22nd September, 2024

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Weekend of Sat 21st & Sun 22nd September 2024

Volume 24.  Number 38

ADAMSTOWN GAA

Congratulations to our U-16 boys who defeated  Rathnure 4-14 to 4-09 to reach the County Final. Well done to the team and their mentors. Congratulations to our Senior Ladies who won against a strong Gusserane team 2-10 to 2-05 to secure themselves a County Semi-Final against Kilanerin in two weeks.  Good luck to both teams in their next matches.

ADAMSTOWN PHARMACY  Autumn Booster Campaign

Adamstown Pharmacy will be offering the latest COVID 19 vaccine as part of the HSE autumn booster campaign to all individuals over 60. The campaign will run from 23rd September. Flu vaccine will also be available to anyone over 65 years old. Anyone looking for a vaccine please contact Adamstown Pharmacy on 053 92 40454 or 053 9240460

or adamstownpharmacy@gmail.com

GARDENING GROUP

Adamstown Community Garden is regrowing and will be host to a seven week community education course in horticulture.

Join our Gardening Group, learn new techniques, and connect with like minded people. Starting Thursday, October 10th from 2pm. – 5pm, in Adamstown.

Meeting at ARC FRC Adamstown Y21 C8K1

Please contact Jessica at 089 4285037

ADAMSTOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE

We are delighted with the response to our post earlier this week about getting a local  Chess meetup going in the Community Centre. Thanks to everyone who has contacted us so far, we are still in the process of taking names & getting back to everyone. We are looking at suitable days, times so that we can cater for all ages and families together and we will confirm the details over the coming week.

In the meantime….  If you or anyone you know has an unused chess board they no longer need we would gladly and gratefully appreciate it. Please spread the word for us.

CÓLAISTE ABBÁIN,  ADAMSTOWN – OPEN EVENING

Looking forward to meeting parents/guardians of 5th & 6th class students on Wednesday 9th October from 7pm – 9pm.

Come and see our wonderful school, students and teachers.

An evening not to be missed.

THURSDAY NIGHT CARD GAME

The weekly Thursday night Card Game  continues in the Community Centre each week at 8.30pm. Winners on Thursday 19th were: Sammy & Owen Elmes, Phil Jackman, Joe Kehoe, Micksey & Breda Bolger, Kathleen Whelan, Paddy Furlong, Mick McLoughlin, Tom Rochford.

EXCERPT OF EULOGY FOR FR. JIM FURLONG’S FUNERAL MASS – Read by his niece Eilis on 13/09/2024

On behalf of Jim’s family, I would like to welcome all those who are here with us today. Firstly, we would like to thank Jim’s friends and neighbours for their support, kind words and lovely stories they have shared with us over the last few days.

Jim was born in 1943 to Robert and Margaret Furlong in the Bullawn in Misterin in Adamstown. He is the youngest of his four siblings, the late Kathleen, my Dad Ned, and Peggy. Jim attended St. Peter’s College from 1958 to 1963 and his wild ways came with him. I am told he abseiled down the 50ft tower in St. Peter’s College with some rope that was there for emergencies only. Unfortunately for Jim and the people he was with they were caught in the act. He entered St. Peter’s Seminary in 1963 and was ordained in 1969, an extremely proud day for Jim, his family, friends and neighbours. He moved to London shortly after being ordained and spent 26 years in Peckham, Battersea, Sydenham and Rotherhide. In London Jim had an open house, the door was never locked and there were friends and parishioners of all ages coming and going. His achievements are too many to name but to give you a flavour of his work, he set up groups for young families, youth groups, senior citizens groups, renovated and built homes for the elderly and social housing, helped to construct playgrounds, graveyards, and setting up the prayer group. Of course, the other achievement of Jim’s life was the loyal, genuine, compassionate and funny friends he made and kept along the way. I am not sure now he  managed to do this as he never answered the phone. Some of those are with us today, several have travelled from afar and others are joining us online. JIm moved back to Ireland in 1995, we were delighted that he was closer to home, none more so than his beloved Mammy, Granny Furlong. He served in a number of parishes in Wexford with great compassion and dedication, always striving to enhance the area and the lives of those he served. He took great pride in building a home in Adamstown and once again he adopted an open-door policy where everyone was welcome. Jim had a lifelong desire to serve in the missions and in 2004 he made this happen when he set out for Fiji. Unfortunately, life was to strike a cruel blow forcing him to return to Ireland due to his deteriorating eyesight, but through the support and help of his family and friends he learned to live with it and went on to serve in Belfast, Raheen and Newbawn.

Jim’s strong core values are evident throughout his life and are an example to us all. We know he will continue to watch over us. We love you, Jim. May you rest in peace. Amen.

CHURCH NOTICES –

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 21st – Peter Thorpe, Junior and 

Peter Thorpe, Senior,  Newtown (A)

Sun 22nd – Tommy Furlong, Raheenduff (A)

Sat 28th – Johnny Bradley, Ballyvergin (A)

Sun 29th – Matt O’Neill, Forestwood (A)

Pray for Pat O’Neill, The Bridge (A)

Pray for Philomena Payne, Co. Galway

Pray for Patrick Kehoe, Bandon, Co Cork & Coolnagree who died on 19th Sept sympathy to his sister Joan Nolan and all the family.

Pray for Eddie Roche, Whitechurch, who died on Thurs 19th.

May they rest in peace.

Mass each week day morning at 9.30am.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Thurs 10am-1.00pm

READERS OF THE LITURGY

Sat 21st – Annette English.   Sun 22nd – Ann Ryan.

Sat 28th – Cáit Bradley.  Sun 29th – Amelia Swierczynska.

Sat 5th Oct – Eoghan Greene. Sun 6th – Neasa Cloney

MASS TIME CHANGE –

New Ross Pastoral Area changes:

As and from Sunday October 6th Mass in St. Abban’s Church will be at 11.00am.

SYMPATHY

We extend our deepest sympathy to Laurence & Michelle Payne, and family Rathkyle on the death of Laurence’s mother, Mrs. Philomena Payne, Corrandulla, Co. Galway on Sun 15th September.  Her funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Brendan’s Church on Wednesday last followed by burial in Annaghdown Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

We also extend our condolences to Kathleen & Michael Barden, and family Doononey on the death of Kathleen’s brother Tom Byrne, Rathurtin, Clonroche. Sympathy also to his wife Una, sons Paul and Tommy, extended family, neighbours and friends. His funeral mass took place in Christ the King Church, Poulpeasty on Friday 20th followed by burial in Poulpeasty Cemetery.  May he rest in peace.

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

I sought my soul,

But my soul I could not see.

I sought my God,

But my God eluded me.

I sought my neighbour,

And I found all three.

ACTIVE AGE MONDAY MORNINGS

CHAIR EXERCISES for the month of October our Chair Exercise will be supported by Age & Opportunity over 50’s Active initiative which promotes the importance of physical activity within the community. Your self-investment for October is an hour of your time every Monday morning at 10.00am and a total cost of €10 where we will move, stretch and breathe together sharing the joy of movement. We look forward to getting you more active this Autumn.

30 YEARS MARRIED

Recently I was at a celebration marking 30 years of marriage of friends of mine. One of their daughters had come back to Ireland from the continent for the weekend. Needless to say, she had told her work colleagues why she was going home for the weekend. She soon discovered their amazement that her parents could still be married and living together after 30 years. None of them came from families where their parents were still together. These work colleagues, all in their early 30’s, came from all over Europe. What does that tell us about the future of our civilization if marriage and the family is meant to be the basic building block of society?

RELICS OF ST. BERNADETTE – St. Aidan’s Cathedral

Night Time Vigil Parish Areas

Monday 23rd & Tuesday 24th September

Adamstown – 9pm – 10.00pm Monday 23rd.

Raheen – 2.00am -3.00am Tuesday 24th

Newbawn -8.00am – 9.00am Tuesday 24th.

People are free to visit the Relics at any time and attend any of the ceremonies, the above allocation of times is merely a suggestion to ensure a presence of people with the Blessed Sacrament and Relics during the night.

MARY’S MEALS

The monthly Online Quiz to support Mary’s Meals takes place next Friday (Sept 27th) at 8pm. To enter (for FREE) go to play.myquiz.org and enter code for this month 887827. It’s fun and you’re not visible on the screen. We have now provided 625,000 meals. €2 feeds a child for an average month. To donate go to www.bit.ly/QuizforMM or contact Martin Colfer on 087 2596159. Thank you.

SIMPLY DIVINE PROGRAMME ON SOUTH EAST RADIO

On Simply Divine Programme on Saturday 28th September  with Maria Colfer will be Dr. Katrina Leyden from Texas who will explain the importance of the Five First Saturdays.

COW’S THAT ? – Ireland’s Own

“Why don’t you buy a car?” said a salesman to a farmer.

“Well, I’d much rather buy a cow, replied the farmer.

“You’d look rather silly riding around on a cow,” said the salesman. “Not half as silly as I’d look milking a car,” said the farmer.