Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, 22nd November 2009

Feast of Christ the King
The feast of Christ the King, which we keep this weekend, is celebrated on the final Sunday of Ordinary Time. The feast celebrates Christ as King and Lord of the cosmos.
Pope Pius XI instituted the feast in 1925. Pope Pius connected the denial of Christ as king to the rise of secularism. At the time secularism was on the rise and many Christians were doubting Christ's authority, as well as the Church’s, and even doubting Christ's existence. Pope Pius witnessed the rise of dictatorships in Europe and saw Catholics being taken in by these earthly leaders. The Feast of Christ the King was instituted during a time when respect for Christ and the Church was waning, when the feast was most needed.

Truth Reigns
Someone remarked that there are three sides to every story: your side, my side and the truth. In today’s Gospel Jesus links the reign of his kingdom very closely with testifying to truth. Celebrating Jesus as universal king, means celebrating truth’s triumph over falsehood, the victory of good over evil. However, lest triumphalism makes us cocky, we need to remember the cost of this triumph – nothing less than the torture and murder of God’s Son on earth. Sounds a bit strange put that way, doesn’t it? We’re more used to hearing about the passion and death of Jesus. Passion has become a sanitised word sounding less harsh than torture, even more terrible reality, still sounds that bit more distant then murder does. Jesus was murdered because he spoke the truth. Anyone who speaks as Jesus did risks the same fate ultimately. Yet, in spite of threats from those with vested interests who don’t want the truth to be told, truth will out and does prevail. That’s what we celebrate the victory of truth, we also celebrate the fact that people are prepared to die for it. We have examples of that throughout history. We have martyrs for truth among us today. We will have them into the future too. Today we celebrate the three sides to this story: I testify to truth, you testify to truth and truth triumphs, for all three become one.
Fr. Tom Cahill SVD

40 Hours of Adoration
In honour of the Feast of Christ the King and to pray for Priests in the Year for Priesthood a 40 Hours of Adoration is being held in St. Mary’s Cathedral this weekend. Following 7.30pm Mass on Friday adoration commenced in St. Mary’s Cathedral and will conclude with Mass at 11.00am on Sunday. All are invited to drop in and join in the prayers during the remaining hours. Thank you.

The Importance of Silence
Our modern world is starved of silence – there is hardly a moment when our senses are not being bombarded with noise of one kind or another. Our churches – especially before, during and after the celebration of Mass – should be privileged places where we can go to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. Silence has a very important role to play in the celebration of the Eucharist, prayer and reflection. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states: “Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.” To this I would add that silence should also be observed after Mass until one is outside the church building, both out of respect toward the Blessed Sacrament and toward those members of the congregation who wish to prolong their thanksgiving after the Eucharist.
To help achieve this in our parish I ask all – priests, sacristans, ministers, musicians, servers and worshippers – to maintain a spirit of reverence and respectful silence in our churches. Let us help each other and refrain from importing the world’s clamour and clatter into our places of worship.

CD Launch
St. Fiacre’s Folk Choir and friends present a night of joy and inspiration to launch their new CD on Thursday, 3rd December at 8pm in St. Fiacre’s Church. All are welcome.

Our November Remembering
Our annual Remembrance Service will be held at St. Fiacre’s Church on this Thursday, 26th November at 7.30pm. During the service we will remember in thanksgiving all of our relatives and friends who have passed away. We will call to mind in a special roll call those of our parishioners who died during the past year. We especially appeal to bereaved family members and friends to join us for the service - prayers will be included for God’s healing for you. The service will be followed by refreshments at the Parish Centre. All are welcome.
Don’t forget, you can place the names of deceased loved ones before the altar at any time before Thursday afternoon.

Monthly Parish Draw
The November Draw will take place at the St. Patrick’s Parish Centre at 8.30pm on Tuesday next. Promoters are asked to have their cards returned to Ted Byrne before the deadline on Tuesday evening.
Thanks to all our promoters and subscribers the draw is a very successful fundraiser for the parish and has greatly helped with the debt on the Parish Centre. Well done.

Questions People Ask
Q. I have seen several television programmes claiming that there were other gospels which were suppressed by the Catholic Church. Is this true?
Yes, there are several works which are called gospels but they differ from the authentic gospels on some important matters. These writings came from heretical sects. Obviously the Church did not favour the use of these misleading writings.
Even the whiff of suppressing any writing is enough to excite the imagination of certain writers and television producers who love to attack the Catholic Church as being up to its neck in conspiracies. Conspiracy theories and accounts of unhappy childhood are the most lucrative sellers in the popular market today. Bad news holds a strange fascination.
Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap

Pray for Our Deceased Friends
Recently Deceased: Una Heffernan, late of Vicar Street and John Street. Reposing at the home of her son, Fergus, 8 Cedarwood Avenue, Loughboy. Funeral prayers at 11.15am on Sunday followed by removal to St. Fiacre’s Church for 12 noon Mass. Rosary at 9.00pm on Saturday. Mark Butler, Nuncio Road. Reposing at Hehir’s Funeral Home. Funeral prayers at 6.30pm on Sunday followed by removal to St. Patrick’s Church. Requiem Mass at 11.00am on Monday followed by burial at Foulkstown Cemetery. Rosary at Hehir’s Funeral Home at 8.00pm on Saturday. Monica Cullen, 1 Cypress Avenue, Loughboy. Requiem Mass in Holy Cross Church, Tramore at 10.00am on Tuesday followed by burial in the adjacent cemetery. Very Rev. Canon Patrick J. Fitzsimons, Dublin; Nancy Wallace, Castlecomer; Dr Dan Devilly, Friary Street; Tom O’Brien, Kells; Ellen Flynn, Jenkinstown.
Months Mind: Nicola Conway (Sun 11.00).
Anniversaries: Maura Leahy (Sat 6.15), James Fox (Sat 7.00), Paddy Cullen (Sun 9.30), Bill Keogh (Sun 10.00), John Hand (Sun 10.30), Joan Taggart (Sun 12.00), Margaret (Madge) O’Brien (Sun 12.30), Statia Grace (Tues 10.30), Fr. John Phelan (Wed 10.30), Kitty McMyler, Rory McPhillips, John Fogarty, Gertrude Donnelly, Thomas Beehan, Owen Beehan, Michael Gibbons, Paddy Murphy, John McCarthy, Michael Beale, Margaret Guilfoyle, Joan Meehan, Eva Renehan.
Intentions for next weekend: Thomas & Nora McBride (Sat 6.15), Pat Kearney (Sat 7.00), Michael Kennedy (Sun 9.30), Charles Carroll (Sun 10.00), Mary & James Mulrooney (Sun 10.30), Deceased Members of St. Patrick's Brass & Reed Band (Sun 11.00), Thomas Dowling (Sun 12.00), Jimmy Bateman (Sun 12.30 Months Mind).

Morriston Orpheus Choir
The Welsh Morriston Orpheus Choir will perform in St. Mary's Cathedral on Sunday, 22nd November at 8.00pm. in aid of Building of Hope Project - Fr Martin Keane. Tickets €20 available at Kilkenny Bookshop. Further information from Margaret at 087 908 7659.
Sharing Fair Crafts Display & Sale
Supporting the work of the Good Shepherd Sisters, Asia, Africa & Latin America.
Coffee Morning, Langton’s John’s Street on Saturday, 28th November 10am - 12 noon. Quality Gifts for Christmas and all occasions. Wide range of household items, toys, bags, purses, etc made by women in self help projects associated with the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, providing local communities with hope, dignity and sustainability. Please support this Sharing Fair Event and bring your friends.

Clothing Appeal
Dochas Nasamu – Our Irish Run orphanage which is situated in Ikumbi, Nairobi, Kenya is holding a used-clothing appeal for the orphans and their extended families. We are appealing for used ladies, gents and kids clothes, shoes, household linens i.e. towels, sheets, blankets etc. For collection on Wednesday, 25th November, at St. Patrick’s Parish Centre, behind St. Fiacre’s Church, before 12 noon. For further information. Please contact Marie at 087 689 0995.

Book Launch
The launch of Fr. Martin Ryan’s Book takes place on Sunday, 22nd November at 4pm in Muckalee Community Centre.

Tuesday Teas
Don’t forget to drop into the Parish Centre for a cup of tea or coffee and a chat after 10.30am Mass at St. Fiacre’s Church on Tuesdays.

Bible Study Course
In preparation for Christmas a bible study course on St. John’s Gospel, given by Sr. De Lourdes will take place on this Tuesday, 24th November and Tuesdays 1st, 15th & 22nd December in the Parish Centre from 10am - 12.30pm approx. Cup of tea included. Cost €25. Booking necessary - contact Kathleen @ 087 246 8443. Enjoy this course in preparation for Christmas.

Advent Journey towards Christmas
Peace in Christ presents an Advent Journey towards Christmas on Sunday, 29th November from 10.30am to 5.00pm. Contact Lena McCarthy 777 9012 or Adeline Kelly 772 1665.

Hope and Healing
St. Canice’s Parish is hosting a series of weekly talks under the title “Hope and Healing - a November Journey”. On Wednesday, 25th November Sr. Elaine McDonald IBVM will speak during a service of healing and reconciliation which begins at 7.30pm. Sr. Elaine, a Loreto Sister, is a native of Kilkenny City. Her talk will be a reflection on healing and reconciliation culminating in an invitation to celebrate these sacraments as a fitting conclusion to the November series. All welcome.

School of the Holy Spirit
The School of the Holy Spirit, now located in our parish, is holding a Coffee Morning at the school on the Callan Road on Saturday, 28th November between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, 15th November 2009

Beyond the Senses
There are only two possibilities: human life has meaning or it hasn’t. It has direction powered by purpose, or else it’s like a fungus, free-floating on a speck of cosmic dust going nowhere fast. But if there is nothing beyond what we see, touch, taste, hear and smell from where comes the heart’s deep yearning for things beyond the senses? Francis Thompson expresses that yearning in his poem, In No Strange Land:
O world invisible, we view thee
O world intangible, we touch thee
O world unknowable, we know thee
Inapprehensible, we clutch thee!
That clutching is for that which gives life its mystery, for that which shatters the daily deceit of seemingly ordinary things to grace us with a glimpse of their grandeur. It’s palpable in music that captives the soul, in poetry that punctuates the mundane with rhythm from another zone. It’s in art that sates the eye with beauty transcending time. It’s in people when they love, and even when they don’t.
When we’re in touch with mystery today’s First Reading will not seem as bizarre as it might otherwise appear. Its style won’t take from its substance. Resurrection of the dead is clearly central to God’s plan for his creation. We need to focus on resurrection else death will have the final say. And the spot for that focus is life’s ordinary things. Again Francis Thompson:
Not where the wheeling systems darken
And our benumbed conceiving soars!
The drift of pinions, would we hearken
Beats at our own clay-shuttered doors.
Fr. Tom Cahill SVD

Bible Study Course
In preparation for Christmas a bible study course on St. John’s Gospel, given by Sr. De Lourdes (formally of Creidim), will take place on Tuesday, 24th November and Tuesdays 1st, 15th & 22nd December in the Parish Centre from 10am - 12.30pm approx. Cup of tea included. Cost €25. Booking necessary - contact Kathleen @ 087 246 8443. Come and participate in a very worthwhile course in preparation for Christmas.

Questions People Ask
Q. Jesus spoke of a time when the sun would be darkened and the moon would lost its light. Does this refer to three days darkness when the only source of light will be blessed candles?
The words of Jesus are in the context of the end of this material universe before the final triumph of God’s reign. It is not meant as a message of terror but of hope in anticipation of God’s glory. This message of three days darkness is something that is predicted regularly be self-appointed prophets. Invariably the predicted date comes and goes without the darkness. Pay no attention to this nonsense but celebrate Christian hope every time you pray ‘Thy Kingdom come’.
Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap

Pray for the Deceased
Recently Deceased: Joan O’Brien, Kilree: Requiem Mass at St. Bennett’s Church, Bennettsbridge at 12.00 noon on this Sunday. Mary O’Gorman, Sevenhouses, Diana McCague.
Anniversaries: Mary & Ann O’Shea (Sat 6.15), John Glynn (Sat 7.00), Gerald & Patricia Moore (Sun 9.30), John Brennan (Sun 10.00), May Muldowney (Sun 10.30), Rena Brett (Sun 11.00), John Byrne (Sun 12.00), Henrietta Hyland (Sun 12.30), Barbara Rhatigan (Mon 9.30), May O’Connell (Tues 9.30), Patrick Morris (Wed 9.30), Retired Nurses & Deceased Nurses (Wed 10.30), Dymphna Condon (Fri 10.30), May O’Connell, Dick & Annie Burke, , Michael Kennedy, James Leahy, Dick Phelan, Peter Blanchfield.
Intentions for next weekend: Maura Leahy (Sat 6.15), James Fox (Sat 7.00), Paddy Cullen (Sun 9.30 Month’s Mind), Bill Keogh (Sun 10.00), John Hand (Sun 10.30), Nicola Conway (Sun 11.00 Month’s Mind), Joan Taggart (Sun 12.00), Margaret (Madge) O’Brien (Sun 12.30).

College Green
A house has become vacant at College Green. Parishioners are invited to apply. Application forms available at the Parish Office, St. Patrick’s Parish Centre. Applicants must be over 55 years.

40 Hours of Adoration
In honour of the Feast of Christ the King and to pray for Priests in the Year for Priesthood there will be 40 Hours of Adoration in St. Mary’s Cathedral from Friday, 20th Nov to Sunday, 22nd November. Adoration will commence with Mass at 7.30pm in St. Mary’s Cathedral on Friday and end with Mass at 11.00am on Sunday. All are invited to come and pray at any time during these 40 hours, during the day on Saturday or during Friday or Saturday nights. If you are willing to commit to one hour’s Adoration please leave your name in the Sacristy after Mass. Thank you.

Peace in Christ
The Retreat House Team would like to thank most sincerely all those who contributed so generously to the recent church gate collection in aid of Peace in Christ Retreat House. In particular we would like to thank those who organised the collection and carried it out on our behalf. The amount collected in St. Patrick’s Parish was €964.58. Thank you.

Parents’ Council AGM
St. John of God School Parents’ Council AGM will take place on Thursday, 19th November at 8pm in the School Hall. Guest speaker: Anne Neary of Ryeland House who will present ‘Lunchbox Ideas’. Admission free. All welcome.

St. Vincent De Paul
The monthly collection for the St. Patrick’s Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul will be taken up at Masses this weekend

CD Launch
St. Fiacre’s Folk Choir presents a night of joy and inspiration to launch their new CD on Thursday, 3rd December at 8pm in St. Fiacre’s Church. All are welcome.

I.N.T.O
Mass for deceased I.N.T.O. members will take place on Tuesday, 17th November at 7.30pm in the Capuchin Friary. Refreshments afterwards in the Ormonde Hotel. All welcome to attend.

Our November Remembering
Our annual Remembrance Service will be held at St. Fiacre’s Church on Thursday, 26th November at 7.30pm. The service will be followed by refreshments at the Parish Centre. All are welcome.
Don’t forget, you can place the names of deceased loved ones before the altar at any time during November. Masses for all our deceased are offered during this month.

Retired Nurses’ Association
On Wednesday morning, 18th November Mass for retired nurses and relatives of deceased nurses will be celebrated in St. Fiacre’s Church at 10.30am. Afterwards, in the adjoining Parish Centre, a coffee/tea morning will be held and the proceeds of this will go to the Carlow/Kilkenny Home Care Team.

Hope and Healing
St. Canice’s Parish is hosting a series of weekly talks under the title “Hope and Healing - a November Journey”. On Thursday, 19th November Marc Coleman will speak during the Mass which begins at 7.30pm. Mr. Coleman is a native of Dublin and is currently the economics editor of Newstalk 106 - 108FM. A man with strong Catholic convictions he believes that we cannot recover from the present economic crisis without a strong spiritual dimension and a return to religious values. This will be the main theme of his talk.

Celebration Concert
The Mayor’s Kilkenny 400 Celebration Concert in St Canice’s Cathedral Friday, 20th November at 8pm. Appearing will be: St Patrick's Brass & Reed Band (Conductor Norman Cree) Loreto Secondary School Choir (Conductor Jacinta Cantwell, Caladh (Trad), Paddy Hanrahan. MC for the night Gerry Moran. Tickets €10.00 available from Rollercoaster Records, Kieran Street, Eamon Cleere: 087 9582127. Concessions available for groups of 5 or more. Concession price €8. All Proceeds to Enable Ireland, O’Neill Centre, Kilkenny.

The Cry of the Earth
Archbishop Dermot Clifford, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, this week launched The Cry of the Earth, a pastoral reflection on climate change from the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Launching The Cry of the Earth Archbishop Clifford said “We are all stewards of God’s creation. As political leaders from around the globe meet in Copenhagen next month for the UN Framework Conference on Climate Change to decide on a new global climate change deal, the Bishops of Ireland wish to raise awareness of our vital responsibility toward sustaining the environment. We need to protect the environment today and on behalf of future generations. Our response needs to be at an individual, community and governmental level.”
Some hard copies of the pastoral are available at the church doors. Electronic copies are available at www.catholicbishops.ie

Presentation School Choir
The Presentation School Choir has reached the final of the All-Island Schools’ Choir Competition and will compete against some of the most prestigious fee paying schools in Ireland. The live final will be broadcast on RTE One, at 6.30pm on this Sunday, 15th November from the Ulster Hall in Belfast. There are schools from Belfast, Derry, Dublin and Kilkenny in the final. We wish Ms. Veronica McCarron, the choir mistress, and the girls the best of luck.
Church Gate Collection
The annual Church Gate Collection for the ‘Young at Heart’ Club takes place next weekend 14th and 15th November. Please support.

Traditional 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.

Kilkenny Archaeological Society
The KAS, in conjunction with the Irish Lebanese Society as part of Irish-Lebanese week, presents ‘Bishop Pococke’s Tour of the Lebanon 1738’ Speaker: Guy Jones at Rothe House, Wednesday, 18th November at 8pm.

Morriston Orpheus Choir
The Welsh Morriston Orpheus Choir will perform in St. Mary's Cathedral on Sunday, 22nd November at 8.00pm. in aid of Building of Hope Project - Fr Martin Keane. Tickets €20 available at Kilkenny Bookshop. Further information from Margaret at 087 908 7659.

Fetac
Level 5 Care Skills Course. Commences November 26th. Limited places remaining. This course opens up a Career in Care. Full details from Vision Training. 086 170 4157.

Attention Altar Servers
Please pick up the new rota in the sacristies of the parish churches.

Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, 8th November 2009

The Widow’s Mite
The widow’s mite symbolises generosity. A small gesture bursting with meaning grabs the imagination and immortalises itself. Today’s Gospel reading notes that the widow has two coins. She could give one, keep the other, and still be considered generous. But no! Her generosity is not half measure. Her reverence for God and her respect for the Law and its requirements are total.
The spotlight is on the quality of her giving. We don’t know what happens to her afterwards. But somehow we just know she’s not going to die of starvation. We can’t prove it, of course. But God doesn’t respond to generosity with punishment.
It’s the same for us. When we respond generously to life’s demands we’re not punished for doing so. Here are some more things we can’t prove, but which are true nonetheless: the more we give the more we discover we have to give; and, not only are those who receive enriched, so too are those who give.
When I worked as a missionary occasionally I gave money to people in need, or spent it for medical treatment on their behalf. To my surprise, on several occasions I received money out of the blue from home within weeks of having given help to others. Like the jar of meal and the jug of oil in today’s First Reading my small jar was never empty either. It really does work that way. Try it and see.
Fr. Tom Cahill SVD

Questions People Ask
Q. It is true that some Protestant theologians were involved in writing the texts of the Mass after the Second Vatican Council?
A. This is a twist on what really happened. Several Protestant communities expressed great interest in the studies, papers and debates of the Liturgical Commission. So, six Protestant theologians were invited as observers but they took no part in the writing of the texts. Some Protestant communities have used the Roman Lectionary and Sacramentary as a template for their own revisions. Thank God for ecumenical fellowship.
Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap

Pray For Our Deceased Friends
Recently Deceased: John Joe Kealy, Parkmore, Margaret Hutchinson, College Green, Martha McWilliams, Coleraine
Months Mind: Sr. Gregory Ryan (Sat 9.30).
Anniversaries: Ramie & Breda Dowling (Sat 6.15), Julia O’Carroll (Sat 7.00), Bill Quinlan (Sun 9.30), James Rafter (Sun 10.00), John Cullen (Sun 10.30), Margaret Moore (Sun 11.00), Martin Brett (Sun 12.00), Jim Cantwell (Sun 12.30), Henry Tiernan (Mon 9.30), Dominic Coll (Tue 10.30), Barbara Rhatigan (Wed 9.30), Pat Fahy (Wed 10.30), John Kelly (Thurs 10.30), Mairead & Ger Carmody, Nora & John Mullane (Fri 10.30), James & Margaret Purcell, Richard & Julia Ryan, James Maher, Teresa & Tony Adams, Margaret Shiels, Ellen Hickey, John Kehoe, Margaret Cantwell Jr, Nancy Dunphy, May Byrne, Andy Egan.
Intentions for next weekend: Mary & Ann O’Shea (Sat 6.15), John Glynn (Sat 7.00), Gerald & Patricia Moore (Sun 9.30), John Brennan (Sun 10.00), May Muldowney (Sun 10.30), Rena Brett (Sun 11.00), John Byrne (Sun 12.00), Henrietta Hyland (Sun 12.30).

St. Joseph’s Young Priests Society
The monthly meeting of the St. Joseph’s Young Priests Society will take place on Friday, 13th November in St. Patrick’s Parish Centre after the 10.30am Mass. All welcome.

Eucharistic Adoration
In this year of the Priesthood, 40 hours of Adoration will take place from Friday, 20th to Sunday, 22nd November in St. Mary’s Cathedral to pray for Priests. It will commence with Mass at 7.30pm on Friday, 20th and continue through Friday night, all day Saturday and Saturday night ending with Mass at 11.00am on Sunday, 22nd. All are welcome to drop in and spend some time in prayer.

Divine Mercy
There will be an hour of Prayer and Adoration in honour of Divine Mercy in the Friary Church on Sunday, 8th November from 3.00pm to 4.00pm.

Altar Servers
The new rota is now available in the sacristies for those who serve in St. Patrick’s and St. Fiacre’s churches. Please collect one this weekend. The Foulkstown rota will be available shortly. A sincere word thanks to all our dedicated servers both present and past. Your dedication is much appreciated.
Anyone from fourth class and above, who has made their First Communion and is a regular Mass-goer is welcome to serve.

Our November Remembering
Don’t forget, you can place the names of deceased loved ones before the altar at any time during this month of November. Masses for all our deceased are offered during this month.
Please note in your diary that our annual remembrance service will be held on the last Thursday of the month and note the change in venue. This year the service will be held St. Fiacre’s Church which will allow for ease of access to the parish centre for a cuppa afterwards. Our thanks to the sisters of St. John of God who gave us access to their premises for refreshments in the past.

Retired Nurses’ Association of Ireland
On Wednesday morning the 18th November Mass for retired nurses and relatives of deceased nurses will be celebrated in St. Fiacre’s Church at 10.30am. Afterwards in the adjoining Parish Centre a coffee/tea morning will be held and the proceeds of this will go to the Carlow/Kilkenny Home Care Team.

Gala Demonstration
Kilkenny Flower Club will hold it's Gala Demonstration in Springhill Court Hotel next Thursday, 12th November at 8.00pm. The demonstrator is the renowned floral artist Alan Beatty N.A.F.A.S. All his flower arrangements will be raffled and there will be a sales table. Admission is €20 and the proceeds are in aid of The Alzheimer Association of Ireland. A most enjoyable night is guaranteed.

Church Gate Collection
The annual Church Gate Collection for the ‘Young at Heart’ Club takes place next weekend 14th and 15th November. Please support.

Irish Wheelchair Association
An Angel Day in aid of the Irish Wheelchair Association will take place on 13th November.

Book Launch Postponed
The launch of Fr. Martin Ryan’s Book which was to take place on the 8th November will now take place on the 22nd November at 4pm in Muckalee Community Centre.

Presentation Secondary School
Presentation Secondary School, will hold an Open Evening for all fifth and sixth class prospective students on Wednesday, 11th November between 6.00pm and 9.00pm. There will be an opportunity to meet with management and staff and to look around the school. We look forward to meeting you and your daughter on the night.
The Presentation School Choir has reached the final of the All-Island Schools Choir Competition and will compete against some of the most prestigious fee paying schools in Ireland. The live final will be broadcast on RTE One, at 6.30pm on 15th November from the Ulster Hall in Belfast. There are schools from Belfast, Derry, Dublin and Kilkenny in the final. We wish Ms. Veronica McCarron, the choir mistress, and all the girls the very best of luck.

Mass of Remembrance
A Mass to remember people who have died at St. Luke’s General Hospital, Kilkenny, will be held on Wednesday, 11th November 2009 at 7.30pm in St. Clare’s Church, Graiguecullen, Carlow. All welcome. The Mass is being organised by the Care of the Dying Person and Their Family Team in the hospital.

Cura Cares
Pregnant and distressed? Like to talk to someone in confidence. Tel: 1850 622 626 or 772 2739.
November Offering
The November offering for the support of the priests of the parish and the bishop is due this month. Your generosity is appreciated.

Finance Committee
The Parish Finance Committee will meet at the St. Patrick’s Parish Centre on Thursday evening at 8.00pm.

Loreto Concert and CD Launch
On Wednesday next 11th November the music department in Loreto Secondary School will launch its first ever CD entitled “A Celebration of our Gifts and Talents”. It will feature school choirs, orchestra and soloists. All proceeds will go to a Loreto charity: “Rainbow Project” aiding street children in India.
To mark this launch there will be a concert in the school sports hall on the night, starting at 8.30pm. Tickets at the door - €5 single and €10 per family. Choirs, orchestra and soloists will perform along with local Baritone Derek Ryan.

400 Celebration Concert
The Mayor’s Kilkenny 400 Celebration Concert in St Canice’s Cathedral Friday, 20th November at 8.00pm. Appearing will be: St Patrick's Brass & Reed Band (Conductor Norman Cree), Loreto Secondary School Choir (Conductor Jacinta Cantwell, Caladh (Trad), Paddy Hanrahan, MC for the night Gerry Moran, Tickets €10.00 available from Rollercoaster Records, Kieran Street, Eamon Cleere: 087 958 2127. Proceeds to Enable Ireland, O’Neill Centre, Kilkenny.

Hope and Healing
St. Canice’s Parish is hosting a series of weekly talks under the title “Hope and Healing - a November Journey”. On Tuesday, 10th November well known writer, journalist and playwright John Waters will address the subject of hope and how we might recover it in our lives and in our community. Mr. Waters will speak during the Mass which begins at 7.30pm.

Loughboy Library
Surviving the Recession @ your library
Are you unemployed or affected by the current economic downturn? Kilkenny County Library Service will host a series of Information/Advice Sessions at Loughboy Library during November. These are free and open to all. Tel 779 4176.
Monday, 9th November at 7pm: Life coach Nikki O’Neill will give you tips and advice to get you through these difficult times. MABS (Kilkenny Money Advice and Budgeting Service) will give advice on money management, budgeting and dealing with debt.

FETAC Level 5 Care Skills Course.
Commences November 26th. Limited places. This course opens up a Career in Care. Full details from Vision Training. 086 170 4157.

Westcourt News
The November Mass for the blessings of Edmund Rice on our lives and for his canonisation will be celebrated in Westcourt, Callan on Monday, 9th November at 7.00pm.

Learn the Guitar for Christmas
Members of the Sunday 12.30pm Choir invite anyone of any age who would like to learn guitar to come along to the St. Patrick’s Parish Centre on Monday from 7pm to 8pm. You will learn some Christmas songs and also have a chance to put your new skills together when the choir will provide the music at our Christmas Masses. No need to book, just bring yourself and your guitar if you have one.

Feast of All Saints, 1st November 2009

November Remembering
The month of November we dedicate in a special way to remembering our loved ones who have died. It’s part of our Christian faith to remember the dead and to pray for them.
On Monday, the Feast of All Souls, all our parish Masses (including the 10.30am) will be offered for the deceased members of the parish. Also during this month the priests will each offer a Novena of Masses for deceased parishioners and friends.
We encourage people to write the names of deceased loved ones on the sheets provided at the back of the church and place the names in the baskets placed before the altars in the three parish churches, These will be left there for all the Masses in November and will finally be gathered together on the last Thursday of the Month and brought to St. Fiacre’s Church for our annual Remembrance Service.
We invite you to join with us in this special month of remembering our dead.

Costello for King of the Castle
The final of the King of the Castle fundraising event will be held at The Hub, Cillin Hill at 8.30pm on this Saturday. Hopefully our candidate, Mr. Michael Costello, will have raised more funds than his competitors which will ensure he is crowned King of the Castle.
Thanks to all who supported the intensive fundraising during the past two months. We witnessed a real community effort which raised valuable funds for James Stephens GAA Club, the Parish Centre and the Senior Citizens of St. Patrick’s Parish. Well done to Michael and his dedicated committees and campaign workers.

Retreat for Men
Peace in Christ Retreat House, Sion Road, Kilkenny invites you to a retreat for men from Friday, 6th to Sunday, 8th November. For further information contact 056 772 1054.

First Friday of November
The priests will visit the housebound at the usual times. Please contact the Parish Office if you would like a name added to the lists.

The Deep End Back to the Future
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s book, The Origin of Species. Many scientists today accept that there is a huge body of evidence supporting the view that we have descended from an animal with chimpanzee-like capacities. If we have, then what we hear today’s First Reading telling us is all the more amazing. For there we have attained near god-like capacities.
Which is more difficult to believe: that a crude chimp is now a sophisticated human who composes sublime symphonies, produces fabulous works of art, explores cosmic vastness and penetrates atomic depths; or to believe that this human is destined for near divinity in a new ordering of creation?
Science serves truth in dull and detailed prose. Scripture sets it in sweeping story and inspiring imagery that lifts us higher than science can ever do. Science examines and reports. Scripture reveals and inspires. Science fixes us firmly to matter; scripture frees us as spirit.
Saints – all of them – are the poets among us. Not vice versa, though. They are, what the old pop song jingles out, ‘poetry in motion’. As poetry opens pathways to understanding, refines human emotions and grants glimpses of transcendence we would not otherwise experience, so saints have done and continue to do through the generosity and sanctity of their lives. They show us what life can be like because of what it will be like. They bring the future to our doorstep.
Whether we grant it entrance to our home is up to us.
Fr Tom Cahill SVD

Volunteers Needed
Do you have one or two hours to spare per week? If so maybe you could volunteer to help keep St. Patrick’s Church and St. Fiacre’s Church clean and tidy. A sincere word of thanks to those who have already volunteered to keep our churches clean and tidy. If anyone is interested in helping out, please contact the Parish Office at 056 776 4400. We can be very proud of our parish churches - let’s work together to keep it like that.

Pray for Our Deceased Friends
Recently Deceased: Mick Carthy, St. Catherine’s Avenue, Wetlands: Funeral prayers at Johnston’s Funeral Home at 5.30pm on Sunday followed by removal to St. Patrick’s Church. Requiem Mass at 11.00am on Monday followed by burial in Cashel. John Joe Kealy, Parkmore: Funeral prayers at Johnston’s Funeral Home at 6.30pm on Monday followed by removal to St. Patrick’s Church. Requiem Mass at 11.00am on Tuesday followed by burial in Foulkstown Cemetery. Rosary at Johnston’s Funeral Home at 8.00pm on Sunday. Bernadette Delaney, Mayfield, Kells Road. Josie O’Dwyer, Shanballymore.
Months Mind: Kevin Dowling (Sat 7.00).
Anniversaries: Lily Spiers (Sat 6.15), Jack Garrehy (Sun 9.30), Jennifer Mulhall (Sun 10.00), P.J. Marrinan (Sun 10.30), Birute Poskaite (Sun 11.00), Tom Shanahan (Sun 12.00), Michael Phelan (Sun 12.30), Margaret Wallace (Sat 9.30), Anastasia Muldowney, Ann O’Shaughnessy, Sean Jivens, Paddy O’Carroll, Mary and James Mulrooney, Laurence Tynan, Patrick Tynan, Mary Bowe, Michael Bowe, Paddy Bowe, Anna Bowe, Margaret Dunlop, Mary Brennan, Joe Gargan, Tess O’Neill.
Intentions for next weekend: Ramie & Breda Dowling, (Sat 6.15), Julia O’Carroll (Sat 7.00), Bill Quinlan (Sun 9.30), James Rafter (Sun 10.00), John Cullen (Sun 10.30), Margaret Moore (Sun 11.00), Martin Brett (Sun 12.00), Jim Cantwell (Sun 12.30).

Our Lady of Kilkenny Rosary
The monthly rosary on the First Sunday in James Green at the statue of Our Lady of Kilkenny continues this Sunday, 1st November at 3pm. All are welcome.

Learn the Guitar for Christmas
Members of the Sunday 12.30pm Choir invite anyone of any age who would like to learn guitar to come along to the St. Patrick’s Parish Centre on this Monday from 7pm to 8pm. You will learn some easy Christmas songs and also have a chance to put your new skills together when the choir will provide the music at our Christmas Masses. No need to book, just bring yourself and your guitar if you have one.

Westcourt News
The November Mass for the blessings of Edmund Rice on our lives and for his canonisation will be celebrated in Westcourt on Monday, 9th November (note date) at 7.00pm.

Morriston Orpheus Choir
The Welsh Morriston Orpheus Choir will perform in St. Mary's Cathedral on Sunday, 22nd November at 8.00pm. in aid of Building of Hope Project - Fr Martin Keane. Tickets €20 available at Kilkenny Bookshop. Further information from Margaret at 087 908 7659.

Information Nights for Parents
The following courses are available at Kilkenny Education Centre, Callan Road.
Helping your child with Irish, Primary School level: Wednesday, 4th November 7.00 – 9.00pm.
Bebo Internet Safety for Parents: Thursday, 12th November 7.00 – 9.30pm.
No charge for either course. Book on 056 776 0200.

Church Gate Collection
The annual collection in aid of Peace in Christ Retreat House will take place on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th November. Thank you for your support and generosity.

Kyle Fair
The annual Kyle Fair at the Camphill Community, Coolagh, near Callan takes place on Sunday, 8th November from 2pm to 5pm.

Altar Servers
Apologies for the delay; the new rota will be available next week.

Holocaust Survivor Visits Danesfort
Tomi Reichental - a survivor of the Belsan Concentration Camp - will speak in the Fr. Campion Centre, Danesfort on Tuesday, 3rd November. The talk is organised by the Sevenhouses ICA and all are welcome. Admission €5 includes refreshments and will be donated to the Holocaust Education Trust.

Missionary Book Launch
Father Martin Ryan's book “The Round Trip - to the Missions and Back” will be launched in Muckalee Community Centre at 3.00pm on Sunday, 29th November. Note change of date. All are most welcome.

St. Patrick’s Parish Shop
We now have a selection of Christmas cribs and Christmas books available. Come and see our complete range at St. Patrick’s Parish Centre, Loughboy. Open: 10am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Closed for lunch.

November Offering
The November offering for the support of the priests of the parish and the bishop is around this time. Sincere thanks to all who support us in many different ways, including financial.

Proclaiming the Word of God
Would you be willing and able to proclaim the Word of God in our parish churches? We are in need of new readers for all Masses. Please contact the sacristans, one of the priests or the parish office if you feel you could help with this important ministry.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 25th October 2009

We Support the Village!
St. Patrick’s Parish unites in supporting the James Stephen’s Senior Hurling Team in this Sunday’s St. Canice’s Senior Hurling County Final at Nowlan Park. Best wishes to our team and mentors.

Bank Holiday
As Monday is a bank holiday the only public Mass in our parish will be at St. Patrick’s Church at 11.00am. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will take place at St. Fiacre’s Church from 11.00am to 10.00pm.

A Stupid Question?
Jesus doesn’t ask stupid questions. So, why does he ask Bartimeus what seems at best a question with an obvious answer in today’s Gospel reading (Mark 10:46-52)? Bartimeus is blind, and a beggar. He calls Jesus ‘Son of David’. So the odds are in favour of him wanting more than money. He wants his sight. Yet, Jesus doesn’t assume that. Why? Perhaps he wants to show respect towards Bartimeus, unlike the crowd who tell him to shut up. Jesus invites him to speak for himself. Can we say we always do that with those we consider unimportant to us? Those whose sentences we finish for them? Those whose conversation we cut across when in company? Those whom we think aren’t worth listening to? Or perhaps Jesus wants to test the quality of Bartimeus’s faith. ‘Son of David’ he calls Jesus. Will he now undo the impression he makes by asking Jesus for a few coins? Respecting Bartimeus’s freedom, Jesus let’s his faith unfold. And what a faith it is! He asks for nothing short of a miracle. Even though he’s blind he can ‘see’ that Jesus is more than ordinary. Faith brings vision of a kind that healthy eyes may fail to. Do we see in Jesus more than the human eye can catch? Is our faith great enough to expect a personal transformation little short of the miraculous by sincerely asking for it? Jesus doesn’t force us to ask for the impossible. But he does invite us to.
What a shame should we refuse because it might sound stupid!
Fr. Tom Cahill SVD

Questions People Ask
Q. Often at Mass we are told that we are celebrating the feast of some virgin. Were there any married saints?
A. Top of the list place Mary and Joseph. Peter was certainly married and probably the other apostles too. Others that come to mind are Mary’s parents, Joachim and Ann, Elizabeth the cousin of Mary, the saintly Queens Elizabeth of Hungary and of Portugal, Margaret of Scotland, the saintly Kings, Louis of France and Edward of England, Monica, the mother of Augustine, Elizabeth Ann Seaton of USA, Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, parents of the Little Flower, Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice, the martyrs Margaret Clitheroe and Thomas Moore, and many of the martyrs in Ireland, Japan, Uganda etc.
Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap

St. Patrick’s Parish Shop
Offers a variety of Christian material including bibles, Christian books for adults and children, rosaries, medals, candles, plaques, requiem cards, sympathy cards and gifts.
We now have a selection of cribs and children’s Christmas books available. Come and see our complete range at St. Patrick’s Parish Centre, Loughboy. Open: 10am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Closed for lunch.

Mission Sunday Collection
Sincere thanks has been extended to the parish from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith for our generous contribution to last week’s Mission Sunday collection. The total raised will change the lives of many in mission lands and will enable the continued work for missionaries worldwide. We are asked to continue praying for our missionary brothers and sisters as our spiritual support can provide great comfort particularly in difficult times. In particular we are asked to continue our prayers for the early release of Fr. Michael Sinnott, the 79 year old Wexford Columban priest, who was kidnapped in the Philippines two weeks ago this weekend. We pray that he be returned unharmed to his family and religious community.

Pray for Our Deceased Friends
Recently Deceased: Paddy Cullen, 61 Melville Heights. Ned Burke, Viper, Kells. Terry Clarke, Tullamore, Brigid Burke, Dublin. John Gavin, England. Thomas Kelleher, Gowran.
Months Mind: John Casey (Sun 12.30).
Anniversaries: Nancy Coyne (Sat 6.15), Matthew Dwyer (Sat 7.00), Michael Davin (Sun 10.00), Anthona Burke (Sun 10.30), Mary McCormack (Sun 12.00), Nora Curley (Tue 10.30), Ann Delaney (Birthday Remembrance Sat 9.30), Edward Mahon, Michael Mullins, Patrick Cantwell, Margaret Skehan, Breda Hehir, Alfie Sheehy, Patrick Fahy, Joe Dowling, Josie & Dick Walsh.
Intentions for Next Weekend: Lily Spiers (Sat 6.15), Kevin Dowling (Month’s Mind Sat 7.00), Jennifer Mulhall (Sun 10.00), P.J. Marrinan (Sun 10.30), Birute Poskaite (Sun 11.00), Tom Shanahan (Sun 12.00), Michael Phelan (Sun 12.30).

Bereavement Support Group
St. Patrick’s Bereavement Support Group offer free and confidential support to bereaved parishioners. Phone 086 1629089 to make an appointment to meet members of the group in the Parish Centre, Loughboy. Appointments necessary.

Do This in Memory
The second event in the programme for First Holy Communion will take place this weekend. Candidates from Gaelscoil Osrai and Kilkenny School Project will attend the 10.30am Mass at St. Fiacre’s Church while those from the St. John of God and St. Patrick’s de la Salle schools will attend the 11.00am Mass at St. Patrick’s Church. We welcome the candidates and their families.

Proclaiming the Word of God
Would you be willing and able to proclaim the Word of God at Masses in our parish churches? We are currently revising the rosters and are in need of new readers for all Masses. Please contact the sacristans, one of the priests or the parish office if you feel you could help with this important ministry.

Collectors at Masses
We are also revising the rosters of those who help with the collections at Masses. Please contact the sacristans or the parish office if you would be willing to get involved.

St. Vincent de Paul Collection
The monthly collection (postponed last week) for the local conference will be held at all Masses this weekend. Please support.

St. John of God Sisters
During the coming weeks we unite in prayerful support with the St. John of God Sisters in Pakistan who are preparing for their Religious Profession of Vows. This is an important time for the four sisters involved as they continue on their journey of discernment - open to the gift of the Holy Spirit and to the unfolding mystery of God’s loving designs for them. Srs. Andleeb and Saira Maria will make temporary profession on 30th October while Sr. Alishba will make final profession on 1st November. Sr. Nazia will renew her vows in December. May God bless them now and always.

Hope and Healing
St. Canice’s Parish Community invites you to join us for a journey of Hope and Healing during the month of November. Through a series of liturgies, talks and a workshop we will explore and celebrate these two great gifts of God: Hope and Healing. Against the backdrop of a difficult year in our church and in our country we hope that this time of reflection will offer some light and guidance in dark and confusing days. Speakers: Mickey Harte, Tyrone Manager; John Waters, Journalist; Marc Coleman, Economist; Elaine McDonald IBVM, Loreto Sister.

Social Services Meals on Wheels
Voluntary Drivers are urgently needed for our “Meals on Wheels” service. If you are a car owner and could spare one hour per week - we would like to hear from you. Please contact Kitty or Kay at Kilkenny Social Services, Waterford Road. Tel: 056 772 1685.

Black Abbey Novena
In annual St. Martin De Porres Novena at the Black Abbey begins on Monday, 26th October.
Weekdays: Rosary at 10.15am and 7.15pm; Mass at 10.30am and 7.30pm.
Saturday: Rosary at 10.15am and 5.50pm; Mass at 10.30am and 6.10pm.
Sunday: Mass with the Sacrament of the Sick at 3.30pm.

Concert at St. Mary’s Cathedral
A concert in aid of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul will take place on Sunday, 25th October at 7.30pm in St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny. A lively night is assured as music will be provided by St. Patrick’s Brass and Reed Band, Kilkenny Gospel Choir and the Castlebar Concert Band and friends. Admission is free: donations if desired. All welcome.

Line Dancing
There are Line Dancing classes for beginners at St. Patrick’s Parish Centre on Tuesday evenings from 8.00pm to 10.00pm. All welcome.

L.A.R.C Courses
Loughboy Area Resource Centre is offering the following courses: Yoga for Over 55s, Dance Classes/Lessons (Depending on demand); Young Women’s Group (ages 18-30) childcare provided; Parent and toddler (Wednesday mornings) snack included. Those interested should contact Connie at 086 7764700. L.A.R.C is based at Bishop Birch Training Institute, Nuncio Road, Kilkenny.

Missionary Book Launch
Father Martin Ryan's book “The Round Trip - to the Missions and Back” will be launched in Muckalee Community Centre at 3.00pm on Sunday, 8th November. The book offers reflections on Fr. Martin Ryan’s life as a Columban missionary priest in the Philippines and in Ireland. Fr. Martin is a native of Muckalee. All are most welcome.

Church Gate Collection
The church gate collection this weekend is in aid of the Susie Long Hospice Fund.

King of the Castle
Please help your local parish and GAA Club by supporting the following events.

Halloween Disco
Under 12, children’s Halloween Disco at the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel on Sunday 25th October from 2 - 5pm. Admission €5.

Are You the Brains of the Parish?
Please support our Table Quiz at Springhill Court Hotel on next Thursday, 29th October. Table of 4 is €40. Contact Tobias White at 086 308 4183. Please encourage your club, group, work place, neighbourhood or street to enter teams.

We appreciate the Trojan work and participation by parishioners to date. Fundraising is hard work in this time of recession. We appeal for one last effort in this joint campaign to ensure Michael Costello is elected King of the Castle. Our community will benefit greatly from the funds raised.