21st August, 2022

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Sat 20th & Sun 21st August 2022  

Volume 22.  Number 33

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ADAMSTOWN LOTTO

The next draw in the Adamstown Lotto takes place this Monday 22nd August in the Community Centre for a massive Jackpot of €14,800. Do buy a ticket and be in with a chance – well worth a €2 ticket.

COVID BOOSTER VACCINES IN ADAMSTOWN PHARMACY

The HSE are now rolling out 2nd booster vaccines to the under 65’s.

From Mon 15th August aged 60 and over are eligible

From Mon 22nd August aged 55 and over are eligible

From Mon 29th August aged 50 and over are eligible

As ever people can book an appointment by ringing

053 9240460 or 053 9240454

We will be vaccinating every Wednesday at a minimum.

OUR LADY’S ISLAND PILGRIMAGE 2022

Our Lady’s Island pilgrimage continues with Mass each

weekday at 3pm & 8pm. This Sunday of the season, the focus is traditionally on healing and the speaker this year will be Director of Pilgrimage Fr. Jim Cogley. On Sunday August 28th there will be a focus on Mental Health with Nick Popplewell speaking. On Sunday September 4th the focus will be on homelessness and the speaker will be the very well known campaigner for the homeless Fr. Peter McVerry.

The closing Mass and candlelight procession will take place on Thursday, September 8th.

A SMILE  – ”BOYS WILL BE BOYS”

Two little boys stole a load of apples from a neighbour’s apple tree. They decided to go to a quiet place to share the lot equally.

One of them suggested the nearby cemetery. As they were jumping over the gate to enter the cemetery, they dropped two apples, but they didn’t bother to pick them up since they had enough. A few minutes later, a drunk, on his way from a nearby bar, passed near the cemetery gate & heard a voice saying: “One for me, one for you. One for me, one for you. One or me, one for you”

He immediately sobered up and ran as fast as he could to a nearby church for the priest. “Father, please come with me. Come and witness God & Satan sharing corpses at the cemetery.” They both ran back to the cemetery gate and the voice continued. “One for me, one for you. One for me, one for you, One for me, one for you”. Suddenly, the voice stopped counting and said “What about the two at the gate? You’ve never seen two people running so fast!

ADAMSTOWN TIDY TOWNS NOTICE

We would like to thank Wexford Co. Council for the planting grant 2022. Six Cherry trees have been planted on the Barrack’s Rd adjacent to the village stone.

EULOGY READ AT TOM WALSH’S FUNERAL MASS

19th July 2022 – Read by his son Charlie

Tom Walsh was born in 1941 to Charlie & Mary Walsh, the second of three children. Tom’s father, Charlie, passed away when he was 14, which placed a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of Tom and his siblings, Kitty and Richie. Together, they grew up fast and kept the farm going alongside their mother Mary, who lived in Coonogue until 1980.  In 1967, Tom met the love of his life, Ann, at a dance here in Adamstown. They were married on 17th October 1970 and celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary last year. I was the first child to arrive in 1971, and there were other bundles of joy to follow in the shape of my sisters Linda and Ruth. We had a great childhood. Tom and Ann kept things simple, with no extravagance. They were a great partnership and taught us the value of getting what we needed over what we wanted. On top of their three children, Tom and Ann have also been blessed with seven grandchildren, the youngest of whom will be christened in this church in a few weeks time. Tom’s vocation was farming. Like many farms of the time, we had a bit of everything in Coonogue. Cows, dry beef, sheep and pigs were all kept at various stages, before Tom decided to concentrate on tillage in the early 80’s. The main crops were malting barley, wheat, oats and sugar beet, and sometimes, peas and oilseed rape were also grown. Tom was happiest on the combine harvester, in the heart of the action. Upon his retirement from farming, he graduated to vintage ploughing and machinery, as a hobby. Away from the farm, Tom had plenty of pastimes. He loved card games and various sports, particularly GAA. He would spend countless Sundays travelling to club and county fixtures, and also enjoyed taking in a game on TV. Tom was a GAA purist and had one complaint about modern hurling and football – too much hand passing and sideways play! He’s not alone on that one. It’s impossible to speak about Tom without noting his and Ann’s love of animals. Coonogue operates an open-door policy for pets, and has been home to cats, dogs, horses, donkeys and more. It’s safe to say no animal that came to Coonogue ever regretted it. Tom will be particularly missed by his 14-year old Jack Russell, Sparky, who never strayed far from his side, even travelling with Tom on journeys in the jeep. As a character, Tom was easygoing, generous, and funny. He enjoyed every family occasion, and was immensely proud of his children and growing set of grandchildren. He liked a joke, and loved nothing more than discussing the old stories with lifelong friends. Even as his health deteriorated, Tom never complained. He was grateful to have led a full life and routinely told us how delighted he was to have reached and surpassed the 80-year milestone. Above all else, he cherished the love and support of Ann, who went to great lengths to ensure that most of his final days were spent at home. In life, Tom was a much-loved brother, father and grandfather. It was most certainly a life well-lived.  

Thank you, Charlie Walsh & family, Coonogue

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 20th – John, Bridie, Nicholas, Sr. Eleanor Whelan, Kellystown (A)

Sun 21st – Padraigh & Susan O’Gorman, Kellystown (A)

Sat 27th – Jim and Nora McGee, The Leap (A)

Sun 28th – Pat Power, The Leap (A)

And           Richard Furlong, Coonogue (Month’s Mind)

May they rest in peace.

Morning Mass every week morning at 9.30am

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Thursday from 10.00am – 11.00am for the month of August.

“LITTLE NELLIE OF HOLY GOD” –

The toddler who inspired a Pope.

Did you have your Communion at age 7? If so did you know that a little Irish girl is the reason you did, and that same Irish child may well be Ireland’s next saint?

Little Nellie – Ellen Organ was born in Waterford in1903 but moved to Spike Island with her soldier father and family when he was stationed on Spike Island. She displayed a precocious spiritual awareness as soon as she could speak, constantly displaying her religious knowledge and spiritual passion and she would constantly talk about seeing “Holy God”. When her mother tragically died of TB, Ellen was taken into the care of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd convent in Sunday’s Well, Cork. Here the sisters spotted her religious understanding, which was well beyond her years and were devastated to learn that this pious child had contracted TB, the same disease that claimed her mother’s life. Despite her affliction her devotion grew and Ellen would begin to describe visions and conversations with God and Jesus. In spite of her illness she was always said to be in good spirits and her positivity both inspired and upset the sisters. She began to express her wish to receive her First Holy Communion. At the time children received first Holy Communion at the age of 12. It was unheard of that a child of 4 would receive First Holy Communion. At the age of 5 her wish came through when the local Bishop, who despite there being no precedent was utterly convinced that Ellen was ready to receive Holy Communion. She remains the youngest ever-recorded recipient of Holy Communion. She died on February 2nd 1908 and was buried in her Holy Communion dress at St. Joseph’s cemetery in Cork, but at the sisters wishes her was moved to the Good Shepherd’s cemetery where she spent her last days. On exhuming her body one year after her burial the priest and two men present reported she was found to be completely in-corrupt, unchanged in appearance, as if she had been buried the day before.  The story of the Irish child would reach Pope X in Rome soon after her death, and the Pope had in private contemplation been considering lowering the age of Communion for children from 12. On hearing of her story he exclaimed, “this is the sign I have been waiting for”, and at what he saw as a direction from God duly lowered the age of Communion for all Catholics from 12 to 7.

The story of Little Nellie is now back before the council of Rome, who are considering her Sainthood over 110 years after Pope Pius X, asked for it.

READERS OF THE LITURGY

Sat 20th – T. J. McDonald.   Sun 21st – Sheelagh Delaney

Sat 27th – Anthony McGee    Sun 28th – Neasa Cloney

LOOKING BACK AT

THE PATRON OF ADAMSTOWN – (Danny Doyle, Glenour,)

The Sunday nearest to the 27th October was always the Patron of Adamstown, this went on for years, it was a big day for young and old, people came from all over the county, with asses and carts, bicycles etc., … The whole street was blocked with all kinds of cake stands, they were up to twenty stands selling sweets, chocolates, ice-cream and everything that people loved. They would set up at 8.o’clock in the morning to get a place near the graveyard gate in the eye of the people coming out of the gate. Enniscorthy town had the biggest number of hawkers, there was also some from New Ross, but very few from Wexford town. There was rifle range, darts, pegging rings on tots etc., The men folk went to the pub, the wives and children stayed on the street eating ice-cream, sweets and everything that was going. This was a great novelty for them as some of them were only out once a year. The children were saving up money for this occasion, all the summer you would hear them say, “how much have you saved for Patron Day?” The time they spent in the grave yard was very short. The graveyard at that had big trees growing all over the place. Fr. Redmond got all the big trees cut down, the place never looked as good, when the whole lot was cleared. The flowers were also a big problem in October. Most of the summer flowers were well dead; they used some wild flowers to make a wreath, so the committee decided to change the date to the summer time. It was put to a parish vote, the change won the vote by a landslide, the weather in October could be very cold, as well as the flowers. At that time there was no open-air Mass, like the latter years, Mass is celebrated over a loud-speaker, and can be heard in the old and new cemeteries with all the people staying at their loved ones graves.

Nowadays the flower arrangements on graves is one to be admired, in fact the whole place is a sight for sore eyes.

How we have come on in the past fifty years is unbelievable. Thank God.

Our Annual Patron in St. Abban’s takes place on Sunday 4th September with Mass at 1.30pm followed by Blessing of the Graves.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK – A Night Prayer

Dear God,

As the light of day fades, may the ills and worries of the day fade also.

May I take time to reflect on my day with the gratitude of one who realises that life is a gift.

I ask you to be with and protect all those I love, all those I have fallen out with, all those I work with, all my friends and all whom I meet in the course of my day.

Be with me Lord this night as you were with me this day.

Amen.

(Pope’s Worldwide Network of Prayer)