Reordering Priorities
In many ways, if you develop the knack of looking at things the right way, you will find both people and world endlessly fascinating. The opposite is also true, if you gain the habit of looking at it the wrong way, then the whole world is horrible and tedious and boring. And that fundamentally is the battle – to keep looking at the world in the right way.
Both Levite & Priest were of course good men, but for their own reasons, while they saw the injured man, perceived him more as a threat to their plans that day. Broken lives rarely shoehorn themselves into our agendas. The Samaritan also had his tasks in mind for that day, but he saw the person before his personal projects. He saw things the right way round. The needs of the many do not justify the ignoring of the few.
Think back, how many of your most rewarding experiences came from unexpected circumstances and people? In many ways our journey is like that of the scriptures set before people. It is to take the law of God from the pages (First Reading) out onto the streets. Are we here to see through people or to see each other through?
Fr. Tom Cox
Questions People Ask
Q. I try to pray and meditate but sometimes, the more I do so, I run into questions about the faith. What would you advise me to do?
A. I think God sometimes leads us into areas of questioning to shake us up and to lead us to a deeper faith. Cardinal Newman once remarked that ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt. One can have a solid certainty about God while at the same time wrestling with questions and problems beyond our answers. The Catholic Catechism is very helpful on this combination of certainty and obscurity in faith. A mature faith retains certainty while coping with obscurity or darkness.
Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap
Mass at Foulkstown
The annual Mass at Foulkstown Cemetery will be celebrated at 7.30pm on Thursday, 26th July. Many relatives, friends and former parishioners like to attend this celebration and we encourage you to publicise the date and time wherever possible.
We also appeal to those who are in a position to do so to tidy up family graves and other neglected graves in the vicinity of your family grave in preparation for Mass.
Pray for the Deceased
Recently Deceased: Very Rev. Canon Sean Collier, retired parish priest of Borris-in-Ossory, Jim Walsh, Cypress Ave., Liam Sheil, Kilmore.
Month’s Mind: Dan Maher (Sat 6.15), Statia Quirke (Sun 11.00).
Anniversaries: Jimmy Byrne (Sun 10.00), Jimmy Carroll, Mary Fry, Mary Power, Bridget Murray, Tony Henderson, Ann Quirke, Joe Delahunty, Paddy Hennessy.
Anniversaries Next Weekend: Vera Brannigan (Sun 11.00), Hugh McCorry (Sun 12.30)
Mass at Elm Green
Thanks to all involved with the celebration of Mass at Elm Green on last Thursday evening. The Lord looked kindly on us and we had a very pleasant community celebration.
World Youth Day 2008
We are currently recruiting young people (between 18 and 30 years of age) from our parish to travel to the World Youth Day celebrations in Sydney in July 2008. Contact one of the priests if you are interested in going to Sydney to celebrate your faith with hundreds of thousands of other young people from all over the world.
Application forms are available from the sacristy in each of our churches. More information: Fr. Richard Scriven, Diocesan Coordinator, St. John’s Presbytery, Dublin Road, Kilkenny. Tel: 087 242 0033.
St. Oliver Plunkett’s Shrine
There will be a pilgrimage to St. Oliver Plunkett’s Shrine in Drogheda on Saturday, 21st July. The traditional Latin Mass will be celebrated with the permission of His Grace Dr. Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh. There will also be veneration of St. Oliver Plunkett’s relics.
The bus will leave from the Parade, Kilkenny at 9am. Booking is through Murphy’s Boutique, 11 High street. Telephone: 056 772 1495 (Daytime).
Organ Recital at Cathedral
St. Mary’s Cathedral, our diocesan cathedral, is celebrating 150 years this year. To mark the occasion world renowned organist Thomas Heywood will play at the Cathedral on Saturday, 11th Aug 2007 at 1p.m. Tickets are €15. Don't miss this opportunity to experience St. Mary's Organ in the hands of one of the worlds finest organists.
Benedictine Retreat House
St. Benedict’s Priory Retreat House, The Mount, Cobh, Co. Cork is available for individual or group retreats and day retreats. Retreatants are welcome to share in the liturgical life of the Benedictine Community. Suggested offering is €40 per night including all meals. Contact 021 481 1354 for further information.
Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre
The Kilkenny Gospel Choir will join the Garda Band in concert at Ballykeeffe Quarry on Saturday 28th July at 8.00pm. Tickets €10 available in Kilkenny Book Centre and locally.
Coach to Knock
A coach will leave for Our Lady’s Shrine at Knock on Thursday, 26th July at 7.30am from the Parade via Ballyragget and Durrow. For particulars contact Eileen on 776 3259.
St. Vincent DePaul Society
The local conference of the St. Vincent DePaul Society will meet at the Presbytery, 7 Ormonde Road on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of July and August.
Lough Derg
A coach departs the Parade, Kilkenny for Lough Derg at 7.00am on Friday 20th July and returns on Sunday, 22nd July. Booking before 19th July to 056 444 1264 or 087 253 5989. This coach is run by Buggy’s Coaches, Castlecomer and marks the 55th Anniversary Lough Derg Pilgrimage.
Know Your Neighbours
This is Macra na Feirme’s ‘Know Your Neighbour Weekend’. Even if you are not involved in a formal Macra na Feirme programme this weekend it might be a good opportunity to say hello to your neighbours, especially any who have recently arrived in the area.
“Come Watch With Me…”
There is exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in our parish on two days each week: St. Fiacre’s Church on Mondays between 11am and 10pm and St. Patrick’s Church on Fridays between 10am and 1pm and 4pm and 9pm.
All are welcome to come and spend some time with Jesus.
Religious Books Needed
The Adorers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Montmartre (The Tyburn Nuns) is a cloistered order of nuns with a house at Cobh, Co. Cork. They are currently starting a free lending library of religious books as a service for the people of Cobh. They would be grateful for any surplus books that you could donate for this purpose. Contact: The Prioress, St. Benedict’s Priory, The Mount, Cobh, Co. Cork on 021 481 1354.
Craft Sale at St. Fiacre’s Church
Your support would be very much appreciated in the sale of handcrafted goods made by the group known as ''Partnership of the Sick'' in the Kibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya.
The conditions there are frightening; no running water, no electricity, no garbage disposal and only shacks for accommodation.
By purchasing these goods you ar giving these ladies the dignity of earning a living and enabling them to put food on the table for their children. Sale of crafts will take place at St. Fiacre’s Church after Mass on Saturday, 21st and Sunday, 22nd July.
Rain , and Prayer to God
With the unnatural amount of wet weather we’ve been having of late, a few people have asked us to pray for some fine weather. This we have been doing and it may please you to know we have had a reply from God himself. He asks us to let you all know, He’s working on producing some good weather but He wants us to help Him out by playing our part. If we are to avoid such weather we need to start looking after our planet. Switch off those unnecessary lights, turn the heating down a notch, leave the car at home and start walking those short journeys, recycle and avoid polluting the atmosphere. Who can argue with that... or the Almighty?
Upcoming Parish Competition
Next week, we will announce details of a parish poetry/writing competition that will be open to all ages. Up for grabs will be copies of Pope Benedict’s new book, ‘Jesus of Nazareth’, a wonderful and insightful read. The winning entries will also be published here. Details in next week’s newsletter
Parish Website
Our new parish website is now up and running. We’re still making some adjustments and any comments are welcome.
If you have difficulty accessing our www.patricksparish.com address, try dropping the ‘www’ from the address.
Thank You
During the week we received two donations: €300 and €100 towards the cost of parish developments. Thanks. Every cent helps.
Words of Wisdom
Do more than exist, Live
Do more than touch, Feel
Do more than look, Observe
Do more than read, Absorb
Do more than hear, Listen
Do more than listen, Understand
Do more than think, Ponder
Do more than talk, Say Something!
