Annual Mass at St. Fiacre’s Well
The annual novena to St. Fiacre concludes with open-air Mass at the Holy Well on this Sunday afternoon. The final novena prayers will be recited at 3.15pm with Mass following at 3.30pm. All are welcome.
The ancient well of St. Fiacre is situated at Kilfera, a number of kilometres out the Bennettsbridge Road. Access is via the avenue to Sheastown House. Local people have been coming here since the seventh century to implore the saint’s intercession. All are welcome but this year in particular we encourage people who have recently arrived in our parish to come along and join in the celebration.
St. Fiacre - The Man And The Legend!
It is over thirteen hundred years since St. Fiacre died in France. In the intervening years the stories about him have, in countless retellings, undoubtedly been added to and subtracted from. So, separating the man from the myth, differentiating between fact and legend would, on the face of it, appear a major difficulty in recording his life.
But it is not. For, if only some of the tradition that surrounds St. Fiacre were valid, there is sufficient evidence to show that the loyalty shown to him down through the centuries was richly and deservedly won.
Devotion to him spanned many centuries and among his faithful followers were kings and queens. In later times, the Apostle of France, St. Vincent de Paul made a special pilgrimage to St. Fiacre’s shrine. Indeed, if the life and works of this great Irish saint were more widely known today, it is doubtful if devotion to him in Kilkenny would be limited to an annual novena and an afternoon pilgrimage to the hallowed spot at Kilfera where he lived for several years.
Although he spent much of his early life at Kilfera, just three miles south of Kilkenny city on the banks of the River Nore, and also at Ullard near Graignamanagh, he was in fact a Connacht man.
Of noble birth, he was fourteenth in descent from Conn of The Hundred Battles who was King of Ireland from 523 to 557. He was born about the year 590, and while still a young man, was renowned for his chastity and love of the less fortunate.
A story is told that one day a poor man solicited from him “alms for the love of God”. Fiacre told his attendant to give him any money he might have and the attendant pretended to do so because he had no money. Fiacre checked to see how the man had fared, and learned that his attendant’s money had been exhausted by preceding alms. He immediately removed his princely mantle and gave it to the poor man in an act of charity that was to characterise the rest of his life.
Drawn to the religious life he became a priest. But desirous of serving God in solitude he quit his native province and established his first hermitage in rich woodland on the banks of the River Nore in the spot that was later to take on his name - Cill-Fiacre or Kilfera as we know it today.
St. Fiacre’s feast is celebrated on 30th August.
Living Authentically
Countless faiths have pondered on the idea of who will be saved? What about those who have never heard the Gospel? Are we on the right side? And all this talk of a ‘narrow door’ is a bit unnerving!
What matters is to act, to do courageously all that lies within our power to enter. Live authentically, it doesn’t matter if what you do is noticed or not. Ultimately you have to face yourself in the mirror. You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
As schools return this week, a story from the East might help. An elderly sage was educating his young disciples about life. It tells of a dreadful battle that goes on in every person between two great lions. One lion is wicked: he is fear, rage, jealousy, sadness, greed, pride, self-pity, shame, hatred, weakness, lies, rivalry and superiority. The other lion is good: he is happiness, harmony, love, trust, sharing, peace, modesty, gentleness, compassion, friendship, understanding, charity, truth, kindness and loyalty. He was asked; ‘which lion will win?’ The answer: ‘The one you feed the most’. Which of the two lions within you do you make the strongest?
Fr Tom Cox
Questions People Ask
Q. I’m so relieved that we got away from the religion of fear and judgement. But doesn’t this idea of entering by the narrow door bring it all back again?
A. We have swung from the extreme of excessive fear to the other extreme of being so broad-minded and liberal that anything goes. Sure, isn’t God all merciful! The image of the narrow door takes our salvation seriously and focuses our direction. The door is narrow: so are the goalposts, the golf hole, the archer’s target. In this broad-minded age we hear a lot about boredom, inertia and depression. It has much to do with the absence of energetic commitment to a clear purpose in life.
Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap
Parish Draw
The next draw in the present series will take place in the Presbytery at 8.30pm on Tuesday, 28th August.
Cards and money may be brought to the Presbytery on Monday from 6.30pm - 8.30pm and on Tuesday from 6.30pm onwards.
As the development of the centre at St. Fiacre’s now makes regular demands on our financial resources it is important that the draw is well supported. Tickets cost €10 per month and are available from promoters, the sacristans or the priests.
Pray for the Deceased
Recently Deceased: Anna (Chrisie) DeLoughry, Parliament Street; Cormac Duffy, Enniskerry;
Anniversaries: Paddy McDonald (Sat 6:15), Paddy Mullen (Sat 7.00), Seamus Kelly (Sun 10.30), Della Harney (Sun 12.00), Elizabeth Carroll (Tue 10.30), James Delaney (Wed 10.30), Martin Ward, Paddy Cooke, Josephine McKenna, Mick Dooley, Patrick Culleton, Peg Brennan, Jack Allen, Marie Kealy-Carson, Sheila Mastino, George Mastino, Margie, Bob & Glenn Brady, Catherine O’Neill, Josie Hackett, Kathleen Bolger, Kathleen Dowling, John & Catherine Waldron, Christopher & Mary Ryan.
Anniversaries Next Weekend: Annmarie Manogue (Sat 6.15), Jim Ryan (Sat 7.00), Jacqueline Rainey (Sun 12.30).
May their souls and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.
Young Priests Society
The St. Joseph’s Young Priests Society works to promote, encourage and support vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The local conference meets at St. Fiacre’s Church on the second Friday of each month. The next meeting will be held after 10.30am Mass on Friday, 14th September. All welcome.
Castlecomer Community School
Computer Night Classes will begin again in Castlecomer C.S. in September. Classes will be laid on for those wishing to pursue the Basic ECDL (€350) and ECDL AutoCAD (€280). These prices include all tests and notes. All classes run for two to two and a half hours per night, one night per week. Please contact 086 823 0888 for booking and information.
House Blessings
If you are new to our parish and would like to have your house blessed, then please feel free to contact any of the priests to arrange a blessing. There ceremony takes only a few minutes and is a nice way of dedicating ones house to the protection of the Lord.
Diocesan Priesthood
Have you ever thought about the possibility of becoming a priest of the Diocese of Ossory? While there has been a slight increase in the numbers studying for the priesthood in recent years this has not materialised in our diocese. At present we have no students preparing for priesthood in Ossory and we have not heard of any enquiries for this year.
If you have ever considered the possibility please feel free to talk to any of the priests in the parish or visit our diocesan website (www.ossory.ie) and click on the vocations page. There you will find contact details for our Vocations Director, Fr. Paddy Carey.
The Beatitudes of the Aged
© Blessed are they who understand my faltering step and shaking hand.
© Blessed are they who know my ears today must strain to catch things they say.
© Blessed are they who seem to know that my eyes are dim and my wits are slow.
© Blessed are they who looked away when my coffee spilled at lunch today.
© Blessed are they with a cheery smile who stop to chat for a little while.
© Blessed are they who never say, “You've told that story twice today.”
© Blessed are they who know the ways to bring back memories of yesterdays.
© Blessed are they who make it known that I'm loved, respected and not alone.
© Blessed are they who ease the days on my journey Home, in loving ways.
Parish Choirs
We are blessed to have musicians and choirs at five of our eight weekend Masses. Practice for all choirs begins again soon. Please contact the Presbytery (056 776 4400) if you would like to join a choir this year. We are particularly in need of musicians and singers for the Children’s Liturgy at 10.30am each Sunday. Could you help?
