24th September, 2023

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Weekend of Sat 23rd & Sun 24th Sept 2023

ADAMSTOWN LOTTO

The winning numbers in the Adamstown Lotto draw on Monday 18th Sept were: 18 – 19 – 23 – 25.  There was no Jackpot winner including online players. There was one match three player – Catherine Bradley, Cross Philip, who received €200.00. The next draw is on Monday 2nd October in the Community Centre for a Jackpot of €15,000.

Keep on buying the tickets, it will be won and it could be you,

ADAMSTOWN NATIONAL SCHOOL  Sept 2023

Adamstown National School are delighted to welcome a number of children from the local International Protection Accommodation Centre. We are celebrating the diversity of our school by mentioning the range of nationalities that we have in attendance. The following countries are now represented in Adamstown N.S. – Poland, South Africa, Romania, Ukrainian, Chile, Nigeria, Algeria, Afghanistan and Swaziland.

Appropriately, this Sunday 24th September is World Day of Migrants & Refugees – let us pray for all migrants & refugees that have come to our country and especially the children from the above mentioned countries who

are attending our National School and their families.

May they receive kindness and a warm welcome from all.

COLÁISTE ABBAIN NEWS

The countdown is on for Open Night 2023.

Coláiste Abbáin Open Night is on Wednesday 4th October from 7pm – 9pm. Preparations are underway to welcome 5th & 6th Class students and their families to our wonderful Open Night.  Principal’s Address at 8pm. Some of our staff will be visiting our local primary schools in the next two weeks to spread the word, share information about our wonderful school and answer some questions from our future students.

ADAMSTOWN PHARMACY NOTICE

Adamstown Pharmacy will commence administering the 2023/2024 influenza vaccine and the updated Covid-19

vaccine commencing the last week of September 2023.

All persons looking to avail of vaccines should contact

053 9240460 or 053 9240454 or call in to Adamstown Pharmacy to arrange an appointment.

ADAMSTOWN GAA NEWS

Well done to John Elmes and Mikey White from our underage selection who are also talented soccer players and have been selected on Wexford Schoolboys League U-15 squad for the coming year.

SYMPATHY

The death occurred on Wednesday 20th of Margaret (Margo) Moloney, Raheencloonagh, Clonroche. We extend our deepest sympathy to her sisters, Stella, Mary, Dina, Nora, Ethna and brothers Jay and Michael, extended family, neighbours and friends.  Margaret’s funeral Mass was celebrated in The Church of St. John Paul, Raheen followed by burial in Newbawn Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

THE APPLE – (John Feehan – Messenger Magazine)

The Old Irish Tree List in the Laws of Gaelic Ireland opens a window for us on a vanished world whose evaluation of trees was essentially practical, governed by the needs of a society that had to be self-sustaining in all its essentials and informed by a deep understanding of the many uses to which each different species was suited. The seven most important tree species were known as the Airig Fedo, the Nobles of the Wood, which included such mighty forest trees of the first rank as yew and oak, alongside hazel, holly, ash, Scots pine and apple. This ancient tree list is of special interest to plant historians because it tells us what trees are native to Ireland. Many species that are common today are absent from the list, such as horse chestnut, sycamore and spruce. It is often thought that the apple on the tree list was the native crab apple, and you might wonder why such a relatively modest tree should qualify for noble status. But the apple here is not the wild crab apple native to European woods, but the cultivated apple, which was introduced to Ireland long before the Brehon Laws were compiled in the eight century. Cultivated apples had reached Ireland as far back as two or three thousand years ago. They were greatly prized not only for their fruit – the only fruit in cultivation in Ireland in those days – but also for the summer-heralding beauty of their blossom in May. Indeed, these early orchards were among the status symbols of the prosperous and well-managed ringfort homesteads of Gaelic Ireland. Most of the wild trees we think of as crab apples in hedgerows today are not really native Malus sylvestris crab apples, but have generally developed as pippins from cultivated parents. Apple trees don’t breed true from seed, so if you have a tree that produces particularly desirable fruit, you can only propagate it from cuttings not from seed. Apples are genetically enormously variable in their fruit, selection of which all the centuries since domestication has resulted in no fewer than 2000 cultivars or named varieties in Britain and Ireland today and 25,000 worldwide. Cultivated apples originated in a mountainous area on the borders of Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan, and China known as the Tian Shan, north-west of the central Asian deserts; a sort of ecological Shangri La, what little remains of which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

These early garden apples, domesticated as long as 7000 years ago, made their way westwards into Europe from China along the ancient trade routes we know as the Silk Roads, which grew up along what had originally been animal migration corridors. Sometimes they became established as deliberate introductions, but also on occasion from seeds in the droppings of horses, in whose diet wild apples were an important element when they travelled through Tian Shan.

There are numerous references to apples in the medieval Lives Of the Irish Saints, in the ancient lore of place, even in the Annals of Early Ireland. They were stored for winter use, in an age when there was little in the way of vegetables or fruit.  The wild crab apple was also valued as a medicine, and the early Irish physicians were well aware of the difference between wild and cultivated apples. For medicinal purposes the crab apple was considered more valuable.

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 23rd – People of the Parish

Sun 24th –  Johnny Bradley, Ballyvergin (A)

Sat 30th – John & Katie Power, The Leap (A)

Sun 1st Oct – Mai Furlong, Misterin (A)

Mon 25th –  9.30am  Cellie & Fred Zee, Ferrybank (A)

Pray for Pat O’Neill, The Bridge (A)

May they rest in peace.

READERS OF THE LITURGY

Sat 23rd – T.J. McDonald. .   Sun 1st Oct – Callie Doyle

Sat 7th – Annette English.     Sun 8th – Kay Whelan

Sat 14th – Eoghan Greene..  Sun 15th – Ann Ryan

Morning Mass each week day morning at 9.30am

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every Thursday from 10.00am – 1.00pm.

Feast Days this week – Wed 27th St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul 1581-1660, founded the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians) and the Daughters of Charity (1633), the first sisters to work outside their convents in active service. He is the patron of all charitable works.

Fri 30th – Ss Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, Archangels.

Gabriel brought the message to Mary at the Annunciation. Raphael was guide to Tobias. Michael has been venerated as protector of Christians in general and soldiers in particular.

MARY’S MEALS QUIZ

This monthly online quiz will take place next Friday (September 29th) at 8pm. To take part 1) google MyQuiz.org or play.myquiz.org and 2) put in the code for this month which is 861917. We have now provided over 400,000 meals. Please help us to feed more hungry children at school.

To donate go to www.bit.ly/QuizforMM or contact Martin Colfer on 087 2596159. The cost of one small Mars bar is enough for 13 meals. Thank you for your support to date.

NEW ROSS PARISH MISSION – St. Mary’s & St. Michael’s Parish Church, New Ross.

Takes place from Saturday 23rd Sept  – Friday 29th Sept.

Mass each morning Mon – Fri at 8am in Mt. Carmel Church

& 10am in The Parish Church.

Tues 7.00pm – Reconciliation Night in Parish Church.

Thurs 12 noon – Bereavement Drop-in, in Parish Church Blessed Chapel.

Fri 7pm – Final Community Celebration in Parish Church.

Visit New Ross Parish: www.newrossparish.ie for further details of Mission events.

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Sometimes we struggle with persistence. We can give up when things become difficult. We can lose hope when things don’t turn out as we planned. We can even stop praying when we don’t get what we ask for. Whatever our situation let us be persistent in our efforts and never giving up and recognising God is always with us.

A SMILE

Have you heard of Julius Caesar? Asked the teacher.

“Yes sir, Mary replied. “What do you think he would be doing now if he were alive”?   Mary,  “drawing the old-age pension”

REMEMBERING TO FORGIVE – Nursing Anger

(Denis McBride C.Ss.R. – Seasons of the Word)

President Abraham Lincoln was opposed to all forms of slavery, not least people becoming slaves of their own anger and resentment. Lincoln’s secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, had some trouble with a mayor general who accused him, in abusive terms, of favouritism.  Stanton complained to Lincoln, who suggested that he write the officer a sharp letter. Stanton did so, and showed the strongly worded statement to the president, who applauded its powerful language. “What are you going to do with it? he asked. Surprised at the question, Stanton said: “Send it, of course”. Lincoln shook his head. “You don’t want to send that letter,” he said. “Put it in the stove. That’s what I would do when I’ve written a letter when I am angry. It’s a good letter and you had a good time writing it and feel better. Now, burn it and write another”.

Lincoln could have been following the advice in last Sunday’s, first Reading which underlines the futility of vengeance:

If a man nurses anger against another,

can he then demand compassion from the Lord?

Showing no pity for a man like himself,

can he then plead for his own sins?

As Shakespeare noted in The Merchant of Venice:

God’s Mercy is Greater than Our Sins.

Though justice be thy plea, consider this,

That, in the course of justice, none of us

Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;

And that same prayer doth teach us all to render

The deeds of mercy.

NEW VOLUNTEER MINISTRIES IN THE DIOCESE OF FERNS

The Diocese of Ferns is developing openings for new lay volunteer ministries in the Diocese. Training programmes will begin soon. These new ministries, open to women and men, will be of interest to those already involved or those wishing to be more involved in the life of their local Church community. They will involve lay people working side by side with priests in key ministries in parishes and pastoral areas.

You are invited to attend one of the following information Sessions on Lay Ministry.

1.    Monday 25th Sept – Camolin Parish Hall at 7pm.

2.    Wednesday 27th Sept – Seamus Rafter Suite,

       Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy at 7.30pm.

3.    Monday 9th Oct – New Ross Pastoral Centre at 7.30pm.

4.    Wednesday 11th Oct – Pastoral Centre, Rosslare Strand 

       at 7.30pm.

5.    Thursday 12th Oct – Pugin Room (access through main

       tower). St. Peter’s College, Wexford at 7.30pm.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK – Healing

Lord, I appreciate even more the gift of good health.

Keep me focused on what is essential in life.

Continue your healing within me, healing in mind and body,

 so that I may use my gifts in service to others.   Amen.

A LETTER OF THANKS FROM SR. HELEN

Sr. Helen sent a letter of thanks for donations to the people of Uganda. They sent her their recent report on the work done.

Please take time to look at the pictures & stories from Uganda on display in the Church Porch. God Bless you all – Sr. Helen.