041 / 6854146     Drumconrath Parish Bulletin January 22nd, 2012.         Third Sunday in Ordinary Time         Every time we pick up a newspaper, or turn on the radio or TV, we are confronted with bad news, much of it of a very distressing nature. It leaves us numb and helpless. We are in real danger of being swamped by bad news. Christ came with good news - the good news of the Father's love, acceptance, and forgiveness, which is offered free to all those who desire it and seek it. Let us open our minds and hearts to let it in.               First Reading:         This relates how the preaching of the reluctant Jonah meets with an immediate response in the pagan city of Nineveh.             Second Reading:         Paul asks for an attitude of detachment from the dear, familiar things which tend to absorb us completely.                 Gospel:         Jesus begins to preach and he calls his first disciples .               Masses:       Sunday             Drumconrath  11.15 a.m  - Mary Kirk, Months Memory. Monday            Drumconrath    8.00 p.m Tuesday           Meath Hill         8.00 p.m  -  Dick Burns. Wednesday     Meath Hill          8.00 p.m  -  Jemmy Byrne. Thursday          Drumconrath    9.30 a.m Friday              Drumconrath     8.00 p.m  -  Johnny and Raymond Mooney. Saturday          Drumconrath     8.00 p.m  - Carmel McEntegart and James Myles.         Sunday Choir:  Practice on Thursday at 7.45 p.m             St. Vincent De Paul Society:  If you need help or support, don't hesitate; call SVP on 087 / 2591648 in complete confidence.             Drumconrath Active Retirement Group:  Meeting Thursday 26th January, 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. All Welcome.               Meath Hill G.F.C.: Blotto  03,  06,  15,  26. Three Match three winners - €70.00. Next Jackpot - €10,000.00             Drumconrath G.F.C.: Lotto Numbers  02,  14,  16,  22. Next Jackpot  €8,600.00           Community Games Notices:  Art, Model Making and Handwriting Competition to choose children in each age category to represent us in the County Finals will be held on Saturday 28th January, 2012, 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. in Drumconrath Parish Centre, Age: First Class to Under 16. Please bring your own colouring and model making materials. Paper will be provided.             Cross Country Training  for 1st to 6th Class students starts Monday 23rd January at 3.00 p.m.; meet at Drumconrath Parish Centre. Please wear old runners and tracksuit bottoms. (Training for Secondary School Students will be arranged later.) Please contact any member of the committee if you are interested.           Indoor Soccer  -Well done to the boys and girls who took part in the recent competitions in Gormanstown and Trim.     Badminton - Well done to the U15 team who took part in the competition in Cormeen on Thursday evening.             Junior Pioneers: Our club which is open to all young pioneers from 1st year upwards will recommence shortly. It is essential that those who wish to join for this year are properly registered with consent forms etc. Registration is on this Tuesday night at the Parish Centre between 7.30 and 8.00 pm.               Some More New Year Notices   Church Gate Collections:  Recent notice from the local superintendent indicates that all collections are to be taken up after Mass and at an agreed distance from the church gate.   Parish Finances:  at this stage each parishioner should have received the end of year balance sheet for 2011. You will have seen there that the main projects for the coming year are the completion of the work on Meath Hill church (stained glass gable window) and the refurbishment of the parish house. Figures are not to hand as yet but it seems likely at this stage that we will need between €150k and €200k to complete this work. On our current intake on weekly envelopes there is every reason to hope that we could see this as a four to five year progromme and have all our bills paid by that stage. Crucial to this plan would be that we avoid bank interest and it is with a view to that, that we are launching our appeal for interest free loans from parishioners who feel they can assist in this area. As already mentioned, due to a difficult climate for fund raising we do not intend to organise any major effort as e.g. car draw back in '06, nor are we proposing a once off collection, just now. Obviously this does not preclude any individual, who would wish to be associated with either project from making a personal gift, to the parish for posterity. Already offers have been made in this regard. Lest we be too daunted by what is ahead of us it is worth reminding parishioners that on the greeting card to for Christmas 2006, it was stated quite clearly that parishioners were to be-thanked for boosting the parish finances in that year by a  staggering  €300k.