Foulkstown Cemetery Mass
The time for our annual cemetery Mass in Foulkstown is almost upon us. At 7.30pm on next Thursday (30th) - come hail, rain or snow - thousands will gather at the gravesides of loved ones to remember and pray for them.
It’s always an amazing sight to see so many people travelling from far and wide to this annual event and credit is due to those who keep their graves looking so well.
Some advice for those travelling: arrive early, please heed the instructions of the Gardaí and stewards and park in the grounds provided. Bring an umbrella and portable seating for elderly people.
As always the Cemetery Committee will be holding a gate collection for the upkeep of the cemetery and this money is used solely for the cemetery which, we know you'll agree, is always kept in top condition. This upkeep is done entirely on a voluntary basis and we’re grateful to Billy Mullally and his army who keep things afloat.
The Mass will begin at 7.30pm sharp and the main celebrant will be Fr. Liam. We look forward to seeing you there.
St. Patrick’s Parish Draw
The July draw will be held at the Parish Centre on Tuesday evening, 28th July at 8.30pm. Promoters are asked to have tickets and monies returned in time. New members are always welcome. Tickets cost €10 per month and are available at the Sacristies and Parish Centre. Thanks to all who subscribe and to all our promoters who so tirelessly give of their time and energy to promote this draw. This is our main fundraising event and while the draw continues to remain successful we are able to repay our debt. Not a bad achievement in present times.
Anniversaries and Newsletter
Please, DO NOT leave anniversary notices or other items into our former house on Ormonde Road. Items left at the Parish Office, the Priests’ Houses, St. Patrick’s or St. Fiacre’s Sacristies before Thursday will ensure publication. Thanks.
The time for our annual cemetery Mass in Foulkstown is almost upon us. At 7.30pm on next Thursday (30th) - come hail, rain or snow - thousands will gather at the gravesides of loved ones to remember and pray for them.
It’s always an amazing sight to see so many people travelling from far and wide to this annual event and credit is due to those who keep their graves looking so well.
Some advice for those travelling: arrive early, please heed the instructions of the Gardaí and stewards and park in the grounds provided. Bring an umbrella and portable seating for elderly people.
As always the Cemetery Committee will be holding a gate collection for the upkeep of the cemetery and this money is used solely for the cemetery which, we know you'll agree, is always kept in top condition. This upkeep is done entirely on a voluntary basis and we’re grateful to Billy Mullally and his army who keep things afloat.
The Mass will begin at 7.30pm sharp and the main celebrant will be Fr. Liam. We look forward to seeing you there.
St. Patrick’s Parish Draw
The July draw will be held at the Parish Centre on Tuesday evening, 28th July at 8.30pm. Promoters are asked to have tickets and monies returned in time. New members are always welcome. Tickets cost €10 per month and are available at the Sacristies and Parish Centre. Thanks to all who subscribe and to all our promoters who so tirelessly give of their time and energy to promote this draw. This is our main fundraising event and while the draw continues to remain successful we are able to repay our debt. Not a bad achievement in present times.
Anniversaries and Newsletter
Please, DO NOT leave anniversary notices or other items into our former house on Ormonde Road. Items left at the Parish Office, the Priests’ Houses, St. Patrick’s or St. Fiacre’s Sacristies before Thursday will ensure publication. Thanks.
Our Parish Website
Due to some difficulties with our now former hosting company, St. Patrick’s Parish website is currently out of service. This matter is being resolved and the website will be back up by the middle of the week with a new host, a new look and a new name. The new name for the parish website will be: www.patricksparish.net (formerly .com). We apologise for any inconvenience but matters are beyond our control.
International Youth Festival
On Wednesday morning next 18 young parishioners will depart from St. Fiacre’s Church for the 20th International Youth Festival – Mladifest 20 – at Medjugorje. They will be joined for the duration of the pilgrimage by 29 other young people and 14 adult leaders from Kilkenny city and county. For many of the youth – all in their late teens and early twenties – it will be their second trip to the Annual Youth Festival at Medjugorje while a small number of them will be making the trip for the third time. Fr. Dan will travel with the group for the first time this year.
The theme of this year’s festival, which will be attended by more than 50,000 young people and up to 500 priests, is “Do whatever he tells you!”
Parents, family members and members of our parish community in general are invited to a short sending out ceremony which will be held at St. Fiacre’s Church on Wednesday morning next at 10am. Please pray for and with our young people during the pilgrimage.
Pray for the Deceased
Recently Deceased: Sabinna Lallan, Sudan. Jimmy Reynolds, late of Castle Road and 9 High Street who died in America.
Months Mind: Lillian Beatty (Sun 12.00).
Anniversaries: Tommy McGuire (Sat 6.15), Vera Brannigan (Sat 7.00), Devina Crosby (Sun 10.00), Joe Cody (Sun 12.30), Margaret & Ellen Fogarty (Wed 10.30), Jimmy Bourke, Billy Bourke, Nancy Larkin, Edward Kirwan, Doreen Tallent, Delia O’Hara, Linda Reade, Angela Tiernan.
The Sign of Peace at Mass
Some people have raised the issue of the sign of peace at Mass in the light of fears over the threat of swine flu. The current position of the HSE is that there is no need to suspend the practice. We note this advice and at present see no need to change the current practice.
However, the HSE has expressed concerns as to the dangers of persons with flu symptoms attending at Mass and church services. This constitutes the greatest danger of all in terms of spreading the disease. We ask persons with symptoms of flu not to attend church services during their illness. We also ask all church ministers to be conscious of the need for increased hygiene at the present time.
In Need of Friends
Someone once pointed out that the best time to make friends is before you need them. Paul’s passionate plea for unity in today’s Second Reading (Eph 4:1-6) is a reminder of that fact. Paul, of course, doesn’t package his plea in such self serving terms. However, in its own streetwise fashion the remark is true. Unity is good, disunity is not. It’s as simple as that. Paul uses language here that many people, particularly men perhaps, may find difficult to identity with in terms of relating to others. He pleads for ‘humility’, ‘gentleness’, ‘patience’ and that awful thing called ‘love’. In an age when, in the name of so-called entertainment, we are bombarded with images of just the opposite of these – anger, hate, violence and abuse – we might be pardoned for wondering which is the norm in life: humility or arrogance, gentleness or aggression, patience or frenzy, love or hate. A constant diet of grim actors on TV, and on the big screen, aping antisocial antics as if life consisted of never-ending rows fuelled by mindless jealousy can result in a build up of bile. So, whether we suffer from indigestion or not is up to us. Which do we want: to be hurtful of helpful, coarse or courteous, aggressive or friendly? Those who feed on anger, hate and violence are no strangers to fear. These take more out of us than they give. It’s the caring, the friendship and the love that makes life pleasant and fulfilling. Ask any angry, jealous and friendless role model you can find.
Fr. Tom Cahill SVD
Monastic Experience for Women
Single women interested in finding our more about a Carmelite Monastic Vocation are invited to join in our life of prayer, liturgy and work for the weekend 28th - 30th August. Preferred age 25 - 45. For more information visit www.carmelitemonasterydelgany.ie or email contact@carmelitemonasterydelgany.ieor write to: Prioress, Carmelite Monastery, Delgany, Co. Wicklow.
Questions people ask
Q. I read your answer why the Church is against premarital sex? But is there any better way of preparing for eventual marriage than living together to find if the couple are compatible?
A. You seem to be blind to the fact that there is a much higher rate of break-up among couples who cohabited before marriage than among couples who did not. It is very likely that couples who did not cohabit before marriage had stronger religious beliefs and developed a spirit of self-sacrifice in their relationship. These factors are hugely important in strengthening the bonds of a mature relationship.
Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap
St. Vincent de Paul Society
In need of financial help? The members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society are there to offer such help. If you would like to contact the society in the strictest confidence then put your name and contact details into a sealed envelope, mark it for the care of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and drop it into the Parish Office or one of the priests’ houses (in Loughboy) during the week. We will make sure it is delivered to the society.
Parish Bereavement Support Group
St. Patrick’s Parish Bereavement Support Group offers one-to-one support to bereaved parishioners. Call 086 162 9089 to speak to a member of the group or come to the Parish Centre on Mondays between 7.30 and 9.00pm. This is a free and confidential service.
St. Patrick’s Parish Centre
We are pleased that so many people like our new Parish Centre and travel from all over to have a look at it. We are pleased, too, that so many different groups have expressed interest in using our facilities and we try to accommodate them in so far as is possible.
All bookings for the Parish Centre must be made through Ted Byrne and application forms and costs are available at the reception desk. Interested parties should note that St. Patrick’s Parish Centre is a parish run centre. Those intending to use the centre must have regard for our Catholic ethos and adhere to our child protection policy, a copy of which is available at the reception desk.
Each application to use the Parish Centre will be assessed on our ability to meet their needs but sometimes, even with the greatest will, this is not possible. For further details please contact Ted Byrne or Fr. Liam.
James Stephens GAA Club
Congratulations to the Village GAA Club which this week announces two sponsorships with local business. The Playwright Bar on High Street, owned by Village man Richie Guilfoyle, will sponsor the club’s adult teams until the end of 2011. The jerseys worn by the adult teams will now have The Playwright logo on their jerseys. Hotel Kilkenny joins as sponsor partner for the juvenile section of the club (from minor down) and the strips worn by the teams from U14 to minor will have hotelkilkenny.ie on their jerseys.
Signed Mass Cards
Mass cards for various occasions are available at the Parish Centre reception desk. These cards are signed by the priests of the parish and an individual Mass is said for each intention.
These cards have proven to be very successful and we’re happy to provide this service, especially if it does away with all the fake Mass cards available in many shops and for which Masses aren’t offered.
The Mass cards that are signed by us are gathered together and where there is a surplus the intention and stipend (money) is forwarded to the missions. For this purpose we have enlisted the assistance of Aid to the Church in Need (www.acnirl.org), who make sure that individual Masses are offered by missionary and Third World priests for each particular intention.
Mass stipends are a vital source of income for missionary and Third World priests and you are assured the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be offered for your particular intention.
Psychotherapist/Counsellor
Experienced and fully qualified psychotherapist/counsellor available for evening appointments in the Parish Centre. For an appointment please call Robert at 086 878 6353.
Getting Married Soon?
Please remember you must give at least three month’s notice to the Civil Registrar and to the Church. There are many helpful suggestions for those preparing for marriage on www.gettingmarried.ie
