Paddy and Kathleen Mullane on their wedding day 50 years ago

Congratulations to Paddy and Kathleen Mullane who are celebrating 50 years of marriage this year. Kathleen has been a columnist for this newsletter since it started and was also the correspondent for Athea Notes in the local papers.

Articles

Tom Aherne from Carrigkerry has very kindly sent us in some of his wonderful writings and stories to be printed in the Newsletter. Normally these would be used for the Parish Journal, which sadly will not be on the shelves this year.

As from next week we will begin to publish these in the Newsletter and we thank Tom sincerely for his contributions.

Graveyard Collection

This year has been one of the worst for each and every one of us. It has made life much harder and we cannot go about our daily life as usual. We will be unable to hold the Graveyard Collection as usual but we will distribute envelopes to everyone in the parish in the coming weeks.

More on this at a later date.

St. Bartholomew’s Church, Athea

Mass Intentions next weekend

Friday 27^th Nov 7.30pm                         Kit Flynn (1^st Anniversary)

Saturday 28^th Nov 7.30pm

Nora Fitzgerald (months mind). Nora McAuliffe.

Denny & Birdie Ahern.

Sunday 29^th Nov 11.00am

Tony Barrett, Fr Gerry Roche & Johnny Collins

All Masses are live streamed on the Church Service TV network via the following link https://www.churchservices.tv/athea and broadcast on the parish radio system. You may also listen to the mass in the church carpark area via the outside speaker system.

If anyone has a church radio that they are not using please get in touch with Siobhan as we have a few people currently looking for them.

The church is open daily from 9.30am – 1.30pm. November mass lists are available in the church and our Remembrance Tree is located inside the front door – we encourage you to come and light a candle during this special month and place the names of those you wish remember on our tree.

If you need to book an Anniversary mass, a wedding date, a baptism date or get a mass card signed please contact Siobhan on 087-2237858.

Boxed envelopes – Our current box of envelopes for the weekly offerings finishes this weekend, therefore we are hoping to distribute the new boxes over the coming weeks – if you can help with delivering them in your townland please get in touch with Siobhan.

Remembering and Praying for our deceased loved ones.

In current times, with restricted access to churches, we offer these suggestions of prayer as a way of remembering our dead during November.

Lighting a Candle for the Holy Souls.

In thanksgiving for the light and love we received in and through …………… we light this candle and pray a prayer that our ancestors prayed each time they lit a candle : A Shlánaitheoir, go dtuga tú soilse flaithiúnais dár n-anamacha is na anamacha atá imithe romhainn faoi chomartha an chreideamh’ .

Lord, show the light of Heaven to our souls and the souls of those who are gone before us marked with the sign of faith.

By Kathleen Mullane

The death occurred over the weekend of Ita Bradley formerly of Athea, who had been in the care of Arus Mhuire nursing home in Listowel. Her remains were at her daughter Geraldine’s home over the weekend in Templeathea for private family time due to Covid. Requiem mass was celebrated on Sunday by Canon Tony Mullins with beautiful music played by her two sons, along with Margaret Carroll’s lovely rendition of Our Lady Of Knock to whom Ita was very dedicated. Her granddaughter Sarah had made a special card in which she wrote that she hoped her nana would meet Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse in heaven which was very touching. Burial took place after mass to Holy Cross Cemetery. Sincere sympathy to her daughter Geraldine, sons Kieran and Colm and extended family, relations and many friends. ‘May she rest in peace’.

On Saturday, December 5th the annual Vincent De Paul Xmas Appeal collection will take place here in Athea. Due to Covid this year it cannot take place at the church. Therefore we will be holding it between 9am- 6pm near Collins’ Shop. We are especially asking this year for your generosity as always as many are in dire straights. Envelopes have been given out to households in the parish or you can use your own envelope and give it at our collection table or to a member of the Vincent De Paul. Otherwise any donation, no matter how small, would be welcome at the collection point. All money raised will go to deserving families. Every little helps a lot.

Isn’t it great to see the walking track. At the GAA pitch being used, early morning until late at night with lights on during darkness that come on automatically when one passes the clubhouse. No traffic, so safe and social distancing adhered to fully. Great for mind and body during Covid and all year around.

No doubt everyone will be glued to the Limerick game this weekend we wish them well, a few green flags wouldn’t go astray I suppose in and around the parish to bring a bit of excitement into the place. Everyone agrees that its great to have the games on so late for the All Ireland, it takes ones mind off Covid. We wish Mayo well also in their encounter and isn’t it a tonic to see the likes of Cavan and Tipp, underdogs,  making it through for a change. Here’s to SPORT.

By Peg Prendeville

We are into our last week of Level 5 – for the time being anyway – and wait to see the guidelines for Christmas. Hopefully families will be able to meet up, in a safe manner, and have some bit of Christmas cheer. No matter what happens Santa will be able to do his rounds so that is the most important thing. Just four weeks to go. We are all ready for Christmas in the Knockdown area with some houses lit up already!

In spite of the supposed Lockdown it has not reduced road traffic in the slightest as there are many cars on the roads. I have no idea where they are all going as it cannot be shopping.

Ballyhahill Parents Association will be holding the annual Christmas Raffle shortly and will be grateful for your support.

Ard Chúram Day Centre in Listowel had a competition recently to write a poem on the virus. This was my entry. It did not win but what harm!

The Corona

Oh Corona, you’re the devil

You’ve brought such hurt and fear

Since you floated sneakily into our lives

At the beginning of the year.

Yes, we thought we had you captured

When we went into lockdown

We thought we’d frighten you away

From county and from town.

But you went spreading with a vengeance

Like the thistles and the weeds

As soon as some are cleared away

Another comes with ease.

You show no love nor mercy

As you watch some people die

You laugh at people mourning

When they cannot say Goodbye.

You’ve struck terror into people’s hearts

And questioned our belief.

Who do we trust? What can we do?

When will we get reprieve?

But the Irish you’ll not conquer

We’re made of stern stuff

We’ve beaten enemies before

Now we say Enough’s Enough!

So we’ll wash our hands and wear our masks

And keep two metre distance

And soon we’ll wave goodbye to you

And blow you from existence.