The Pope John Paul II Award recognizes young people’s commitment to faith and community. The award enables participants to take an active part in the life of their church, of their community and society. It also enables young people become more aware of the teaching and role of the church and to engage at a deep level with the person of Christ. The award is committed to helping young people enhance their spiritual, physical, emotional and social development through participation in school, parish, and community activities. For more information, contact the parish office.

The Legion of Mary is a lay apostolic association of Catholics who, with the sanction of the Church, and under the powerful leadership of Mary, the mother of God, serve the Church and serve their neighbour on a voluntary basis in about 170 countries worldwide. The object of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and by active participation in Mary’s and the Church’s work.

The mission of the Pioneer Total abstinence Association is to address the problems in society caused by excess alcohol consumption and drug usage. The association does this through faith, prayer and self-denial as well as promoting activities which present a positive alternative to drink and drugs especially to young people. Members commit to abstaining from alcohol, to wearing the Pioneer pin and to saying the Heroic Offering prayer twice daily. If you would like to find out more about the work or becoming a member, please make contact through the Parish Office.

The SVP is a voluntary, Christian organisation working with people experiencing poverty and disadvantage. Inspired by our principal founder, Frederic Ozanam, and our patron, St Vincent de Paul, we seek to respond to the call every Christian receives to bring the love of Christ to those in need: ”I was hungry, and you gave me food’ (Matthew 25). No work of charity is foreign to the Society which is the biggest charitable organisation in Ireland and is involved in a wide range of activities characterized by support and friendship, promoting self-sufficiency and working for social justice. Each of the three churches within the parish has a volunteer group. New members are always welcome and sorely needed and you can make contact with the SVP through the parish office.

Flower arranging is a talent offered to God. By keeping the Altar of the Lord beautiful, flowers remind us of the beauty of God’s created world, our dependence on him and our gratitude to Him.

Church cleaners are a gift to the Church and to the community. God’s House should be a place of prayer, reverence and beauty. By keeping the Church clean and tending to the fabric of the building, Church cleaners play an important role in maintaining the dignity of our place of worship.

Eucharistic ministers are an essential part of our parish mission to bring the Lord to people who cannot leave their homes to come to him. The elderly and the sick look forward to the weekly visit of the Eucharistic Minister, to receive Holy communion, and to renew their connection with the parish community. By their prayers the sick and the housebound enrich us. ‘Come, let us worship’… people are invited to pray quietly before the Blessed Sacrament especially when the Sacrament is exposed in each of our churches. Times of exposition are on the website and in the bulletins and we aim to never leave the Sacrament unattended.

Saint Joseph’s Young Priests’ society is a group of lay people in the parish who come together to pray for vocations to the Priesthood and to support by their efforts those studying for a life of service to the Lord.

The Parish Baptismal Group are teams of lay parishioners who help families prepare for the baptism of their child by meeting with them either in the church before the sacrament or in their homes. If you are interested in volunteering for this important ministry, please contact Kathryn Ellis through the Parish Office.

The Bethany Bereavement Group is a voluntary parish-based service which aims to help and support bereaved adults in their journey through grief and loss. A monthly Mass is celebrated in each of the three churches with refreshments and a ‘listening ear’ for those recently bereaved.

The parish’s Bible Study Group uses the popular DVD bible course by Jeff Cavins as well as a presentation prepared by the Catholic Truth Society. The Bible Group usually meet in the Kildare Room, beside the parochial house at St Brigid’s Carnhill on Thursday evenings. There is also an informal reflection on the up-coming Sunday readings – with a cup of tea – directly following the 10:30am Mass every Tuesday in St Joseph’s, Galliagh. Those interested in sacramental preparation and faith formation for non-Catholics, leading to full communion with the Catholic church, which is offered on an individual basis, can find out more by contacting Lida at the parish office.

The Cursillo Movement is an international evangelical movement composed of lay people from all walks of life. The members organize 3-day Cursillos (short courses in Christianity). After the weekend introduction, and supported by ongoing faith formation and worship, the Cursillistas are encouraged to Christianize wherever they find themselves and whoever they come in contact with. The Cursillo representative in the parish is Martin Gallagher and he can be contacted at the parish office.

Children of Primary 1 to Primary 4 are invited to participate in the Childrens’ Liturgy which takes place every Sunday during the 9.45am MAss in St Patrick's Church, Pennyburn, the 10.30am Mass in St Brigid's Church, Carnhill and the 11.00am Mass in St Joseph’s Church, Galliagh. In addition the ‘Do This In Memory Of Me’ programme runs in each Church once a month from September to May.

The parish youth ministry team facilitates the development of the Faith among teenagers.

The Ministry of the Word is an important service to the parish. Lay or ordained, we are all called to proclaim the word of God in our lives . Readers at Mass help all of us to focus on the living word of God in scripture.

Saint Augustine once said ‘He who sings, prays twice’. Music is the language of the spirit and hugely enriches our worship. If you can play an instrument or can singour Parish needs you and would greatly appreciate your help. Please contact the parish office and leave your name and contact details with the secretary.

Our parish is the largest parish in the whole diocese of Derry with a population of over 30,000. New housing developments along the Skeogue Road will see that population increase and the demands on our parish grow even greater. The weekly collection taken up at Masses in the parish are a vital source of income to enable the parish to continue to serve the people. If you are a tax-payer, you can increase the value of the amount you donate each week by signing a GiftAid form. Please do this by contacting the parish office and signing the form. Please use the parish collection envelopes labelled ‘My Giving to God and His Church’.

The Apostolic Work group is a group of lay people in the parish who promote mission awareness and raise funds for the missions overseas.

Life begins at conception and develops throughout a mother’s pregnancy. Christians acknowledge Almighty God as the Lord and Giver of Life. Human life, from its beginnings to its natural end is sacred and precious. Never before has the right to life been under such threat both from abortion and euthanasia.

Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament for the protection of Unborn Life in Ireland takes place in Our Lady’s Chapel, Galliagh on Thursdays from 7-8pm.

The aim of the Care for Creation group in the Parish of the Three Patrons is to embed the message of Pope Francis’s Laudato Si encyclical in the life of the parish. The core of the Pope’s letter is a reminder that care for the Earth, which he calls our common home, is a central part of our Christian vocation. Caring for creation is also caring for those worst affected by the storms, floods, droughts and so on which are the result of climate change; in caring for creation we are caring for the poor. So the vision of our group is both environmental and a work of social justice. We try to raise awareness of this dimension of our faith through regular eco tips in the weekly parish newsletter, especially during Advent and Lent, as well as the Season of Creation in September. At these times we include care for creation in the Prayers of the Faithful during the Sunday Masses. We also distribute creation- themed display materials for use in our parish schools. Active projects so far have consisted of the planting of native trees and pollinator-friendly flowers in the church grounds of St. Joseph’s and St. Brigid’s. We are a small group, but with more people we can look forward to being able extend our range of activities: new members are very welcome. Contact the Parish Office for more details.