Happy Christmas
Frs. Dan, Roderick and Liam join in wishing all associated with St. Patrick’s Parish a holy, peaceful and happy Christmas. May God to bless and protect us in this holy season. May all travellers be safe and may patience and Christian love and goodwill mark this holiday time.
We take this opportunity to thank everyone who help out in any way to make this wonderful parish function so well. We won’t name names, because there are so many people who help in prayer, action and support. People help out so quietly and generously that all runs so smoothly. To everyone, we offer a sincere and heartfelt thank you.
We also say thanks to all for your generous support this Christmas and indeed throughout the year. We appreciate your prayers, kind words and material support. We pray that the New Year will be filled with every grace and blessing for you.
We hope those who join us for Christmas - either as visitors or former parishioners returning for the festivities - will have a wonderful time among us.
Mass Schedule in the Parish
Our parish Mass schedule for Christmas Day follows the usual Sunday pattern (See front of this newsletter).
There will be no Saturday evening vigil Masses on Christmas Day. Masses on Sunday are at the usual times.
There will be but one public Mass in our parish each day during the week after Christmas: St. Patrick’s Church at 11.00am each morning.
Parish Office
The Parish Office will be closed all next week. However, if you need to contact one of the priests or conduct parish business you may call 056 776 4400 and follow the computerised prompts. If the person you require is not available immediately you may be invited to leave a message.
In urgent cases you can contact the priest on duty by dialling 056 776 4400 and pressing Option 2.
Clothed for Christ
How often do we judge people by what they wear? In recent times teenagers wearing hoodies have been banned from shopping centres out of fear they will steal or cause bother to other shoppers. Others mark themselves out by the clothes they wear, for example ‘Goths’ who wear black, football fans who dress in the colours of their favourite team, or those who wore orange in 2004 in protest to what they saw as the unfair running of the Ukrainian elections.
In today’s Second Reading St. Paul speaks about Christian fashion. The clothes of the Christian are not dictated by the latest fashion trends. No, what Christian should wear never changes: ‘you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience, and even that is not enough, ‘over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love’ (Col 3:12, 14). It is not the outer garments which are the garb of Christians. It is the way we act towards our brothers and sisters that defines who we are. By clothing ourselves in the values of Christ we can go out into the world confident that we are dressed appropriately to meet any situation.
Francis Cousins.
Bishop’s Christmas Message
Bishop Freeman’s Christmas message to the people of the Diocese of Ossory is available on the diocesan website: www.ossory.ie
Questions People Ask
Q. Was it foretold in the Old Testament that the messiah would live in Nazareth?
A. It wasn’t foretold. In fact Nazareth is never mentioned in the Old Testament. It was a good place for Joseph to get a job as it was close to the new town of Sephoris which Herod was constructing. The Gospel of Matthew has an outrageous pun on the word nazir which means somebody consecrated to God. People were so gobsmacked at the notion that the Messiah might come from Nazareth that it was remarked, ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth.’
Fr. Silvester Flynn OFM Cap
Pray for our Deceased Friends
Recently Deceased: Sammy Johnston, Hebron Road. Joozef Kolodzief, Poland. Ned Nugent, Cuffesgrange. John Walton, Tullaroan. Fr. Stephen Hawe, Australia (Sat 9.30).
Anniversaries: Jim & Bernie Cadogan (Sat 10.30), Betty Furniss (Sun 9.30), Thomas Drohan (Sun 10.00), Josephine McGrath (Sun 10.30), Vale Vaikutiene (Sun 11.00), Geraldine Cody (Sun 12.00), Eddie Taylor & Delia Taylor (Sun 12.30), James Kearney (Tues. 11.00), Jim King (Wed 11.00), Nick Dunphy (Sun 11.00), John & Mary Rhatigan, Peggy Blanchfield, Roseanna Smyth, Nora Bartholomew, Ted Kenny, Francis, Samuel, James & Margaret Dunlop, Michael & Bridget Kenny, Tom & Bridget Casey, John Condon, Ted Carroll, Liam Costello, Christy Bateman, Kathleen Fahey, Martin Doheny, Mary Doheny, Martin Browne, Peg Browne, Brendan Doheny,
Christmas Thanks
Sincere thanks to all who are helping to make our Christmas celebrations more meaningful and prayerful. We are grateful to all in our choirs, sacristies, those who read and distribute the Eucharist, those who collect and who clean; sometimes thankless tasks but we are grateful. Thanks too to all help run and maintain our Parish Centre.
Fundraising Bag Pack
Thanks to the many volunteers who raised invaluable funds for the parish by bag packing at Supervalu on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week. The amount raised was €4,605. Many thanks to the Supervalu Management Team, the coordinators and all who gave freely of their time to help.
Trócaire Says Thanks
Trócaire has expressed sincere thanks to everyone in the parish and throughout the diocese for their support in 2010 - not just during their Christmas Global Gift campaign but during Lent and following the recent disasters in Haiti and Pakistan. Trócaire wishes you and your families a happy and peaceful new year.
Exposition of Blessed Sacrament
Being Christmas week where most of our adorers will be spending time with family, there will be no exposition in St. Fiacre’s on Monday. Neither will there be exposition on Friday next. Exposition will recommence in the New Year. Thanks to all who dedicate time to adoring the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
Christmas Collection for Priests
Thanks to all who supported our Christmas collection for the priests of the parish and the bishop. We are extremely grateful to all who continue to support us especially in these tough economic times.
Parish Calendars
We are delighted to offer parish calendars again this year. Calendars may be picked up at the back of all our parish churches. Thanks to Paula Raggett at Kilkenny Cards for the design and printing of this year’s calendar.
Monthly E-Newsletter
James Stephens GAA has recently launched a new monthly e-newsletter which will be sent by e-mail to all players, selectors, members and supporters of the Village in St.Patrick’s parish and abroad. This e-newsletter will be a strong and informative communications tool for the club to keep everybody up to date on all games, reports, events, news, club development and issues relating to the club. If you wish to be included on the e-mail circulation list please send your e-mail address to news@james-stephens.com
The Carer’s Association
The Carer’s Association will hold a Church Gate Collection on Saturday, 1st January and Sunday, 2nd January 2011. We are appealing to people in the various parishes in Kilkenny to assist us by manning the table before and after Mass. Any time you can give is appreciated. Funds raised go towards providing respite, training, day trips and other supports and services in the locality of local Family Carers. Please call Gina or Carmel on 056 772 1424.
