St. Patrick’s Parish Centre
This weekend St. Patrick’s Parish is proud to host the official opening and blessing of the St. Patrick’s Parish Centre, Homes for the Elderly and Presbytery. The buildings will be blessed by Bishop Séamus Freeman and officially opened by Mr. Brian Cody - the ceremonies begin at 2.30pm on Sunday. The St. Patrick’s Brass and Reed Band will provide foot-warming marching music and entertainment during the afternoon. Some light refreshments will be served.
We plan this to be a great parish celebration and all associated with the parish and the planning and building of the complex are invited to attend. This is a worthy development by the people of St. Patrick’s Parish, one of which we can be rightly proud, an improvement of facilities which will serve the community well for many decades to come. This present generation has built on the strong foundations put in place by our ancestors and, please God, we will leave a rich legacy for those who will come behind us. Please come along on Sunday afternoon and join with your neighbours and friends as we celebrate our parish’s achievement.
Earthquake in Haiti
On Tuesday night an earthquake struck Haiti killing over 50,000 people. In response, Pope Benedict XVI called on “the generosity of all people” to support those worst affected. He added that “the Catholic Church will not fail to move immediately, through her charitable institutions, to meet the most immediate needs of the population”.
Trócaire is the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland and they desperately need your assistance to help the people of Haiti.
To donate, please call 1850 408 408 or log on to www.trocaire.org
Divine Mercy Prayer Group
The local Divine Mercy Prayer Group meets at the St. Patrick’s Parish Centre each Thursday morning following the 10.30am Mass at St. Fiacre’s Church. New members and visitors are always welcome.
Bridge in the Afternoon
Fancy playing a game of bridge in the afternoon? Come along to St Patrick’s Parish Centre on Tuesday, 19th January and every Tuesday thereafter. Time: 3.00pm - 5.00pm. No partner required. All are welcome.
Questions People Ask
Q. At the wedding in Cana there were 6 jars, each holding 20 or 30 gallons, about the equivalent of 800 bottles today. Are we to take these figures literally?
A. The Gospel of John shows Jesus bringing several Jewish institutions such as the Temple and the Sabbath to fulfilment. The miracle of Cana involved water, not any water, but water set aside for ritual purification before a meal. This water represents the Jewish religion with its many ritual washings as preparing for the wedding of heaven and earth which occurred in Jesus, true God and true man. Six jars are one short of the perfect number, seven. The huge amount of new wine expresses the lavish generosity of God inviting all people to union with Christ.
Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap
Church Cleaners
Do you have an hour or two to spare each week? We are in urgent need of one or two more cleaners for St. Patrick’s Church. The members of the team keep the church clean and prepared for our daily liturgies. Much of the work goes on behind the scenes but it is truly appreciated. Please contact Jim in the sacristy at St. Patrick’s Church if you can spare an hour or two each week. Many hands make light work…
The Cold Weather
Thanks to the many parishioners who helped out in different ways during the recent cold spell. While conditions were difficult the community’s response was warm and generous. Many members of our Church community went well beyond the call of duty to help a neighbour in need - but then that’s what we should be about as Christians.
Seeing Red
I wonder if the UK-chart topping, 1986 hit Lady in Red by Chris de Burgh would have soared so high had she been in green. Wearing red not only gets you noticed, it can get you ahead even in the Olympic Games, according to one lecturer at Durham University, England. Wearing red marks you as aggressive and dominant.
Today’s First Reading (1 Cor 12:4-11) lists distinguishing marks for members of the Christian community. The colour red doesn’t get a look in. Neither do designer labels, gym workouts, health food diets or high-tech gizmos (even had they existed). But then they wouldn’t; all the qualities listed are for service not dominance or ego gratification. Also, everything on the list is internal to the individual not external. I don’t need to enhance my appearance for service but I do need to enhance myself. And the gifts listed in this reading do just that: wise utterance, knowledgeable speech, faith witness, power to heal, working miracles, prophesying and the ability to discern spirits, talking in tongues and interpreting them.
To put these gifts in more contemporary wrapping we might list them as: having cop on, being informed, practising what I preach, comforting those in difficulty, helping without counting the cost, being my brother’s keeper, being open to God’s Spirit and open to those open to God’s Spirit. It’s surprising at times that if you should go public, so to speak, and say that these are the qualities that distinguish true Christians some of that public, even those not Christian, will probably see red!
Fr. Tom Cahill SVD
Pray for the Deceased
Anniversaries: Paul Prodromou (Sat 6.15), Tom Langton (Sat 7.00), Michael Drennan (Sun 10.30), Maureen O’Shea (Sun 11.00), Beattie Connell (Sun 12.00), Oliver Mannion (Sun 12.30), Patrick Morris (Mon 9.30), Nora Carroll (Tues 9.30), Sally Mullally (Tues 10.30), Evelyn (Bobbi) Leahy (Wed 9.30), Richard Brennan (Wed 10.30), Maureen & Paddy Dwyer (Thurs 10.30), John Phelan (Fri 10.30), Johnny Brennan, Michael & Mary Ellen Delaney, Denis Guilfoyle, Clare O’Connor, Christopher & Mary Ryan, Edward McCormack.
Intentions for next weekend: John Bradley (Sat 6.15), Kathleen Hickey (Sat 7.00), Christy McLoughlin (Sun 10.00), Norah Foley (Sun 10.30), Kathleen O’Neill (Sun 11.00), John Hennessy (Sun 12.00), John Collins (Sun 12.30).
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.
The Parish Office and Shop
The St. Patrick’s Parish Office and Shop are open each weekday between 10.00am and 5.00pm. Call in or telephone 056 776 4400 for all parish business. Our parish email is: stpatricksparish@ossory.ie The Office is closed for lunch between 1.00 and 2.00pm.
Family Communications
An 8 week parenting course for parents of 9 - 16 year olds.
Aim: To support parents in building good relationships with their children.
How can this course help parents? Helps patents explore how they communicate with their children and each other. Supports parents in the good job they are already doing. Provides parents with an opportunity to talk with other parents.
Topics covered include: Communication, peer pressure, self esteem, drugs and alcohol, problem solving, conflict resolution.
For further information or to book a place contact Teresa Hennessy or Bernie O’Brien 056 776 1400. Closing date 20th January.
Angels & Demons - The True Story
St. John’s Parish Prayer Group invites you to a Lecture Series for Lent at St. John’s Day Centre (8pm - 9.30pm). Each meeting will consist of Worship and Praise followed by a lecture. The lectures will be given by Fr. Joe Delaney.
February 3rd: Paradise Lost. February 10th: Spiritual Warfare. February 17th: The Ministry of Angels (please note starting at 8.30pm). March 3rd: Demonic Entry Points: The Occult and Alternative Therapies. March 10th: The Effects of Generational Sin. March 24th: Testimonies and Prayer.
Church Gate Collection
The Irish Wheelchair Association church gate collection, cancelled because of bad weather, will now be held on the 23rd and 24th January.
Have you time to spare?
S.O.S. is a voluntary organisation for adults with a mild-moderate intellectual disability. S.O.S. provides day services, respite and residential care. We are currently looking for volunteers to support us in providing greater social and recreational activities for people in S.O.S. So if you are interested and have a few hours a week to spare please contact Kathleen Sherry or Geraldine Wilson at 056 776 4000 for further information.
Free Preschool 3 - 4 years
23 Cedarwood Crescent, Loughboy. Only 2 minutes walk from Supervalu. Must register within the next 2 weeks. Four places left. Call Square One: Marie 086 803 0850 or Joan 056 776 1142.
Loughboy Library
Margot Lawlor, Ardnore is exhibiting a series of acrylic paintings on canvas at Loughboy Library until Friday 22nd January. They consist of dramatised fairytale images and also cats and dogs. All are for sale at reasonable prices.
All-Ireland Talent Show
Aidan Byrne, guitarist with the Parish Youth Choir and Pyrotechnix will be on air on the All Ireland Talent Show on RTE 1 on this Sunday evening, 17th January at 6.30pm. Please give them your support and a vote.
And we have even more talent in the parish! Ross Hennessy is a member of Na Fianna, a well-known local band which will compete live on the All-Ireland Talent Show on next Sunday, 24th January. Let’s give Ross and the band our fullest support by voting for them next weekend.
A Smile Before you Go
Two senior ladies met for the first time since graduating from secondary school. One asked the other, “You were always so organized in school, meticulously planning every detail. How did you plan your married life?”
“Well,” said her friend, “My first marriage was to a millionaire; my second marriage was to an actor; my third marriage was to a preacher; and now I'm married to an undertaker.”
Asked the friend, “What do those marriages have to do with a well planned life?” “The first marriage was for the money, the second for the show, the third to get ready and the fourth to go!”
