Parish Newsletter – Sunday 7th December 2025. 2nd Sunday of Advent.
Church of the Immaculate Conception,
Glin, Co. Limerick.
Fr. Liam Enright: 087-7415603. Fr. Francesco Okonkwo: 087-7151260
Sacristan Michael Fennell: 087-9828711
Diocese of Limerick Website: www.limerickdiocese.org
Eucharistic Ministers: Sunday 7th December: Mary Hogan, Grace Fitzgerald
Sunday 14th December: Marie Shine, Marie McKenna
Readers: Sunday 7th December: Eufrocina Clemente. Sunday 14th December: Seán Flanagan.
Monday 8th December, Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Mass at 11:00am
Local Notes: if you would like to have a note placed in this section of the paper, please contact GlinNotes@gmail.com no later than 7:00 pm Sunday evening.
Glin Defibrillator: Emergency Number 068 59590. Please save the Glin defibrillator number to your mobile and/or near your landline. In the case of an emergency, call the number, give your location and a defibrillator will be brought to you by a trained responder. Please share with your family and friends within Glin.
Baptisms & Anniversary Masses: can be booked in the Sacristy.
Funerals: All funerals arrangements can be directed to the following: Fr. Enright or Fr. Francesco.
Weddings: Pastoral Area Secretary Ann Dore, Foynes on (069) 65561 during office hours: Wednesday: 10a.m. to 1p.m., & 2p.m to 5p.m. Thursday & Friday: 9a.m. to 1p.m. & 2p.m. to 5p.m.
Mass Cards: Signed Mass Cards for the deceased are available at Glin Church. Please enquire from our Sacristan Michael after any of the Masses.
Anniversary Masses: Sunday 7th December: Mary Hartigan 1st anniversary. Mary Normoyle & family late of Glin Lodge. Margaret Finn & family late of Creagh Street. Nell & Tim Mulvihill late of Killarney & deceased members of the Mulvihill family. Deceased members of the Culhane & Carr families and Fr Kevin & Pat O Kane. Elizabeth & Bill Lynch late of Ballinamuddaugh. Jack & Mary Connolly and Sally Egan nee Connolly and Sr. Josephine Culhane. Pakie & Mai Geoghegan late of Main Street and Mary Stack nee Geoghegan, Bernadette Behnke nee Geoghegan and Bridie Dore.
Sunday 14th Decembr: Patrick & Tess Stack, daughters Margaret Stack and Mary O Rourke. Peg Wallace late of Kinnard. Patrick & Eileen Dalton late of Glengragra. Josie & Michael Fitzgerald late of Half way, Killacolla. Mary O Brien lateof London. Jimmy & Mary Shanahan late of Clounlehard.
Glin Whist Drive Results: Ladies: Marie Benn, Julia Ryan. Gents: Margaret Reidy, John McMahon. Longest at the Table: Margaret Hennessy. Lowest Score: Margaret Hennessy. Raffle: Josette O Donnell, Marie McKenna, Margaret Hennesy, Sibeál Corcoran.
Ballyguiltenane N.S. 150th Anniversary Meeting: An open meeting will be held on Tuesday 9th December at 8.00pm to plan the celebrations for Ballyguiltenane National School’s 150th Anniversary. All past pupils, parents and staff (past and present), and members of the local community are warmly invited to attend. Your ideas and help will be greatly appreciated as we prepare to mark this special milestone in the school’s history.
Glin Library: Every Tuesday 11:30 Community Singing. Alternate Wednesdays 10:30 Craft Club.
Every Thursday 2:30 Scrabble for all. No booking is needed for any of these. All welcome.
Open Tues-Fri 10-1 & 2-5. 068 26910.
New Business: Huge congratulations to Rachel Adams on opening her fabulous café. We wish you every success with your new venture.
New Business in Glin: Hazel O Donovan has just set up Ardú Physiotherapy, a local physiotherapy clinic in Glin, which offer both in-person and online physiotherapy appointments, and people can easily book online through the website. For anyone who needs an appointment outside our online booking slots, they’re welcome to message me directly.www.arduphysio.com. 087 635 1094. contact@arduphysio.com. Well done Hazel and best of luck with your new business.
St Fergus National School: Congratulations to the pupils from 4th to 6th classes who took part in the TLC Christmas Tree Competition and won 1st and 2nd place. And thank you to the teachers in these classes, Mrs Healy and Ms Holland, who took some of the pupils after school to accept the prizes. Well done to everyone involved.
Congratulations: Huge congratulations to Glin Emmets’ Laura Healy who has been selected for this year’s U16B Limerick County Football Team. Well done Laura and we hope you have a great season ahead.
St Fergus National School Nativity and Carol Service: was held in the Church of the Immaculate Conception last Wednesday. It was a wonderful occasion for pupils and staff. Thank you to everyone who came to see the shows. It was lovely to see the Church filled with smiling happy people. Thank you to Fr. Enright and Fr. Francesco for taking the time out of their busy schedules to join in the occasion. A special mention to Sacristan Michael Fennell and the Pastoral Committee for having the Church looking so well. Also thank you to Eddie Mulvihill who is always on hand to help with the sound.
Cancer Fundraiser: Please show your support for 3rd year student & Glin lad Tommy Sheehan, who is raising awareness for cancer. On 12th December, Tommy will be picking up his shaving shears and giving buzz cuts to 13 teachers and students from Tarbert Comprehensive School who have bravely volunteered to say goodbye to their hair!!! You can support this fantastic cause by donating using the link below. All money raised goes to The Mid-Western Cancer Foundation.
Show your support here https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/tommysheehan1
Leaving Certificate Grinds: Experienced Leaving Certificate Maths, Physics & Applied Maths Grinds tutor based in Glin. Improve your math skills with personalized grinds, available for both Junior and Leaving Certificate levels. I offer tailored one-on-one sessions focused on building confidence and achieving your best results. Whether you need help with complex topics or exam-specific strategies, I can provide the support you need. Qualification: First class Honours Masters Physics & Mathematics Maynooth University 2025. Contact details: Ciaran MacNamara (083) 065 2597
SEASON’S GREATEST FROM GLIN CHRISTMAS CARDS: On sale now at Glin Pharmacy, Hogans Shop and McNamara’s shop. €3 each. All proceeds go towards Feeding the native Irish red squirrels up the Knights Walk, Glin.
Podiatry and Footcare: Next clinic Friday 19th December in Cloverfield Day Care Centre. New appointments welcome. To book appointment, text only to: 087-1689097.
www.Glin.info – Your go to source for all things Glin! Find everything you need with just a click. Visit the page and share with others!
Dates for Your Diary: Sacrament of Confirmation: Tuesday 3rd March at 10:00am.
First Holy Communion: Friday 1st May 2026 at 11:00am
The Near Arrival of Advent—What It Means and Why It Matters
The eve of Advent has a quiet electricity to it. The Church stands right at the threshold of a new liturgical year, but instead of noise and fireworks, it begins with something far stranger and more demanding: waiting. Not passive waiting—the kind that wastes time—but alert, expectant, highly conscious waiting. Advent trains the heart to anticipate the arrival of God in a world that often forgets Him.
The season reaches back to Israel’s longing for the Messiah and reaches forward toward Christ’s second coming. That tension—between what has already happened and what we still await—creates a spiritual pressure that reshapes a believer’s outlook. It pushes against our modern impatience, the habit of wanting instant reassurance, quick pleasure, or immediate answers. Advent challenges that by insisting on preparation instead of distraction.
The symbolism is deliberate. The wreath forms a circle, hinting at eternity. The candles interrupt the darkness slowly, one flame at a time. The purple tones call for reflection, humility, and conversion. The rose candle interrupts with a burst of joy when the waiting begins to feel heavy. Every element is engineered to remind a Christian that the world is not as bleak as it looks. Light is on the way; the promise stands firm.
Advent doesn’t flatter or console; it trains. It pushes one to become alert, disciplined, and receptive to grace. At its core, the season is an invitation to rediscover the astonishment of God choosing to enter human history, not with spectacle, but with a fragile cry in Bethlehem.
As Advent begins, the most fruitful response is simple: slow down, notice the dark, then look deliberately for the first flicker of light. The season is short, but its impact can be long-reaching. The more fully one embraces this disciplined anticipation, the more deeply Christmas becomes a revelation rather than a routine.
Parish Newsletter: If you would like any notice to be in this Church Newsletter, please email: office@stfergusns.ie by Thursday of each week.
