12th May, 2024

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Weekend of Sat  11th May & Sun 12th May 2024

Volume 24.    Number 19

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ADAMSTOWN LOTTO

The next draw in the Adamstown Lotto takes place this  Monday 13th May in the Community Centre for a Jackpot of €9,800. Do keep on buying the tickets, it could be you next time. Please leave books back in Cullen’s by 8pm on draw night.  Thanks for your continued support.

ADAMSTOWN ICA NEWS

The ICA Federation meeting was held in Ballyfad on Monday 29th April. A new federation committee was elected, with two of our guild taking up positions. Helen Furlong, Sports Officer and Sheelagh Delaney, Women’s Refuge Representative.

Our monthly meeting on 8th May in Coláiste Abbain was well attended. Plans for the ‘Special Occasions’ are underway. We will have more information after our next meeting.

The AGM will be held this year in the Arklow Bay Hotel on 25th May, at which, our own Mary Darcy, will be presented with her Chain of Office for her appointment as National President. Best wishes to  Mary in her new role.

The meeting ended with a general catch up and tea & biscuits provided by Helen. Our next meeting is on Wednesday 12th June at 8pm in Coláiste Abbáin. New members are always welcome, remember you don’t have to be from the area to join.

THURSDAY NIGHT CARD GAME

The weekly Thursday night Card Game continues in the Community centre at 8.30 each week. Winners on Thursday 9th May were: Matt O’Neill, Kay Whelan, Jer Sweeney, Tom Wickham, Josie Doyle, MIchael McLoughlin, Micksey & Breda Bolger.

SYMPATHY

The death occurred on Sunday 5th May of Kathleen Hickey, (née Furlong, Coonogue) Camross. We offer our deepest sympathy to her daughter Susan, son Michael, sisters Bena and Olive, grandchildren, great grandchildren, extended family, neighbours and friends. Kathleen’s funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Garvan’s Church, Caroreigh on Tuesday  7th followed by burial in Kilgarvan Cemetery.

May her gentle soul rest in peace.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

Children from second class in Adamstown National School made their First Holy Communion on Saturday 4th May in St. Abban’s Church. It was a wonderful day for the children and their families. We wish Daithi, Niamh, Charlotte, Tiarnán, Thomas, Killian, Hannah, Liam, Sophie & Neave every blessing and good wishes..

OLD AGE PENSION –

In January 1909, when the Old Age Pensions Act became law, the over 70’s in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland became entitled to a pension for the first time. The uptake was far greater proportionally in pre-independent Ireland than it was in Britain, with some officials noting how the Irish ‘septuagenarians queuing up to claim their five shillings a week looked remarkably youthful for their age.

Before the civil registration of births in 1864, most Irish Catholics had no way of proving their age. Instead, officials had to rely on a series of questions to determine how old pension applicants were. One way to establish proof of age was to ask whether the claimant could recall the Night of the Big Wind, a ferocious storm that had wreaked havoc across Ireland in January 1839. “Throughout the country, old people – and many not so old – testified to ‘eating a potato out of hand’ on the night of the ‘Big Wind’ in 1839, so much so that remembering ‘Oiche na Gaoithe Móire’ soon had to be discarded as a test of old age”, according to a 2002 paper by Cormac Ó Gráda, now Professor Emeritus of economics at UCD. Now a new system designed to provide every worker with private retirement savings is being billed as one of the biggest social reforms of Ireland’s pension landscape since the first pension payment 115 years ago transformed the lives of older people. When Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys introduced the Cabinet-approved Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024 to the Dáil last month, she said it “would provide the foundation for the most radical shakeup of the pensions landscape in Ireland for generations. The Government expects auto-enrolment (AR), which is aimed at providing a pension pot to the estimated 750,000 workers who don’t have a workplace or private pension, to be rolled out in January, though the industry doubts it will be ready on time.

(taken from Gabrielle Monaghan’s article in The Sunday Independent)

ADAMSTOWN SHOW  NOTICE

Please note our launch will now take place on Friday 17th May at 7.30pm in McSorley’s Centra, Ballinaboola.

“The Adamstown Show Committee are delighted to officially launch the 75th Adamstown Show on Friday May 17th in McSorley’s at 7.30pm, which will be followed by complimentary finger food. What a momentous year for the history of the show as we celebrate it’s 75th year and delighted to say we’re still growing each year. We look forward to welcoming everyone” – Walter Kent, Chairman.

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 11th – Patsy O’Connor, Newtown (A)

Sun 12th – Peg & Joe Kelly and deceased members of the Kirwan family, Coonogue (A)

Also – Pattie Power, Kilmore (A)

Sat 18th – Pat Foley, The Leap, also deceased members of the O’Brien family, Adamstown and deceased members of the Foley family, Newbawn (A)

Also Nora Donovan, Raheenduff, (Month’s Mind)

Sun 19th – People of the Parish.

Pray for Kathleen Hickey, Camross who died during the week. May they rest in peace.

Morning Mass each week day morning at 9.30am

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

FEAST DAY THIS WEEK

Thursday 16th May – St. Brendan

St. Brendan was a Kerryman who was born in 486. He studied at Clonard under Finnian. His name is connected with many places in Kerry such as Ardfert and Mount Brandon. He visited Scotland and reached the Hebrides and possibly areas beyond. He founded a  monastery in Clonfert in 568 and died there in 578.

READERS OF THE LITURGY

Sat 12th – Eoghan Greene.   Sun 13th – Neasa Cloney

Sat  19th – Cáit Bradley.       Sun 20th – Amelia Swierczynska

Sat 26th – Annette English.  Sun 27th – Callie Doyle

PRAYER GROUP

The next meeting of the Prayer Group is this Sunday night (12th) at 7pm in St. Abban’s Church, Adamstown. Our guest will be Fr. James McInerney OFM from Wexford Friary.

All are welcome to attend. New members are especially welcome.

AS EXAM TIME GETS CLOSER – THIS IS  A LETTER SENT  BY A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL TO PARENTS

Dear Parents,

The exams of your children are to start soon. I know you are all really anxious for your child to do well.

But, please do remember, amongst the students who will be sitting for the exams there is an artist, who doesn’t need to understand Maths…. There is an entrepreneur,  who doesn’t care about History or English literature…. There is a musician, whose Chemistry marks won’t matter … There’s an athlete… whose physical fitness is more important than Physics….  If your child does get top marks, that’s great!

But if he or she doesn’t,  please don’t take away their self-confidence and dignity from them. Tell them it’s OK, it’s just an exam!. They are cut out for much bigger things in life.

Tell them, no  matter what they score… you love them and will not judge them.

ROSARY AT KNOCKREIGH GROTTO

The Rosary is recited at Knockreigh Grotto each week night at 8.00pm for the month of May. We will join in prayer with the Ferns Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes from Thursday 16th May – Tuesday 21st May, and in particular our  three parishioners who were the recipients of the Parish Lourdes Draw recently and other parishioners who are also travelling.

May they enjoy this wonderful pilgrimage to Lourdes and remember all of us in their prayers.

FERNS DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES

The Ferns Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes takes place from 16th to 21st May. The opening Mass for the Pilgrimage takes place in St. Aidan’s Cathedral on Monday 13th May at 7.30pm. All welcome to attend.

“ALL IRELAND ROSARY RALLY AT KNOCK”

The All Ireland Rosary Rally will take place on Saturday June 1st from 1.00pm at  Knock. It will include Holy Mass at 3pm, Stations of the Cross 2pm and Rosary Procession 2.30pm and talks in st. John’s Centre and Basilica.  The main Celebrant for the Holy Mass is Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan. A bus will leave Clonard, Wexford at 6.30am.

Ferns Church 7.10am; Camolin Bus Stop – 7.15am; Gorey Monument at 7.25am, Arklow  7.40am.

Return to Wexford at approx 9.30pm.  Please book your seat early to avoid disappointment. Ring Eileen – 087 9331809 or

087 6846908

ST. PETER’S PAST PUPILS UNION

To celebrate 70 years in existence the Past Pupils Union  are holding a family afternoon on Saturday May 18th from 4pm. All pupils, past and present are welcome with family and friends. The celebrations will include strawberries and cream on the lawn at 4.30pm, a tour of the school at 5.00pm and refreshments in the Pugin room at 6.30pm.The event will conclude with the conferring of Honorary Membership on Mr. Patrick Prendergast, former Provost of Trinity College,  Dublin.

INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY – Sunday 12th May

International Nurses Day is celebrated each year on 12th May, to coincide with the birthday of Florence Nightingale and celebrates the contribution that nurses make to patients and societies world wide. We remember them this Sunday as the unsung heroes of our world for the care and attention they give to all who come into their care.

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Life is a game; sometimes you win,
and sometimes you lose.
But no matter what your cards in life,
whether clubs, spades or diamonds,
always remember – never play without a heart!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can,
And Wisdom to know the difference. Amen.