November 8th 2020

ADAMSTOWN N.S. PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION SPLIT THE POT DRAW
Adamstown N.S. Split the Pot is back for a once off draw on Friday 27th November.
Envelopes are €2 each and can be purchased in Cullen’s Gala, Brad’s Takeaway and also envelopes can be brought in to school for the draw by the schoolchildren. You can enter as many times as you like during the month for this once off Split the Pot draw. Due to the various restrictions our fundraising has been curtailed so we would appreciate your support and let’s make this draw a big one for one lucky person. All funds raised will go towards upgrading of the school’s playground.
 
LOCAL WINNERS IN THE CLG Loch Garman Club & County Draw.
Congratulations to the following winners:
October Draw. 16th :Prize – McCauley Heath & Beauty Voucher valued €250 – Ian Stafford, Raheenduff.
November Draw: 5th Prize – McCauley’s Health & Beauty Voucher valued €500 – Frank Doyle, Foley’s Pub, Newbawn.
36th Prize – Pettits Supervalu Voucher valued €150 – Thomas Murphy, Courthoyle Old. All winners from Adamstown GAA Club.
 
TAKING CARE OF OUR WELLBING & RESILIENCE IN WEXFORD
Covid-19 has turned 2020 into a year like no other.
We all need a little help at times – Healthy Ireland is building a programme of activities around simple actions that we can all take to keep well.Keeping in Contact: Person-to-person is vital to our well-being. Don’t let isolation become a problem – ask for help if you need it, offer help if you can.
Wexford Co. Council will provide a helpline and support services as part of The Community Call.
Getting Creative: Learn something new, get back to nature, find ways to relax, rediscover your own locality. Engage creatively with local historical spaces and places. Wexford Co. Council and the Creative Ireland Programme will provide initiatives in the arts, crafting, culture and heritage.
Eating Well: Make the connection between the food you eat and how you feel, mentally and physically. Bord Bia will support healthy eating this winter. Libraries will promote a grow your own initiative for spring.
Minding Your Mood: Anxiety is a real problem – do not ignore it. Find out where to go if you or someone you know needs support. The HSE’s yourmentalhealth.ie website has useful information and look out for the upcoming HSE online Minding Your Wellbeing Programme.
Make a daily plan to do at least one thing every day that will keep you well.
Wexford Community Call helpline is there if you need practical support or some to talk to: 053 919 6000
TWINS CELEBRATE THEIR 90TH BIRTHDAY
We send our congratulations to twin sisters Mary Flood, Oldcourt and Peg Cowman, Rathfardon, Poulpeasty (nee Larkin, Clonroche) on the very special occasion of their 90th birthdays on Tuesday 3rd November. What a wonderful occasion for their families and friends. We wish both ladies good health and happiness for many years to come.

LOOKING BACK – ADAMSTOWN SENIOR CITIZENS OUTING TO KILKENNY CASTLE 1988 (Betty O’Shea)
A group of Senior Citizens travelled on an outing to Kilkenny Castle organized by Fr. Noel Hartley and Adamstown ICA guild. They took in some shopping also. The music was supplied by Frances McCabe. Travelling on the day were: Nick & Bridie Wickham, Mick & Josie Whelan, Batty & Philomena Delaney, Lizzie & Kitty Byrne, Tomgarrow.
Robert Furlong, Misterin. Larry Kiely, Maggie Power, Raheenduff. Mick & Polly O’Brien, Cathy Stafford, Jim & Nellie O’Shea, Agnes Carey, Mrs Kent, Kevin & Molly Whelan, Paddy & Molly Larkin, Mattie O’Neill, Kate Power, Adamstown. John & Nellie Finn, Rathsilla. Katie Furlong, Syl & Statia Barron, Coonogue. Fred & Mrs Parslow, Nancy Dillon, Kitty Buckley, Brocurra. Molly Hayden, Biddy Lawlor, Knockreigh. Kathy Doyle, Aidan O’Brien, Tony & Tess Kennedy, Cecelia Heffernan, Mrs Tom O’Brien, Ballyvergin. Mick & Mrs Dunphy, Doononey. Jim Walsh, Rathkyle. Bridie Whelan, Mary Byrne, Kellystown. Abban & Peggy Delaney, The Barracks. Josie Thorpe, Newtown. The group arrived back to Adamstown Community Centre where the ICA ladies – Nancy Bradley, Bridget Bradley, Frances Gallagher, Mary Doyle, Breda Whelan, Maisie Colfer, Callie Doyle, Betty O’Shea, Liz Furlong, Mary Walsh, Eileen J. Walsh, Eileen N. Walsh and Frances Doyle had prepared a beautiful 4-course meal for them. Sadly most of this group have gone to their eternal reward and we remember them in our prayers especially in this month of November. We also say a prayer for Fr. Noel Hartley, Kate Power and Cecelia Heffernan, who are currently being cared for in Nursing Homes and we wish them well. The ICA disbanded in the early 90’s. But the torch for the Senior Citizens was taken up by Fr. Doyle, Nurse Josie Codd, Betty O’Shea, Callie Doyle, Nancy Bradley. Over the years the group enjoyed many activities, tours, pongo, monthly meals etc., they also changed their name to Adamstown Active Retired Group
Hopefully in the not too distant future the members will be able to meet up again for a chat and a cuppa, when Covid-19 is no longer a threat.

THE LATE SEAN CONNERY
Sean Connery died on Saturday last aged 90 years. Believed by many fans to be the ‘real’ James Bond,’ he will be fondly remembered by many people. However, although being a very loyal and staunch Scotsman, he had Wexford blood in his veins. His great grandfather was a Catholic traveller from Wexford who emigrated to Scotland and died in 1914. His famous line ‘The name is Bond, James Bond’ will be long remembered. May he rest in peace.
CHURCH NOTICES
Mass from St. Abban’s Church will be available to view on their new Facebook page every Sunday morning at 10.30am. Please search for Adamstown Parish Church on Facebook and send a friend request to be able to view Mass on Sunday and other activities in the church during level 5 Lockdown.
Mass this weekend is offered for:
Kathleen Kidd, Oldcourt (A)
Jimmy Colfer, The Leap (A)

Fr. Robert will continue to offer Anniversary Masses during lockdown. Please contact him if you wish to have an Anniversary Mass said. Thank you.

SPIRITUAL HOLY COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that your are present in the Most Holy Sacrament,
I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,
Please come spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you now as if you were already there and I unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.

PIOUS LIST ENVELOPES
Pious List envelopes are available in the Church porch.
Please take one, fill in names of deceased you wish to have Mass offered for and drop in letterbox at Fr. Nolan’s house.

POPE’S INTENTION FOR NOVEMBER
Universal Prayer Intention – Artificial Intelligence
We pray that the progress of robotics and artificial intelligence may always serve humankind.

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

SYMPATHY
We extend our sympathy to the following who were bereaved recently.
Mrs Muriel Roe on the death of her sister Olive Long.
Alma Gorman on the death of her aunt May Doyle.
The Bradley family, Courthoyle Old, on the sudden death of their sister Ann Breen (nee Bradley) Wicklow town. Her funeral Mass took place in St. Patrick’s Church, Wicklow on Thursday last. May they rest in peace.

CHURCH ALTARS & DECORATION
Thanks to the ladies from Oldcourt for looking after the Church and Altars from October. It is now the turn of parishioners from Coonogue for the month of November.

THE ROSARY (Seán Ua Cearnaigh – Pioneer Magazine)
Has the Rosary a Place in Today’s Ireland?
The above question would never have been asked a generation or two ago. Then, as in previous generations, the family Rosary was recited in almost every Catholic home in the land. Even workers away from home in boarding houses and flats observed the age-old custom. Sadly, such is not the case today. The Rosary is becoming more and more dated with each passing year.
The Meath historian, poet and patriot, Brian O’Higgins, was imprisoned in England for his part in the 1916 Rising. Here
he and his fellow captives suffered privations sufficient to drive strong men insane. However, as Brian himself recorded, ‘it was the Rosary that saved us then, the coming together of the prisoners to recite the Rosary and the aura of comradeship thus enabled them to overcome hardships and
harassment. And, indeed, it was the recitation of the Rosary by Michael Mallin and his Citizen Army comrades in Dublin’s College of Surgeons during the 1916 Rising which greatly impressed Countess Markievcz and guided her into the Catholic Church. We can recall, also, that it was the Rosary which largely contributed to keeping the faith in Ireland alive during the dark eighteenth century years of penal persecution. So, why is the recitation of the Rosary so often a rare memory of the past in today’s Ireland. The partial decline of close family life, the advent of television and internet, the wide-scale availability of nightly entertainment, these and other reasons are frequently cited. But An Choróin Mhuire, as our own language titles it, remains for the most part, a public prayer rather than a private practice.
Another midlands bard, Willian A Byrne, recalls in his poem, The Purple Heather, how following the labours in the bog, the turfmen and their families ended the day.
‘And prayer is here to give us sight,
To see the purest ends,
Each evening through the brown-turf light,
The Rosary ascends’.

ONE- LINER OF THE WEEK!
Listening to South East Radio’s commentary on Sunday last in horrendous weather of the Wexford v’s Wicklow football match, the following was heard: “The ball is like a bar of soap – that’s ‘Lifebuoy’ for you” – – Priceless

WORDS ON A HEADSTONE IN A DEVON CHURCHYARD
God grant that I may fish until my dying day,
And when it comes to my last cast, I humbly pray,
When in the Lord’s safe landing net I’m peacefully asleep.
That in His mercy I be judged good enough to keep.

A LEARNING CURVE
No matter how bad life seems today, it does go on, and things will be better tomorrow.

Life sometimes gives you a second chance and we should extend a second chance to each other.

There is always someone who will lend a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on when you need it. Reach for it.