January 10th 2021

SYMPATHY

The unexpected death occurred on Monday 4th January of Paudge Curtis, Tinryland, Carlow and formerly The Boola. To his wife Brigid (née Furlong) sons, daughters, grandchildren, brothers Mogue and Harry, sister St. Goretti, the Furlong and Curtis families, neighbours and friends our deepest sympathy. A private family funeral was celebrated on Friday last in St. Joseph’s Church Tinryland, with burial in the adjoining cemetery. May he rest in peace.

SAVE YOUR USED POSTAGE STAMPS

Please save your used postage stamps and give them to Bessie Fortune for Sr. Helen, Medical Missionaries of Mary.

They are a valuable source of income for their missionary work.

WEXFORD MARINEWATCH

Wexford MarineWatch is a voluntary organisation who provide Suicide Prevention Patrol at Wexford Quay, Estuary and Harbour. Volunteers wanted minimum age is 21 years and no upper age – closing date extended to 15th January.

1  night per month. If interested please download an application form at www.wexfordmarinewatch.com.

WHAT KIND OF YEAR WILL 2021 BE?

(Fr. Tom Cox – P.P. Clonmacnoise – Messenger Magazine)

Last August someone sent me a joke that had a person putting up their Christmas tree in summer with the caption

‘can we just call this a year?’ It captured by way of humour the sense that people had given up on 2020. Others have suggested that 2020 will be the one-word catchphrase for everything messed up and bad: ‘How’s your day?’ ‘A total 2020’ ‘Say no more’…..

What will 2021 bring? We simply don’t know if it will be a good or bad year – perhaps the test and most we can say is, ‘Maybe’.  We have learnt also that life is immensely complex and interwoven. We can’t know whether 2021 will bring fortune, misfortune or both. Let’s just be present to whatever 2021 may bring without making a final conclusion. There is always a bigger picture. I’ve written before in the context of mass, ‘the mystery of faith’ becomes ‘Rúndiamhair an Creidimh’ or literally ‘God’s loving secret’. Everywhere else the word ‘mystery’ is simply ‘rún’. The days will march on, life will flow, and we shall live in the light of God in all of its circumstances. Our minds and lives are so small before the immensity of time. We need to trust the mystery of life and its author more than our own assessment of time.

A BLESSING FOR THE YEAR 2021 AD

“May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.’ This is how they are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them” 

A BIT OF HISTORY: 

NATIONAL SCHOOLS IN ADAMSTOWN

The old Boys and Girls school opened in September 1842 situated in the yard beside St. Abban’s Church. It contained 6 desks nine feet long and 4 separate forms. There are no records from this time, but in the 1885 edition of Wexford County Guide and Directory by George Henry Bassett – John Jourdan is listed at Master National Boys School and Anne Meyler as Mistress of Girls School. The first records began in 1897 for the boys, but on New Year’s Day 1900 the girls’ school records and some parish records were burned in a fire, and it was not until 1918 that the girls’ records began again. In January 1933 by order of The Office of National Education both schools were amalgamated due to the fact that for the school calendar year of 1932 the average attendance for the boys school was less than 40 pupils. John Jourdan was appointed as Principal and Mrs Emma Curtis as privileged assistant of the amalgamated school. It also stated that Miss Kathleen Jourdan and Miss Winifred Jourdan may be excluded from the redundant list and may be retained on the teaching staff so long as the average daily attendance for the preceding calendar year is not less

than 80 in accordance with Rule 84. Rev. Owen Kehoe C.C was Manager of the school at that time.

In September 1950 due to the difficulty in saving the harvest crops owing to bad weather, the Minister of Education made a ruling that pupils who are ten years of age or over may be permitted to absent themselves from school for not more than ten school days in the period between 4th Sept and 31st Oct 1950 for the purpose of assisting in the saving of the harvest on the land of their parents in cases in which such assistance is found to be necessary.

The total number of pupils listed on the roll books from 1897 – 1949 is 540 boys and 348 girls. On a sunny day in May 1949 the last classes to attend this school marched down the street of Adamstown to a brand new school. The old school was later used as a Parish Hall and later again by the Vocational School for metalwork instruction. The old school was finally demolished in September 1983. The following teachers taught in the old school: John Jourdan, Anne Meyler, Denis Curtis, Emma Carty (later married David Curtis) Kathleen Jourdan, Winnie Jourdan. The new school consisted of 3 classrooms, a 4th classroom was added in the early 60’s also additional pre-fabricated accommodation had to be provided for due to the increased numbers on the rolls. A new £250,000 extension to St. Abban’s National School was blessed by Bishop Brendan Comiskey and officially opened by Seamus De Buitleir, Chief Inspector of Schools in April 1987. This new extension marked the culmination of years of determination and patient persistence by The Board of Management under the dynamic leadership of Rev Noel Hartley P.P.

Many improvements have been carried out on the school over the years and we now have a wonderful modern school catering for the needs of our local community.

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 9th – Terry McDonald, The Leap (A)

Sun 10th – Willie Stafford, Oldcourt (A)

Phil & Elizabeth Jackman, Raheenduff & Hannah Falvey (A)

Sat 16th – Joe Crosbie, New Ross & Misterin (A)

Sun 17th – David Forrestal, Oldcourt  (Month’s Mind)

Pray for Syl & Statia Barron, Coonogue (A)

Josie Galway, Breezemount (A)

May they rest in peace.

We remember in our prayers also Eddie Lucey, Bandon, Co. Cork who died on Dec 27th; former pupils will remember him as a Science Teacher in Adamstown Vocational School.  To his wife and family our deepest condolences. 

May he rest in peace.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF EASTER AND THE MOVEABLE FEASTS

Know, Dear Brothers and Sisters, that, as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by leave of God’s mercy we announce to you also the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Saviour.

On the 17th day of February will fall Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season.

On the 4th day of April you will celebrate with joy Easter Day, the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the 13th day (or, where applicable, the 16th day)

of May will be Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the 23rd day of May, the feast of Pentecost.

On the 6th day of June, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

On the 28th day of November, the First Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

CHALKING THE DOORS FOR EPIPHANY 2021

There is a custom of blessing homes on the Feast of the Epiphany (6th Jan) when the family gather to ask God’s blessing on their home and family. It is an invitation to Jesus to be a daily guest in our homes.

Using the blessed chalk (which many parishes will bless and make available) mark the lintel of your front door as follows:

20 + C + M + B + 21 saying: (see below for meaning)

The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and twenty one years ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the New Year. Amen

Then say the following prayer:

Visit, O Blessed Lord, this home with the gladness of your presence.

Bless all who live or visit here with the gift of your love;

and grant that we may manifest your to each other and to all whose lives we touch.

May we grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of you;

guide, comfort, and strengthen us in peace,

O Jesus Christ, now and for ever. Amen.

Inscriptions:

C M B – In Latin Christus mansionem benedicat:  “May Christ bless the house”, also first letter of names of three Wise Men. The + sign represents the cross and the “20” at the beginning and the “21” at the end mark the current year.

THE HEDGEHOG – (Calvin Jones – Ireland’s Own)

Reports suggest that the earliest record of hedgehogs in Ireland stem from Co. Waterford at around the time that the Normans arrived in the 13th century. Hedgehogs are 6 – 12 inches long and weigh between 3.5 and 4.5 lbs. Their back is covered with five thousand or more short yellow-tipped spines with brown fur covering the rest of the body. Strong muscles along their backs allow hedgehogs to curl into a ball when threatened, relying on their spikes to protect their vulnerable head and underside. The common name, “hedgehog” comes from their pig-like habit of rooting around in the undergrowth for food. They are quite vocal, and can be heard grunting and snuffling loudly as they forage for slugs, snails, beetles and earthworms. They are solitary, non-territorial animals that are mainly active at night. They have poor eyesight but a keen sense of smell and excellent hearing. Baby hedgehogs are fully weaned at around 5 weeks old. By autumn hedgehogs will have packed on a considerable amount of weight for hibernation, which takes place normally between November and March or April depending on the prevailing weather conditions. During hibernation the hedgehog’s heart rate falls from 190 beats per minute to about 20 and his core body temperature drops as low as 10 degrees Celsius. It is believed that 75% of juvenile hedgehogs never wake from their first winter sleep. They can live up to five years, but many don’t survive till then, thousands are killed every year on our roads, lawnmowers and strimmers account for many more. Despite high mortality rates hedgehogs are still a relatively common sight, if you venture out into the countryside after dark sooner or later you will hear the rustles, grunts or snuffles of their foraging.

RTE SKETCH ON NEW YEAR’S EVE PROGRAMME

Former RTE newsreader Aengus Mac Grianna has apologised for taking part in a controversial sketch saying he is “deeply sorry” for the offence caused. Thousands of complaints have been received by RTE. The Catholic Primate of All Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin described the sketch as deeply offensive and blasphemous. He tweeted on New Year’s Day “to broadcast such a deeply offensive and blasphemous clip about God and our Blessed Mother during the Christmas season on the Eve of the Feast of Mary the Mother Of God is insulting to all Catholics and Christians”.  RTE also apologises and removes sketch from online player.

POPE’S INTENTION FOR JANUARY

(Universal):  We pray for women who are victims of violence, that they may be protected by society and have their sufferings considered and heeded.

SYMPATHY

The death occurred on Fri 8th Jan of Lucille (Lu) Duggan, Tomgarrow. To her husband Maurice, children Cillin, Shóna, &  Darragh, parents Pattie and Brendan Hogan, sisters, brother, extended family, and friends our deepest sympathy.

A private family funeral for Lu takes place in St. Abban’s Church on Sunday with burial in the adjoining cemetery.

May her gentle soul rest in peace.

Family flowers only please donations in lieu to The Irish Cancer Society.