April 4th, 2021

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Weekend of Sat 3rd & Sun 4th April 2021  

Volume 22   Number 12                                                                                    www.saintabbans.com

A BIT OF HISTORY;  TOBACCO GROWING

(Forty Years of Wexford Agriculture – M.T. Connolly)

County Wexford had long associations with the tobacco crop. In a publication in 1829 it states that Wexford in the last year has seen upwards of a thousand acres of tobacco grown. These growers are mainly made up of small farmers and cottiers. Commercial jealousy in England was aroused as English tobacco factories found serious rivals in the factories that were springing up in Ireland and in 1831 an Act of Parliament imposed legislative restrictions. This remained until 1907 when it was repealed. In the early 30’s quite a few farmers in Co. Wexford obtained from £50 – £100 per statute acre for their tobacco. In 1937 Wexford farmers’ tobacco samples proved to be the best exhibited at the Dept of Agriculture Offices in Dublin.   Plants were sown after the middle of May and harvested at the end of August or early September. There was a rehandling station for the tobacco to be milled at Kilcarbery, Enniscorthy.

Note: According to a local man the field where Coláiste Abbain stands was known as  “The Tobacco Gap”.

Tobacco was grown in Bertie Delaney’s moor in the Hollow down from Glenour cross.

ADAMSTOWN N.S. STEP IT UP AND OUT CHALLENGE

Final results are in;

The overall event completed a staggering 8,601kms during the month of March. The fundraising reached an amazing net total of €4,291 which will go towards the funds for the new dry area of the playground. Thanks to the teams involved and to everyone for your support. The teams thoroughly enjoyed the challenge for the month of March, which they say, motivated them to get out and about every week and lots of fabulous pictures were shared of the teams out and about locally. The event page closes for donations on

6th April 2021 however, if you would still like to support the schools fundraiser the link is here:

https://www.idonate.ie/event/2725 adamstown-ns-step-it-up-amp-out-challenge.html

Happy Easter everyone.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

WORK ON THE CHURCH TOWER TO BEGIN

The very necessary repair work to the Church tower will begin on Monday 12th April. The main entrance to the Church yard will be closed off to the public, as will the entrance from the cemetery into the church yard. The only entrance to the church while works take place will be by the door of the Little Chapel, which is situated near the cemetery toilets. Warning signs will be in place, and we ask the public to please adhere to these safety measures.

Don’t forget to bring back your Trócaire Box

EASTER IN POLAND: Wielkcanoc w Polsce

(Kindly shared by the Swierczynska family who have been part of our community for several years now)

Easter is one of the most beautiful Catholic celebrations. It falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon in Spring.

 It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday and is a joyful time for all Catholics. In Poland, there are many traditions associated with this time.

On the Sunday before Easter (Palm Sunday, pol. Niedziela Palmowa), Polish people make colourful palms made out of branches and flowers to mark the day Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. The palms are then blessed in the Church during Mass and are used as decorations in houses.

As many Catholics do, Polish people celebrate the Paschal Triduum (pol. Triduum Paschalne), the most solemn days in the liturgical year. It begins on Holy Thursday and ends on Easter Vigil, and celebrates the Paschal Mystery of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Polish people also have a tradition of preparing an Easter basket called “swieconka”. Eggs (usually hard-boiled, painted eggs called pisanki or kraszanki), meat, bread, sugar lamb, horseradish, salt and pepper can be found in a

Swieconka. These foods are symbolic: eggs are the symbol of life, bread is the symbol of the body of Jesus Christ, meat is the symbol of plenty, horseradish is the symbol of physical strength and salt & pepper are the symbol of purification. The basket is also decorated with spring flowers and branches. Pussy willow branches are often used for this purpose, as they are a symbol of spring and Easter in Poland. The food in the basket is blessed on Easter Vigil and shared the next day during a solemn breakfast. The blessed eggs are shared out amongst family members while wishing each other all the best. A traditional Easter dish in Poland is a soup called zurek. It is made from bread sourdough, eggs, and white sausage. Blessed food from swieconka is added to the soup during breakfast on Easter morning.  On Easter, people go to Church to celebrate the resurrection of Christ together in prayer.  They also spend the day with their family. The last of Easter celebrations in Poland is Easter Monday known as smigus-dyngus. On that day, boys soak girls with water (nowadays, girls usually do the same to boys). The use of water is said to evoke the spring rains needed to ensure a successful harvest later on in the year.

Polish traditions associated with Easter are a little different to Irish. However, all of us are rejoicing due to Christ’s resurrection.

Happy Easter! Wesolych Swiat Wielkanocnych, smacznego jajka oraz mokrego Smigusa-Dyngusa!

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

We have published our Weekly Newsletter over the past year of closedown and people all over the globe view it online. If you have a connection with Adamstown and would like to send us an item of interest, or a message please email to

elliewalsh1949@gmail.com and we will include it.

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAL

Sun Apr 4th 10.30am  – Syl Furlong, Tomgarrow (A)

Pray for the following:

Margaret Kiely, Glenour (A)

Catherine & Michael Barron, Coonogue (A)

John & Nell Finn, Rathsilla & deceased members of the Whelan family, Adamstown (A)

Peggy Grafton, (Thorpe) Newtown, (A)

Eamonn Whelehan, Dungeer (A)

Maureen Whitty, Clonroche (A)

Mass Thurs 8th April at 7.30pm – Mary McCabe,

Rathsilla (A)

May they rest in peace.

Sunday April 11th – Divine Mercy Sunday

POPE’S INTENTION FOR APRIL

Universal intention – Fundamental rights

Let us pray for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis.

EXCERPT FROM EASTER MESSAGE OF BISHOP DENIS BRENNAN

Cardinal Mario Grech, made a very thought-provoking comment regarding lockdown, restrictions, and church life. He said “I find it curious that many people have complained about not being able to receive communion and celebrate funerals in church, but not as many have worried about how to reconcile with God and neighbour, how to listen to and celebrate the Word of God and how to live out a life of service”  Not in any way making light of the genuine anxiety that restrictive numbers for funerals or the ban on public worship imposes, I do nevertheless believe that the Cardinal’s comments deserve our attention – for quite simply they tell us – that throughout this pandemic we have not ceased to be Church, that Christian living can and does continue, and that the call to be in right relationship with God and neighbour has not been taken away from any of us. If anything we have a little more time to make it a greater priority.  This Holy Week and Easter, I invite you to focus primarily upon the opportunity – “to reconcile with God and neighbour”- for this is the ultimate and primary fruit of life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Again this year, we cannot celebrate Holy Week and Easter as we would normally do. Get the schedule for online broadcasts from the parish.  Irrespective of the restrictions, we can participate through personal reflection, openness to a better relationship with God and neighbour, we can visit the local church and engage with the opportunities and resources that the parish is providing.

MARY’S MEALS QUIZ

Thank you very much to everyone for their recent donations to Mary’s Meals Quiz fundraiser. Your support is very much appreciated. The amount raised was €4,551.49. That’s enough to provide over 50,000 meals for hungry children.

The rewards are heavenly! Take care.

Martin Colfer (087 2596159)

RETIREMENT GOOD WISHES

We send good wishes to Mr. Noel Haddigan, who retired recently from Coláiste Abbáin. Noel who was an excellent Metalwork, T.G, and Engineering teacher there for over 30 years. He inspired many students to pursue careers in this area. Students past and present will fondly remember the school trips he organized, visiting many amazing European Ski slopes and cities, and the memories will stay with those young people for years to come.

Noel, wishing you many years of continued health and happiness from the Community of Adamstown.

THE REAL MEANING OF EASTER

(Beautiful Thoughts for Beautiful Minds – John Scally)

Some years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine disabled contestants assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all took off in haste. Things were going according to plan until one little boy stumbled on the asphalt, fell, and started to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. They all turned around and went back, every one of them. One girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said,

“This will make it better”. Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood and cheered.

ONE LINE WISDOM (Fr. Des O’Donnell OMI – Messenger)

About Life:

• A reflected life is a continual consciousness of contingency.
• No matter how you feel, wake up, get up, dress up, show up and try not to give up.
• Life is 10% how you make it but 90% how you take it.
• Life is not the number of breaths you take but the number of times it takes your breath away.
• Turn the light off from time to time and listen to the dark.

A THOUGHT FOR EASTER (Martin Luther King, Junior)

Our Lord has written the promise of Resurrection, not in books alone, but in the leaf in springtime.

PARISH NOTICE

The Annual Statement of Accounts 2019 – 2020 is displayed on the notice board in the Church porch. Fr. Nolan would like to thank all of those who contributed to the weekly envelope collection during the year. Bearing in mind that for many months the Church was in lockdown your generosity is very much appreciated. Contributions to the Church can be left at the Parochial House. Thank You.

A REFLECTION FOR THE WEEK

Is this what we are preparing for?

Rolled away stone, rolled up clothes.

As if everything was over.

And we know – how marvellous

The new Christ – we are his body –

It is just the beginning.