Liking this!

Liking this!

It’s among my favourite Carols and I came across this version yesterday. Thought I’d share.

LIKING THIS TOO!

On Tuesday December 15th, there were two performances by schools of the parish.  The children of St Teresa’s N.S. Kilkelly brought us to St Celsus’ Church and guided all there through a lovely and musical telling of the Christmas Story.  A lovely moment, among many, was the journey of the Little Drummer Boy (and so he was) to join Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the borrowed shed.  Couldn’t but be proud of them all.  A few video clips and images from the gathering and of a beautifully decorated Kilkelly (Crib included). Well done to all involved.

 

The Church gathering concluded with a candlelight performance. Thought it worth a video recording.  Think it was the right call! Enjoy.

 

There was another performance by the pupils of Tavrane N.S. in Kilmovee Community Centre.  A great variety of talent on show and some very amusing moments.  Well done to all involved there too.  Sadly, phone battery had ran low so no video footage and only one photo!  That said, many parents were recording so the fine performances of the evening will long live into the future.  Rightly so too! It’s a pity you cannot “hear” this photo.  Five musicians all.

Proud of you!

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A moment among many ….

A moment among many ….

This was a busy week in our parish.  Cemetery Masses, Kilkelly Festival, Concert and the Urlaur Pattern.  It was heart-warming to see so many people gather to remember, pray, shed a tear as well as to laugh, dance a step, whistle a tune or sing a song.  A very balanced mix of emotions and a fine display of   talent.  We can be proud of our week in the parish.

One of the moments that stays very much with me this day, is the “Naming of Religious” from the parish that was a central part of our Pattern Mass this year.  The Mass, celebrated in St Joseph’s Church, saw the church filled to capacity.  The “calling by name” took place after the homily and before the presentation of the gifts of bread and wine. Four people from our community, took their turn to read from a prepared list that bore the name of 108 men and women from the parish who said “Yes” to the Lord’s call to serve Him and His Church as a priest, brother or sister.  Perhaps some found another path later in life but the call, nonetheless was heard and responded to in Faith, Hope and Love.  There were names missed too, of course, but there was a space for them in the sacred silence of St Joseph’s and it’s not too late to add any omitted names to a future list.  For the moment, the Pattern Moment, we allowed those names be heard.  As each list concluded, we sounded a bell, the great call to prayer, and after a little space for silence, said together words adapted from the Ceremony of Ordination; “May God, who begun the good work in them, bring it to fulfilment”.

It was, in truth, a very moving ceremony and locating it in the Eucharistic gathering of the Urlaur Pattern seemed so fitting.  The Dominicans, who came as strangers to the lakeshore at Urlaur and built stone on stone to create “God’s House” must have rejoiced to hear this moment too.  From a historic place of Faith to the newest Church in our diocese, the journey continues.

It’s remarkable to think we know of at least 108 men and women from our parish who, in living memory, found in their Souls, the willingness to say “yes” to God’s call.  They served His Church in a variety of ministries at home and abroad.  They truly made a difference.

That call remains a true need of our day too.  How can we allow it be heard more clearly?

Urlaur Church – An encouraging story of faith

Urlaur Church – An encouraging story of faith

Come in, rest a while .....

This is the Sanctuary in St Joseph’s Church, Urlaur (Parish of Kilmovee).  St Joseph’s is the newest church in Achonry Diocese – blessed and opened, by Bishop James Fergus, in 1969.  There’s a great story to go with this church so might share a bit of it here …

In the early 1960’s there was no church in Urlaur.  There had been an Abbey that ceased being used in the late 1800’s.  People from Urlaur went to Mass in nearby Kilmovee, Glann, Kilkelly and some (I’m told) even went to the neighbouring parish of Tooreen!!  There was a priest in the parish at the time who didn’t altogether like the idea of people leaving the parish for Mass so he started to celebrate Mass in the local primary school.  He also, in fairness, was deeply aware of the role of the Abbey in Urlaur and felt the Faith of the people would be enriched through the presence of a church in the locality. This idea caught on and, from it, people looked at the possibility of building a new church for the Urlaur area of our parish.  This was a massive undertaking since the population was relatively small but the project commenced.

Locals got behind it with full enthusiasm and many fundraising ideas were put to work.  These included door to door collections locally and in neigbouring towns.  People worked very hard to make the dream of a church come through.

Move the story about three thousand miles.  Many years earlier a young fifteen year old girl left Urlaur and went to the United States.  Later she entered an order of enclosed Sisters in New Jersey.  She received word from home that a new church was going to be built.  She was happy about this and decided to share the news with, wait for it the “New York Times”.  Her letter wound its way to the desk of Nat Goldstein.  As the name suggests he was not a native of East Mayo!!  He was a Jew but was nonetheless impressed by the letter received and asked two journalists to go and visit the sister.

They reported back to him the outcome of their visit and said it was quite an experience.  They spoke through a little meshed opening to Sister Mary of The Blessed Trinity (formerly Margaret Cafferkey from Aughadeffin) who shared with them her lifelong dream that there be a church in which her neighbours and family could pray.  Towards the end of the interview, Sister Mary told the reporters she had been quite nervous about meeting them since she had been fifty-five years in the convent and they were her first visitors in fifty years!!

Goldstein impressed by the report and still conscious of Margaret’s letter and, in particular, one line which said her people wanted to build a “place of worship” took up the cause.  Shortly afterwards, at a function marking his forty years service to the New York Times, he was prsented with $1000 and sent half of it to Sr Mary for the work on St Joseph’s.

He didn’t stop at that.  He wrote to friends and presumably used the New York Times asking people to send him $5.00 to “help make and Irish Fairytale come true”! As a result more than $10,000.00 was collected (this was about £6000 of the £16,000.00 it took to build the church).  All from one letter from a sister in an enclosed order.  (Ironically some feel that enclosed orders don’t influence life beyond their walls ……. )

Goldstein later said that he liked the line about the “place of worship” and felt the world would be a better place if it had more “places of worship”.  He said her letter was “full of faith and deserved more than a little notice”. He together with his wife attended the opening of Urlaur Church on Ascension Thursday, May 15th 1969.  So also, the Commissioner of the New York Police Department (Howard Leary), his wife and two other visitors from New York – Irving Taubkin of the New York Times and his wife).  The “place of worship” in a small part of East Mayo captured the imaginations of many.

Today that church is open.  Its invitation to worship is as real and intense as it was on that Ascension Day in 1969.  Its call is as sure.  Chances are there’s a church open near enough to wherever you are right now … a quick visit might be no bad thing ….

Lent 2013 continued thoughts

  • No day missed yet!!  March 2nd ….
  • On the eve of resignation – a thought around Pope Benedict and his successor .. (Feb 27th)
  • Check out the latest few thoughts for the day(s) Lent 2013
  • Daisies, promises and being a good example …..  (February 23rd)
  • Meeting place! (February 22nd)
  • The need for “personal relationship” with Jesus (February 21st)
  • The individual in the crowd – a call to believe in it being personal (February 20th)
  • Lord, teach us to pray …. A thought on prayer (Feb 19th)
  • A thought on choices …. (Feb 18th)
  • Something about Eucharistic Adoration
  • A thought on Lighthouses for Saturday February 16th ….
  • Check out the daily reflections on LENT 2013 (see tab above) or go to today’s post on “Places of Worship” and the world being a better place because of them ….
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