenagers. Expect some fun, exploring of faith and life, small group discussions, some top class games, and prayer. To register for this youth group you will need to complete the online parental consent form with your parents by clicking here: https://forms.gle/2uGwM3jnLM1Mwyeu5 Join the Young Church Dublin for Pray in May. We will meet every Wednesdayin May from 8-9pm for fellowship and to pray the rosary together as a community. It provides an opportunity to connect in with other young adults in a community of faith. For more information, please email: kirsten.mahon@dublindiocese.ie
Celebration of Baptism
We regret that for the time being under Government direction we are unable to hold Baptism celebrations in the Church. As you know in recent months we have celebrated Baptism with families one at a time and within HSE guidelines. We thank all who were so cooperative in doing so and hope that it won’t be long before the celebration of Baptism may resume.
There may be a Primary School Teacher in our community who would like to be involved in the classes for children attending St Matthew's School and preparing for First Penance, First Communion and Confirmation. Classes are held on Thursdays, from around 3.45 to 5.15. If so, please contact the Parish Office or Fr John.
A Jesuit Publication for your homeWhy not have a look at one issue. You might find it’s like a spiritual “Readers Digest”. There’s something for everyone: chatty articles, accessible theology, out-loud thinking on spiritual questions and serious issues, comforting news, art appreciation, a kid’s page (with puzzles and jokes) gardening hints, seasonal recipes and a challenging crossword.
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General Data Protection Regulation
The new European Data Protection law, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), is being introduced on 25th May 2018. This new law applies to any organisation, including our parish that manages and processes people’s personal information. We are now working on ways of ensuring that what we do with your information is compliant with this new law. It is a work in progress and over the next few months we will keep you informed through the parish website and in the newsletter as policies are put in place. Click on the Button below to view the Parish Data Privacy Notice: