The Immaculate Conception
Wednesday next is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Masses will follow the usual Saturday/Sunday timetable in our parish.
Family Liturgy and Choir
It’s that time of year again! - the Children's Liturgy and Choir will start for the Advent Season on Sunday, 5th December. We will be meeting for practise on Wednesday evening between 6.30 and 7.15pm and all our young people and their parents are welcome. We would especially welcome new comers and musicians be they young or old.
Annual Christmas Carol Service
The annual St. Patrick’s Parish Carol Service takes place on next Sunday, 12th December at 4pm in St. Joseph’s Church, Foulkstown. For many this has become a must-attend event in the lead up to Christmas and all are welcome. Seasonal refreshments will be served in the St. Patrick’s Parish Centre after the service.
Kermit High School Choir
We welcome the Honor Choir from Kermit High School, Texas, USA to our parish this weekend. The choir will provide sacred music during the 6.15pm Mass at St. Fiacre’s Church on Saturday and present a short concert after the Mass.
St. Joseph’s Young Priests Society
The monthly meeting of the St. Joseph's Young Priests Society will take place in the Parish Centre on Friday, 10th December immediately after the 10.30am Mass. New members are always very welcome in the ministry of promoting and praying for vocations. (Weather permitting.)
Candlelight Rosary Procession
Annual Candlelight Rosary Procession will leave The Parade, Kilkenny, at 8.00pm for Benediction in the Black Abbey, on Wednesday, 8th December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. All welcome.
Attention All Parish Readers
“Go teach all nations”: How we can best Communicate the Word of God in our World Today is the title of a two week course for readers of the Word of God in the Diocese of Ossory. In a world where technology has made communication instant, communicating a message is ever more challenging. There is a tremendous competition in our world to hear and to be heard. In order for us to communicate more effectively we need to do two things well: understand the message and improve how it is that we share it with others. To help achieve this we encourage all those who read the scriptures in our parish to attend two evening presentations to reflect on these issues.
On next Thursday, 9th December at 7.30pm at St. Patrick’s Parish Centre, Caroline Murphy (RTE) will explore what is happening when we communicate and how we might do this more effectively. On the following Thursday Olivia Maher (Ossory Faith Development) will help us to explore the background to and the importance of the scriptures that we read each weekend. St. Patrick’s Parish is honoured to host these presentations which are for all readers in the diocese. We strongly encourage our parish readers to make an effort to attend.
Parish Christmas Programme
Christmas Day falls on a Saturday this year. The following parish Mass schedule will apply.
St. Fiacre’s Church: Vigil Mass at 9.00pm
Mass of Midnight (Latin)
10.30am, 12.00 noon
St. Patrick’s Church: Midnight Mass
9.30am, 11.00am, 12.30pm
St. Joseph’s Church: 10.00am
Please note there will not be evening Vigil Masses on Saturday, 25th December (Christmas Day).
Masses on Sunday, 26th December will follow the usual Sunday Mass schedule.
During the week after Christmas the only public Mass in our parish will be at St. Patrick’s Church at 11.00am each day.
Come and celebrate the birth of our Saviour with the people of St. Patrick’s Parish.
Advent Series of Talks
The Diocese of Ossory has organised a series of talks for Advent entitled Look not on our sins but on the faith of Your Church. The programme consists of three reflections exploring what it is to be Church today. Our Church is sinful and broken – have we embraced this reality fully? What does this reality say about us? What impact does it, or should it have on us? Surely there must be hope but what is it?
Why not join us for the series as we explore these and other questions?
Tuesday, 7th December: “Deciding to stay? Looking for a renewed vision of Church”. Speaker: Ms. Ann Daly.
Tuesday, 14th December: “The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light”: Our search for that light today”. Speaker: Fr. Dan Bollard
The talks will take place at St. Patrick’s Parish Centre and the format of each evening will be a short reflection for about 30 minutes and then the opportunity for discussion and questions. Time: 8.00 – 9.00pm each evening.
Pray for our Deceased Friends
Recently Deceased: Margaret Roche, Lavistown, Honor Flannery (Wed 11.00), Jim Martin, Canada. Billy Maher, late of Stephen Street and London. Funeral arrangements later.
Months Mind: Sr. Sheila Lynch (Sat 7.00), Breda Phelan.
Anniversaries: Tom O’Dowd (Sat 6.15), Julia O’Carroll (Sat 7.00), Angela Murphy (Sun 10.00), Laurence Healy (Sun 10.30), Elaine Kelly (Sun 11.00), Michael Dwyer (Sun 12.00), Michael Fitzmaurice (Sun 12.30), Michael Hickey (Tues 6.15), Myra Treacy (Wed 10.00), John and Ann Fogarty (Fri 10.30), Christy Galvin, Margaret Guilfoyle, Hugh Tiernan, John & Annie Free, Liam Bergin, Sean & Kitty Ryan, Annie Wall.
Intentions for next weekend: Florrie Cleere (Sat 6.15), Pat Kearney (Sat 7.00), Michael Hynes (Sun 9.30), Jane & Jeff Power (Sun 10.00), Kathleen Redpath (Sun 10.30), Eddie Slattery (Sun 11.00), Podge Butler Jnr (Sun 12.00), Michael Dollard (Sun 12.30).
SVP Annual Appeal
St. Vincent de Paul Week takes place from 5th - 12th December, culminating with SVP Sunday on 12th December. The annual Christmas collection for the St. Patrick’s Parish Conference of the Society will be held at the church doors next weekend, 11th and 12th December. (The collections inside the church will not be for the society on this occasion.)
SVP helps individuals and families who are struggling to cope, often to ensure that there is light in the home and food on the table. About 9,500 volunteers in 1,200 local groups across the country give their time freely so that the donations you make can go straight to the people who need help the most in your locality.
The SVP Annual Appeal; make a donation and give hope to a local person in need.
Do This In Memory
The next Mass in the Do This In Memory programme for First Holy Communion Candidates will be celebrated next weekend.
Rosary
Monthly Rosary at the stature of our lady of Kilkenny on Sunday 5th December at 3pm.
Weekly Envelope Collection
The envelope collection last week amounted to €1,300. Thanks for your continued generosity.
Westcourt News
The Mass for the blessings of Blessed Edmund Rice on our lives and for his canonisation will be celebrated in Westcourt on Monday, December 6th 2010 at 7.30pm.
The St Joseph’s Young Priest’s Society will organise the Liturgy.
Christmas Concert
Sunday 12th December at 4.30pm in St. John’s Church, Dublin Road, Kilkenny, The Kilkenny Choir and Carlow Choral Society present Vaughan Williams - Mass in G Minor for Two Choirs, accompanied by Brass Ensemble. The Kilkenny Choir will also sing Bruckner Motets. Adm. €10/€8.
School of the Holy Spirit - Thanks
All at the School of the Holy Spirit wish to say “thank you” to all those who attended our Coffee Morning and Sale of Work. In spite of the snow many supported the fundraiser. Thanks for your support to raise much needed funds for our special pupils.
Village Crafts
Christmas Exhibition and Sale at Ormonde College, Saturday & Sunday, 4th and 5th December. Woodturning: Mick Morrissey, Canice Ryan, Ciaran Walsh. Painting: Pat Holland. Come and have a look.
Kilkenny Lions Club
Hamper and Charity Appeal Kilkenny Schools’ Concert featuring: CBS Boys’ Choir, Kilkenny College Senior Jazz Band and Junior Choir and Chamber Choir, St. John’s Senior School Choir and Chamber ensemble. St. Canice’s Co-Ed Recorder Ensemble and Jazz Band, Gaelscoil Osraí Choirs, Castlecomer Community School Choir, St. Patrick’s Boys’ Choir. All at St. Canice’s Cathedral on Thursday, 9th December at 7.30pm. Admission: Adults €10, Children €4 (Payable at the door).
Opportunities for Advent Prayer
Advent Scripture Reflection: An opportunity for a group to come together to reflect on the scriptures. Booklets are available to guide people through a simple method of scripture reflection. They contain all the Advent Sunday readings thereby encouraging people to explore them each week. The booklets also contains some very simple questions to help animate discussion and reflection. Booklets cost €3.
Praying the Psalms: Provides an opportunity for a group to come together during Advent to pray the psalms together. There are two booklets with this programme: the first contains hymns, psalms and prayers from the Prayer of the Church and is designed so as to be used by groups for a number of years. The second booklet contains the Gospels of Advent and some reflections. The cost of these booklets is €5 for the pair. Tel: 056 775 3624 for copies.
Blessing of the Crib
Blessing of the Crib at Workhouse Square, MacDonagh Junction on Wednesday, 8th December at 5.30pm by Fr Frank Purcell. The Kilkenny Gospel Choir will provide the sacred music during the ceremony.
