October 25th 2020

SYMPATHY
We extend our deepest sympathy to Matt O’Neill, The Boola
on the death of his wife Bridget (Bud), nee Owens and to his son James, daughters Carol and Maria, sister Kathleen, grandchildren extended family, neighbours and friends.
A private family funeral Mass took place in St. Abban’s Church on Wednesday last with burial in the adjoining cemetery.
May her gentle soul rest in peace.

We offer our condolences also to Martin (Scratchy) Doyle and family on the unexpected death of his sister, Julie Cullen, Convent Court, New Ross on Saturday 17th. Sympathy also to her uncle Willie Walsh and family Woodview Drive. A family service and burial took place in St. Stephen’s Cemetery, New Ross on Wednesday last.
May she rest in peace.

Sympathy is also extended to Ray Hewer and family, Barrack’s Rd, on the recent death of Mrs Nancy O’Brien.
May she rest in peace.

COVID-19 HELPLINE
Support group ALONE has a national support line and additional measures for older people who have concerns or are facing difficulties relating to the outbreak of Covid-19.
The support line is open Monday – Friday from 8.00am to
8.00pm. by calling 0818 222 024.

AN POST ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVE –
Where you can send post and parcels for free to nursing home residents.
A new initiative by An Post where customers can send letters, large envelopes, packets and parcels up to 2kg addressed for free to residents in nursing homes, residential accommodation in the mental health or disability sectors and convalescent homes. Customers can avail by writing Free Post where the stamp would normally be affixed and do include a return address on all items.
An Post also announced that its Community Focus initiative, which involves delivery staff checking in on older people along their routes, will continue until 2021.

MISSING KITTEN
Ginger female kitten, five months old, with white spot on chest and tummy area, missing from Fairfields area since Sat 17th Oct. Much loved pet, reward offered. Information please to 087 9856504

CHURCH NOTICE:
Please note St Abban’s Church will be closed each evening at 6pm from this Sunday 25th October 2020

HALLOWEEN
In times gone past, Halloween or ‘Samhain’, signalled the end of summer and the beginning of the winter months. Many centuries ago, a special feast day was made for all the saints in heaven on the first day of November. The night before this important feast day came to be known as ‘All Hallows Eve’. The first day of winter for the Celts was traditionally kept on November 1st, now the feast of All Saints and the vigil of this day Óiche Samhain (Halloween) is still celebrated all over Ireland. Halloween was originally a season, not a single night, it was celebrated in the last fortnight in October. Samhain was the occasion when bonfires were ‘lit to guide people home or to welcome the traveller’ and marks the closing of the door for the year.
The Vigil of the Feast of All Saints was for many centuries a day of abstinence, in which no meat was eaten. A favourite food for Halloween was Colcannon, mashed boiled potatoes, mixed with cooked green cabbage or kale & chopped raw onions seasoned with salt and pepper. Another treat was the Báirin Breac, (Barm Brack) it was customary to put items, a ring, coin, a button, a thimble into the dough while mixing before cooking. The ring meant early marriage, the coin wealth, the button bachelorhood, the thimble spinsterhood.. The most common custom today for children is trick or treat, unfortunately this year it not permitted due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Happy Halloween everyone!
FULL MOON COINCIDES WITH HALLOWEEN
The moon usually comes full twelve times in a year – three times for each season. As if 2020 hasn’t been strange enough already, a total of thirteen full moons are visible in this year. This month, however, we have the very special occurrence of two full moons within the month; one on 1st October and the second one, eerily coincidental, falls on Halloween – 31st October. Because the second full moon of the calendar month, it can be defined as a ‘blue moon’.
Blue moons normally occur only every two or three years. There are approximately 29.53 days between full moons, making it unusual for two full moons to fit into a regular calendar month of thirty or thirty-one days. So, February will never have a blue moon. Owing to its rarity, the term ‘blue moon’ is used colloquially as an event that rarely occurs. Most blue moons look exactly like any other full moon, a greyish-white colour. Simply by calling it ‘blue’ doesn’t change its colour! However, in some instances, the moon has taken on a ‘bluish’ appearance when affected by earth’s natural (or unnatural) phenomena or atmospheric conditions like dust storms, volcano eruptions or forest fires when the dust particles are trapped in the air creating a kind of filter
through which we can view the moon, altering its colour.
During the Middle Ages, many philosophers believed that the full moon caused strange fevers that took the form of seizures. Because of the connection between the full moon and this unusual behaviour, those poor afflicted souls were referred to as ‘lunatics’ or, quite literally, ‘moon sick’
(Pioneer Magazine)

CHURCH NOTICES
Please Pray for:
Bernard Doyle, Oldcourt, (A)
Denis & Elizabeth Cummins, Raheenduff (A)
Patrick & Kathleen Murphy and deceased members of the Murphy family, Coolnagree and Babs Carr (A)
Mary Anne Nolan & Anne Hanrick, New Ross (A)
Kathleen Rothwell, Groveside (A)
May they rest in peace.
Fr. Robert will continue to offer Anniversary Masses during lockdown. Please contact him if you wish to have an Anniversary Mass said. Thank you.

Sunday 1st Nov – Feast of All Saints
Mon 2nd Nov – Feast of All Souls
On Sun 1st Nov Bishop Brennan will lead a service of remembrance at the Cathedral in Enniscorthy at 3pm to remember the dead of the Diocese and those who grieve. Each priest in the Diocese is invited to do so, in his own church, at this time.

SUNDAY ENVELOPES
If you wish you may use 365 Banking and transfer your contribution periodically to the parochial account, please put your Sunday Envelope number on your donation or your name.
Adamstown Parochial A/C Current Account
BIC: BOFIIE2D
IBAN: IE04 BOFI 9066 6276 8462 48

THERE WERE CANDLES –
Fr. Vincent Sherlock, Irish Catholic.
On Sunday evening when I went to lock the church. I noticed candles burning in the candelabra. This has been a constant and, for some reason, those candles burn with an added brightness during these times when our churches are not open for public Mass. To me, at least, they are signs of living faith and though people cannot gather in great numbers, still come in ones and twos to light a candle, say a prayer, ask a favour and maybe say thanks.
A musician friend told me he was once playing a tune and as he neared the end, a man who was clearly enjoying the tune, shouted: “Keep her lit!” I’m only saying!

REFLECTION FOR WEEKEND 24th & 25th OCT
Cast your burdens upon the Lord (Psalm 55:22)
A hiker with two heavy holdalls was walking down a road in 90-degree heat. A truck driver stopped and told him to hop on. Later when the driver looked in his rear-view mirror, the hiker was standing in the truck still holding his bags.
As Jon Walker points out many of us ‘stand in the truck of faith carrying our burdens, thinking they’re independent of a lift we’re taking’. We think God can carry us but not our burdens.. Yet the Psalmist says “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he shall sustain you”. Rest in His power and grace… confident He’s looking out for your best interests.
Rest requires dependence, and one sign that you’re not resting in God is worry … the need to control. Next time you feel overwhelmed settle into a chair, “Be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10) (Diocesan Pastoral Council).
PRO-LIFERS WELCOME ‘BORN ALIVE’ ORDER
US Bishops have applauded President Trump’s signing of
the ‘Born Alive Executive Order’ to ensure babies born alive receive care. The order means “babies born prematurely or with disabilities receive a basic medical assessment and appropriate care as required by our federal laws” Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City said. “No baby born alive should be abandoned,” he added. “Every human life is precious and deserves a shot at life,” The order forces the Department of Health to fund life-saving medical care for infants who survive abortions or are born prematurely

AN INSPIRING PRAYER – (St. Martin’s Magazine)
Heavenly Father, help us remember that the annoying driver who cut us off in traffic last night might be a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.
Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who, at the checkout can’t make change correctly, is a worried 19-year old-student, balancing his apprehension over final exams, with his fear of not getting his student loans for next year.
Remind us, Lord that the homeless person, begging for money in the same spot every day might be a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.
Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slowly through the shops and blocking our progress are savouring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be one of the last times that they might go shopping together.
Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity.
Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

THIS POEM WAS WRITTEN BY THE LATE SPIKE MILLIGAN ABOUT SMILING.
Unfortunately now with Covid-19 restrictions, we are unable to show people a smile -, but you can always smile at home, in school, or whenever possible.
SMILING
Smiling is infectious
You can catch it like the flu
When someone smiled at me today
I started smiling too.
I walked around the corner
And someone saw me grin.
When he smiled I realised
I had passed it on to him.
I thought about the smile
And then realised its worth
A single smile like mine,
Could travel round the earth.
So if you feel a smile begin,
Don’t leave it undetected.
Start an epidemic
And get the world infected.