By Marian Harnett

DEATH:  We offer our sympathy to the family of the late Kathleen Healy, The Hill whose funeral took place on Monday. May she rest in peace.ABBEYFEALE’S NIGHT AT THE OSKARS:  There was glamour, there was glitz, red carpet and champagne at the Devon Inn last Friday night in a grand culmination to a coming together of a community determined to raise funds to keep St. Itas Sheltered Housing and Day Care Centre at the heart of Abbeyfeale.  A wonderful night was had by all and if you missed out there will be a DVD on sale shortly that will tell the story of what can be achieved when people of all ages have the passion to help and assist the elderly to remain in their local environment.

ALL SOULS DAY: Parishioners will find purgatorial lists in their weekly box of envelopes. These lists should be brought to the church next weekend so that all names can be included in all Masses on All Souls Day.  Mass will be offered on Wednesday, November 2 at 10.00am and at 7.00pm.  During the year each priest in the diocese is obliged to offer 15 Masses for the Holy Souls, all those listed on the purgatorial list.

BRIDGE CLUB:  Abbeyfeale Bridge Club meet at St. Ita’s Day Care Centre every Thursday from 7.30pm.  New members welcome.

CARA:  Cara are all about the Creative Arts Raising Abbeyfeale – a dedicated group set up to promote and showcase Abbeyfeale through the arts.  The idea is to use the arts to lift the profile of Abbeyfeale on a local, regional and national level.  The calendar “Abbeyfeale – The Bare Essentials” is their first project. The official launch of the 28 page glossy calendar which showcases Abbeyfeale in a way you’ve never seen before takes place on Saturday, October 29 in Fr. Casey’s GAA Club House with doors open at 7.30pm.    This is an over 18 event.  Sales will not only benefit the Irish Cancer Society but will enable CARA “to create a dedicated fund for future artworks and creative projects in the Abbeyfeale streetscape”.

GLÓRACH NOTES:  First up, congratulations from the Glórach to all of those involved in the Abbeyfeale Oskars night at the Devon Inn on Friday, it was a fantastic night of entertainment and a magnificent embodiment of  the tremendous community spirit of this town and parish.  Lots of excellent acting talent on display in the films on the night, and hopefully some of those involved may have caught the bug and take to treading the boards with local drama groups.  Until then, we’ve two very interesting one-act plays coming up this weekend at the Glórach.  Limerick based collective Tiger’s Eye Theatre Company present ‘It’s always the quiet ones’, a drama mixing black humour, intrigue and questions of morality, and got very positive reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  Our near neighbours in Knocknagoshel take up the baton in the second half of the show, with the Spike Players presenting ‘Purple Mountain Heather’, a humorous and at times, poignant story of an old woman’s life spent in the Black Valley.  Don’t miss a chance to support new writing, the plays take place on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th October, with curtains up at 8 pm.  Tickets can be booked at www.glorachabbeyfeale.com or by calling 0871383940.  Look forward to seeing you there.

FAMILY CINEMA NIGHT:  Duagh Sports Complex on Saturday, October 29 at 7pm – a family cinema night with popcorn and prizes for the best dressed.  Admission €5.

MEN ON THE MOVE:  This a six week programme open to men who want to get back into physical  activity in a fun, social, group environment.  It focuses on improving functional fitness through strength, aerobic, flexibility and mobility and will run from Thursday (7-8pm), October 27 until Tuesday (7.30 -8.30pm), December 6 inclusive at Abbeyfeale GAA Sports Complex.  The six week programme costs a total of €10 per person.

EUCHARISTIC  ADORATION: Currently Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every Friday in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel from after the 10.00am Mass until 7.00pm. We are grateful to all those who give of their time to this devotion. The Parish Adoration Committee are now establishing a second day of Adoration in the parish beginning on All Souls Day Wednesday, November 2. If you are willing to give some of your time to this devotion we ask you to sign the schedule which is located on a table at the rear of the sanctuary area. Adoration can only take place if there are enough people (at least 4) in the Blessed Sacrament.

CHRISTMAS MARKET: Ballydonoghue Bardic Festival Christmas Market on Saturday, December 3rd at Tomáisín’s Function Room, Lisselton. To reserve a space for the Market, please call or text 086 845 1263.

FREE musical, dance and poetry performance at the Desmond Castle in Newcastle West on Sunday evenings in October at 6pm.

GOOD NEWS FOR LIMERICK:  Plans are in train by biopharmaceutical company Eli Lilly to create over 300 new jobs and spend €400m in a major manufacturing facility at Raheen, Limerick.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: The dates for Confirmation and First Communion were announced this week.  Confirmation will be celebrated by Bishop Leahy on Friday 10th March and First Communion will be celebrated on the 13th and 20th of May.

COMMUNITY ALERT: Keep Sunday, November 27 free for our annual Christmas Party in Fr. Casey’s Club House with dancing after lunch to Paddy Qulligan. Tickets are just gone to the printer and will cost €25. There will be goodie bags for everyone in the audience and talks from the local Fire Station Officer and our new Community Garda Tommy Commane.

CHURCH GATE COLLECTION:  Graveyard Church gate Collection will take place on the weekend of November 5/6.   Your support is  greatly appreciated.

CHURCH NEWS:  Abbeyfeale is part of the parish pastoral unit  that consists of Athea, Templeglantine, Tournafulla and Mountcollins.  Contact numbers are as follows:
Fr Willie Russell Tel 087/2272825.  Fr Tony Mullins  Tel 087/2600414 Fr Denis Mullane Tel 087/2621911. Fr Dan Lane Retired  Tel 087/2533030.  There is always a priest from one of the other pastoral areas on emergency call on Sundays and his name and number is published on the parish website and also on the weekly newsletter.