By Kathleen Mullane

Sincere congrats are extended to Tony (Doc) Dalton, Templeathea, who was recently married to Sineád McGoldrick in Edinburgh, close family attended the wedding ceremony and their honeymoon was spent in Edinburgh. A post wedding celebration was held last weekend in Strandhill in Sligo where their many relatives and friends went to congratulate and celebrate with them. The couple return to reside in Toronto, they are wished all the best.

Those who took up the church gate collection last weekend for West Limerick Radio thank sincerely all who gave so generously.

Well I’m writing these few lines “a week in advance” as we are off to Lourdes this week. A total of 15 are travelling from Athea along with Fr. Duggan and the 3 youth volunteers are going a day ahead of us and will return a day after us having completed their ‘helping hands’ week. A special mass was celebrated on Tuesday night last here in Athea for the success of the pilgrimage. While there a candle will be lit for all our Athea parishioners and their intentions. And I will have more news on the pilgrimage etc in next week’s newsletter.

Anyone wishing to spend a week’s holiday in the St. Vincent de Paul holiday home in Ballybunion in early July is asked to contact any member of the Athea St. Vincent de Paul society as soon as possible to book a place.

Well I’ll just finish by including the following ‘meaningful lines’ as no more news to add before I leave for Lourdes.

“If the mountain seems too big today

Then climb a hill instead.

If the morning brings you sadness

It’s okay to stay in bed.

If the day ahead weighs heavy

And your plans feel like a curse

There’s no shame in re-arranging

Don’t make yourself feel worse.

If a shower stings like needles

And a bath feels like you’ll drown

If you haven’t washed your hair for days

Don’t throw away your crown

A day is not a lifetime

A rest is not defeat

Don’t think of it as failure

Just a quiet kind retreat

It’s okay to take a moment

From an anxious fractured mind

The world will not stop turning

While you get re-aligned

The mountain will still be there

When you want to try again

So climb it in your own time

 – and love yourself ‘til then”

Can you believe we have passed the ‘longest day of the year’ June 21st and no sign of hot summer weather yet. Hopefully we will find some heat in our bones.