New Structures in Place as Diocese Plans for the Future
The second round of meetings of the newly formed Deanery Pastoral Councils of the Ossory Diocese has been completed.
The Councils, which consist of a lay representative of each parish along with priests and religious representing the deanery, are part of the newly restructured Ossory Diocesan Forum.
The most significant aspect of the new structure is the move from a centrally based Forum to a deanery based one. There are three deaneries in the Diocese, Northern, Middle and Southern, each consisting of a number of adjoining parishes in that area.
Bishop Seamus Freeman told the meetings that the purpose of this more locally based new model of the Forum is to promote a more neighbourly context for an effective Gospel response to local challenges. Stressing the importance of the establishment of Parish Pastoral Councils in all parishes over the next four years, Bishop Freeman revealed that Fr. Richard Scriven will help parishes to set up and provide training for these Pastoral Councils. “A priest without the concrete cooperation of the people cannot build and develop a parish that is the family of God”, said Bishop Freeman who added that “neither can a people be the family of God without the priest”.
Bishop Freeman also stressed the importance of sharing ideas with a view to reaching consensus on pastoral priorities; implementing pastoral strategies to address those priorities and the sharing of progress or difficulties in their implementation. “The issues are many - poverty, sickness, loneliness, the safeguarding of children, unemployment, a growing drug culture and the violence it generates, social isolation in town and country and the serious lack of adequate religious catechesis”, he said.
The next round of the Deanery Pastoral Councils will be on 16th September.
Diarmuid Healy, Ossory Diocesan Forum
Questions People Ask
Q. Why must we have so many interruptions at Mass like standing, kneeling, shaking hands etc? I would much prefer a quiet, uninterrupted Mass.
A. Silent worship is wonderful in its own place but the celebration of the Eucharist is a community prayer which recognises the presence of the Lord not only in the consecrated host but also in the gathered community, in the word and in the mission to go out in love and service. ‘Though there are many of us we form a single body, because we all have a share in the one loaf’ (1 Cor. 10:17). Sharing responses, gestures and movements with others is a recognition of Christ in the body that is the community.
Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap
Cemetery Mass at Foulkstown
The annual Mass at Foulkstown Cemetery will be celebrated at 7.30pm on Thursday, 30th July. We ask you to inform interested people who may not see this announcement.
We invite plot-owners to help prepare the cemetery for the occasion.
Anniversaries and Newsletter
Please do not leave anniversary notices or other items into our former house on Ormonde Road. We no longer have access to the house and notes may not be redirected in time for publication. Ideally items for the Newsletter should be delivered to the Parish Office at the Parish Centre by hand, post, email, telephone or fax. Leaving items at the Priests’ Houses, St. Patrick’s or St. Fiacre’s Sacristies before Thursday should also ensure publication. Thanks.
Counselling
Low cost counselling is available at St. Patrick’s Parish Centre. Contact Kate for further details 087 750 6815.
Latin Mass
The traditional Latin Mass (permitted by Pope Benedict XVI in his Motu Proprio of July 2007) is celebrated at St. Patrick’s Church at 5pm on Sundays.
Getting Married Soon?
Visit www.gettingmarried.ie for helpful suggestions in preparation for marriage.
Silence
In The World of Silence, Max Picard writes, ‘And yet sometimes all the noise of the world today seems like the mere buzzing of insects on the broad back of silence.’ There’s something substantial about silence. Often people describe it as ‘heavy’. Silence is formidable, even intimidating, if you’re not friendly with it. But to be friendly with it, first you have to be friendly with you. One way of finding out if you are, is to go off to a lonely spot and see how long you can stay there before unease sets in. How many people follow Jesus’ advice to his disciples in today’s Gospel (Mark 6:30-34) to go to a deserted place for peace and quiet? Are they not more inclined to go to a noisy holiday resort where there’s lots of action, lots of people, lots of things to do to fill the gap, lots of ways to forget oneself? Is there not something desperate about having to have a good time, and worse yet to feel obliged to say you had, even though you may not have had? Getting used to silent, solitary periods to relax, to refresh our spirit and take stock of our life is worthwhile. It helps us to think about important things that in the normal course of a day we rarely think of. Things like; like and its purpose, values we live by, people we hold precious, ambitions that drive us, the place we give to God in our life.
Silence is necessary not for finding answers but for finding questions.
Fr. Tom Cahill SVD
Fun Cycle
Clogh/Moneenroe Parish Fun Cycle 30 km or 100 km on Sunday. 26th July in aid of Parish Development will start at Clogh Parish Centre at 1pm. Registration from 12 noon. All sponsors will be entered for a draw for a mountain bike valued at €500. Certificate of achievement will be awarded to all participants. Helmets are compulsory. Minimum age 16 years. Route maps will be provided on the day. Further information from Ger Campion on 087 289 0450 or Clogh Parish Office 056 440 1942.
Summer Festival for Youth
Knock Summer Youth Festival will be held from 23rd to 26th July 2009 at Our Lady’s Shrine in Knock, Co Mayo. It is open to people between the ages of 18 and 35, and costs €70 for the weekend.
Please contact Fr. Willie Purcell, Callan on 087 628 6858 for information re coaches etc.
Pray for the Deceased
Recently Deceased: Joan Cody, 1 Cypress Green. Teresa Hayden, Carlow.
Anniversaries: Jimmy Byrne (Sun 10.00), Mary Norris (Sun 12.00), Nicholas (Brod) Comerford (Sun 12.30), James Bolger (Tue 10.30), Thomas & John Phelan, Anne & Edward Whelan, Mary Power, Mary Holland, Sr. Kieran Hickey, Breda Joyce, Ann Quirke, Tony Henderson, Danny Galvin, Catherine Manogue, Felix Campbell, Bridget Ward, Bridie Walsh, Esther Loughman, John Loughman.
Intentions for next weekend: Tommy McGuire (Sat 6.15), Vera Brannigan (Sat 7.00), Devina Crosby (Sun 10.00), Joe Cody (Sun 12.30).
Music for Kilimanjaro
Local parishioner Ger Mulvey is launching a CD of original songs in aid of the African Charity Kilimanjaro Direct at 9.00pm on Friday, 24th July in the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel. This charity, set up Sheila Ryan, music teacher in the Presentation Secondary School, raises money for projects in a remote part of Tanzania. Sheila herself travels to Tanzania a number of times each year to oversee the projects and so far the charity has funded the construction of a number of houses using local labour, as well as the education of a number of children. The big project now on hand is the construction of a school for the local children. All of the production costs of the CD have been met, so all of the sale proceeds will go directly to projects on the ground. It is hoped to raise enough to fund the construction of a house for a family in need and one of the classrooms in the new school. Everybody is welcome to the launch event and the post-launch party. A great night’s entertainment is guaranteed on the 24th, with music by Carlow band ‘Daktari’.
Bus to Knock Shrine
Thursday, 23rd July, leaving EBS Patrick Street, Kilkenny at 7.30am. Fee on booking €20. Contract Pauline: 776 5540, Marian 776 2248, Eileen 776 3259.
Exposition of Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament is exposed for worship at St. Fiacre’s Church on Mondays from 11am until 10pm and at St. Patrick’s Church on Fridays from 10am until 1pm and from 4pm until 9pm. Many parishioners have generously undertaken to sit and pray before the Blessed Sacrament for specific lengths of time during these hours. More volunteers are welcome: please contact the Parish Office if you could spare a particular hour during these times.
Of course if you cannot commit to a particular time each week please feel free to drop in for some quiet prayer at any time.
Gluten Intolerance and Communion
People with gluten intolerance (coeliac condition) are invited to approach the altar at the same time as the Ministers of Holy Communion, i.e. before general distribution of Communion. Please stand with the Ministers of Holy Communion. You will then be offered Communion from the chalice. Otherwise, having approached the altar in the general line for Communion, bypass the priest/minister and receive from the chalice on the altar. We welcome your presence at our Eucharistic celebrations.
Society of St. Vincent De Paul
The monthly collection for the local conference will be taken up at all Masses this weekend. Please be generous.
We are blessed in St. Patrick’s Parish with a busy and hard-working conference of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul. During the Summer the members hold meetings every two weeks but are contactable at other times through the Parish Office or the priests. The next meeting will be at the Parish Centre on Monday, 27th July at 8pm. The conference offers discrete and confidential help to those in financial need.
Youth 2000 Summer Festival
13th - 16th August at Clonmacnois, Co. Offaly
For young people age 16 - 25, an opportunity not to be missed to experience the Catholic faith and to meet new friends. See posters/flyers in church porch, watch this Newsletter or visit www.youth2000.ie for information.
Tax Refunds to Registered Charities
Thanks to all who returned their completed forms recently. There are still a few forms outstanding. If you were a tax payer and contributed at least €250 to the St. Patrick’s Parish and/or priests’ collections last year please sign and return the CHY2 Form to the Parish Office without delay. In this way we can recover from the Revenue Commissioners (at no extra cost to you) the tax paid on the money you contributed to the parish last year. Contact the Parish Office for clarification or further information.
