There will be a meeting for the sellers on Tuesday (7th Feb) after the 7pm Mass and the seller’s draw will take place.

The next Grand Draw will take place on Tuesday 21st February. Ticket holders who pay monthly are asked to have their payment made either to their local promoter or to the Parish Office not later than Monday 20th February.

New members may join the draw at any time.

Many thanks to all who have participated or helped in any way with the draw.

RESULT OF GRAND DRAW (January)

First Prize £10,000    - Mrs Mairead Breen, Derrytrasna

Second Prize £2,500 - Mrs Marie McCavigan, Tarry Dr, Lurgan

Third Prize £500        - Mrs R McCarron / E Doran, Melrose Grove, Lurgan

Eight prizes of £250 each:

Seamus Magennis, Derrytresk, Coalisland

Nigel Parks, Mark Street, Lurgan

Catriona Doyle, Hilltown

Goss Family, Newry

Joseph Furphy, Magheralin

Brian Clenaghan, Aghagallon

Mena Kelly, Warrenpoint

Andy Murnin, Glenholme Park, Lurgan

ST. PETER’S PARISH MEMBER’S DRAW

First prize £2000 Margaret Quinn, Knocknagore Rd, Gilford

Second prize £1000 Emer Beattie, Scotland c/o Lavery Avenue

Four prizes of £250 each

Jennifer McCann, Portland Manor, Lurgan

Eileen Toman, Victoria Street Place, Lurgan

Ann Johnston, Rosemount, Lurgan

Declan McCabrey, c/o Grattan Street, Lurgan

Congratulations to all the winners.

Next draw will take place on Tuesday 20^th February

Dear Parishioners,

Fr Mario and I hope everyone had a happy and blessed Christmas. We thank everyone who contributed to the very generous Christmas collection which we received and we wish all our parishioners and everyone who comes to Mass in St. Peter’s a very happy New Year. 

The Re-Opening and Re-Dedication of our church on 6th November was a momentous occasion for our parish. It is a lovely feeling to be ‘back home’ to celebrate Mass and worship God in familiar and prayerful surroundings. St. Peter’s is once again the spiritual centre of our Parish community and its doors are open to welcome people to Mass and the other Sacraments and to pray. Many celebrations will also be family occasions where people come into the presence of Jesus Christ. We are very pleased to welcome Fr Mario, and the Polish people from this area, to be part of our parish community.

It is very satisfying  that, after such extensive refurbishments,   people are pleased with the outcome, and the traditional pride in and affection for St. Peter’s has been renewed and strengthened. Now that the church is re-opened it is very important to revitalise our faith and our love for Jesus Christ in our community. 

At the dedication Mass Bishop McAreavey highlighted what should be a pastoral priority and concern for every parish: the need for ‘faith-development’ or ‘adult faith-development. The Church is facing great challenges at this time. In this context the Bishop said “I believe that genuine renewal and reform can come only from a renewed commitment to Jesus Christ as expressed in prayer and in a radical living of the Gospel”. Without a genuine faith in Jesus Christ the life and work of our parish has little meaning. This is a matter on which I believe we all need to pray and reflect.

In June of this year the 50th International Eucharistic Congress will take place in Dublin. It is intended that every parish will prepare for the Congress by encouraging people to renew their appreciation of the importance and the value of the Eucharist in their lives. I believe the Congress will produce much fruit and will provide the opportunity of renewal for the Church in Ireland. As part of our parish’s preparation for the Congress the Pastoral Council is planning a Parish Mission after Easter. We hope this Mission will be a “Faith-Development” opportunity for every parishioner. 

In our parish many people are involved in the various parish Ministries, Organisations and Groups. All of this is at the service of Jesus Christ and His Church. I would like to express my gratitude and admiration for all those who willingly give of their time and take responsibility for service in our community. 

After so much expenditure for St. Peter’s our parish now has a huge debt. I would like to thank all who support our parish through the weekly collections, by giving donations, organising and attending fund-raising events, contributing to the Mite Box Appeal, by helping with and supporting the Parish Draw and in other ways. This spirit of solidarity and sacrifice is needed and much appreciated. 

In conclusion I would like to thank our parish staff for their very valuable and dedicated service.  

Yours sincerely,                  

Monsignor Aidan Hamill, P.P

Dear Parishioners,

The Re-dedication of St. Peter’s gives us great joy and hope. It is good for us to be “back home” as our splendid church begins another chapter in its history.  We feel very proud of St. Peter’s because its beauty comes, not just from its impressive architecture, but more importantly, from the faith, the love, the hopes, the sacrifices and the goodness of previous generations of parishioners.  In refurbishing St. Peter’s we are honouring those who have gone before us and at the same time looking to the future with faith and trust. It is our heartfelt hope and prayer that St. Peter’s will continue, for generations to come, to be a sacred place where people will hear the Word of God, celebrate the Eucharist and receive the other Sacraments, meet Jesus Christ in prayer, and be inspired to live the Christian faith.

The Re-dedication Mass was a very significant and historic event which involved many people, including representatives of parish and local organisations and groups. On behalf of our parish community and on my own behalf, I would like to express our gratitude to every person who contributed to the preparations for and celebration of the Mass.

We are also appreciative of St. Peter’s GAA Club for putting their superb facilities at our disposal, for the bakers who provided ‘goodies’ in abundance, to Topping’s who donated the beautiful celebration cake, to Tony McCann and his very efficient band of volunteers who did a superb job for the catering, to Arthur Greene for donating the bunting, and Michael Bell and his helpers who put it in place. As usual, our Parish Secretary and Sacristans gave their ever willing service.

We were very pleased to welcome the Principals of our schools, local public representatives, members of the Brownlow Family, leaders of the Protestant community in Lurgan, including Bishop Harold Miller, Church of Ireland, Bishop of Down & Dromore, as our guests.

We thank the Professional Team, led by Mr Paul Monaghan, Architect, the Contractors O’Neill & Brady Ltd, the sub-contractors and every person who worked on the site.

On a personal note I express my very sincere appreciation to the members of the Parish Finance Council, the Parish Pastoral Council and the Parish Fundraising Committee for their advice and support and also to Bishop McAreavey, the Diocesan Chapter and Diocesan Finance Council for their encouragement and approval.

Now we face the enormous challenge of paying off our very large debt and, more importantly, renewing the Faith in our community. When we put our trust in The Lord He never lets us down. Let’s all re-dedicate our lives, as well as our Church, to Him.                                                  

Monsignor Aidan Hamill, P.P.