10th December, 2023

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Weekend of Sat 9th & Sun 10th December 2023 

Volume 23.  Number 47

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ADAMSTOWN LOTTO

The next draw in the Adamstown Lotto takes place this Monday 11th December in the Community Centre for a new Jackpot of €7,000. Please leave books back in Cullen’s by 8pm on draw night. Thanks for your continues support. This will be the last draw before Christmas.

Wishing all our sellers and buyers a Happy and Peaceful Christmas.

The Lotto draw will resume in the New Year.

THURSDAY NIGHT CARD GAME IN COMMUNITY CENTRE

The Thursday night Card Game continues in the Community Centre each week at 8.30pm.  Winners on Thursday 7th were: Jim & Trish Wickham, Matt O’Neill, John Hanley, Phil Jackman, Tom Rochford, Chris Byrne, Bridie Dillon.

Christmas Ham winners were: John Hanley & Chris Byrne.

COLÁISTE ABBÁIN NEWS

Craft Fair – a big thank you to all who came out in big numbers to support our annual Christmas Craft Fair. It was a massive success. It’s safe to say t hat entrepreneurship is at an all time high in Coláiste Abbáin.

A great win for our U-16 footballers against Enniscorthy Community College. The lads face CBS New Ross and Duiske College in the final group games. Well done lads on a great performance.

PANTOMIME – ALADDIN

Remind everyone of our Pantomime Aladdin which takes place in Coláiste Abbáin this Thursday 14th & Friday 15th December in the sports hall at 7.30pm. Do come along and support the young students.

SYMPATHY

The death occurred on Monday 4th Dec of Monica Murphy, (née Fortune) Beaufield, Enniscorthy. We extend our deepest sympathy to her daughters Mairead, Olivia and son Cathal, sister Margaret O’Gorman, and the Fortune family, Doononey, extended family, neighbours and friends. Monica was predeceased by her brothers Patrick and Tony.

Monica’s funeral Mass was celebrated on Saturday 9th in St. Carthage’s Church, Courtnacuddy, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

May she rest in peace.

LIVE NATIVITY

The Friary in Wexford and other groups are presenting a live Nativity and performing a play called “St. Francis and The First Nativity” on December 16th in The Friary

ST. VINCENT De PAUL APPEAL-

Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th at both Masses

Bishop Ger Nash, following a meeting with local representatives from the Society of St. Vincent De Paul, has called for a generous response to the Annual Church Gate Collection which takes place this weekend. With nationwide calls for help already at almost 200,000 to date this year the Society expects calls at the end of this year to well exceed last year’s record of 230,000. These figures were announced by National President Rose McGowan at the launch of the SVP Annual Appeal. This year’s Annual Appeal is focused on providing help to struggling parents who wonder how they will provide a Happy Christmas for their families. The campaign is entitled “The Wonder of Christmas” and subtitled “Will we have Christmas at all?”. Ms McGowan also added that according to the latest CSO Survey of income and Living Conditions there are over 670,000 people at risk of poverty in Ireland, almost 875,000 people were experiencing enforced deprivation and going without essentials and over 265,000 in consistent poverty. Bishop Ger commended the work of so many volunteers who give so selflessly of their time to assist with the work of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul through the Diocese and beyond and has asked Mass goers to respond as generously as they can to this weekend’s collection.

I.C.A. NEWS

The I.C.A. held their Christmas Federation meeting on Monday Nov 27th in the new St. Patrick’s Special Needs School in Enniscorthy, a wonderful facility. Five ladies from Adamstown Guild attended and we came away home with spot prizes. Well done to Helen for entering her jar of mincemeat in the Federation competition, earning us another point, they all add up. We had two ladies who specialise in bra fitting, who gave us a lot of information on the importance of measuring properly and getting the right fit.

Lots of ICA ladies from different guilds entertained us for spot prizes, modelling their Christmas outfits, singing a song, reciting a poem, telling a joke and even a spot of Irish dancing. We finished off with a few games of bingo. Thanks to Brendan for calling out the

A lovely festive tea, with Christmas cake and other confectionery was provided by Mary Kelly ably assisted by some Federation ladies.

A reminder of our Christmas party this Sunday 10th in the Horse & Hound at 1.30pm, looking forward to seeing you all there. Thanks to all the ICA members who provided sandwiches last Sunday for the Craft Fair and helped with the teas. We are celebrating Little Christmas this year with a trip to Newbridge Silverware on Saturday January 6th; this is open to non-members, details to follow.

Next meeting Wednesday December 11th in Brad Og’s, at 8pm,  new members welcome.

CHURCH NOTICES

Sat 9th – David & Betty Forrestal, Oldcourt (A)

Also       Pat Furlong, Raheenduff (A)

Sun 10th – Gerry Bradley, Ballyvergin (A)

Sat 16th – Kit O’Connor, Newtown (A)

Also –       Josie Thorpe, Newtown (A)

Sun 17th – People of the Parish

Pray for Aidan O’Brien, Ballyvergian (A)

May they rest in peace.

Feast Days this week:

Tues 12th – Our Lady of Guadeloupe

Thurs – St. John of the Cross

READERS OF THE LITURGY

Sat  9th – Liam  Whelan.  Sun 10th – Sheelagh Delaney

Sat 16th – Annette English    Sun 17th – Callie Doyle

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES

Friday 15th Dec Mass and Anointing of the sick at 3pm.

Sat 23rd – Mass at 7.30pm.

Sun 24th – Mass at 10.30am

Sun 24th Vigil Mass of the Nativity 7.30pm

Mon 25th – Mass of the Nativity at 10.30am

Mass 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th at 11.00am.

As we prepare for Christmas I encourage you to avail of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I will be available for confessions every morning after Mass.

You may also avail of the sacrament every day in the Franciscan Friary Church in  Wexford.

 CHRISTMAS CRIB

(Pioneer Magazine)

Can anything be more innocent than a child’s first look at the crib at Christmas? Without the benefit of theology, every innocent fact that looks at the sleeping infant Jesus with His parents knows that here, before them is a little piece of Heaven come down to earth at Christmas time. By the time the child has reached the age of reason, receives their First Holy Communion, the memory of the crib and what it represents have a little more relevance. The institution of the crib as part of the Church’s Christmas décor is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. In 1223, just before Christmas, he visited a friend of his in Greece, requesting his help to ‘represent t he birth of that Child in Bethlehem in such a way that with the eyes of our body we may see all that He suffered for lack of necessities for a new born babe, and that He lay in a manger, between the ox and the ass’ As was asked of him, his friend fashioned a manger so it could be used as an altar. A live ox and ass were led into the cave where the manger had been set up. According to St. Bonaventure, St. Francis used the crib in order to move people to greater devotion.  Eight hundred years later, this has proven to be a successful venture that continues on in every church in the world. Encouraging more fervour was the goal of St. Francis in building the crib but it did a whole lot more.

SYMPATHY – Michael (Mickey) Connors

The death occurred on Monday 4th Dec of Michael Connors, Moonvoy, Tramore and formerly The Hill, Adamstown.

We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Mary, sons Jamie, Edward daughters Mary and Christine, his brothers and sisters, and the extended Connors families.

Michael’s funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Abban’s Church, Adamstown on Friday 8th followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

FR. MURPHY HURLING CLUB LONDON

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Michael (Mickey) Connors who passed away peacefully on Monday 4th December in Waterford surrounded by his family. Mickey, originally from Adamstown, Co. Wexford, joined the Fr. Murphy’s in the late 70’s. Mickey quickly became a mainstay on the team where he would remain throughout the 80’s and into the early 90’s. A fine player in both codes, he was usually deployed at corner forward. He was known for his scoring prowess and smart play, an integral part of the team’s success during that decade, winning leagues, cups and a couple of intermediate championships in both hurling and football. Mickey’s talent didn’t go unnoticed and he went on to represent the London county team in both codes. A fine feat for a gifted player and an absolute gentleman. He will be sadly missed. Everyone connected with Fr. Murphy’s would like to send their sincere condolences to Mickey’s family, wife Mary, sons Jamie and Edward and daughters Mary and Christine, his grandchildren, extended family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this most difficult time.

May he rest in peace.  Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

IT HAPPENED IN DECEMBER – 6th December 1921

‘Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland’, or the Anglo-Irish Treaty, was signed in London by representatives of the British Government, including Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, and representatives of the Irish Republic, which included Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith.

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK (Paul Harvey)

God looked down on His planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker”    So God made a FARMER

God said, “I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields and milk cows again.

I need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle a calf and yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild. I need somebody who’ll bale a family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing, who will laugh and then sigh, and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to spend his life ‘doing what dad does'”

SO GOD MADE A FARMER

A SMILE – Don’t pick it up! (Ireland’s Own)

“So tell me again how it happened that you burnt both your ears? asked the doctor. “I was ironing when the telephone rang and I answered the iron by mistake”. “But you burnt them both?. “Well, as soon as I put the phone down, it rang again”