Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a cáirde and welcome to my report.
The kiss of the sun for pardon, the songs of the birds for mirth, one is nearer to God in the garden than any place else on Earth. (Forgive me if I borrow a few words from William Wordsworth) And I shall have some peace there for peace comes dropping slow.
The weather forecast this week is enough to put anybody in a poetic mood. Warm and sunny all the way. The beautiful sunshine on Monday is a good start and we’ll take it from there, one day at a time. Our March Fair got ideal weather on Sunday but sadly the crowds didn’t come. But the usual stalwarts never fail. Honor with her real bargains in gold pieces, the man with the multi-coloured rugs and matts and the man from Kerry with his fine display of shrubs and trees. Horses being confined to the Fairfield were away from the naked eye and they would have been my favourite . Up to lately you’d see some chickens and pups for sale in boxes at the corner but not any more. If you were to have a mere six hens/fowl nowadays you should have to herd number. In Nebraska hens/fowl are big business. Not for big numbers like here, but for show. The shows are for children. It’s hard to imagine the interest and the excitement it creates. It’s up to the youngster to look after their own birds and breeding the best is very competitive. There are catalogues of the best prize winners and they spend big money in owning a good one. I often wondered, if it could happen here.
With March Fair Day gone, St. Patrick’s Day is not far behind. With our fine vibrant Community Council at the helm it promises be the best parade yet. Their attention to detail and their youthful ways are a joy to see. A joy for the members of the previous Community Councils to see this important voluntary body in our town being continued it such an enthusiastic way. Please give them your full support in the run-up to the feast day of our patron St. Patrick, and be there on March 17th to enjoy it all.
Our road sides are very badly littered at the moment. The heavy rains and the gale force winds blew away much of the debris but the plastics and bottles and cans remain. It was never easier to dispose of our rubbish, the authorities are doing all in their power to help. Please work with them and refrain from littering our roads or anywhere for that matter .
Still with progress, this time with a difference. On our Mass leaflet at the weekend we are asked for our help in moving our parish Forward in Hope. There will be workshops to discuss how parishes will work in a future with fewer priests. For older people this is a strange and almost unbelievable time. We were born into a world where our religion the Roman Catholic religion was the guiding light of our lives. Everything else came second to it. We were afraid to question anything connected to it or anyone connected with it. Our conscience was so that if we strayed in the least detail from what we were taught we might go to hell and we’d have to tell it in confession. Things have changed a lot since but we still yield to many of the rules which stood over us back then. Modern thinking may have eased and we know they make sense, but at times we oldies are not prepared to take chances.
Because I’m interested, I like to ask the young people in my family about religion in schools today. Religion is a subject at all levels at school and when I ask what are they being taught they say that they study all religions and it’s up to the individual to choose the one suited to them. We were compelled to be Catholics and I suppose that made it easy in a way because we didn’t have to make a choice, neither did our parents and teachers. For the past number of weeks we have the little ones who are going for their First Holy Communion and their parents at Mass and I can’t but be mindful of the world of religion that they are entering, so different from ours. Will the teachers and parents have a say in which religion these youngsters will take and will they have part in it like ours. The older generation are likely to stay as they always were and on the whole will never change. We are all aiming to go to the same God and as I see it the way seems clear now for each one to pave their own way to the Golden Gates.
Please give your full support to the talks and meetings on Moving Forward in Hope, which will be held in these important times.
A note from Carriganima. Holy Face Prayers followed by Mass, veneration of the Relic and Blessing of Holy Oils will be held in Carriganima church this evening, Tuesday March 4th From 8pm. Please support it well.
Many people are down with flu at the moment. It’s never a nice thing and can strike at any time but the months following Christmas always seems to be the time most at risk. Years ago whole families would be struck down at the same time. Schools would close and the Spring work with cows calving etc. in progress it was very difficult to cope. It’s a different kind of pressure these days with both parents working and children to be cared for. I hope the bug will clear away very soon.
Here are the results of this weeks lotto draw which was held on Sunday night. Numbers drawn were 7,10,17,28 and the Jackpot was not won. €100 went to Bridget Dineen c/o Capabu. Capabu got €50 sellers prize. €50 went to Kevin Hickey c/o Kevin Hickey. €20 each went to Paula Healy, c/o P. Healy, Catherine Cleary c/o the Bush Bar, Codi Austin c/o Corkery’s, Danny & Buddy, Noreen O’Mahony c/o Jerry O’Mahony, Joan & Rosie c/o The Bridge Bar Danny Lane, c/o Sheila Lane, Mary Mahony, Park View. c/o Jerry O’Mahony. Next Draw March 9th. Jackpot E9,000.
Today is Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day. A day when we look forward to feasting on juicy morsels all soaked in lemon juice and sugar or honey or syrup. Some like them as a savoury dish with eggs and rashers and whatever. But mine will always be with the honey and lemon. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and Holy Ashes will available at 10 am Mass.
Mass in Cullen on Ash Wednesday at 7.30pm. Blessed ashes will be distributed at this Mass.
Eucharistic Adoration Tuesday from 10.30am to 7.30pm Legion of Mary meeting Tuesday night at 7.30.
Weigh In Continued in Cullen this week, 23 attended and 20lbs weight were lost. Next week will be the grand final of this wonderful fundraiser in aid of the Cullen and District Special Needs.
Please look up our website for details of all that happens in our area.
Singing with Marie resumes on Thursday night from 7.30.
Sinn a bfuil a Cairde Slan is beannacht.
