21st January, 2024

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Sat 20th & Sun 21st January 2024   

Volume 24. Number 3

ADAMSTOWN LOTTO RESULTS

The winning numbers in the Adamstown Lotto draw on

Wednesday 17th Jan were: 6 – 24 – 27 – 29. There was no Jackpot winner and no match 3 winners including online players. The following were Lucky Dip winners – Pat Lawlor, Knockreigh, Mary Power, Coonogue, Lynda Walsh, Tomgarrow & Kathleen Lawlor, Knockreigh and each received €50. The next draw is on Monday 29th January in the Community Centre for a Jackpot of €8,400.

PILATES & EXERCISE TOGETHER CLASSES IN ADAMSTOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE

Sarah will be holding a Tea & Coffee morning in the Community Centre this Tuesday 23rd January from 10.00am – 11.00am. If you are unsure of which class might be the best fit for you, this is a great opportunity to find our more. Discover what’s involved in the Chair Exercise class for the over 60’s. Learn the many benefits of practicing pilates for women of all ages and abilities, and decide which class suits you best. You can also exercise in the mornings with Exercise Together strength classes which are toddler friendly, if you are a Mam of a baby’toddler, why not come along and see how this class might work for you.

CÓLAISTE ABBÁIN NEWS

Congratulations to our Senior Football team who play Avondale CC in the South Leinster Senior Football Final which will take place in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy on Tuesday next 23rd January at 11.30am. They would appreciate your support.  We wish them the very best of luck.

ADAMSTOWN N.S. PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION

A reminder of our Clothes Collection on Monday 29th January 9.00am – 9.30. Drop off in car park opposite school. Your support is much appreciated.

THURSDAY NIGHT CARD GAMES

Unfortunately due to no heating the weekly card game had to be cancelled this week. Apologies to all card players for any inconvenience caused. Hopefully, the card games will resume as quickly as possible.

THE ONE MODEL

When Mr. & Mrs Henry Ford celebrated the golden jubilee of their wedding, a reporter asked Henry “to what do you attribute fifty years of happy married life”? Henry replied

“The formula is the same for making cars as for marriage –

“stick to the one model” he answered.

A BIT OF HUMOUR (Ireland’s Own)

Jimmy was showing off, racing around the garden on his new bike in front of his friends. He rode around without holding the handlebars, “Look, no hands!” he shouted. Then he took his feet off the pedals. “Look, no feet” he shouted. He took a little longer to come round next time – but then he came in sight

“Look, no teeth!  shouted his friend.

“FULL STEAM AHEAD” – 100 years of the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban.

 Sr. Ann Gray recalls the foundation of the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban 100 years ago this year and the vision of co-founders, Fr. John Blowick and Lady Frances Moloney.

The Missionary Sisters of St. Columban came into being because two people in particular, Fr. John Blowick and Lady Frances Moloney, shared a vision for a new missionary congregation and a group of women took a huge risk and answered the call to step into this unknown journey for them.

In December 1917, in his address to the Catholic Truth Society of Ireland in the Mansion House, Fr. John Blowick first spoke officially of including women Religious in the new mission venture of the Columban Fathers in China. He foresaw great difficulties with regard to nurses and doctors for the mission because of the attitudes prevalent in China at

the time. He realised that the doctors would have to be women doctors and that would require a new Congregation of nuns whose vow would be the medical care of the sick and whose members would be properly qualified in medicine, surgery and midwifery. Over the next 3 years, Fr. Blowick’s initial idea changed and he envisaged a missionary congregation of Sisters who would be engaged not only in medical apostolate, but also in any apostolate, which would be of service in China. He invited the Irish Sisters of Charity to send a small group of Sisters to train the early postulants and novices. The Irish Sisters of Charity are a part of our history and our heritage and we never forget our debt of gratitude to them. In February 1922, the first group of postulants came together in Co. Clare. In those early days, the women drawn to Clare came from Ireland and Australia and from a wide variety of life and work experiences including teaching, nursing, secretarial work and farming, as well as from city and country life. Some also had exposure to the Independence movement in Ireland at the time. In the years that followed, the Sisters would find themselves dealing with victims of floods, epidemics, hunger and war. Fr. Blowick, for his part, challenged these women to be real missionary religious and not “toy nuns”. He did not want them to be over pious or too demanding of themselves and he was against their becoming a community like a “string of sausages” where each one looked the same and acted in the same manner. Above all, he encouraged and inspired them to develop a spirit of charity as the special sign of Jesus’ disciples because, “By this shall all know that your are my disciples, if you have love for one another”.

In Sept this year, the Columban Sisters will be remembering in a special way our initial group of Sisters who professed their First Vows on the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel in 1924. In the early days a Columban Father noted that “the beginnings were hard, full of challenges, they began in real poverty but they had great faith and they were always good-humoured”. They have since 1924 served the poor and marginalized in China, the Philippines, Korea, Pakistan and Myanmar.  (Sr. Ann Gray, Far East Magazine)

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 20th – Joe Crosbie, Misterin & New Ross (A)

Sun 21st – People of the Parish.

Sat 27th – Lizzy Byrne & deceased members of the Byrne family, Tomgarrow

Also – Robert & Margaret Furlong, Misterin (A)

Sun 28th – Mogue & Mary Kealy, Ellen, Johnny, Jim & Sonny Kehoe.   Also Tom & Liz Murphy, The Leap & Rathurtin (A)

Pray for Noel McCarthy, Tomgarrow (A)

May they rest in peace.

Mass each weekday morning at 9.30am

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

READERS OF THE LITURGY

Sat 20th – Liam Whelan.  Sun 21st – Kathleen O’Connor.

Sat 27th – Anthony McGee. Sun 28th – Ann Ryan

Sat 3rd Feb – Cáit Bradley, Sun 4th – Sheelagh Delaney.

A GOOD DEED REWARDED  (Courtesy of Jim Sutton)

Augustinian Fr. Philip Crane returned to Ross for good in 1798 and was befriended by Charles Tottenham, Mayor of the town, in gratitude for his heroics in saving Tottenham from the gallows in France a few years earlier. Ireland was just emerging from the Penal Laws years and the Augustinian chapel was then a small thatched building at the bottom corner of the CBS property, directly across from the then Parish Church situated at the bottom of the Bullawn. This building became vacant in 1808, being replaced by a new Church on South Street (now St. Michael’s Theatre) Charles Tottenham offered the old parish church to the Augustinian fathers in appreciation of Fr. Crane’s heroics in rescuing him in France in 1792. This church, known locally down the years as “The Convent Chapel” also became the location of Good Counsel College and boarding school. Sadly, the church is no longer a place of worship. Good Counsel campus moved to the Order’s Bosheen lands several years ago, where it prospers as an outstanding centre of education.

(New Ross Parish, Church of St. Mary & St. Michael)

SYMPATHY

We extend our deepest sympathy to Kathleen Delaney and family Glenour on the death of her sister Joan (Johanna) Murphy, The Laurels, Coolballow, Wexford on Friday 12th January. Our sympathy also to her sons, daughters, extended family and friends. Her funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Martin’s Church, Piercestown on Monday 15th followed by burial in Piercestown Cemetery.

May she rest in peace.

We send our deepest sympathy also to Cáit & Joe Bradley, Barrack’s Rd on the death of Cáit’s brother-in-law Tony Barry, Kill, Co. Waterford. Also to his wife, sons, daughters, extended family and friends. His funeral Mass was celebrated in the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Kill on Friday last followed by burial in the adjoining Cemetery.

May he rest in peace.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY  (Alan Hillard – Dipping Into Life)

If you put too much pressure on any one part of your life, there is a risk of collapse. If you put too much pressure on any one part of your being there may be a collapse too.

The body, soul, mind and emotions are given to you to spread the load. The same is true of your family and friends and of support services and those things that help you to discover your beliefs and values. When you are in good form, you are aware of all these ‘arches’ in your life. The load is spread quite evenly. When you are in bad form, you put too much pressure on one ‘arch’ that single arch just can’t carry the load!

MARY’S MEALS

Thank you to everyone from the parish for your wonderful support and words of encouragement in 2023. This monthly online quiz will take place again next Friday (January 26th)

at 8pm.  To take part for FREE 1) google play.myquiz.org and

2) put in the code for this month which is 870387

We have now provided over 490,000 meals so far. Please help us to feed more hungry children at school €2 is enough to feed a child for almost a month of schooldays at 11c a meal. A child dies every 10 seconds from hunger.

To donate go to www.bit.ly/QuizforMM or contact Martin Colfer on 087 2596159

A POEM FOR THE PAST WEEK – Jack Frost

Look Out! Look Out!  Jack Frost’s about!

He’s after our fingers and toes;

And, all through the night,

The brave little sprite

Is working where nobody knows.

He’ll climb a tree, so nimble is he,

His silvery powder he’ll shake;

To windows he’ll’ creep, and while we’re asleep,

Such wonderful pictures he’ll make.

Across the grass, he’ll merrily pass,

And change all its greenness to white;

Then he’ll go home, and laugh, “Ho, Ho, Ho!

What fun I have had in the night”

(A memory from school days)

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

In Saint Peter’s Seminary Father Rossitor described the Bell as the voice of God calling us to Mass. The Bell of Saint Abban’s Church has been behaving erratically of late and

sometimes not ringing at all. I wonder if it is getting tired when it gets no response, but even if it does not ring, I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday for Mass at 10.30am or else on Saturday evening at 7.30pm.

This evening “ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee”

Fr. Robert.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK – (St. Francis)

Lord, make an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offence, let me bring pardon. Where there is discord, let me bring peace.

Where there is error, let me bring truth. Where there is doubt, let me bring faith. Where there is despair, let me bring hope.

Where there is darkness, let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.  Amen.