St. Brigid’s Day
Volunteers in Athea Church who are helping with the presentation of the story of St. Brigid at 11am Mass next Sunday. Missing from photo Siobhan Barrett
(Somebody had to take the photo!!)
A workshop on the making of St. Brigid’s Crosses will be held at the Church on Jan. 31st at 7.30pm. Materials will be provided and everyone is welcome to be guided by the experts who will be there to assist. Tea and coffee will also be served.
On Sunday morning, during Mass, local children will act out a short re-enactment of the life of St. Brigid.
Sincere thanks to all the volunteers who made it possible to remember and commemorate this special Saint.
Céad Míle Failte roimh gach éine
The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
At last we get the true figures for the top earners in RTE and it shows how out of touch they are with what is fair or equitable. In any other organisation would some employees be paid more than the DG.? I doubt it but the argument can be made that they are not really employees but contractors who have agents to fight their cases. That they were paid such outlandish figures is bad enough but the fact that they tried to cover it up and basically lied to everybody, including representatives of the government who own the station on our behalf, is unforgivable. I am all in favour of people getting a good salary but you’d have to ask yourself, what did the high earners actually do to merit such sums? They are treated as celebrities just because they are handy with the gab and can put a programme together. I have a huge problem with “celebrities” anyway. Look how we treat professional footballers. Fans ape their hairstyles and what they wear and they are regularly portrayed in newspapers and glossy magazines and why? Because they are able to kick a ball about better than others. Likewise we have the adoration of singers and actors at the top of their professions. Being able to sing is a God-given talent, you either have it or you don’t, but it does not mean that we have to hang on every word singers say on the many chat shows they grace with their presence. At the moment everybody is talking about the Oscar nominations and the Irish hopefuls. At the end of the day, who cares? Actors get well paid because they are good at imitating others, it’s as simple as that. When was the last time we saw a brain surgeon on a chat show. Now, they are the real “celebrities” who have life-saving skills beyond any entertainer but, if you asked the average person, I doubt if they could name one. The same goes for many others in the medical profession who keep us alive day after day but we don’t rate them at all it seems. There is no comparison between what they do and what the high earners in RTE do or indeed how much they get paid. RTE is a great radio station with fantastic workers, many behind the scenes, who provide us with a variety of programming. They are the ones who will suffer in the long run if changes are not made. I suggest four steps at least. First, get rid of the agents and contracts and make everyone an employee on good but realistic wages. Second, get rid of anybody who had a hand in trying to hoodwink us all about the squandering of money. Third, replace the board of RTE who should have been on top of this controversy from the beginning and fourth, introduce a license fee that is collectable by revenue to cover, not just TV sets but all types of devises that can capture programmes. If everyone paid a share it could be much less that what it costs at the present time. Many people stopped renewing their licence when the truth about Ryan Tubridy’s wages broke but that was not the right thing to do. If we don’t fund the station it is the ordinary workers who will suffer, not the high earners who are protected by their contracts. There is also the fact that it is the law of the land and I’m sure that we will see a lot of people prosecuted in the near future. Let us hope that decisive action is taken and we can draw a line under the whole debacle.
Next weekend is our new bank holiday celebrating St. Brigid. Saint Brigid of Kildare, one of Ireland’s patron saints, is a prominent figure in Irish religious history and folklore. Known as the ‘Mary of the Gael,’ her legacy is marked by her dedication to the Christian faith, her founding of several monastic communities, and her legendary miracles Born in the mid-5th century, Brigid was the daughter of a pagan chieftain and a Christian slave. Despite her father’s status, Brigid’s early years were marked by hardship. She was known for her piety from a young age, and after converting to Christianity, she dedicated her life to serving God and the poor. There are many stories and legends about our patron saint but much of it can be taken with a pinch of salt. This is due to the oral passing from generation to generation (no Whatsapp in those days) where some story tellers were liable to embellish the narrative for good effect. What is true is that she was a great Saint who was revered by the people. Many forms of her name are common throughout the country. My own grandmother was called Bridge, i have an aunt and a sister called Breda and a daughter called Bríd. The name was second only to Mary in popularity and there was hardly a family in the country at one time who didn’t have one or two children named after them. It is good to see that there is going to be celebrations in the Church this weekend to commemorate St. Brigid
There were a number of miracles attributed to her as well. These are just a few
The Miracle of the Cloak
One of the most famous miracles attributed to Saint Brigid is the spreading of her cloak over a large area of land. According to the legend, when Brigid asked the King of Leinster for land to build her monastery, he mockingly suggested she could have as much land as her cloak could cover. Miraculously, her cloak expanded to cover a vast tract of land, enough to establish her monastery.
The Healing Miracles
Saint Brigid is also known for performing miraculous healings. Stories speak of her curing the blind, healing lepers, and even bringing the dead back to life. These miracles often highlight her compassion for the sick and needy.
The Miracle of the Ale
In another miracle, Brigid is said to have turned water into beer for a visiting clergyman and his companions. This story reflects both her hospitality and her divine abilities.
Kathleen is looking for your votes
Church Notices
Ide Naofe Pastoral Area (Athea, Abbey Feale, Mountcollins, Templeglantine and Tournafulla).
Canon Tony Mullins 087 2600414, Fr. Willie Russell 087 2272825, Fr. Denis Mullane 087 2621911 and Fr Dan Lane 087 2533030 (retired).
Weekday masses this week Tuesday & Thursday morning 9.30am and Friday evening 7pm.
Mass Intentions: Sunday Feb 4th Patrick Enright, Hannah Enright & Nora Dillane. Doris Horgan. Nora Quinn & John Aherne. Pakie Higgins.
All masses are streamed live on https://www.churchservices.tv/athea
Eucharistic Adoration and The Devine Mercy Chaplet on Tuesday morning after mass.
Baptisms are on the fourth Sunday of the month, contact Siobhan for further details.
Parish Administration: Tues-Fri 11am-1pm. call Siobhan on 087-3331459, outside these hours text or email [email protected]
St Brigid’s Day: Two special events to mark the Feast of St Brigid have been organised. On Wednesday Jan 31st (Eve of St Brigid ) there will be a St Brigid’s Cross making Workshop in the Church at 7.30pm. Materials will be provided. On Sunday 4th of February, the life of St Brigid will be told in mime and song during the 11.00am Sunday Mass. St Brigid’s Crosses will be blessed during the Mass. Mass on St. Brigid’s Day Thursday Feb 1st at 9.30am
Candlemas Day: Friday 2nd February – Mass at 7pm. Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, a day of special prayer for all in Consecrated Life. On this day known also as ‘Candlemas Day,’ we bless candles for use in the Church and at home. We welcome candles for use in the Church. Candles will be blessed at Mass on that day.
Feast of St Blaze: Saturday 3rd of February – Priests will be available in Abbeyfeale Church from 12 noon to 12.30pm on Saturday 3rd to give the traditional Blessing of Throats. All are welcome. Blessing of the Throats will take place in Athea after mass on Sunday February 4th.
FREE TALK BY SEAN RONAYNE – BOOK NOW!
Fresh from his recent appearance on the Tommy Tiernan show, Sean Ronayne, who is an Ornithologist (a person who studies, or is an expert in birds) will visit Athea to deliver a multimedia presentation on Wednesday March 6th at Con Colbert Memorial Hall at 7pm, in collaboration with Limerick City & County Council. Sean will be discussing all things birds, whilst also playing sounds he has recorded over the years. Sean will be paying particular attention to the Hen Harrier – of which there are many residing in Athea. Mark the date in the diary, it promises to be a very insightful and engaging evening!