Happy Easter
The priests and members of the St. Patrick’s Parish Team wish all in our community a very happy Easter. May the blessings of the Lord’s resurrection give us new hope and strengthen our faith.
Holy Week Liturgies
Thanks to all who helped celebrate our Holy Week Liturgies. Many people worked away in the background while others came forward to help in the sanctuary. Thanks to all.
Thanks also to all who attended our Holy Week Liturgies. It was uplifting to join in prayer with so many like-minded people from within our community and beyond.
Easter Week in our Parish
Mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick’s Church at 11.00am each morning during the coming week. Please note: there will be no 9.30am Mass at St. Patrick’s Church and no 10.30am Mass at St. Fiacre’s Church.
There will be no exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Fiacre's Church on Easter Monday. There will be exposition in St. Patrick’s Church on next Friday from 11.00am to 1.00pm and from 4.00pm to 9.00pm. All are welcome.
Divine Mercy Pilgrimage to Knock
There will be a pilgrimage to Our Lady's Shrine at Knock on Sunday, 1st May to mark Divine Mercy Sunday. Chief Celebrant of Mass will be Bishop Seamus Freeman SAC, Bishop of Ossory. Mass begins at 3.00pm. Bus leaving the Parade, Kilkenny at 8.00am. Contact Murphy’s Boutique, High Street (056 772 1495) for further information and bookings. All are welcome.
Catholic Nurses Travel to Knock
There will be a pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Shrine at Knock on Sunday, 7th May. For booking contact Ann on 056 772 2204. Organised by the Irish Catholic Nurses’ Guild. Departure: Bus leaving The Butt’s Green at 7.30am. All are welcome.
Pray for our Deceased Friends
Recently Deceased: Roy Barry, 38 Larchfield. Funeral prayers at his home at 12.45pm on Monday followed by removal to St. Fiacre’s Church. Requiem Mass at St. Fiacre’s Church at 2.00pm on Monday. Jim O’Neill, 3, Fr. Hayden Road. Funeral prayers at St. Luke’s Hospital Mortuary at 7.00pm on Sunday evening followed by removal to St. Patrick’s Church. Requiem Mass at St. Patrick’s Church at 11.00am on Monday. Burial will take place in Mullinarigal, Rosbercon. Sheila Lennon, Gregara, Jenkinstown. Requiem Mass at Jenkinstown Church at 11.00am on Monday followed by burial at St. Kieran’s Cemetery. Dolores Martin, Walkin Street. Margaret (Grettie) Bennett, Loreto Avenue. Paul Butler, Portalington. Peadar Madden, Castlecomer. Rebecca Connolly, Drogheda.
Anniversaries: John Edward Kirwan Malone (Sun 9.30), Eileen Byrne (Sun 10.00), Michael Gaule (Sun 10.30), Canice & Michael Dunphy (Sun 12.00), Peter & Winifred DeLoughry (Mon 11.00), Mary O'Keeffe (Tues 11.00), Des Hehir (Wed 11am), Michael & Peggy Bourke, Patrick Skehan, Bridget Cantwell, Sr. Marguerite Cantwell, Noel O’Dwyer, Mary Crotty`. Martin Murphy, Paddy O’Hara. Thomas Fry, Noel Fry, Elizabeth Geoghegan.
Intentions for next weekend: Andrew Delaney (Sat 6.15, Month’s Mind), Joseph Ayres (Sat 7.00), John Byrne (Sun 10.00), William O’Brien Snr, William O’Brien Jnr , Billy O’Brien & Ann O’Brien (Sun 11.00).
Chernobyl Anniversary
You are invited to attend ‘Light a Candle of Hope for Chernobyl’ to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the nuclear disaster at The Parade, Kilkenny at 8.00pm on Monday, 25th April.
Vocations in Ossory
Thinking about priesthood in the Diocese of Ossory. Why not? Find out more. Contact Fr. Willie Purcell, Vocations Director, St. Kieran’s College. Tel 056 777 0261 or email: ossoryvocdir@gmail.com.
IHCPT Lourdes Pilgrimage
Fr. Dan and a number of local volunteers head to Lourdes with the Irish Children’s Pilgrimage Trust very early on this Easter Sunday morning. The Trust raises money and brings young people with special needs to Lourdes each Easter. Adult helpers pay for themselves but agree to raise funds to provide for the young people. Fundraising is particularly difficult in these difficult times and the members of the local group would like to say a special thank you to those who supported our fundraisers so generously. Your contributions enabled us to reach our target once again.
2011 is a very special year as the Irish Trust celebrates its 40th anniversary of going to Lourdes. To mark the occasion the Irish group will organise and celebrate the Trust Mass on Thursday morning. Together with friends from the wider community of HCPT, over five thousand pilgrims will enjoy this unique experience. The celebration will be broadcast live on the internet at www.lourdes-france.com and we invite all to join with us. The theme for the 2011 pilgrimage will be Praying with Bernadette.
Latin Mass at St. Patrick’s
There will be a traditional Latin Mass at St. Patrick’s Church on Easter Sunday at 5.00pm. This group celebrates Mass in the traditional rite each Sunday afternoon at 5.00pm.
Questions people ask
Q. Why isn’t Easter celebrated the same weekend every year?
A. We celebrate the rising of Jesus not only as the happening of a single morning but as an event rooted in creation and history. The date of Easter is dictated by the cycle of the sun and moon, falling after the first full moon following the spring equinox. The Jewish Passover is celebrated around this time too. The Easter Vigil employs the four elements of life; fire (the source of light), air (in act in reading), earth (providing the fruits of bread and wine) and water baptism). Easter is a celebration of all creation.
Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap
Eucharistic Ministers Rota
The Eucharistic Ministers rota for the coming year will be available at all sacristies from Sunday, 1st May. Ministers are invited to call in a pick up a rota.
Trócaire Family Fast Box
Thanks to all who took and contributed to the Trócaire Family Fast boxes. These should now be returned to the church so that they contents may be forwarded to the Diocesan Office for transmission to Trocaire. We ask, where possible, that you convert coins into notes. Thanks.
True Witness
In each of the Gospels, Mary Magdalene is one of the first witnesses to the resurrection. She is the apostle to the apostles. She is the one who remained faithful to Jesus through his arrest, trial, and execution. We often think of her as the first person to ‘see’ the resurrected Jesus, but first she ‘hears’ Him. She sees with her ears and that is where her vocation becomes very clear. What love and what courage!
‘Risen Lord,
Shed you light on those who live in
the shadow of death
and warm the hearts of those who
have lost hope,
that they who daily bear the cross of hunger
may find your Promised Land,
and move from slavery to freedom.
As we proclaim your Easter song
help us to die to greed and rise to justice,
to abandon apathy and take up action,
that rich and poor together may travel the road to freedom,
and be restored to your resurrection and life.
Amen’. (Annabel Shilson-Thomas)
Jane Mellett
Bank Holiday Arrangements
The Parish Centre, Parish Office and Shop will be closed to the public on Bank Holiday Monday. These will reopen on Tuesday at 9.00am. Thank you for your cooperation.
The Stress Answer
On Wednesday 27th April RD Consult Educators in Mental health have there final night of their Spring Season with the above presentation. Ten minutes to learn, One minute to practice, Ten seconds to work. Imagine if you could radically reduce stress; increase your physical vitality, improve your quality of life. Now you can. Featuring helpful, easy to perform exercises that can be done just about anywhere. The Stress Answer gets to the heart of the problems that keep us from being our best selves, offering solutions that can be applied immediately and will last a lifetime. You will have the psychological tools you need to handle anything life throws your way. The Village Inn Business Centre, 8.00pm. Presented by Dr. Fergus Heffernan. €10. Booking 087 927 7479 (booking essential).
KLP Community Courses @ Loughboy
Cook It Programme: aims to teach people how to cook and eat healthily and on budget.
Fashion and Style: aims to look at what we have in our wardrobe and how we can make the most of our budgets.
Loughboy Men’s Group: We are looking for men to get more involved with their community.. To start this group off we are planning on having a Fry Up morning where men can come along and enjoy a breakfast with others.
Loughboy Women’s Group;. The group will be an opportunity to meet other women, take part in classes of the groups choice etc.
If you are interested in setting up /joining the Loughboy Women’s Group or any of the other groups please contact Connie McGee 086 771 8040 between Mon – Wed or leave a message.
Easter Humour
A school teacher had just finished telling her first class pupils about how Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb with a great stone sealing the opening. Then, wanting to share the excitement of the resurrection, she asked: "And what do you think were Jesus’ first words when He came bursting out of that tomb alive?" A hand shot up into the air from the rear of the classroom. Attached to it was the arm of a little girl. Leaping out of her chair she shouted out excitedly "I know, I know!" "Good" said the teacher, "Tell us, what were Jesus first words." And extending her arms high into the air she said "TA-DA!"
Go For Life
Physical Activity Leaders (PALs) Workshops for Older Adults. Go for Life, in partnership with Kilkenny Recreation & Sports Partnership (KRSP) and Carlow Sports Partnership will hold a series of workshops for older people who are interested in leading physical activities with members of their groups. The first 4 workshops will take place in The Watershed, Kilkenny over the month of May and the final 4 workshops will take place in Carlow in September/October. Contact KRSP on 056 772 0870 for more information.
