December 20th 2020

CULLEN’S GALA CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS

Christmas Eve – 9.00am – 6pm.

Christmas Day – CLOSED.

St. Stephen’s Day – CLOSED.

Sun 27th Dec – 9.00am – 1.00pm.

Mon 28th Dec – 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Tues 29th Dec – 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Wed 30th Dec – 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Thurs 31st Dec – 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Friday Jan 1st – 9.00am – 1.00pm.

ADAMSTOWN PHARMACY CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS 2020

Thursday 24th – 9.00am – 3.00pm.

Friday 25th – CLOSED.

Saturday 26th – CLOSED.

Sunday 27th – CLOSED.

Monday 28th – 10.00am – 2.00pm.

Tuesday 29th – 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Wed 30th – 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Thurs 31st – 9.00am – 3.00pm.

Friday 1st January – CLOSED

Sat 2nd Jan – 10.00am – 2.00pm.

Sunday 3rd Jan – CLOSED

ADAMSTOWN HEALTH CENTRE

CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS

Up to Wednesday 23rd December inclusive

Usual Opening Hours.

Christmas Eve Morning – Emergency Cover

Christmas Eve (from 1pm) – Monday 28th

inclusive – CAREDOC

Tues 29th, Wed 30th – Usual Opening Hours

New Year’s Eve morning – Emergency Cover

New Year’s Eve (from 1pm) &

New Year’s Day – CAREDOC

Mon 04 January onwards – Usual Opening Hours.

With every good wish for this Christmas & 2021

Dr. Catherine O’Donohoe & Colleagues.

Caredoc: 0818 300 365

CHRISTMAS WISHES

We extend a Happy and Peaceful Christmas to all our parishioners who are in hospital or being looked after in a nursing home, or at home, it has been a very tough time not being able to have family visit them, we remember them in our prayers.

We also remember all the families who are unable to welcome loved ones home this Christmas, and all those who will have to spend Christmas away from home due to the virus.

VILLAGE CHRISTMAS TREE

A sincere thanks to the Wheelock family for the gift of a Christmas Tree for Adamstown Village.

’20 YEARS OF NEWSLETTERS’ IN BOOK FORM

A book covering 20 years of Adamstown Newsletters is now published and is on sale. This publication is dedicated to the memory of the late Terry McDonald, who compiled the first Newsletter in December 1999. The book is made up of items taken from our Parish Newsletters from 1999 – 2019, and is a mini history of events in Adamstown and further afield during those 20 years. Covering all aspects of parish life – church, schools, social, sporting, variety and all other happenings in our community. In total items from 1650 sheets of Newsletters are included in this book. Cost €8.00

The book is on sale at Cullen’s Gala and from Ellie Walsh at 087 2480964 or e.mail: elliewalsh1949@gmail.com

SAFETY TIPS FOR THE HOME

Don’t overload plug sockets

Don’t plug an extension lead into another lead.

Don’t leave lamps & electrical appliances plugged in at night.

Cooking was the source of 224 house fires in 2019, most happening at Christmas period. Always keep the area around your cooker free from combustible items such as napkins, tea towels & food packaging.

In the event of a grease fire, never extinguish it with water, use a fire blanket instead.

There were 2,137 fires caused by chimneys last year. You should have your chimney cleaned & inspected at least once a year. Stoves & Boilers should be serviced regularly by a professional.

Candles – At Christmas time it’s easy to forget to blow out candles, especially nighttime. A simple alternative are LED tea lights.

Christmas Tree: Never leave Christmas Tree plugged in at night or when you leave the house.

Keep you Christmas Tree at least four feet away from heat sources, fires, heaters & candles.

Smoke Alarms – It is very important to have a smoke alarm on each floor of your house & check them regularly.

Each home should have at least 1 Fire extinguisher rated for all fire types (look for A-B-C rating on the label) and have a carbon monoxide alarm installed, you should have one in every room that contains a stove or open fire. Keep matches & lighters well out of children’s reach.

WHEN THE ANGELUS BELLS ARE RINGING

(Sean Ua Cearnaigh)

Irish people have always been devoted to the Angelus, that loveliest of prayers. Known in our own language as “Fáilte an Aingel” (the Angel’s Welcome) Perhaps the loveliest of tributes to the Angelus was written about 100 years ago by the Meath patriot Brian O’Higgins recalling the exiled friends of his youth who prayed the Angelus. We quote:

God grant when the sun goes down the west,

When we turn from our toil and seek for rest,

We may meet in the only Land that’s best

When the Angelus bells are ringing.

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 19th – Kit O’Connor, Newtown (A)

Josie Thorpe, Newtown (A)

Sun 20th – Gerry Bradley, Ballyvergin (A)

Thurs 24th – Edward, Kitty, John Buckley &

Pat O’Connor, Ian Aldridge, Matt O’Neill, Brocurra (A)

Pray for Jim Connors, Mooncoin who died on Friday 18th, also his parents Jim & Mary Connors, The Hill and Ally and Mary Connors, Woodview Drive.

May they rest in peace.

We offer our sympathy to the Connors family on the death of Jim, may he rest in peace.

SYMPATHY

The death occurred on Wednesday last of Michael (Mick) Delaney, Newbawn (formerly Misterin). We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Dorah, daughter Debbie, son Cathal his brothers, sisters and his extended family and friends in the Adamstown area. A private family funeral Mass took place on Friday in the Church of the Sacred Heart, Newbawn followed by burial in Newbawn Cemetery.

May he rest in peace.

We offer our deepest condolences to Lisa & Dale Kirwan and all Lisa’s family on the sad death of her brother Alan Hayes, Newtown, Taghmon on Sunday 13th Dec. A private family funeral took place in St. Garvan’s Church, Caroreigh,

on Wednesday with burial afterwards in Kilgarvan Cemetery.

May he rest in peace.

A CLOWN’S PRAYER (St. Martin’s Magazine)

Lord, as I stumble through this life,

Help me to create more laughter than tears,

Dispense more happiness than gloom,

Spread more cheer than despair.

Never let me be indifferent that I will not

See the wonder in the eyes of a child,

Or the tremble in the eye of the aged.

Never let me forget that my total effort is

To cheer people, make them happy and forget

At least for a moment all the unpleasant

Things in their lives.

And Lord, in my final moment, may I hear

“when you made people smile, you made me smile.”

WINTER SOLSTICE 20th – 22nd DECEMBER

For three days at the solstice the sun appears to stand still. If you were to observe the sunrise over a period of some weeks, you would see that its position moves along the horizon each day, except for the times of midsummer and midwinter solstices, when it rises from the same position for three days in a row. At midwinter solstice comes the shortest day, the darkest time of the year. The entrance to Newgrange is aligned with the position of the sunrise on the shortest day of the year, then at dawn on midwinter solstice, the first rays of the rising sun shine through the opening above the entrance, along the passage & illuminate the carvings. One can understand why the birth of Christ, as lord of light, is celebrated at this time of year.

MARY’S DREAM

“I had a dream, Joseph. I don’t understand it but I think

it was about a birthday celebration for our Son.

I think that’s what it was all about”

“The people had been preparing for it for weeks.

They decorated their houses and bought new clothes and lots of expensive gifts.

It was peculiar though, because the presents were not for our Son.

They wrapped them in beautiful paper with lovely coloured bows and left them under a tree.

A tree, Joseph, right in the middle of their own house”

“They decorated the trees with sparkling lights and shining balls,

and placed a kind of angel figure on the top branch,

it was really very beautiful.

Everyone was laughing and excited as they gave each other the gifts,

but there was nothing for our Son,

I don’t think they even once mentioned his name!”

“How sad for Jesus, not to be wanted at his own birthday celebrations.

I am so glad it was only a dream.

How terrible it would be, Joseph, if it had been real”

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK (Paul O’Reilly SJ)

Few people nowadays know what swaddling clothes are. In the days before the birth care we have today, to save them from the cold a poor child was wrapped in swaddling clothes. Such a child today would be an object of pity, compassion and love. Just such a child was born to Mary and Joseph, travellers in the most abject poverty, excluded from the inn, stabled in the barn, their child wrapped in swaddling clothes.

That is why I think the Lord comes to us not first with power and pride, to make of himself an object of worship. I think that is why he comes rather as an object of pity, compassion and love. A baby born, laid in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. A king who asks not what the Christ will do for you, but first what you will do for the Christ. Because we believe in the mystery of the Incarnation we believe that the presence and goodness of God in the world does not come to do something for us, rather he comes to give us the grace to be something – to be God’s People in the world.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

Wishing all families a Happy & Peaceful Christmas

Nollaig Shona Dhuit

Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia (Polish)

Craciun Fericit ( Romanian)

A warm welcome to all celebrating Christmas in Adamstown 2020.