Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a cáirde and welcome to my Report.
Welcome indeed to my final report before Christmas. The weather is damp but very mild making it easy for people to do their Christmas shopping and those with school going children to flit from one place to another, taking them to matches, dancing ,music, parties the list goes on and on and a fine day means a lot.
The pupils of Scoil Mhuire, our Boys National, school put on a wonderful Carol service in the Church on Friday morning. It ran for over an hour and their varied program was a joy to behold. They filled our huge church with their music and singing. From solos to small groups to the full volume of the entire school it was great.
I wasn’t in the church but watched it all on line. The tears were streaming down my face as I observed it from the comfort of my own home. Noooo, I wasn’t crying, I had the flu. The streaming kind which kept me indoors for several days. Something that does not bear well with me, because I must be up and doing. There is something about children singing. There is a sort of magic in it. An ingredient which belongs to them alone. And those who care for them be it at home or at school and train them and give them the courage to stand up on the alter of our church and put on an hour of heavenly entertainment, can justly take a bow. It’s different seeing the church when Mass is not on. When not intent on prayer. It gives you an opportunity to look around. Take in other sights instead of concentrating on the priest and the Mass. Lucky for us we have this grand edifice which has a lot to offer if we give ourselves the time to look. Observing what I could see on the streaming system, I was struck by the beauty of it all but at the same time telling myself, that it wasn’t always like this. In my young days the building was quiet plain. Painted walls and so on, but with the passage of time it was beautifully enhanced decorating the entire alter section with mosaic. The alter rail ran unbroken from side to side, except for the brass gate in the centre to allow the priest to go through. Seating stretched without a break from the alter to the entrance doors and people going to Holy Communion went all the way to the alter rails to receive. There was a door at the right hand side of the alter where the Presentation nuns came to the small hatch to get Holy Communion, in strict privacy according to the rule of their Order. The room on the opposite side of the alter which is called the crying room these days and where parents can still take a child who is too young to remain quiet during mass. That room was used in the past as a morgue, where coffins with deceased people were kept where people came to sympathise and pay their respects. The beautiful free standing alter that we have today wasn’t there back then and the celebrant said mass on the high alter with his back to the congregation. The pulpit was down almost half way ,and the priest came down and preached his sermons from there. Needless to say there was no intercom so he had to give full volume to his vocals if he wanted to be heard and people would cock an ear to hear him. I can see it all so plain now. The church full to the doors for both masses on a Sunday. People not as well dressed as today. They had a winter coat and a summer outfit. The women had to have their heads covered. The same hat until it wore out. Hairdressers and beauticians didn’t exist. Few men went to the Barber because the women cut their hair or very often a neighbour. With the type of footwear that they had corns were a common problem. Hobnail boots were strong and unforgiving and pairing the corns was a regular occurrence. Again there was someone in every district who was good at it. There was no padding on the kneelers in our church back then but people were not used to much comfort and they never complained.
When last did we do a round of our church to admire it’s beautiful stain glass windows. Some even of Harry Clarke fame and we were deeply honoured a few years ago when a section of one was used by An Post for their National postage stamp. Most of them were donated by the wealthy people of Millstreet and their names are there to see, if you look. I knew most of those people and I can remember when some of those windows were put in. The ones down at the back at the end on either side. Our Lady and Blessed Oliver Plunket. We viewed the progress every morning as we dropped in to say a prayer before going into class. How I often begged Our Lady to save me from the rigours of what awaited me. I think she wasn’t always listening but I persevered and I’m still here. Across the way Blessed Oliver Plunket is looking down. There was a lot of talk about him that time, not sure if he had led a very Holy Life and was considered a saint in the making. We were always being told about the very good people and what they did to make it to Heaven, hinting I suppose that we would follow suit. One cannot but say well done to those well off people in the past who financed the beautifying of our church in otherwise bad times. I’m led to believe that the great front door was made of wood which was salvaged from a beautiful ship and installed in 1933,the year I was born. The magnificent terrazzo floor was also put down during my early school days. It was done by a Dutch/Italian man by the name of Squezzoni. His daughter Bernadette was in class with us. He went on to do more jobs in the town among them the entrance hall to the cinema. Terazza was considered the very latest thing in flooring at the time and it was made to last.
Funny how an hour of looking at the carol services should jog my memory of things past just by looking at our church while there was no mass on. Perhaps there are many other features around us that we should look at from a different angle.
The story of Christmas will re-enacted in schools all over the country this week as little children will be put through their paces to tell the greatest story ever told. Bits and pieces of old cast-offs will be turned into regal attire fit for Kings and shepherds and Holy Mary & St. Joseph as the little ones rehearse and rehearse their part just to make sure that they get it right on the night. Parents & Grandparents ,brothers and sisters wouldn’t miss it for the world to see their little angels perform on stage. But very often things don’t go according to plan and it’s the things that go wrong that are the funniest of all. Everybody has a story to tell on that subject and at the end of the day it’s all in the Spirit of Christmas which is love and peace among all.
In the next few days buy local. Give our own town a real boost this Christmas. Signed Mass Cards and Christmas cards can be got at the Parish office or from Fr. Paddy, West End. All of our stores and Businesses do vouchers. The Community Council Calendar for 2024 is selling in the shops proceeds will go to the Cinema Project. Well done to the Council members who held their church Gate collection at the weekend which raised €1,363.00. Many thanks to all those who supported it.
Here are the results of this week’s lotto draw which was held on Sunday night, Numbers drawn were 5,7,14,31 and the Jackpot was not won. €100 went to Eileen Murphy Shanaknuck. The seller was Centra West End and they got €50 sellers prize, €50 went to Noreen & Emma c/o Mary O’Connor. €20 each to Hannah, Eileen, Denis,& Conor, Hugh c/o O’Regan’s. Mary Buckley, c/o Colemans, Oisin McCarthy, c/o Paula Healy, Catherine and Martin c/o The Clara Inn. Elaine Crowley, c/o Angela Kelleher, Noreen Kelleher, Drishane Road, Una Murphy, Drishane Rd, Christy Dunne c/o Bush Bar. Next Draw January 14,2024. Jackpot €15,000, the Draw committee want to extend a very Happy Christmas to all the supporters.
Confessions in our Church this evening ,with visiting priests in the church from 7. Eucharistic Adoration today from 10.30 am to 7.30pm. Please support it well.
Our hearts go out to those who may be sick or in Hospital or may be lonely or sad. Please do all you can to bring some Christmas ‘Joy to the World ‘ as we wait to ‘Receive our King’. A little of your time or even a friendly smile can do a lot.
When does the priest have his Christmas Dinner. Please spare a thought for our beloved Padres as they approach the Birth of Christ with multiple Masses and minimum help after which they seem to fade into the background to dine wherever ? I don’t know where. At mass last Sunday Fr. Billy mentioned that those using the streaming system may be asked to contribute to it’s cost and if we can help to sustain the coffers of God’s House, I know that we will not be found wanting. The annual collection in aid of the Church Restoration fund will be held as usual at our Christmas night Mass.
PS.
At seven o’clock last evening (Monday) the children of the Presentation Convent School assembled on the Alter steps of our Church and for the next 45 minutes they put on a Christmas Show second to none. Their Santa hats and bright red folders added lustre to the seasonal scene. Again I watched it from the comfort of my own home and I had to be impressed at the way that 260 youngsters were so highly schooled to take various parts, be it in song or story or playing an instrument. At times the house lights were dimmed and each child held a little light as they sang old reliables such as Silent Night, my favourite. There were changes made some coming off, others going on and it all went smooth as glass. Consider this at almost 8 o’clock on a dark dull Monday evening when it was past bedtime for some but these little stars kept going to the grand finale as they wished us all a Happy Christmas in song. When the show was over the place resembled a bee-hive as parents came up from the seats each to find/claim their own. Their message for us was to have a very Happy and peaceful Christmas and I can’t do better than to pass the message of 265 little children on to you.
Tóg bug é (Take is easy )and the Good Lord will look after us all. Back in 2024.
