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29th December, 2024

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th December 2024

Volume 24.  Number 52

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ADAMSTOWN LOTTO

The next draw in the Adamstown Lotto takes place on 9th January 2025. Tickets available from GAA, Soccer clubs, Parish Committee & in Cullen’s Gala. Thanks for your continued support. Please leave books back in Cullen’s Gala by 8pm on draw night.  Wishing all our supporters a Happy New Year.

THURSDAY NIGHT CARD GAME

The Thursday night Card Game resumes in the Community Centre on Thursday 2nd January 2025 at 8.00pm.

Wishing all our Card Players a Happy & Healthy New Year.

ADAMSTOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE

Pilates starting Wednesday 15th January 7.45pm in Adamstown Community Centre. Improvers to Intermediate. 

Contact Sarah 087 062 7563

TFI – LOCAL LINK BUS SERVICE

Local Link currently runs from Adamstown to Wexford 3 days per week: Monday, Wednesday & Saturday. Collects at Cullen’s Gala at 9.50am returning 1.35pm. You can pre-book your door-to-door service.  Contact the office for all details & to book your place Phone 053 9011828 

SYMPATHY  – Paddy McLoughlin R.I.P.

The death occurred on Wednesday last of Paddy McLoughlin, Woodview Drive and formerly Ballybrennan, Bree.

We extend our deepest sympathy to his sister Sally, brother Dan, nephews, nieces, cousins, extended family, neighbours and friends. Paddy’s funeral Mass was celebrated in the Church of The Assumption, Bree on Saturday 28th followed by burial afterwards in Ballybrennan Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

CHRISTMAS IN ST. ABBANS

Our church looked splendid this Christmas and thanks to Catherine & John Hanley, Mick Tector, Lorna Komsa, Anne O’Brien, Joe & Cáit Bradley for the lovely Crib, Christmas Tree and floral arrangements throughout St. Abban’s Church.

On Christmas Eve, our church was full of people attending the Vigil Mass and again on Christmas morning. It was so nice to such a gathering of people. Thanks to Fr. Nolan, the choir members who attended both ceremonies, for the lovely hymns and music, thanks to T.J. McDonald for facilitating the online streaming of the Vigil Mass, to the readers, eucharistic minister and parishioners from Oldourt for their contribution to the floral arrangements in the church for Christmas. Thanks to anyone who helped in any way to make our Christmas Celebrations such a wonderful experience. Thank you all.

THE EUROPEAN ROBIN  – Erithacus rubecula

Ask a cross-section of the population to name their favourite bird and chances are a high proportion will say the robin. These endearing little birds that feature so prominently at Christmas time have become ubiquitous in our parks and gardens. They are perhaps the one species of bird that practically everybody in the country can recognise instantly. Robins are found throughout Ireland and are common in towns and cities as well as the country; their population here is estimated at around four million.

Identification is easy; the bright red breast is an immediate giveaway, but the distinctive plump shape, the upright stance and a tendency towards sudden, jerky movements all make the robin unmistakeable. Then, of course, there’s the familiar, warbling song and the “tick, tick, tick” alarm call. Unusually, among birds the female robin also sings, and the robin is the only bird in Ireland that keeps singing right through the winter. Robins are fiercely territorial. The red breast and warbling song are fundamental in establishing and maintaining a territory and are used by both sexes as females hold their own territories during winter. This territorial instinct is so strong that occasionally.

Confused robins have been seen attacking anything red in the garden, from a pair of red socks on the washing line to their own reflections in a care wing-mirror. Robins are notorious for nesting in unusual places; under old car bonnets, garden sheds, disused bookshelves, and even in abandon wellington-boots. Normanlly however the nest is built in a well-concealed hollow in a wall or bank, and a clutch of four to six eggs is laid. The female incubates the eggs for about fourteen days and is fed on the nest by the male during this time. Both parents feed the youngsters, which leave the nest after between ten and sixteen days. About three weeks later the young birds are left to their own devices and the parents begin the whole process again for the next brood. Robins are wonderful opportunists and take full advantage of their proximity to people to supplement their diet – particularly during winter months. When the days are cold, and short robins will be among the first to visit our bird-tables and feeders to boost the meagre pickings available in nature.

At any time of the year, they will flit restlessly around gardener’s feet as they turn the soil, eager to cash in on a free meal of earthworms and insect larvae. Robins get bolder with repeated offers of food, and some become so tame that they will even enter houses or feed from the hand. Strangely, this confiding nature seems to be peculiar to the robins in Britain & Ireland. Elsewhere in Europe they tend to be shy, skulking birds that stick to the undergrowth and avoid contact with people. Whatever the reason for this unusual confidence, the Irish robin’s character has undoubtedly gained a place in people’s hearts, and I think it’s safe to say it’s there to stay.

(Calvin Jones – Ireland’s Own)

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 28th – Breda Kelly, Ballyvergin (A)

Sun 29th – People of the Parish

Sat 4th Jan – Michael & Josie Whelan, Tomgarrow

Also – Phyllis Bernie & Fred O’Brien, Dublin (A)

Sun 5th – James & Lila Kent, Adamstown (A)

Pray for Paddy McLoughlin, Woodview Drive who died during the past week. 

May they rest in peace.

Mass – Monday 30th & Tuesday 31st at 9.30am.

Mass Wed Jan 1st – New Year’s Day: Feast of Mary Mother of God at 11.00am. World Day of Prayer for Peace.

Mass – Thursday 2nd, Friday 3rd Saturday 4th at 9.30am.

There will be No Adoration on Thursday 2nd January.

READERS OF THE LITURY

Sat 28th – Annette English.   Sun 29th – Ann Ryan

Sat 4th Jan – Anthony McGee. Sun 5th – Neasa Cloney

Sat 11th – Eoghan Greene. Sun 12th – Betty O’Shea

Sat 18th – Cáit Bradley        Sun 19th – Callie Doyle

CHURCH ALTARS & DECORATION

Thanks to the ladies from Oldcourt for looking after the Church & Altars for the month of December, it is now the turn of parishioners from Newtown/The Leap for the month of January.

THE PROCLAMATION OF CHRISTMAS

The twenty-fifth day of December.

After the passage of countless centuries from the creation of the world, when in the beginning God created heaven and earth and formed man in his own image; and very many centuries from the time when after the flood the Almighty had set his bow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant and of peace; in the twenty-first century from the migration of Abraham, our father in faith, from Ur of the Chaldees; in the thirteenth century from the departure of the people of Israel from Egypt under the leadership of Moses; in about the one-thousandth year from the anointing of David as king according to the prophecy of Daniel, in the 194th Olympiad; in the 752nd year from the foundation of the City Rome; in the 42nd year of the rule of Caesar Octavian Agustus; while the whole world was at peace, Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the Eternal Father, desiring to consecrate the world by his most gracious coming, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit, and when nine months had passed after his conception, is born as man in Bethlehem of Judah from the Virgin Mary: the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

WELCOMING 2025

January is also a month of trust and hope. As bells ring out at midnight, and we sing Auld Lang Syne, we enter into 2025 with confidence that God will always be with us. May the roads and paths of 2025 rise to meet us all in a kindly direction; and may we find God’s warm hand in all the New Year brings:

THE CLOCK OF 2025       (Robert H Smith)

The Clock of life is wound but once and no one has the power

To tell just where the hands will stop – at late or early hour

To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed, to lose one’s health is more

To lose one’s soul is such a loss – as no one can restore

The present only is our own – live, love and work with all goodwill

Depend not on tomorrow for the clock may then be still.

POINT TO PONDER

“Both Genesis and science say that the universe is geared to supporting human life. But Genesis says more. It says that you, as a human being, bear the image of God. The starry heavens show the glory of God, yes; but they are not made in God’s image. You are. That makes you unique. It gives you incalculable value.  The galaxies are unimaginably large compared with you. However, you know that they exist, but they don’t know that you exist. You are more significant, therefore, than a galaxy”

(John Lennox, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, Oxford)

“And Is It True?”: Betjeman’s Weary Christmas Faith

And is it true? And is it true,

This most tremendous tale of all.

Seen in a stained-glass window’s hue,

A Baby in an ox’s stall?

The Maker of the stars and sea

Become a Child on earth for me?

And is it true?  For if it is,

No loving fingers tying strings

Around those tissued fripperies,

The sweet and silly Christmas things,

Bath salts and inexpensive scent

And hideous tie so kindly meant.

No love that in a family dwells,

No carolling in frosty air,

Nor all the steeple-shaking bells

Can with this single Truth compare –

That God was man in Palestine

And lives today in Bread and Wine.

(Rhys Laverty)

Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy & Peaceful New Year.

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