11th August, 2024

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Weekend of Sat 10th & Sun 11th August 2024 

Volume 24.  Number

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REMINDER – CLOSING OF ROADS

Just a reminder that Wexford County Council will be closing the R735 road, from this Monday 12th August to Friday 22nd November. This closure is to facilitate the construction of Aughnaglaur Bridge at Chapel. Alternative routes will be signposted.

A MUSICAL NOTE

There will be a meeting in St. Abban’s Church (Oratory) on Monday 12th August at 7.30pm. for all current musicians,  folk  group, and choir members. along with all other singers and musicians interested in taking part in Liturgical events in our Church calendar.

Christmas, Easter and The Annual Patron.

To sing is to pray twice”  So if you are a singer / musician please Come along.

New members are always welcome!

In the new Diocesan Model, recently established by Bishop Ger Nash, in consultation with the Priests, and people of the Diocese, St. Abban’s church falls into the Pastoral Area of New Ross, Cushinstown and Newbawn, so  musicians and singers from these areas are very welcome too.

PART TIME WORK OPPORTUNITY.

Adamstown National School are seeking two individuals to be hired as bus escorts for children with special needs.

This role involves, but is not limited to:

Supervision of the children travelling on school transport, to and from school.

Including safe transfer into and out of the school/classroom.

Responsible for the safety of children when opening and closing doors prior to “stop” and “move off”.

Assist children to board and alight safely from the school transport.

Ensure that all children are seated with appropriate straps and harnesses where provided.

 Ensure that each pupil is received by some responsible person at the set down point.

Payment: €13.40 per hour, BoM payroll.

Hours : approx  15hrs per week (to be confirmed)

Must be available to do morning run and after school run.

If you want more information or to apply for this position, please email scoilabbain@gmail.com

THURSDAY NIGHT CARD GAME

The weekly Thursday night Card Game continues in the Community Centre each week at 8.30pm.

Winners on Thursday 8th August were:

Micksy & Breda Bolger, Jim & Trish Wickham,

Tom Rochford, Mick McLoughlin, Nick Doyle, Brendan Colfer.

OUR LADY’S ISLAND

NEW ROSS PASTORAL AREA –

OUR LADY’S ISLAND MASS

Mass will take place in Our Lady’s Island on

Monday 19th August at 7.30pm

Bus leaving Dunbrody Visitor Centre, The Quay

New Ross at 5.00pm.

Stopping at  Cushinstown & Carrigbyrne.

Please contact New Ross Parish Office to book a seat.

Prior payment of €10 is required.

New Ross Parish Office contact No: 051 421348

SYMPATHY

The Adamstown/Newbawn/Raheen areas were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Fr. Jimmy Moynihan on Wednesday last. Fr. Jimmy ministered as Parish priest  in Newbawn and Raheen for some years.

 We extend our deepest sympathy to his brothers John, Tommy, David and Arthur, extended family, Bishop Ger Nash, his brother priests of the Diocese, neighbours and friends.

Fr. Jimmy’s Requiem Mass was celebrated in St. Aidan’s Church, Ferns on Saturday 10th August followed by burial in St. Aidan’s Cemetery, Ferns.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

VACATION FOR THE SOUL

We all dream of summer holidays and times of vacation with family and friends. Summer holidays for families especially can be far from relaxing, as we all know so well. A visit to an airport any morning in these summer months tells another tale. One thing I noticed in the airport as I accompanied a pilgrimage home to Ireland was the sheer look of exhaustion on the faces of the holiday makers, the gloomy faces and silence among the couples and families in comparison to the bubbling laughter and joy of my pilgrim friends. Pilgrimages and pilgrims do have their stresses and problems as well of course.

The difference between a holiday and a religious holiday or pilgrimage is to be found on the face of the traveller. Our vacations should be a restful time to read, walk and relax. We should be able to ponder the beauty of creation and the wonder of our fellow men and women, have long sleeps and savour the culinary delights of foreign lands.

Our life is one long pilgrimage or journey. Perhaps in these summer days you could spend a day in a quiet place of known beauty near home or within Ireland. A day trip to Knock, Our Lady’s Island in Wexford, Gougane Barra in Cork or Glendalough in Wicklow, an afternoon on a quiet beach or a hike up a local hill or mountain. Pack your lunch, bring your beads or bible and go away to a quiet place and rest awhile. Others will appreciate it too when we return. Your soul deserves its vacation.

(Fr. John H Hayes OP – Editor St. Martin Magazine)

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 10th – M.J., James, Betty & Margaret Booth,

Adamstown (A)

Sun 11th – People of the Parish

Sat 17th – Tom (Tiddler) Byrne, Kellystown (A)

Also – John, Bridie, Nicholas, Sr. Eleanor Whelan,

 Kellystown (A)

Sun 18th – People of the Parish

Thursday 15th – Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Vigil Mass Wednesday at 7.30pm.

Mass Thursday at 10.30am

Mass each week day morning at 9.30am.

Thursday Adoration has taken a break for the month of August and will return in September.

READERS OF THE LITURGY

Sat 10th – Anthony McGee.  Sun 11th – Sheelagh Delaney

Sat 17th – Cáit Bradley.  Sun 18th – Neasa Cloney

Sat 24th – Eoghan Greene.  Sun 25th – Amelia Swierczynska

Sat 31st – Liam Whelan…  Sun 1st Sept -Callie Doyle

OUR LADY’S ISLAND PILGRIMAGE 2024

Thursday 15th August

Official Opening with Bishop Ger Nash

Mass at 3pm followed by Rosary Procession.

Sunday August 18th

Mass of Healing – Blessing of the Sick 3pm

Speaker – Fr. Jim  Cogley.

Sunday August 25th

The joy of learning to love myself

With Celine Byrne, Soprano – Opera Singer & Speaker

Sunday September 1st

Celebrating life in its fullness – Mass at 3pm on Island

Followed by Rosary Procession.

Wednesday 4th September

Special Service: A Time to Heal – 7.30pm

Sunday 8th September

3pm Mass in Church.

Official Closing of Pilgrimage at 7pm.(Note earlier time)

With Traditional Torchlight Procession

All services scheduled for outdoors will be weather permitting.

Broadcast will also be available in Church

Daily Mass during season will be at 3pm & 7.30pm in Church

PATRON IN ST. ABBAN’S, ADAMSTOWN

Our Annual Patron will take place on Sunday 1st September with Mass in St. Abban’s Church at 1.30pm.

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Be careful not to add to others’ burdens.

What you’re asking or expecting of them

may seem small, but it could be the last straw.

A CLOSE SHAVE

James Alexander, whose family hailed from McMurrough, was present in town during the Battle of Ross in 1798 and wrote a most interesting narrative of events before, during and after those momentous days. He lived on the Quay near where Supervalu now stands and was the leader of the Unarmed Loyalists assisting the defence. James was awoken by distant noise of conflict very early on the morning of the battle and made his way along the quay towards the defender’s strong point of the  Tholsel to investigate. The defenders were anxious to learn what was happening uptown and James volunteered to help find out. He made his way gingerly up Mary Street and in the bend of the road he was confronted by the vanguard of the rebel army slowly advancing towards the Tholsel. He quickly took cover between two bow windows of Mr. Dowsely’s house as the battle commenced and he described how cannon-shot “knuckled the pavement” at his feet. The advancing rebels discovered him but mistook him for a priest, because of h is formal dress and shouted “Fan, fan, a Athair” meaning in Irish, “stay where you are, Father”

When the defenders made a counter-attack up Mary Street he was again discovered in his hiding place by them and was  in new danger, but the commander recognised him and rushed him to safety. He hurried home and stayed in  hiding until the town had quietened down.

(New Ross Parish Church  – Courtesy of Jim Sutton)

PIONEER ASSOCIATION MASS IN OUR LADY’S ISLAND

Members of the Pioneer Association are invited to Mass at Our Lady’s Island on Saturday 17th August at 7.30pm.

Celebrant: Fr. Robert McCabe (Spiritual Director of Pioneers)

Prayers will be included for families who are living under a shadow of addiction, for those who value the Serenity prayer or who wish to explore the Pioneer Pledge.

MORE IRISH & AMERICAN STORIES

A very large percentage of the population in Savannah is of Irish descent. Many of them trace their roots back to County Wexford. Many family names are very common Wexford names. Some of the names are:  Anglim, Broderick, Corish, Dillon, Doyle, Furlong, Kehoe, Murphy, Redmond, Rossiter, Stafford and Whelan. There are many non-Irish surnames in Savannah, especially German and Italian, who very proudly claim Irish ancestry through  the maternal side of their family.

A spectacular attraction to the parades of 2010 and 2012 was the participation of The Carrigbyrne Pikemen. This was a group from County Wexford, Ireland. They were formed by Bill Murray in 1998 to commemorate the bicentenary of the 1798 rebellion in Wexford. Keeping in mind that  many Savannah people are of Wexford descent, this group was the highlight of the parade on both occasions. They were dressed in the period clothing of 1798 and they marched in the parade with replicas of the pikes used in that bloody battle. They came to Savannah to participate in the parade at the suggestion of my seminary friend, Bishop  Denis Brennan, Bishop of the  Diocese of Ferns in County Wexford.

(More Irish & American Stories  –  William Oliver O’Neill)