The government have introduced a forward Resilience and National Recovery Plan to respond to the increasing numbers  of  Covid 19 virus. Dublin city and county have been moved up to level 3 of the government’s plan. This has consequences for businesses and the hospitality industry as well as affecting our worship in church, beginning at midnight Friday 18th. Sept 2020 for a three-week period.

Sadly, that means that places of worship will remain closed from midnight 18/9/2020, except for:

·  Private prayer, weddings, and funerals. 

·  Attendance at wedding liturgies and funerals are limited to 25.    

·  Religious services can be transmitted online with no public presence.Effectively this places Churches in the position they were before the reopening earlier this Summer, or as the situation was in counties Kildare, Offaly and Laois early this month.

Today, we find ourselves in that situation once again and we are called to make painful sacrifice for the common good. 

CELEBRATIONS & RENOVATIONS:

As you are now aware our church, St Mochta’s, will celebrate 130 years of faith and worship in this year of 2020 . To preserve the church building we need to carry out Urgent restoration measures involving repairs to the structure of the building and various works around its environs. The heating system needs to be improved including a new boiler. The stained glass windows need to be secured for their  preservation and  more work will have to be done to secure the building. We hope to embark on major fundraising projects as our  present income is contributed by a small number of parishioners who are registered and have committed to donate through standing orders and the parish envelope collection. This does not cover the annual running costs of the parish.  The shortfall between income and expenditure is presently made up through our own fundraising for example Family Fun Day, Golf Classic, Panto, Winter Songs Concert, etc. The Finance Committee and Pastoral Council are currently examining ways to improve the finances including An Appeal encouraging more parishioners to contribute through standing orders and the envelope collection. During the year we will keep you informed of our plans and we also invite you to suggest ideas in support of the Parish and its funding. Our celebrations have to go ‘on hold’  because of the restrictions in place  attempting to stop the spreading of the Covid 19 killer virus. We will keep you updated on the plans for the fundraising and celebrations.

WEBCAM

When we had to close the church our parishioners had to look elsewhere for the celebration of Mass (including myself). I decided,  with the approval of the  chairpersons of the Parish Council and the Finance Committees, to install  our own WebCam which I proposed to pay for from voluntary sponsorship. I am very heartened by the generosity of the people who have donated to date. If you are in a position to contribute you can send your donation to the Presbytery, cheques payable to ‘St. Mochta’s Church’ marking ‘webcam’ on the envelope, or you can donate via our Donate Button at this link:

St. Mochta’s Church Donate

We would be very grateful of any support you can give and you are as always in our prayer and thoughts during this challenging time.

Every good wish and blessing,

Fr Paul.

St Mochta’s Bethany Bereavement Group are not in a position to hold their regular bereavement support group or one-to-one meetings during Covid 19. They are conscious that there are many bereaved people who need support now and others who will need great support in the coming weeks and months.

If you know someone who is experiencing loss, and could benefit with support from the Group please encourage them to text or call the Bethany Group on +353 86 247 9216, detailing whether a  morning or evening would suit them best and they can arrange a support call for them. 

The group are also arranging an online monthly bereavement support meeting facilitated through Zoom, a communications and meeting application. Anyone who wants to avail of this session should again send a text or call the Bethany mobile number:086 247 9216 and the meeting will be set up for you.

Prayer at time of Bereavement

Lord, you are close to the broken-hearted.

Be with me now in my grief and loneliness.

Give me courage to face loss and not to grieve in silence.

Be with me as I struggle with many different and painful feelings.

Ease the hurt in my heart.

Encircle me in your love.

Help me to believe that one day I will no longer have this deep sorrow.

May I find comfort in sharing my grief with those who understand the strong bonds of love.

Stay with me, Lord, support me.

Help me to know that your power is at work within me as I deal with my grief.

The Parish Office: is business as usual, however, the office will be closed to the public. If you have a query, please phone or email June at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

If you have a query on Baptisms, 1st Holy Communions or Confirmations, please email Mary Greene at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Parish Pastoral Centre is closed and all activities have ceased until further notice.

The Healthcare Authorities announce changes at short notice, so this notice is subject to change regularly. God bless and stay safe everyone.

On the 1st June 1890, the first sod was turned to mark the beginning of the construction of St. Mochta’s Parish Church. In 1890 our parish population was small and intimate when everyone knew everyone. In 2020 we have 6,000 homes and ongoing building that creates a very large parish population.

To mark the Church’s 130 years, we would like to gather and produce a A History of St Mochta’s Church. If you have any stories, photographs or memorabilia that could contribute to build a picture of the faith lives and community of St Mochta’s Church, we would love to hear from you, especially going back to the early years. There is a rich history in 130 years which could bring us many stories of the people who lived, celebrated, supported and worked for the wellbeing of this church and its community.

If you have any material on the history of the church, please contact Fr Paul or Mary Greene, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This is an exciting time for our church and faith community, and we would be grateful of any information you may be able to send our way. Thank you

The Archdiocese of Dublin, as a constituent member of the Catholic Church in Ireland, recognises and upholds the dignity and rights of all children, is committed to ensuring their safety and well-being and will work in partnership with parents/ guardians to do this. The Archdiocese recognises each child as a gift from God, and values and encourages the participation of children in all activities that enhance their spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual and social development.

All diocesan personnel (including clergy, religious, staff, and volunteers) have a responsibility to safeguard children through promoting their welfare, health, and development in a safe and caring environment that supports their best interests and prevents abuse. Please click here for full details at Dublin Diocesan Website.

Every effort is made to try and ensure that children participating in all aspects of parish life are safe and welcome. I encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with the material available to promote best practice in our parish and in our daily lives.