Morality Genes
After twenty years of research and God knows how much expense it’s finally on the market: the blue rose. Not available in Nature, it’s the product of genetic manipulation. Someone, obviously not given to flowery language, has rather prosaically named it Applause. Marketed as a special occasion gift, for wedding anniversaries, birthdays and the likes, it retails at about €22 per stem. That should weed out the true romantics from the common garden variety, don’t you think? What’s that got to do with Lent? Nothing, really! I was just thinking that even with the impressive dedication and considerable resources that twenty into manufacturing this blushing freak of nature, you could wait until you were blue in the face before you’d see genetics modify a human being in to a better person. The day of the morality gene isn’t just around the corner. So, for those sensible enough to want to be a better person what more effective way to go about it than by listening to what Paul says in today’s Second Reading: The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart. (Rom 10:8-13). Lent is a time for listening. There’s much sacrifice involved in listening wells: sacrifice of time, emotional comfort and the luxury of aloofness. Is it going too fat to say that those who don’t listen to God’s word can’t listen to anyone else’s?
What better way, then, to start Lent than by tuning in to God’s word as we listen to our heart express its deepest desire. God’s word, our heart? A rose by any other name……
Fr Tom Cahill SVD
St. Patrick’s Bereavement Support Group
We offer one to one support to Bereaved Parishioners. Phone 086 162 9089 to make an appointment to meet members of the group, in the Parish Centre, Loughboy. This is a free and confidential service.
St. Patrick’s on the Web
Tell your relatives and friends living abroad.
Questions people ask
In the temptations of Jesus, how could the devil claim that all the kingdoms of the earth belonged to him and that he has power to give them to anyone he chose?
The devil’s claim was a downright lie, no bother to Satan who was called the ‘father of lies’ by Jesus. Every temptation is based on a lie, a false promise. The most successful lie is the half-truth: the falsehood is camouflaged by something attractive or desirable. Perhaps a good plan for Lent would be a resolution to be totally honest with yourself, with others and with God. ‘The truth will set you free’.
Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap
Pray for our Deceased
Recently Deceased: Seamus Brennan, St. Fiacre’s Place. Patricia Lee, Dublin. Rory Quinn, London & Cedarwood Park. May Davis, St. Fiacre’s Place. Michael Burke, Tralee (Sun 12.30). Matt Gleeson, Sycamore Drive.
Months Mind: Patrick McKenna (Sun 11.00)
Anniversaries: Nicholas Healy (Sat 6.15), Mary Lynch (Sat 7.00), Patrick & Teresa Kennedy (Sun 9.30), Mick & Ellen Doyle (Sun 10.00), Margaret Fell (Sun 10.30), Canice & Michael Dunphy (Sun 12.00), Philip Grace (Mon 6.15), (Michael & Mary Muldowney (Tues 9.30), John Millea (Tues 10.30), Ann Somers (Wed 9.30), Catherine Cullen, Kieran Healy, Kitty Morris, Thomas Traynor, Mary & Cecil Pullan, Ann Mulhall, Tom Manogue, Patsy Hawe, Anne Kelly, Stan Landers, Martin Dermody, Richard Kinsella, Michael Drennan.
Intentions for next weekend: John & Brigid O’Rourke (Sat 6.15), Pat Adams (Sat 7.00), Peggy McGrath (Sun 10.00), Thomas & Brigid Casey (Sun 10.30), Brian Griffin (Sun 12.00), Joanne Fanning (Sun 12.30), Billy Wallace (Birthday Remembrance Sat 9.30).
Bible Study
Sr. De Lourdes Sheridan will hold a Bible Study Tues 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd March in St. Patrick’s Parish Centre at 10pm. For further information phone Kathleen 087 2468443.
St. Vincent de Paul Collection
The monthly collection in aid of the St. Vincent de Paul will be taken up as part of our second collection. Please support if you can. Money collected locally stays locally.
If you need the assistance of the society, you can contact them in confidence on 087 681 0589.
Trocaire
First Sunday of Lent 21/02/2010
‘When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the LORD... and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ (Deuteronomy 26:6-7,9)
As the Israelites suffered at the hands of the Egyptians, they appealed to the Lord for comfort and assistance, in the way that we would pray to God during times of turmoil and insecurity, asking him to lead us towards our land of ‘milk and honey.’ However, in other parts of the Christian family, there is a reality of praying to God for land where they can cultivate actual milk or honey to feed themselves and their families. The world is not short of food but people’s inability to access land, water and technology within rural areas often means they go hungry. Over one billion people in the world will go to sleep hungry tonight. Most of them are from rural, farming families. Securing access to these resources for these farmers is a priority for Trócaire’s programmes around the world. Please support Trócaire’s Lenten campaign this year in whatever way you can.
St. Vincent de Paul Shop
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is now receiving good quality First Communion Dresses and second hand clothes at their shop Fred's Fashions, Butts Green. Also if you have 3 hours a week to become a volunteer your service would be greatly appreciated for this greatly rewarding work. Please contact the shop on 056 770 2637. Thank you.
www.patricksparish.com
Loughboy Library
AONTAS - Adult Learner’s Festival Feb 22nd - 26th. Fri 26th 11am: “Things on the Wall” - An introduction to the Butler Gallery and its Collection hosted by Jean Tormey, Education Curator, Butler Gallery. The 5-6 Women’s Art Project will be on display at the library until March 6th. Free event, all welcome.
Kilkenny Christian Churches for Haiti 2010
The four main Christian Churches in Kilkenny have joined together in a fund
raising project in aid of Concern's appeal for the earthquake victims in Haiti. The duration of the project will coincide with the seasons of Lent and Easter (17th February - 4th April 2010). Church/parish/ youth/sporting groups are invited to hold fund-raising events with the proceeds going to the appeal. In order to facilitate collection of funds, an account is being opened in St Canice's Credit Union, Kilkenny in the name of the project which is titled Kilkenny Christian Churches for Haiti (KCCH). Any person or group wishing to contribute to the fund may wish to call the contact person for the project who is Paul McKiernan, telephone 087 9043071 or 087 1216481.
Thomastown Lenten Programme
Forward in Faith: Wed 24th February at 7.30pm
Mass with guest speaker Sr. Veronica Mangan (founder of Aislinn Centre) Theme: An Invitation for Change
Tuesday 2nd March at 7.30pm. Mass with guest speaker Ned Quinn (secretary of Kilkenny County Board) Theme: Personal Faith
Thursday 11th March at 7.30pm An evening of prayer through song with David Parkes (sportsman and musician who shares his own story of faith).
Tues 23rd March at 7.30pm. Service of Repentance/Reconciliation and Healing led by Fr. Martin Delaney
Lent Mass
Mass every evening, Monday to Friday in St. Fiacre’s Church at 6:15pm
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
The Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help will take place in St John’s Church from Monday 22nd February to Tuesday March 2nd. The novena will be directed by three Redemptorist priests: Fr John Hanna, Fr Kieran Brady and Fr Tony Rice. During the nine days of the novena there will be mass at 7.30am, 10.30am and 7.30pm. Preparation for each session will be 15 minutes before each mass. Thursday will be a day devoted to the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Sacrament of the Sick will be celebrated on Saturday 27th at 10.30am and there will be a blessing of babies and young children and the distribution of miraculous medals on Sunday 28th at 3pm. A special shrine to Our Lady will be in place during the Novena; candles, petitions and thanksgiving cards and prayer/hymn books will be available throughout the week. All are welcome – please tell your friends.
Marriage Introduction Bureau
The aim of the Knock Marriage Introduction Bureau is to introduce people considering marriage to a suitable marriage partner. Over 800 marriages have taken place as a result of these introductions. Phone 094 937 5960.
The All Ireland Talent Show
Don’t forget to tune in to the Wildcard Show on RTE1 on this Sunday evening at 6.30pm and vote for parishioner Ross Hennessy and his group, Na Fianna.
Parish Shop
Located in the parish centre, our religious goods shop stocks a wide variety of religious and devotional items. Now on display is a wide variety of items for First Holy Communion. The shop is open Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4pm. You are welcome to drop in and have a look.
Signed Mass Cards
Mass Cards signed by the priests of the parish are available at reception and there’s a variety of cards to choose from. Each signed card is an undertaking that an individual mass will be offered for the intention requested (unlike the many fake ones for sale elsewhere). Every two weeks the list of intentions is sent to the Church approved charity ‘Aid to the Church in Need’, who forward the mass intentions to priests in mission countries. For many priests this is the only source of income they receive. So you are assured of a mass being said and you are helping the missions.
Booking Anniversary Masses
We take great care in recording and announcing deaths and anniversaries but sometimes due to human error we make mistakes. If you are requesting a weekend mass, it’s always a good idea to book early. Please check the newsletter the week before to make sure your anniversary is listed correctly. If you notice an error or omission, please contact the parish secretary or any of the priests. Where possible, please don’t leave an anniversary booking on an answering machine, try talk to someone in the office or to one of the priests. Thanks
