December 26th, 2021

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Weekend of Sat 25th & Sun 26th December 2021     Volume 22. Number 49

ADAMSTOWN LOTTO RESULTS

The winning numbers in the Adamstown Lotto Draw on Mon 20th December were: 1 – 4 – 6 – 30. There was no Jackpot winner, the following four players matched three numbers and each got €50. Kate English, Tinnecarrig, Anne French, Oldcourt, Kathleen O’Sulliven, Carrigbyrne & BANCE C/O Eleanor Power, Raheenduff. The next draw takes place on Monday 10th January in the Community Centre for a Jackpot of €11,600. Wishing all our Lotto supporters and sellers a Happy and Peaceful Christmas 

COLAISTE ABBAIN CRISTMAS RAFFLE WINNERS

€100 Adamstown N.S 

€100 Hamper Karen Rochford

€50 Eleanor Fernihough

Hamper Dermie Byrne

€50 voucher Liam Harmon

Hamper Catherine Hayden

2 Btls Spirits Karen Daly

Hamper Laura Simmons

Hamper Cora Butler

Cake & Pudding Bernadette Cardiff

Voucher Danny Doyle

€55 voucher Jack Buckley

€130 Secret Valley

Farm Membership Tina Doyle

€100 voucher Liz Doyle

Hamper Sonje Lae

Sports First Aid Kit Noel Winston

Voucher Lenny Murray

Gift Set David Kilkenny

€120 Necklace Noel Reynolds

Btl Spirits Seán Barron

Hamper Mark Bradley

€50 voucher Yvonne Murphy

Gift Set Joe Bradley

€25 voucher Tina Furlong

5 bags coal &

5 Briquettes Belinda Hendrick

Hamper Noreen Butler

2 Btls Wine Leanne Fairfield

2 Btls Wine Gemma Gordon

Andrea Cullen Gift  Anna Sludds

Andrea Cullen Gift Hannelie Cawthorn

Parents Association   Charolette Carty

Sponsors: Pauline Kavanagh, Paul Cullen, Leo Booth, Brad Og’s, Jackie Greene, Matt Mernagh, Dennis Breen, Helen & Ned Furlong, Parents Association X 4, Cait Bradley, Enniscorthy Greyhound Track, Leisure Max, Secret Valley Farm, Treasury Bookshop, Ferman Health & Safety, Selskar Book Shop, Adamstown Pharmacy, Martin’s Jewellers, Alex Moran, Brian Kirwan Auto, Glanbia, Campile, Glanbia, Clonroche, Nicola Roche, Adamstown Tyres, Senan Lillis, 

Andrea Cullen X 2, L.E. Architecture  & St. Abban’s Boxing Club.  Thank you to everyone for your support and huge

congratulations to all our prize winners.

Merry Christmas to all.

VILLAGE CHRISTMAS TREE

A sincere thanks to John Stoneham, for donating the lovely Christmas tree for Adamstown Village, and thanks to the Fás workers for putting it in place. It brings a little spark of light in these dark days of uncertainty of the Covid pandemic.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

What a wonderful display of Christmas Lights and decorations greets you as you enter or exit the village from the Barrack’s Rd, even Scrooge would have to smile when passing at the variety of characters and beautiful handiwork. Well done to the Pawl & Lorna – giving a little bit of joy in a time of so much uncertainty and worry.

THE SHAMROCK VINTAGE CLUB

The postponed Ploughing Match at Maudlins, New Ross will now be held on Sunday 9th January 2022 at 11.00am

(restrictions permitted) Usual classes.

CHRISTMAS IN POLAND

Christmas is a very special and beautiful time of the year, especially for members of the Catholic Church. It is a time of rejoice and hope associated with the birth of Jesus Christ and many traditions are connected to the celebration of this holiday. In Poland, Christmas Eve, or “Wigilia”, is the most important day of the celebration of Christmas. It is the day of impatient waiting for the birth of the Holy Child and in order to commemorate this, a number of traditions are practiced. Adults and older children fast until the vigil supper and spend the day preparing 12 dishes for the vigil. The 12 dishes have a symbolic meaning (they commemorate the fact that Jesus had 12 apostles or, as some say, bring luck in the next 12 months of the coming year) and many include “pierogi”, “barszcz czerwony”, “karp”, “sledzie, “ryba po grecku” and more. However, supper cannot be eaten before the rising of the first star in the sky. Before the meal, an extract from the Bible is read and family members exchange wishes sharing a wafer called “oplatek”. Hay is put under the tablecloth to remember the fact that Jesus was born in poverty – in a manger. Another important Polish tradition associated with Christmas Eve is leaving a spare seat at the table for a “wanderer”. This is to remember that the Holy Family were looking for a place to stay in Bethelem. Also, it is believed that no one should spend Christmas on their own. When supper is finished, children are allowed to open presents from “Swiety Mikotaj” (St. Nicholas). In Poland, it is also believed that animals can speak with a human voice at midnight and “oplatek” is also shared with them. The rest of the night is spent singing Christmas Carols or going to midnight Mass called “Pasterka”. On Christmas Day, families attend Mass to celebrate Christ’s birth. They exchange wishes, 

(A. A. Swierczynska, December 2021)

A Very Happy and Peaceful Christmas from all of us who work to produce your weekly Newsletter & thanks for the

items given to us by parishioners from time to time.

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 24th – People of the Parish

Sat 25th – Kitty, Edward & John Buckley, Brocurra (A) &

Jim, Mary, Alice & Mary Connors, The Hill & Woodview Drive 

Sat 1st January:  Mass at 10.30am. – Canon Noel Hartley &

Sr. Mairead Hayden, Daughters of Charity, Carnew & formerly 

Monamolin, Rathnure.

Sat 1st Jan at 7.30pm – Mick & Josie Whelan, Tomgarrow & Phyllis Bernie, Dublin.

Sun 2nd Jan 10.30am. Lila & James Kent, Adamstown (A)

May they rest in peace.

ADESTE FIDELES

Prince Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonny Prince Charles was born in Rome on Dec 20th 1720. The Hymn, Adeste Fideles, may have been written as an ode to mark his birth. The Stuart dynasty came to an end with the defeat of King James 11 at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and he was forced to flee into exile. On his way to Duncannon he stayed overnight in North St, New Ross. A local tradition says that he told a lady in Ross that the Cowardly Irish betrayed me. Her reply was Your Majesty You Won The Race.  A plaque was erected in New Ross to mark his brief stay. His great grandson Prince Charles Edward Stuart arrived in Scotland in 1745 to rally the Scots (and the Irish) in a military campaign to reclaim the throne of his ancestors. In April 1746 his efforts ended in disaster at the Battle of Culloden, in Inverness.

The beautiful melody The Skye Boat Song nostalgically recalls his dramatic escape. Though his efforts failed, many people remained loyal to the Stuart Cause, particularly Catholics, as King James was the last Catholic King of England. Nicholas Sweetman, Bishop of Ferns 1745 -1786

was always faithful to the Stuarts. The Bishop’s mother was a Downes from Adamstown. Adeste Fideles was interpreted by some as a call to support the restoration of the Stuart Monarchy. The Latin words REGEM ANGELORUM (THE KING OF THE ANGELS) were seen as a coded reference to the King of the English. 

On Christmas Day BBC2 Television will present a programme called The Truth Behind Carols, which will include the story behind the words of Adeste Fideles.

I AM A ROMAN CATHOLIC

(More Irish & American Stories – William Oliver O’Neill)

In 1909 when Ireland was under British Rule, Great Britain introduced the old-age pension of five shillings a week for those over the age of 70 years. Over 300 pension officers were sent to Ireland from England to interview all applicants. When documentation was not available, officers were satisfied when applicants could state that they remembered “the night of the big wind” That was the night of January 6th – 7th 1839, when a hurricane swept across Ireland. This was proof that in 1909 anyone born before 1839 was at least 70 years old.

The story is told of an old Irish woman who claimed that she was born in 1829 which made her ten years of age on the night of the big wind. She told an English Pension Officer in 1909: “I was ten years old on the night of the big wind, I am now eighty years of age”. “Then you are an octogenarian,” he observed. “I am no such thing” she replied. “I am a Roman Catholic”

THE PROCLAMATION OF CHRISTMAS

The twenty-fifth day of December.

After the passage of countless centuries from the creation of the world, when in the beginning God created heaven and earth and formed man in his own image; and very many centuries from the time when after the flood the Almighty had set his bow in the clouds,

a sign of the covenant and of peace;

in the twenty-first century from the migration of Abraham, our father in faith, from Ur of the Chaldees;

in the thirteenth century from the departure of the people of Israel from Egypt under the leadership of Moses;

in about the one-thousandth year from the anointing of David as king according to the prophecy of Daniel;

in the 194th Olympiad;

in the 752nd year from the foundation of the City of Rome;

in the 42nd year of the rule of Caesar Octavian Augustus;

while the whole world was at peace, Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the Eternal Father, desiring to consecrate the world by his most gracious coming, having been conceived of the Holy Sprit, and when nine months has passed after his conception, is born as man in Bethlehem of Judah from the Virgin Mary; 

the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

CHRISTMAS  & NEW YEAR WISHES

Sending special Christmas and New Year wishes to all parishioners who are being looked after in Hospitals, Nursing Homes or at home at this time.

Special wishes also to loved ones who were unable to come home for Christmas again this year & to all who have suffered bereavement during the past year.

You are all in our thoughts and prayers.

Remember in your prayers also Fr. Jimmy Moynihan and Bishop Denis Brennan who are both in hospital at this time.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

May the true spirit of Christmas

shine in your heart and light your path,

and may the child, born to Mary at Bethlehem,

cause His face to shine upon you,

and make His abode in you, your family and home.  Amen

LIGHT CANDLES THIS CHRISTMAS

Candles of joy despite all sadness,

Candles of hope where despair keeps watch,

Candles of courage for fears ever present.

Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days,

Candles for grace to ease heavy burdens,

Candles of love to inspire all my living,

Candles that will burn all the year long.

           Into the inn of my heart

        I give you a warm welcome,

    Child Jesus

          Child of Mary, Son of God