Year of Vocation
The aim of the Irish Catholic Church’s Year of Vocation is to raise awareness of the common vocation that we all share through baptism, as expressed through witness, love and service. Within each of these themes and throughout 2008-2009 the specific vocations of marriage, the religious life, the single life and priesthood will be highlighted and promoted. This weekend we focus on the Christians vocation to the married life.
Perhaps more than ever before, married couples need the support of a Christian community to live out their call to holiness. To thank married couples for their Christian witness and to recognise and celebrate their invaluable role in the church we will include special prayers and blessings for those living this great Christian vocation at all Masses this weekend.
Love
Love is at the heart of the Christian message – love of God and love of each other. Love is the very oxygen which keeps the Christian family healthy and strong. I remember hearing Pope Paul VI say, as he was addressing a group of newly married couples, that “for those who are engaged to be married love is a pleasure, whereas for those who are already married love is a duty.” In this way he was stressing the necessity of working always at maintaining Christian love at the heart of marital relationships. Christ Jesus manifests himself to the world through those who are imbued with His saving grace and He wishes to do so particularly through genuine Christian family living. The family is dependent on the loving bond of marital relationship for its vitality and society is dependent on the healthy family unit as the veritable foundation-stone of its stability. So it is important that we care for the family in its varied aspects, so as to ensure for society, as a whole, a sure basis on which to build for the wellbeing of all.
Bishop John Magee
The aim of the Irish Catholic Church’s Year of Vocation is to raise awareness of the common vocation that we all share through baptism, as expressed through witness, love and service. Within each of these themes and throughout 2008-2009 the specific vocations of marriage, the religious life, the single life and priesthood will be highlighted and promoted. This weekend we focus on the Christians vocation to the married life.
Perhaps more than ever before, married couples need the support of a Christian community to live out their call to holiness. To thank married couples for their Christian witness and to recognise and celebrate their invaluable role in the church we will include special prayers and blessings for those living this great Christian vocation at all Masses this weekend.
Love
Love is at the heart of the Christian message – love of God and love of each other. Love is the very oxygen which keeps the Christian family healthy and strong. I remember hearing Pope Paul VI say, as he was addressing a group of newly married couples, that “for those who are engaged to be married love is a pleasure, whereas for those who are already married love is a duty.” In this way he was stressing the necessity of working always at maintaining Christian love at the heart of marital relationships. Christ Jesus manifests himself to the world through those who are imbued with His saving grace and He wishes to do so particularly through genuine Christian family living. The family is dependent on the loving bond of marital relationship for its vitality and society is dependent on the healthy family unit as the veritable foundation-stone of its stability. So it is important that we care for the family in its varied aspects, so as to ensure for society, as a whole, a sure basis on which to build for the wellbeing of all.
Bishop John Magee
Parish Pilgrimage to Knock
The annual parish pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Shrine at Knock will take place on next Thursday. Fr. Dan will lead this year’s pilgrimage. Due to cancellations some seats still remain. If interested please contact Doreen Griffin on 086 829 4887.
Coach will arrive at St. Fiacre’s Church at 7am on Thursday for departure at 7.15am sharp. Pick-up at St. Patrick’s Church at 7.20am. Please God we will have a good day before returning home around 10pm. (We understand the people of Clara and Windgap Parishes are travelling to Knock on the same day.)
Annual Golf Classic
The annual Parish Golf Classic will be held at Kilkenny Golf Club on Friday, 4th July 2008. Some tee times are available at €250 per team of four including meal at the clubhouse. We invite interested golfers to contact Christy Power on 086 821 8554 to book tee times.
We also invite parishioners to consider tee box sponsorship. You may be in a position to help your parish by sponsoring a tee box (€100) or encouraging your employer to do the same. Sponsorship of prizes would also be welcome. Contact the Parish Office on 056 776 4400 for further details.
Monthly Parish Draw
The June Draw will be held at the Sacristy, St. Fiacre’s Church on Tuesday, 24th June at 8.30pm. Please note the location. Thanks to all promoters and subscribers. Further tickets may be purchased at the sacristies in all our churches. All welcome.
Great Response
There was a great response to our appeal last weekend for the return of completed CHY 2 forms. Thanks.
Many forms remain outstanding. Please send back your completed form as soon as possible.
Pray for the Deceased
Recently Deceased: Mary (Babe) Walsh, 12 Rosemount, Newpark. Requiem Mass at St. John’s Church at 10.30am on Tuesday.
Anniversaries: Johnny McEvoy (Sat 6.15), Billy & Mary Butler (Sat 7.00), Billy Costello (Sun 9.30), Statia Quirke (Sun 10.00), Sharon Galvin (Sun 10.30), May & Paddy O’Neill (Sun 11.00), Noreen Llewellyn (Sun 12.00), Tom Sinnott (Sun 12.30), Johanna O’Dwyer, John McMyler, Margaret McCarthy, Michael Aylward, Patrick Doheny, May McCarthy, Annie Murphy, Phil Kavanagh, Pat Maher, Bridie Conroy, Richard Dunne, May Shortis, Richard McEvoy, Eddie McEvoy, Henry & Paddy Glynn.
Intentions for next weekend: Dick Martin (Sat 6.15), Jimmy Hackett (Sat 7.00), Ellen Ryan & John Joe Traynor (Sun 9.30), William Doheny (Months Mind, Sun 11.00), Austin Murphy (Sun 12.00), Fran Ryan (Sun 12.30).
Questions People Ask
Q. Making the Sign of the Cross we touch the forehead, chest and shoulders. Why these parts? Are there any variations when other parts are touched?
A. This lovely prayer-in-action recalls the cross of Christ while invoking the blessing of the Blessed Trinity. The forehead represents our thinking. The chest or heart is the centre of love. Touching the shoulders is a prayer for strength in our activities or in carrying our crosses with Christ. Before proclaiming the gospel we sign the forehead, lips and heart, praying that the Lord be in our minds, lips and hearts. In anointing the sick, forehead and hands are signed. It is a simple but profound form of prayer when performed with reverence.
Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap
Ladies Mini Marathon
Thanks to all who took part and supported the recent Ladies’ Mini-Marathon in aid of the Homes of the Elderly at St. Fiacre’s Church. Outstanding cards and monies should be returned to the Presbytery as soon as possible.
Ladies Mini Marathon
Thanks to all who took part and supported the recent Ladies’ Mini-Marathon in aid of the Homes of the Elderly at St. Fiacre’s Church. Outstanding cards and monies should be returned to the Presbytery as soon as possible.
Ossory Goes to World Youth Day
Twenty-six pilgrims from Ossory will travel to World Youth Day in Sydney in July. The group, led by Bishop Séamus, will join over 200,000 young people from around the world and the Australian continent. The group will be hosted by the Diocese of Ballarat for one week and then will travel to Sydney for WYD which will take place from 14th to 20th July. Led by Pope Benedict this celebration will be the largest gathering of young people in the world this year. Pope Benedict will preside over the Stations of the Cross on Friday, 18th July and will be the principal celebrant at the closing Mass on Sunday, 20th.
Drawn from all over the diocese the Ossory group has been involved in fundraising and a preparation course since the beginning of the year. Further information is available at www.wyd2008.org
Kilkenny Christian Centre
The Kilkenny Christian Centre is holding a bag-filling at Supervalu, Loughboy on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 24th –26th July to raise funds for “The Rock” Youth Project. Anyone willing to help is asked to please telephone Maria Marshall on 087 618 8054.
Upcoming Dates for Your Diary
The annual St. Kieran’s Cemetery Mass will be celebrated on next Friday, 27th June at 7.30pm. This leads into the St. John’s O’Loughlin Memorial Church centenary celebrations which will be held on the same weekend.
The annual Mass at Elm Green will be at 7.30pm on Thursday, 3rd July.
RTE will broadcast Mass to mark the centenary of St. John’s Church at 11.10am on Sunday, 5th July.
Foulkstown Cemetery Mass will be on Thursday, 31st July at 7.30pm.
This year’s St. Fiacre’s Well Mass will be on Sunday, 31st August at 3.30pm.
A Two Edged Question
Several years ago I was listening to a religious debate on radio between people of different faiths and none. One of the participants, a Jew, asked a Christian a troublesome question. How could he (the Christian), he asked, pray to God when sick to ask for health, or worse, to be so trivial as to ask God to find something that was lost, when that God ignored the plight of six million Jews under Nazi tyranny.
Not an easy one that, especially in the light of today’s Gospel reading where Jesus tells us that even the hairs on our head are all counted. Furthermore, he assures us, that not one sparrow falls to the ground without the Father noting it. Sort of difficult to reconcile that with life’s experience at times. Isn’t it?
We ask where God is when the innocent suffer; when a child dies, or is born disabled; when Nature blindly kills and people kill with open eyes; when sickness strikes; when someone takes their life. The list goes on.
But do we thank God when things go well, when a child is born healthy, when our luck is good, when we achieve success, when we live long and well, when we love and are loved, give and receive kindness? This list, too, could go on and on.
Our constant question to God is: ‘Why do you allow evil?’ Our rare question to ourselves is: ‘Why do we commit it?’
Fr Tom Cahill SVD.
Disruption at St. Fiacre’s Church
We again apologise for the disruption at St. Fiacre’s Church on weekdays. The builders need a few more days to complete the connections between St. Fiacre’s Church and the new centre. Mass will be celebrated as usual but the church will not be available after 11am for the earlier part of this week. Consequently there will be no exposition at St. Fiacre’s on Monday.
Needless to say builders cause dust and we will need volunteers to help clean the church. Please give your name and telephone number to the Sacristan and we will contact you when needed.
Drakelands Garden Party
Drakelands Nursing Home will host its annual garden party on Sunday, 5th July. Bishop Séamus will be the principal celebrant at the afternoon Mass.
Thanks to the proprietors, staff and residents the funds raised on the day will be donated to our parish. Please support.
Get Snapping
Young Christian Workers (YCW) are looking for budding photographers to take photos that reflect their lives. The best photos will be included in next years YCW calendar. See posters at church or contact Jenny at jenny.casey@ycw.ie or 01 878 0291.
