NEWTOWNSANDES
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The ‘Secret Club’ No One Wants: Growing Up as a Child of Divorce
Let’s start somewhat near the beginning. My parents, who loved each other, were married in the spring of 1984. It was neither of their first marriage (indeed, it was my mom’s third). History repeated itself, and thus occurred the first major tragedy in my young life. My parents, who always loved me, who always told me they loved me, divorced when I was 3, less than 4 years after they’d tied the knot. I don’t have any memories of them being together, and I spent much of my adolescent life assuming their divorce didn’t affect me because I was so young. Turns out I was another passing victim of the vicious cultural norming of divorce and the wounds it causes, especially to children.
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A Statistical Error in the Estimation of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin D (2014)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles...
US, nearly 15 times too low- UK, 0ver 22 times too low
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtoxkK7MeKc
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PRAYER
We pray for all who are sitting exams these days, may the Lord be with each one of them, may he keep them calm and focused and may the Holy Spirit guide and help them.
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Prayer: Send down, O God, upon your people the flame of your Holy Spirit, and fill with the abundance of your sevenfold gift the Church you brought forth from your son’s pierced side. May your life-giving Spirit lend fire to our words and strength to our witness. Send us forth to the nations of the world to proclaim with boldness your wondrous work of raising Christ to your right hand. Amen
The Pope’s Intention for May: That everyone might have food: Let us pray that everyone, from large producers to small consumers, be committed to avoid wasting food and to ensure that everyone has access to quality food.
Pope Leo XIV on X: At a time when our world is afflicted by so many conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, Christians must, more than ever, strive for full unity so that we may bear witness together to the Prince of Peace. In doing so, we can be confident in the powerful intercession and example of the countless martyrs who have suffered for the name of Christ.
Thought for the Day: The four marks of our Christian belonging are our personal journey, our community belonging, our practical discipleship and our adult integration of faith and life. None of us “inhabits” all four dimensions fully, all of the time, and yet all four dimensions should in principle be there. The good news of Pentecost is that the Spirit, poured into our hearts, enables all four aspects of our faith to live: the Spirit helps us in our prayer; the body of Christ is animated by the gifts of the Spirit; our service of others gets its energy from the Spirit and the Spirit “reminds us” of all that Jesus taught. Today, we celebrate discipleship in the community of faith. Prayer: We open our hearts and lives to you, Holy Spirit: breathe a breath of new life into us all! Amen.
(Fr Kieran O’Mahony)
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Celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee
https://youtu.be/HDEGPy6yW70?si=X15O9emwgZEJuRZ-
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Currents News Special: The Funeral of Pope Francis
https://youtu.be/llMGZ8B50Nw?si=98oNkqxbj0zoqror
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Catholic Schools Week
https://www.dioceseofkerry.ie/catholic-schools-week/
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Welcome to Dispatch Energy! Energy politics have polarized significantly in recent years. The types of legislative reforms that were once negotiated in bipartisan energy policy bills or other omnibus packages have more recently been decided by hyperpartisan budget reconciliation legislation, like the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act and last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-sun-isnt-always-shining/id1548554104?i=1000633373832
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by Corbin Hannah April 17, 2026
I go out into the garden often. It is where I cultivate and tend hope.
There's a mulberry tree along the fence in the backyard. This tree, native to China, is invasive in North America. If cut down, it vigorously sends shoots out from the stump or roots. Removal requires one to dig out all the roots or paint herbicide on the fresh stump.
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My depression felt creatively expansive. Now I’ve overcome it, how do I keep the meaningful parts?
Darkness can present itself as truth, advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith writes. But love, joy and awe are far richer experiences
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What Is Depression?
Depression is more than just the occasional sadness which many people experience from time to time. It is an illness characterized by persistent sadness, fatigue, and hopelessness that restricts a person’s ability to carry out their normal daily activities. It can contribute to relationship problems, physical pain, and illness. The cause of depression may be biological, situational, or a combination of both.
In any given year about 7% of adults, 2.5% of children, 8.5% of adolescents, and 15% of senior citizens will suffer from an episode of depression.
https://waterloocatholics.org/catholics-with-depression
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Prayer Against Depression
(St. Ignatius Loyola)
O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love
and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You, we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.
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The Raven evangelist “has gone viral in Catholic circles by posting catchy songs centered on apologetics under an account called Peter’s Barque,” according to Laurence Rossi in the paper.
The Leaven story explains that West sought to provide concise, fun apologetics — but his short-form videos have garnered tens of thousands of followers on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Spotify in a matter of weeks.
“Immediately, I had people reacting to them very, very positively,” West told The Leaven.
The name Barque of Peter is taken from the tradition of calling the Church the ship (or “barque”) of Peter. West uses AI to generate graphics for the videos, but he writes the lyrics to his songs himself and arranges them digitally.
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Church
https://www.youtube.com/@peters-barque
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https://youtube.com/shorts/Tl0w0A7hX_o?si=SUsXtDSKpsRkK5_c
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https://youtube.com/shorts/QOW15cHImko?si=grclL173U6lSZyZi
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St. Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006, was a digital evangelist, using the burgeoning Internet to promote faith in the Eucharist and devotion to Jesus Christ.
What would he do if he were alive 20 years later?
He might be doing what Justin West is doing.
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ASTORIA — Helen McCann was left with three small children to raise on her own after her husband Edward died in 1941. The future seemed uncertain for the young widow, but there was one thing she was sure of — that her kids would get a Catholic education.
Queens Catholic Academy Gives Library a New Look
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https://youtu.be/LG3xGPFBGuM?si=JLHoXDspIfWZSiOE
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Google search
Ronnie Delany certainly visited Kerry many times over the course of his life.
While he was born in Wicklow and lived much of his life in Dublin, his roles as an Olympic legend, a businessman, and a public figure made him a frequent visitor to the Kingdom.
Notable Reasons for His Visits to Kerry:
Athletics & Club Visits: Delany was a huge supporter of grassroots athletics. He frequently visited clubs like Listowel AC, Tralee Harriers, and Gneeveguilla AC to give talks, present medals, or inspire young runners.
Business Connections: During his career with Aer Lingus and later B&I Line, he had professional reasons to travel to Kerry, particularly Killarney, which has always been a major hub for Irish tourism and conferences.
The "Irish Life and Lore" Connection: Interestingly, one of the most significant recordings of his life story was conducted by Maurice O'Keeffe for the Irish Life and Lore series, which is based in Tralee. While the interview itself was recorded in Dublin, his connection to this Kerry-based historical project kept his link to the county active in later years.
Charity & Advocacy: In his later years, Delany was an ambassador for "Age Friendly Ireland." He often traveled to regional launches for this initiative, including events in the southwest.
A Recent Note
As mentioned, Ronnie Delany sadly passed away very recently, on March 11, 2026, at the age of 91.
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Graves Knockanure
This report presents the results of an archaeological survey conducted at Knockanure Burial Ground,
Lissaniska, Co. Kerry (NGR: 106176/134365) (Figure 1). The work was undertaken on behalf of Kerry
County Council, in accordance with survey specifications provided by the client
https://www.kerrycoco.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Knockanure-Graveyard-Survey.pdf
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Lent;
“Where are you from?” is one of the first questions asked when meeting someone new. It may give a clue as to whether we have something in common or what interests of type of personality that person may have.
In today’s Gospel, the inhabitants of Jerusalem thought the Messiah would appear suddenly on the scene from some mysterious nowhere. And so, since they assumed they knew Jesus’ background, they figured he couldn’t be their Messiah. Jesus’ true origin was the Father, but his making that claim was seen as blasphemy and soon it became his death sentence.
As brothers and sisters of Christ, we, too, have a heavenly Father. And how we make that claim — reveal that truth to others — is by living our lives based on what Jesus has taught us.
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Prayer For Lent
Bless me heavenly Father
forgive my erring ways.
Grant me the strength to serve Thee
put purpose in my days.
Give me understanding
enough to make me kind.
So I may judge all people
with my heart and not my mind.
Teach me to be patient
in everything I do.
Content to trust your wisdom
and to follow after You.
Help me when I falter
and hear me when I pray
and receive me in Thy kingdom
to dwell with Thee someday.
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Thought for the Week: Come forth!
The best fertiliser stinks. It is out of that very stink that something amazing
grows. So, it is with us: it is the dead and decaying parts of our lives, the
rotting resentments, blistering wounds of old hurts, and festering fears that
are the points where we are most likely to be able to experience something
new. The only way that happens is to bring them into the light of the day,
unbind them, and set them free – just as Lazarus was unbound and set free
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JOURNEY WITH US THROUGH LENT
Each Week we will have a different theme as we try to deepen our
faith commitment . This week we focus on Family. The following
might be helpful for your own private prayer and reflection, as well as
a focus in our Masses for the time ahead.
5TH WEEK OF LENT: FAMILY
Mon: We pray for the gift of Family
Tues: We pray for our own role in the family
Wed: We pray for legislators that they protect the family
Thurs: We pray for healing of the broken families
Fri: We pray for families who are carrying the burden of illness
Sat: We pray for all emigrant families who have come among us
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REFLECTION
I believe in death.
I believe that it is part of life.
I believe we were born to die,
to die that we may live more fully;
born to die a little each day
to selfishness, to pretence, and to sin.
I believe that every time we pass
from one stage to another,
something in us dies and something new is born.
I believe we taste death in moments of loneliness,
rejection, sorrow, disappointment, and failure.
I believe that we are dying before our time
when we live in bitterness, in hatred, and in isolation.
I believe that each day we are creating our own death
by the way we live.
for those with faith, death is not extinguishing the light;
it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.
FINAL BLESSING
Lord God, through the resurrection of your Son, you have kindled in our hearts
the hope of eternal lives. Guard this hope with your grace, and bring it to fulfilment in
the kingdom of heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
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STORING energy offshore by means of hollow concrete spheres placed at the bottom of the sea is a very attractive solution to combine technical features of conventional pumped hydro storage systems with a huge resource potential around the globe in an economic way. However, the design, construction and installation of large concrete spheres as well as the required electro-mechanical equipment such as pump turbines and controls require R&D at system and component level as well as for the offshore logistics and grid integration.
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Science Ireland
https://www.sciencedirect.com/search?qs=ireland
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NURSING: The data available indicates a heavy reliance on migrant nurses due to a shortage of Irish-trained nurses relative to increased demand for nurses in the period (2003–2022). More than 50% of the Nurses registered in that period were migrant nurses (EU and Non-EU).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590229626000018
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We, the people of the Diocese of Kerry,
in communion with the universal Catholic Church,
trusting in a loving and merciful God
proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people
by living out, in community,
our baptismal calling to love, justice and peace
through witness, worship and service
We are a Roman Catholic Diocese in the South West of Ireland made up of 53 parishes and 144,000 Catholics.
Our vision is of a diocese:
where we encounter a loving and merciful God, whom we worship in community and as individuals;
where we respect the dignity and giftedness of each other;
where we safeguard and nurture children and young people;
where we experience belonging and welcome;
where we listen to and learn from others;
where we engage with the challenges of an ever-changing world;
where we deepen our commitment to justice, peace and the integrity of creation locally, within Ireland and in the wider world;
where we respect and engage with other groups, cultures and faiths;
where we are committed to witness to the Gospel locally, nationally and in the wider world;
where we live in a way that protects and nourishes our endangered earth;
where we have collaborative structures and practices;
where we communicate with openness and accountability.
https://www.dioceseofkerry.ie/our-diocese/
=========================
By: Matthew Wills- February 19, 2026
The icon indicates free access to the linked research on JSTOR.
The late seventeenth century saw one of the most significant droughts of the last 1,000 years in what is today the Midwestern Corn Belt. In response, the Illinois people moved out of the upper Illinois River Valley in the 1690s. They migrated south to reestablish in the American Bottom region where the Mississippi is joined by the Missouri and Ohio rivers.
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SNOW:
By MATTHEW BROWN
Updated 1:01 AM UTC, February 20, 2026
The recovery of skiers killed in the deadliest U.S. avalanche in almost 45 years is dragging out because of what experts say is a prime rule for rescuers: Don’t make yourself a victim.
A storm that continued lashing California’s remote Sierra Nevada wilderness Thursday meant more avalanches were possible in the backcountry area where authorities said eight people died and one was still missing two days after their group was caught in the deadly slide. Six people survived.
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Reflect
Today’s Gospel can be puzzling. Is Jesus disparaging his own family? Certainly not.
Jesus is extending his family circle beyond ties of birth and blood; whoever does God’s will is welcomed into God’s family.
This poses two challenges for us: Are we doing God’s will? Are we welcoming and taking care of those whom God has welcomed into his family?
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After publishing two books in 2023 and 2024 for young readers in our “Upstander Stories—Brave People Who Saved Jews During the Holocaust” series, my granddaughter Lilly (illustrator) and I (author) began looking for another powerful story for a third book. The goal of the series is to gently introduce children ages 8 to 12 to stories of courage and sacrifice during the Holocaust, inspiring them to become Upstanders — champions for others in need of help.
What we found was a story of a little-known rescuer, the risks he took and the lives he saved.
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CLEAN UP: Registration is now open for Team Limerick Clean-Up (TLC), taking place this Good Friday, 3rd April, across Limerick City and County. This is the 11th year of the annual clean-up, the largest of its kind in Ireland.
2026 marks a new decade for TLC and in collaboration with Bus Éireann, organisers are encouraging volunteers to ‘Get on Board’ and sign up for Team Limerick Clean-Up 2026. Register now at www.teamlimerickcleanup.ie/register/
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The launch of the Regeneron Great Limerick Run 2026 took place at the Limerick Strand Hotel and was attended by many charities and organisations in need of fundraising support
This years event takes place on Sunday, May 3rd and they are asking you to please consider doing the Run to raise much needed funds for one of their invaluable causes!
https://www.ilovelimerick.ie/2026-regeneron-great-limerick-run/
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Learning initiative delivered by Mary Immaculate College (MIC) in partnership with Stranmillis University College, Belfast.
Funded through the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Fund, T-REX is an online community of practice designed to strengthen links between educational research and classroom practice. The platform supports teachers, school leaders, student teachers, researchers and education professionals to connect, engage with evidence, and share learning, with a focus on addressing educational disadvantage, leadership and wellbeing.
Announcing the platform, Minister Naughton said, “Today marks an important step forward in cross-border educational cooperation. The T-REX platform will empower teachers to engage with cutting-edge research, ensuring that evidence-based strategies are effectively implemented in classrooms across the island.
https://www.ilovelimerick.ie/teachers-research-exchange-mic/
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My guest today is journalist Kate Murphy, author of Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony, and she says this experience isn’t just a vibe, it’s a measurable physiological phenomenon and the most consequential social dynamic most people have never heard of. In our conversation, we dig into what happens when people click, why syncing with others feels so good, and how it influences everything from friendships to teamwork to romantic relationships. We also talk about why some people have a knack for connection, how you can become more “clickable,” and why video calls are the worst.
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Donal O'Connor RIP Tarbert Island, unexpected death 19.1.2026.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CeQGJTWLT/
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AQUINAS: It is easy to be sorry for St. Thomas Aquinas. Big and quiet, his classmates deemed him mentally deficient and dubbed him the “dumb ox.”
The vast writings of today's saint inspire more wonder when we are reminded that St. Thomas Aquinas died before the age of 50. In life, he was overshadowed by other great teachers. Only after he died was his pre-eminence recognized.
Still, consider that it was said of Thomas that his great mind was due less to his substantial genius than to how well he prayed.
Consider that this great Doctor of the Church never finished his greatest work, though it has been translated into 22 English volumes! Why?
Because one day, after Mass, he decided it was all “straw” compared to what God had revealed to him. With so much to his credit, Thomas remained so humble before God.
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History
Listowel was founded in 1852,[2] and was originally called Mapleton. It was renamed in June 1856 after a post office was established, and named after the town of Listowel, in County Kerry, Ireland.[3]
During World War II, the townspeople of Listowel raised $374,100 to fund a Lancaster bomber, which cost $350,000. With a population of around 3,000 and an average annual income of $2,500, the average contribution per person was approximately $124.70. This bomber was in 2 missions during the war and was decommissioned in 1947–48.[4][5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listowel,_Ontario
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Mark Kenneally. He is a prominent Irish long-distance runner who specialized in the marathon.
Olympic Career: He represented Ireland in the Men's Marathon at the 2012 London Olympics, finishing in 57th place.
Performance: He is known for a rapid ascent in the event; he qualified for the Olympics in only his second competitive marathon with a personal best of 2:13:55.
Current Role: Today, he is a respected coach and was appointed as the Performance Endurance Lead for Athletics Ireland in 2023.
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RUNNERS: The study of the performance of world elite runners is interesting.
Indeed, the interpretation of the Kennelly’s model assumes that the
running data correspond to the maximal performance for each distance.
The best performances of world elite runners generally correspond to
the results of many competitions against other elite runners. The
motivation is optimal during these races. The best performance for a
given distance is maximal if the elite runner has run this distance many
times.
-------------------------------------------- More at
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308968623_Kennelly'model_of_running_performances_applied_to_elite_endurance_runnersEnter_title
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Dingle Marathon
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Jonah McKeown Nation
January 27, 2026
A new study released this month by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is taking a closer look at the impact of the recent National Eucharistic Revival, examining the strengths and weaknesses of the multiyear initiative that was aimed at promoting devotion to the Blessed Sacrament nationwide.
The USCCB launched the initiative in June 2022 with an explicit mission to “renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the holy Eucharist.”
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ROUTER: Everyone wants to hide the router. They're not exactly decorative pieces. The problem is, sticking one in a closet, putting it on the floor, or tucking it behind a TV stand forces the signal to push through obstacles before reaching anything you actually want connected. Basement corners are even worse. Central placement works best because the signal radiates outward in every direction. Somewhere elevated, with clear sight lines to the rooms you use most — that's the sweet spot. There is less signal wasted broadcasting into walls and floors.
https://www.makeuseof.com/router-placement-matters-more-than-speed/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-gb
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MEXICO: Background: The 1917 constitution
The conflict did not erupt overnight. Its roots lie in the 1917 Mexican Constitution, which incorporated anticlerical articles designed to subject the Church to the absolute control of the state.
Article 3 prohibited religious corporations and ministers of religion from operating primary schools. Article 5 banned the establishment of monastic orders and the taking of religious vows. Article 24 limited public worship to the interior of churches, always under government supervision. Article 27 stripped churches of their legal capacity to own property, transferring such property to the nation. Article 130 denied legal personality to churches, barred ministers of religion from participating in politics, and empowered individual states to limit the number of priests.
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RUN: Thousands of runners and supporters gathered at the Phoenix Park for the 2025 edition of the Irish Life Dublin Half Marathon on Sunday morning.
The sold-out event served as a vital preparatory race for many participants who will also be taking part in next month's Dublin Marathon.
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SCHOOL: When a Waterloo Region parent asked Ontario’s Ministry of Education whether schools were steering children toward medical gender transitions, officials didn’t investigate his claims but instead they discussed how to make him go away.
Internal emails obtained by Juno News show ministry staff branding his questions “hateful,” worrying about his media ties, and even exploring legal “cease and desist” options, all while refusing to answer basic questions.
https://www.junonews.com/p/exclusive-ontario-ministry-plotted?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
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New Year’s Eve
The first opportunity comes on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, as we reflect on all God has done in 2025 and prepare for a new year — a Jubilee Year! For those who publicly recite the Te Deum, a plenary indulgence is granted under the normal conditions detailed below.
The Te Deum is a traditional prayer of profound thanksgiving and joy originally attributed to St. Ambrose, St. Augustine or St. Hilary and now attributed to Nicetas, a 4th-century bishop of Remesiana. Regardless of its author, the hymn certainly has a long history of prayer and praise! It is prayed at the end of the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours on certain days throughout the liturgical year and lifts beautiful praise to God: “You are God: we praise you; You are God, we acclaim you.”
On the final day of the year, as faithful from around the world reflect on what God has done in 2025 and prepare for his grace-filled blessings in 2026, the Church sets forth the Te Deum as a powerful prayer of thanksgiving to God, in union with the saints who have gone before us. Those who publicly recite the Te Deum in thanksgiving on the final day of the year, New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, are granted a plenary indulgence under the normal conditions detailed below.
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Just a Thought
Hoping you are enjoying Christmas? As we bring 2025 to a close on Wednesday day next, for many it is a time to make new year resolutions and reflect a little on our lives. Give time to the lonely and elderly … Seek out a forgotten friend … Share some treasure .. Give a soft answer .. Encourage youth … Apologise if you were wrong .. Try to understand ... Be kind .. Be gentle … Laugh a little .. Laugh a little more … Express gratitude… Pray .. Go to Mass .. Mend a quarrel... Welcome the stranger .. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth .. Thus may our celebration of our Mass be a real expression of Christian community living. Speak your love .. speak it again And allow Child our King to fill your heart with Christmas joy throughout 2026
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Battery
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While Suez Canal Is Dying, Israel Is Building It's Own DESERT ROUTE That Will Change Trade Forever
https://youtu.be/uBo69F2HXiM?si=6DSd6achnD7mcmv0
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HELPING others could slow down brain ageing
The study, which followed more than 300,000 adults in the US over two decades found that people who consistently helped others outside of the home showed a slower rate of age-related decline.
This decline was reduced by 15-20% among those who either volunteered formally or helped in informal ways by doing things like helping neighbours, family or friends.
Notably, the most consistent benefit was found when people spent around two to four hours per week helping others. So, even a few hours one evening or an hour here or there could make a significant difference.
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SCHOOL: The dyslexia diagnosis came first. Through the Allison Lawson Centre for Dyslexia in Australia, we worked to retrain her eye-to-brain messaging – addressing how one dominant eye and one weaker eye process visual information differently. By strengthening the weaker eye’s ability to relay information to the brain, Maya’s dyslexia symptoms dissolved after nine or 10 treatment sessions.
Then she was diagnosed with dyscalculia, a learning disability that affects the understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts. This one is harder to crack – her numbers still don’t stack up.
Then came the ADHD diagnosis through a paediatrician, armed with letters from my daughter’s teacher and her psychologist. She was prescribed Concerta, which turned out to be life-changing. She was also prescribed anxiety medication, because her body was keeping the score of years spent trying to fit into a system that wasn’t built for her brain.
But the biggest improvement didn’t come from the medication. It came when I made the decision to pull her out of school.
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Today in 1836..
Patrick O’Brien, a 15-year-old Limerick cabin boy on board a drifting ship, the Francis Spaight, was sacrificed in an act of cannibalism in order for the remaining crew members to survive. 3 others were also cannibalised before rescue.
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This Sunday is dedicated to the Holy Family, and I think that God would wish us to contemplate the universal family He has created for us — the Mystical Body of Christ.
This concept challenges us to move a little more outward from ourselves and into the lives of others. The great uniter of this family is found in the Eucharist.
How true it is to say that when we eat the Flesh of God and drink His Blood, His Flesh becomes one with ours; His Blood flows in the veins of all. We are, then, blood brothers and sisters, called to build up one another and truly treat our neighbor as son or daughter, mother or father.
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Daily Reflections — December 28, 2025
Thank you Dr. Gray for another inspiring gospel reflection in this Christmas Season. Today’s gospel reveals that from birth, Jesus was marked by persecution, yet protected by God, fulfilling ancient promises and demonstrating divine love and faithfulness in the face of human evil, all while highlighting the radical trust required of His earthly parents. Joseph serves as a model of trusting God's angelic messengers and obeying, even when it means radical, difficult action like fleeing to a foreign land. Lord, when life feels uncertain, let me trust You like Joseph trusted Your call. Help me walk in quiet obedience, even when the path is hidden from my eyes. Holy Family, stay close to me, and lead me safely where God wants me to be.
Honor your father and mother = Honoring God. Thank you Dr. Gray.
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“Listen to a tale, which is not a mere tale,” begins Eusebius in his 4th book Church History, “but a narrative concerning John the apostle, which has been handed down and treasured up in memory.” (III.23.6)
It’s the late first century, and John the Apostle has just returned from exile on the island of Patmos (where he received Revelation), and he’s traveling around appointing bishops.
In one city, he gives the new bishops a special charge to look after the spiritual health of a particular young man:
“This one I commit to you in all earnestness in the presence of the Church and with Christ as witness.”
The bishop taught the young man the faith and baptized him. But, unfortunately, soon after, the young man fell in with the wrong crowd. He first indulged with them in worldly pleasures, and then fell into robbery and other crimes.
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CANADA: Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen confirmed in a year-end interview with True North that his department is drafting legislation for 2026. This legislation could require municipalities to conduct traffic impact assessments before removing driving lanes or installing bike lanes on major roads.
https://www.junonews.com/p/exclusive-alberta-plans-legislation?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
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School Canada
Published in 1980, Michelle Remembers was written by Dr. Larry Pazder, a Victoria, BC psychiatrist, and his patient Michelle Smith, a local housewife who’d sought treatment after a miscarriage.
Under Pazder’s care, Smith underwent “recovered-memory therapy” — a practice that’s since been discredited. The result was a best-selling work of horror with the compelling paperback: “The shocking true story of the ultimate evil — a child’s possession by the Devil!”
That child was Smith and her nightmare allegedly began at the age of five. It was then, Smith claims, that her mother gave her away to a Satanic cult resulting in years of terrible abuse.
https://www.junonews.com/p/op-ed-false-memory-syndrome-mass?utm_source=publication-search
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Dick Van Dyke at 100
By David Deavel| December 27th, 2025. ----------------------------------
His classmates included Donald O’Connor and future nightclub great Bobby Short. Close friend Bob Hackman’s annoying little brother Gene liked to tag along. Through careful study of comedians like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Laurel and Hardy, Van Dyke’s skills made him a “big man on campus.” Dick being a hard act to follow, his younger brother Jerry was more famous for troublemaking.
Many pieces of Rob Petrie’s personal history depicted in The Dick Van Dyke Show are Van Dyke’s own. A radio disc jockey, he served in the Army Air Force—a terrible soldier but a great troop entertainer. After the war Van Dyke returned to the Danville radio job and high school friend Margie Willets. After trying advertising, he returned to radio and amateur acting. In 1947, a family friend offered him a job acting. Van Dyke headed for Californee.
=========================
ATHEISM: As a matter of fact, there cannot be atheism. Man may vociferously deny that he had any first cause, though his very existence reveals the falseness of his claim; but he cannot even deny that he has a last cause, a final end, without paralyzing action and reducing it to the spasmodic twitchings of madness. Man must go somewhere, for his life is a motion and every act is a step toward a goal. Man’s goal is his god—an odd god, perhaps, represented by the figures on a bank statement, the sweetness of pleasure, the exhilaration of power, the oblivion of a party, a state, a nation, or even man’s own puny self—whatever it is that the modern atheist aims at, to that thing he pays the tribute of religion. That is his false god; more hideous, more ludicrous, more pathetic, more calamitous than the ugly idol of a savage.
============================
WARS
By Victoria Cardiel
Vatican City, 25 December, 2025 / 4:35 pm (ACI Africa).
Pope Leo XIV on Christmas Day deplored the “falsehoods” used to justify wars that leave young people “forced to take up arms” and “sent to their deaths,” while also drawing attention to the humanitarian suffering of displaced people, including families living in tents in Gaza.
In his first Christmas as pope, Leo celebrated Christmas Day Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, reviving a practice not seen since 1994 during the pontificate of St. John Paul II. Reflecting on the prologue of St. John’s Gospel, the pope said in his homily that the Christmas liturgy highlights a striking contrast: God’s Word, which acts with power, comes into the world in utter weakness.
https://www.aciafrica.org/news/19329/at-christmas-day-mass-pope-leo-xiv-says-wars-fed-by-falsehoods-send-young-people-to-their-deaths?utm_campaign=ACI%20Africa&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=396023469&utm_content=396023469&utm_source=hs_email
=============================
By CNA Staff
CNA Staff, Dec 25, 2025 / 22:08 pm
With the support of the Nigerian government, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military has carried out strikes against elements of ISIS in Nigeria that “have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
“I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” said President Trump of the Dec. 25 action.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that “precision hits on terrorist targets” in the country’s northwestern Sokoto state were carried out in cooperation with the United States.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said he was “grateful for Nigerian government support and cooperation” in the counter-terrorism effort.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/268689/breaking-in-effort-to-stem-violence-against-christians-us-conducts-airstrikes-on-isis-in-nigeria?utm_campaign=CNA%20Daily&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=396028740&utm_content=396028740&utm_source=hs_email
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Christianity’s first martyr was probably a Greek Jew. St. Stephen’s story is recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. He was among the first seven deacons chosen to serve the fledgling Christian community in Jerusalem.
However, the wonders he worked rattled local Jewish leaders. Witnesses at his trial before the Sanhedrin gave false testimony, and Stephen defended himself with a stirring speech recalling the long history of Israel’s relationship with God and calling the Jews “stiff-necked people” who “always oppose the Holy Spirit.”
As he was stoned to death outside the city, he cried out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He is the patron of bricklayers, stonemasons and numerous individual Christian churches. St. Stephen’s feast day is Dec. 26.
How is God calling you, like St. Stephen, to follow his Holy Spirit?
===============================
PROBLEM: Radioactive Reindeer Problem
“Between 1953 and 1958,” Luedee explains, “the US, UK, and the Soviet Union conducted more than 220 atmospheric nuclear tests,” leading to concerns about widespread ecological contamination. Caribou were already on scientists’ minds. Their population had been mysteriously declining, and Indigenous groups in northern Canada had long relied on caribou meat. Early radiation studies showed that caribou had “higher exposure levels than other grazing animals, including groups of animals located closer to nuclear testing sites,” Luedee writes. Then, in 1959, Canadian botanist Eville Gorham noted high levels of radioactive material in lichen.
https://daily.jstor.org/the-radioactive-reindeer-problem/?utm_source=mcae&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=j_daily_122525
==============================
Abbeyfeale Youthministry
www.facebook.com
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Bnxb4veZe/
=======================
Wrenboys
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AY58ewGtG/
==============================
Here’s the truth: the early Church celebrated Christmas on December 25 because that’s the day many thought Jesus was born.
They had two arguments for this date.
First, they believed that Jesus was crucified on March 25 (given when Passover normally falls), and there was a tradition that Jesus died the same day he first entered the world (his conception). Nine months after March 25 is December 25.
Second, and most importantly, Scripture provides strong evidence that December 25, or a date near that, is the date Jesus was born.
The Gospel of Luke tells us that the angel Gabriel revealed to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth would conceive John the Baptist while Zechariah was performing his priestly duties on the Day of Atonement, also known as Yom Kippur. That Jewish holy day always falls in late September or early October.
https://www.churchpop.com/was-jesus-really-born-on-december-25th-what-the-early-church-had-to-say-about-it/?utm_campaign=ChurchPop&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=396028787&utm_content=396028787&utm_source=hs_email
==============================
This Advent, pray the migration mysteries of the rosary ------------------------
December 10, 2025
The phone rang at 10 p.m. on Thursday, July 31. Something was happening in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Armed, masked men, unmarked cars, and police in uniform were converging at Fifth and Merchant Streets. An ICE raid? At the Latin American grocery store? At this hour? Don't they close at 9? More calls followed.
Two sisters who live in Ambridge and a third from a nearby borough went to see for themselves. Others gathered, bearing witness and documenting what unfolded. Within hours, more than a dozen people were arrested or detained. One man was taken from a car with children inside. The more I learned about what happened that night, the more angry and helpless I felt.
https://www.globalsistersreport.org/columns/migration/advent-pray-migration-mysteries-rosary
================
Scaoil amach an tEalaíontóir laistigh at Pottery Painting Nights of Fun and Creativity
Scaoil amach an tEalaíontóir laistigh / set the inner artist free - in other words - at a pottery painting night filled with creativity and fun.
Main Street, Castleisland potter Delia O’Donoghue invited as above in the run up to last Friday night opening up of her idea to let local people free on pieces of blank pottery.
They were encouraged to let their imaginations free on the blank space at a Paint, Sip & Create – Pottery Painting Evening at Browne’s Bar, Castleisland.
The second of the two Fridays is on this week the 19th from 8pm to10pm.
You just show up and do your thing on the object of your choice eg: mug or plate. You’ll be guided through the process while you design and paint your own pottery piece to take home. No experience needed.
You can collect your finished masterpiece at Delia’s studio at 94 Main Street during the week.
Bookings for the event ? Contact Delia on: 086 159 4788.
==============================
GAA:
Thu, 18 Dec, 2025 - 09:53
John Fogarty
Despite two counties cutting team spending, inter-county squad costs in Munster climbed by over €1 million to a record €12.11m in 2025.
For the first time ever, four of the six counties spent over €2m each on preparing their teams this past season – Tipperary, Cork, Limerick and Kerry.
All-Ireland senior hurling champions Tipperary leapfrogged Cork as the biggest spenders with €2,483,600. The senior hurlers’s preparations were €1.318m, although their victory celebrations including a team holiday to South Africa were €540,997 and costs would have been otherwise down on the €2.175m spend in 2024.
All six Munster counties are comfortably in the top 10 spenders in Ireland this past year. Waterford were 14th in 2024 but climbed as a result of an increased spend of over €300,000.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41762288.html
====================
One Day in Ireland 1988: Photos of people working
Nov 18, 2025
peter markpremier dairies
On May 7, 1988, many people took pictures that they felt showed the spirit of Ireland in their daily lives. These photos were sent to judges, who chose the best ones for a book called “One Day for Life in Ireland – Photographs by the People of Ireland, Taken on a Single Day.”
The book has many great photos, some worth digitising. We previously posted photos of dogs and now share eleven photos of people at work.
Back in 1988, the book’s royalties supported the Irish Cancer Society, which marked its Silver Jubilee that year. Today, you can donate to the Irish Cancer Society online here.
https://wordpress.com/reader/blogs/22234698/posts/19284
=======================
Thought for the Day: In a culture where God is, apparently, absent, it may sound strange to hear words such as “Do not be afraid” and “God is with us.” Such assurances are at the heart our biblical faith from start to finish. Everyone who is anyone in the Bible is told not to be afraid. And the assurance “I will be with you” is found throughout starting with the very name of God in Ex 3:14, I am who I am. The God—in whom we live and move and have our being—is there all along, whether we are aware of it or not. Faith is the moment of discovery and recognition. Prayer You are with us always: you are with us in creation in all its splendour, in our fellow human beings in all their generosity, you are with us in the quiet where we are alone with you.
Amen. (Fr Kieran O’Mahony)
==============================
==============================
Reflection: NOTE FROM FR. JIM Lenihan …..
Over the last few weeks, as I’ve been reading a lot on how to celebrate Advent well,
I’ve noticed a pattern. Everything I read and listen to points to the same
danger: distraction. I often recall the teaching that the devil has his four
D’s: deception, discouragement, division, and distraction. These work together to
pull us from God’s grace, and distraction is often the most subtle of all. I recently
read a striking line: There are only two kinds of people in the world—the religious
and the distracted. Every human being is naturally religious because deep down we all
have that inner desire to ask the great questions:
Who am I? Where do I come from?
Where am I going, What is the meaning of my life? What matters most and what
matters least? But many never get the opportunity to ask these fundamental questions
because they are so distracted by noise, busyness, and constant movement. But there
is a distraction that we rarely consider but one pinpointed by C.S. Lewis in
The
Screwtape Letters. In the fifteenth letter, the demon Screwtape explains to his
nephew the smartest way to keep the ‘patient’ (a man) away from the ‘Enemy’ (God) is
to prevent him from living in the now—keeping him trapped in the past with regret or
in the future with worry or fantasy. I see this very much at the moment where a
person said to me during the week, ‘I can’t wait for Christmas’ - to cope we put up
decorations and play Christmas music prematurely. Why is this so wrong? Because if
we are not living in the present, we cannot receive God’s grace. God’s Grace is only
available now not in the future not in the past but right now!! Today’s Gospel gives us
John the Baptist in the wilderness—far from creature comforts and distractions. The
desert strips us of what is unnecessary, making it the ideal place for prayer. There, he
cries out: “Prepare a way for the Lord.” So Advent is our ‘desert’. Our time to wait
well away from distractions! The question is: Am I happy in the now? Am I waiting
well? We live in a world that avoids waiting—everything is instant. We rush through
moments instead of savouring this great gift of now. Advent teaches us to slow down,
to wait, and to return to the present moment where God quietly works.
This week’s invitation is simple: Step out of distraction and Step into the now. Let
God meet you there
=================================
Thought for the Week: Prepare the way for the Lord.
The call of John to repentance is an urgent invitation for us to prepare a
way for the Lord to come into our hearts. When we come right down to it,
that is what Advent is all about. Preparing to celebrate Christmas means
renewing our lives by acknowledging our need for Christ who is
constantly calling us to higher things. John warned us that the greatest
obstacle to the coming of Christ into our souls is sin. We have the
freedom to accept or ignore his advice
=========================
Abbeyfeale; https://www.abbeyfealeparish.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Echoes-of-Abbeyfeale.pdf
---------------------------
Heroes of Limerick
https://www.limerickdiocese.org/news/heroes-of-hope3/
====================
Syro-Malankara Commumity Inauguration
With great joy and unity, members of the Syro-Malankara Community in Limerick had a successful inauguration. Present at the inauguration were the Regional Coordinator, Fr. Shinu Angadiyil, and other priests from Limerick diocese and across Ireland and the lay faithful. It was wonderful to see the Dublin, Cork, and Galway communities come together to support and celebrate this special occasion.
https://www.limerickdiocese.org/news/syro-malankara-commumity-inauguration/
=============================
Thought for the Week: Stay Awake!
The word ‘advent’ means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’. It is about keeping watch as
the preface puts it, we who watch for that day. The focus of the entire
season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent
and looking forward to his return as King in his Second Advent. Advent
also symbolizes the spiritual journey of every individual and
every community in the here and now
===================================
In honoring St. Sharbel, the Pope draws attention to a growing worldwide devotion to the Maronite saint — including in the United States, where organizations dedicated to promoting his devotion report an increased interest in the saint that is not limited to members of the Maronite Church.
In 1977, St. Sharbel was canonized by Pope Paul VI, becoming the first Eastern Christian to be recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church.
===========================
But where does this passive approach leave those indigenous Canadians who profited from their time at the residential schools? Where does it leave the Catholic members of the tribe, who take pride in both their cultural heritage and their Catholic faith?
Earlier this month, in another bid for reconciliation, the Vatican announced that a collection of Indian artifacts, which had been donated by indigenous communities to the Vatican Museums a century ago, would be returned to Canada. That gesture drew an interesting response from Ashley Frawley, a Catholic with roots in the indigenous community, in Compact magazine:
https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/vaticans-unhappy-return-canadian-indian-gifts/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=catholic_news_pope_leo_xiv_visits_nicene_basilica_on_1_700th_anniversary_of_council_of_nicaea&utm_term=2025-11-28
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================================
Though I am a lover of poetry, I must confess that my first reading of Eliot’s The Waste Land left me confused and unsure of the meaning behind his many enigmatic vignettes. Famously, however, the poem was published with notes written by Eliot himself explaining certain allusions. In his notes, Eliot tells us those “lines were stimulated by the account of one of the Antarctic expeditions (I forget which, but I think one of Shackleton’s): it was related that the party of explorers, at the extremity of their strength, had the constant delusion that there was one more member than could actually be counted.”
================================
Poems September 2025
The collection features the best of Gabriel Fitzmaurice’s translations from Irish and will appeal to not only poetry enthusiasts but anyone interested in the Irish tradition.
The dual language anthology, introduced by novelist Alan Titley, includes translations of works from Dáibhí Ó Bruadair and Aogán Ó Rathaille of the 17th century, modernists such as Máirtín Ó Direáin and Seán Ó Ríordáin and contemporary writers like Áine Ní Ghlinn and Cathal Ó Searcaigh.
Some of the works explore the displacement and dispossession of the Irish in centuries past and that experienced by the people of Gaza today.
Irish poet Bernard O’Donoghue has described the anthology as a collection of “Indispensable translations”.
Mr Fitzmaurice has authored more than 30 books, including collections of poetry in English and Irish as well as books of verse for children.
The poet, who frequently broadcasts on radio and television on education and the arts, was announced as the 2025 recipient of the Kerry Association in Dublin Arts Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the arts.
‘The Best-Loved Poems’ anthology by Gabriel Fitzmaurice is published by Mercier Press.
======================
Since 2021; This anti-Christian hate has got to stop,” Poilievre said, calling the destruction of churches “100 terrorist attacks against Canadian places of worship.”
==============================
A Story of Irish Wealth and Emigration
Walk through Anderson Park in Coleraine today and you are enjoying the legacy of Hugh Anderson, a wealthy spirit merchant who died in 1899 and left £3,000 to create a public garden for the people of the town. It was opened in 1904. Hugh is remembered as one of Coleraine’s wealthiest and most civic-minded men, but behind the fortune lies a wider family story of inheritance, emigration, and the enduring ties that bound relatives in Ulster to kin scattered across Canada and the United States.
============================
EARTHQUAKE: On Sept. 30 a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit Cebu and surrounding provinces. Its epicenter was located 19 kilometers northeast, offshore of Bogo City.
More than 300 recorded aftershocks were felt. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology subsequently issued a tsunami alert.
The Office of Civil Defense confirmed as many as 68 deaths following the earthquake.
The earthquake has reportedly impacted more than 80,595 families and around 366,360 people
==================================
Prayer for Vocations
Loving God,
You have a special plan
for each of us.
Help us to listen to your voice
with open hearts.
Just as you guided
Saint Carlo Acutis,
lead us to discover
our true vocation.
Give us the courage
to say “yes” to your call,
and the strength
to follow you with joy and faith.
May the Holy Eucharist,
like it was for St. Carlo,
be our “highway to Heaven”. Amen.
“To always be close to Jesus,
that’s my life’s plan.” St. Carlo Acutis.
===============================================
NOTE FROM FR. JIM Lenihan .....
October, as you know, is the Month of the Rosary—a time when we reflect on what
St. Padre Pio so powerfully called “the weapon” against evil. Last May, due to the
renovations in Clonkeen Church, we made the decision to move our annual Our Lady
of the Wayside Novena to October rather than cancel it. This change has turned
out to be a blessing, allowing us to celebrate Our Lady in a month so beautifully
dedicated to her. This year, our Novena will focus on nine virtues of Our Lady—
one for each day. We will also divide the parish of Glenflesk into nine station
areas, offering each Mass for one part of our parish community. I warmly
encourage everyone to take part in this special time of prayer and reflection.
Please spread the word to your neighbours and friends, and invite them to attend
their station Mass. Together, let us honour Our Blessed Mother and ask her to
intercede for our parish and all our families.
=============================
Thought for the day: Inclusivity and inclusion are buzz words in our culture. We find the radical openness of Jesus very helpful today, as we try to see the future of the Christian project. St Paul himself has been called the “founder of universalism” (Alain Badiou). Two comments may help us reflect. Firstly, not everyone is guided by this vision, the evidence for “exclusivism” is all around us. Secondly, in the Christian vision, respect for all is grounded not only in creation (“image and likeness of God”) but also in salvation (“God wants all people to be saved”). Both dimensions are important for Jesus, for Paul and for us today.
Prayer: God of mercy, your love reaches out to all without distinction. As we have experienced your compassion, may we show the same love to all. Amen.
(Fr Kieran O’Mahony)
====================
Communion: A Lifesaving Balm for Mental Illness
by Cecilia Cicone
The first time I was in an inpatient locked psychiatric unit, I was overwhelmed by the amount of suffering I saw in the people there.
While conversations about mental health are fairly common, the experience and suffering of serious mental illness — of psychosis, detachment from reality, and life-threatening impulsivity — were completely new for me. My heart was filled with compassion and pity for the men and women on the unit for whom every single day was a fight to stay alive.
However, I wasn’t on the unit as a healthcare provider or minister. I was there because I, too, was suffering more than I ever thought possible.
===============================
NOTE FROM FR. JIM.....
Our Gospel this weekend begins ‘The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our
faith.’ This week the Lord wants us to reflect on what real faith is. Fr John
Kavanaugh, an American priest tells the story about a time that he met Mother
Teresa. During a visit to Calcutta he had celebrated Mass at the Missionaries of
Charity’s motherhouse and worked at the House of the Dying. Shortly before he
left Calcutta he asked Mother Teresa to pray for him. Mother Teresa asked, "For
what?" He replied "For clarity." She immediately said no, she would not pray for
that. Fr Kavanaugh complained that she seemed always to have clarity and
certitude. She replied: "I've never had clarity and certitude." "I only have trust.
I'll pray that you trust." There are times in our lives where we feel like saying ‘My
God my God why have you forsaken me!’ (Or my loved one) Real faith is where we
know that God is God and we are not. Where we know that no matter what happens
we know that God is in charge and He loves us beyond all understanding and in
believing that we simply trust Him, that’s faith
================================
The return allowance is likely to be significantly cheaper to taxpayers than the asylum process, which, according to the Department of Justice in Dublin, costs around €122,000 ($143,000) per migrant, including housing, food, and other social programmes afforded to migrants as their asylum claims are being processed.
It is also likely to be cheaper than deportations, with The Irish Times reporting that a deportation flight to remove 35 migrants to Nigeria cost the government a total of €325,000 ($381,000).
===================================
Pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Well, Ballyheigue
08Sep
Every year, on September 8th, Our Lady’s Birthday, this sacred site is the centrepiece of Ballyheigue’s Pattern Day. Bishop of Kerry, Ray Browne, celebrates an open-air Mass to honour the day. Visitors partake in the cherished ritual of paying rounds: Walking Slowly around the perimeter while reciting the Rosary. Kneeling at the Statue for the final decade, a moment of deep connection and reflection.
At dawn, at 6:00 AM, pilgrims also depart from the Dominican Church in Tralee, walking to Ballyheigue in time for the Mass—a tradition that underscores the spiritual bond between communities.
==========================
A Student’s Prayer at the Beginning of School Year
We give you praise, O God, for everything that is new and beautiful,
for everything which holds promise and brings us joy.
Bless us as we start this new year with our friends and teachers.
Help us to make the most of every chance we have to start afresh.
May we show love to one another and to all.
May the new beginning of this school year remind us that
You give us chances to start over again and again.
Help us to forgive others as we receive Your forgiveness.
Help us to learn and to work together.
Help us to listen when we should and to know the best words
when we speak and when it is better not to speak.
We thank You for our friends, help us to be good friends this year.
Help us to be patient with ourselves and with others.
Bless our school and keep us safe. Be with us as we travel each day.
Help us to be aware of Your love shown to us in the people around us.
Bless all those who care for us in school and at home.
Help us show our care for them and to say sorry when we need to.
May the Blessed Mother Mary protect us and help us to live
as well as we can, giving thanks and glory to God as she did.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
=============================================
NOTE FROM FR. JIM. Lenihan ...
You may or may not be aware that since the First Sunday of Advent last year for
the most part we have been reading from Luke’s Gospel and since the end of June
we’ve been reading from a particular section of the Gospel that is chapter 9 to
chapter 19 which is a pilgrimage taken by Jesus and his disciples from Galilee in
the north to Jerusalem in the south. Today we’re on chapter 13 nearly half way on
the journey. It’s important to remember that this is not just a geographical
journey but also an inner journey. A journey where Jesus is teaching his disciplines
and indeed us about life in the kingdom of God. To briefly recap on the different
teachings we heard on this journey so far. It starts off where Jesus resolutely
takes the road to Jerusalem. He tells his disciples about the importance of
prioritising doing the will of God above all else. Jesus then appointed seventy two
others reminding us about the Christian life where we are summoned and then
sent on mission. The next week we heard the question who is my neighbour? where
Jesus gives us the beautiful story of Good Samaritan and concludes: ‘Do the same
yourselves’. The following week we learnt that discipleship is more than just doing
good to others we must be like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus where we allow
God’s word to form, inform, reform and transform us. He then taught us the Our
Father. The next week he warns us about the importance of storing up treasures
for ourselves in heaven. He then spoke about having our lamps lit ready to meet
the Lord whenever he comes. Last week he explained the consequences of
following him and the cost of discipleship. And today the question is posed: Will
many be saved? Jesus makes it clear that we tend to reduce the call to
discipleship to something that is manageable, non-threatening, something that
doesn't make excessive demands upon us. John Henry Newman spoke about
notional accent v real accent. Notional accent is where I agree with the faith but
it has absolutely no effect on my life. As for real accent is something that
becomes "real" to me; it has a profound and transformative influence in defining
who I am and what I do. The question today is if I died today would I be saved
from hell for heaven? So the Lord answers this question like this. If we really
want to join him in heaven we make that decision ourselves by how we live our life
and this decision is clearly seen in our attitudes and behaviour. The narrow door
represents the struggle and difficultly there is between what we need to do to
enter heaven and what we want to do. We've convinced ourselves that the road to
heaven is easy peasy. We'll probably just end up there without any effort on our
part. That's called notional accent. Let's ponder again on the words of Jesus, 'Try
to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try and not succeed
=====================================
Solène Tadié Features
August 20, 2025
Many Catholic thinkers have drawn their wisdom from the contemplative silence of the cloister. Others throughout history have navigated the intrigues of royal courts, from the Council of Trent to the Bourbon and Habsburg dynasties to the French Revolution.
Baltasar Gracián, a 17th-century Spanish Jesuit, did both. Living in the aftermath of the Reformation, he crafted one of the most unusual works of spiritual wisdom ever written: a collection of aphorisms as sharp as they are enduring.
====================================
By Shelly Hod Moyal, Founding Partner, iAngels
The first half of 2025 has been a defining period for the Israeli tech ecosystem, shaped by global uncertainty and grounded by local resilience. While international markets reacted to new tariffs from the Trump Administration and broader economic instability, Israeli startups stayed focused and continued to deliver.
=============================================
Earn up to £7,500 tax-free
The government’s “rent a room” scheme lets you earn up to £7,500 a year (£625 a month) tax-free from letting out furnished accommodation in your home. The threshold is halved to £3,750 if you share the income with someone else. Most live-in landlords include bills in the rent.
==============================
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he recognizes the Armenian genocide, in a declaration that marks a stark departure for an Israeli leader.
Speaking on a podcast on Tuesday, Netanyahu also suggested, inaccurately, that the Israeli government had officially recognized the early 20th-century genocide.
Netanyahu was questioned about the killing of between 600,000 and 1.2 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during an interview with Patrick Bet-David, a conservative businessman and podcaster of Assyrian and Armenian descent, on Tuesday. Bet-David asked on his “PBD Podcast” why Israel, given its own roots in the Holocaust, has not recognized what many historians consider the first genocide of the 20th century.
=============================
Ancient cross discovered in Abu Dhabi points to deep Christian roots in region
The Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, has announced a new archaeological discovery: a 30-centimeter (11.8-inch) plaster cross unearthed in an ancient monastery on Sir Bani Yas Island about 106 miles southwest of Abu Dhabi, ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported.
The artifact was uncovered during excavation work that began earlier this year. According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, the cross was found in the courtyard of one of the monastery’s houses. The cross is believed to date back to the seventh or eighth century A.D. Its eastern-style design resembles crosses found in Iraq and Kuwait, reflecting the historic connections of the Eastern Church and its spread across the gulf in the early centuries of Christianity.
====================================
Thought for the Week:
Peace with Creation.
Today is the beginning of the Season
of Creation, the month the church sets
aside to remind us of the great gift of
Creation and of our responsibility
towards it. It can be easy to take
Creation/Nature for granted: it’s just
there and has always been there and
is all around us. But when we think
about it we realize that everything we
need for life comes from ‘Nature’:
energy from the sun, food from the
earth, etc. As pilgrims of hope let us
journey together, caring for one
another and caring for the planet we
call home
===================================
Legion of Mary
The Annual Retreat will take place from September 19 to September 21, 2025, at Westminster Avenue with Father David Bellusci. Please see Sister Elsa to register.
https://www.hrvancouvercomitium.com/
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FRIDAY NEXT (AUGUST 15TH ) WE CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION.
It is a Holy Day of obligation, and we will celebrate a Vigil Mass here in Listowel on Thursday evening at 6.15 p.m. and Mass on Friday morning is at 10.30 a.m.
The Meaning of the Assumption: A Unique Privilege for the Mother of God.
The Assumption is not simply a celebration of Mary’s holiness, but also a profound recognition of her unique role in salvation history. Because she was preserved from original sin from the moment of her conception, it is fitting that she would not undergo bodily corruption after death. The Church teaches that, at the end of her earthly life, the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken up into Heaven — not by her own power, but through the grace and will of God. A Sign of What Awaits the Faithful the Assumption is often called a “first fruit” of what all faithful hope to experience at the resurrection of the body. It serves as a powerful sign of the destiny God intends for each of us: life in His presence, not only in spirit, but also in glorified body. Mary’s Assumption reminds us that death is not the end, but a doorway to divine fulfilment. On this day, Catholics attend Mass and reflect on the mystery of Mary’s passage into Heaven. In a world often filled with uncertainty, the Assumption offers a message of hope. Mary’s life — marked by humility, obedience, and unwavering trust in God — culminates in her entrance into eternal glory. Mary continues to intercede for us. Her Assumption is not a departure from our lives, but a closer bond with humanity. From her place in Heaven, she watches over the Church, guiding us with maternal care and leading us ever closer to her Son, Jesus Christ.
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Dear Friends of Sacred Heart Church,
On today’s Sunday, we are reading the famous Parable of the Unjust Steward, reported by the Gospel of Saint Luke. While commenting His own parable, Our Lord mentions that ‘the children of this world, in relation to their own generation, are more prudent than the children of the light’, which is probably why the Church, in response and in recognition of our littleness and simplicity, asks God the Father in the Collect that He may ‘bestow upon us the Spirit of thinking and doing what is right, so that we, who cannot exist without You, may have the strength to live in accordance with Your law’, and the Epistles encourages us to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh, as ‘whoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God, and if we are sons, we are also heirs: heirs indeed of God and joint heirs with Christ.’
Let us then ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in the midst of the children of this world, so that we may wisely choose what is right and live not according to the wisdom of this world, but according to the wisdom of God.
For this Sunday, we are glad to give a warm welcome to Father Horgan, who came over to us once again to help us in the celebration of our Masses for this weekend! Please make sure to greet him if you happen to attend one of his Masses today.
Conclusion of this year’s Summer Camps
We would like to give thanks to God for all the graces that He’s poured on our young ones–and to all of us through them–as we conclude our cycle of Summer camps. These events went very well, and the children had the opportunity to build strong and lasting friendships; with Our Lord Jesus Christ first of all, and with each other. Let us thank Our Lord for giving us the right conditions to allow these beautiful events to happen, and let us pray that these fruits gathered in Ardee can be long-lasting and the basis for their hopefully holy lives!
Upcoming events in August: Mark your calendars!
A few days ago, we have entered into the month of August, traditionally consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose feast we will be celebrating later on. We’re on the right occasion to offer and entrust our lives to the Queen of the Angels, and to ask her to have ours hearts shaped like unto hers, so that we can become more perfect imitators of Christ, whose body and Sacred Heart took shape next to hers.
And, during this month, we will have a couple of key occasions to reap spiritual fruits in our little apostolate of Limerick:
On the next Sunday, we will have one more event to be thankful for. Canon Malinowski, who all of you undoubtedly remember from his help and work last year as a Deacon, is returning this week to Ireland, and will celebrate his First Mass on our Sacred Heart Church at 10:30 am next Sunday. This will be the right occasion to pray in thanksgiving for the gift of his life to Christ and the Church, to give thanks for the successful efforts in his formation to the priesthood, and to pray that his newly started ministry remains faithful, zealously fervent and fruitful for many years to come!
You are all encouraged to come and attend this great event for our church, to receive Canon’s first priestly blessing at the end of the Mass, and to reassure him of your prayers during the tea after the Mass. And, as is customary in the Roman Church, the Holy See grants a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (Confession, Sacramental Communion, Prayers for intentions of the Holy Father, detachment from all sin in our hearts) for all the attendants of the First Mass of a newly ordained priest. Make sure you don’t miss this chance to witness this milestone in Canon Malinowski’s new phase of his life, and to make the most of the spiritual gifts that both God and the Church grant us by witnessing it!
On the following week, we have another event that we hope all of you can attend. On Friday 15th of August, we will celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. We will have a High Mass at 6 pm, followed by–if the weather allows–a Marian procession. This will be another great moment to show our filial devotion to Our Lady, as well as affirming together and publicly our Faith in Christ and His Kingdom through His sacred throne and vessel that was His Mother, and that on this day is assumed to take her tole as Queen of Heaven.
We hope we can have the same enthusiastic help from volunteers and attendance from our faithful, so that we may continue showcasing our fidelity to God’s kingdom before the world!
Wishing you a blessed week,
Canon Lebocq
Prior of Sacred Heart Church Limerick.
Live stream from the Sacred Heart Church
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It was a warm, gentle September morning on the Montenegrin coast. The sky-a-blue, the clouds-a-fluff as Sladja and I boarded the bus in Tivat. Much to my delight, the driver issued our tickets from a vintage setright machine, a fabulous contraption that oozes the charm and nostalgia of the pre-digital age.
Retro bus ticketing machine on the bus from Tivat to Perast in Montenegro
The bus from Tivat to Perast.
Unfortunately, this initial endearment quickly gave way to irritation as we realised how horribly overloaded the bus was getting with each passing second. Luckily, we succeeded in grabbing two of the last available seats as locals and tourists alike continued to pour onboard. Yikes, and this was the off-season.
https://wordpress.com/reader/blogs/76832404/posts/91804
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Father Joseph Thomas Commentaries
August 15, 2025
During another Jubilee Year 75 years ago, Pope Pius XII solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption. Pius XII — whom the Church now honors as “Venerable” in recognition of his heroic virtue — stated that at the end of her earthly life, Mary “was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
Perhaps it can appear surprising that this key aspect of the life of Mary would be infallibly proclaimed at such an advanced moment in the Church’s history. The dogma of the Assumption has formed part of the common belief of pastors and the faithful from ancient times. At the same time, in formulating this doctrine, the Church has also come to recognize the deep significance that this teaching has for modern society.
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Dancing
https://www.facebook.com/reel/686661907737174
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Holy Mary
https://www.facebook.com/reel/728321139998645
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20 Signs That a Person Is Manipulating You Emotionally (Mind Journal)
They try to control you.
They try to make you feel guilty
They belittle your opinions or belief
They always play the victim
They try to make you feel inferior
They refuse to discuss or communicate
They refuse to be accountable for anything
They try to make you feel insecure
They act like they don’t understand when you disagree with them
They expect you to follow their rules
They don’t acknowledge your feelings
They twist your words to benefit them
They try to embarrass or humiliate you
They spread lies to paint you in a bad light
They leave you feeling crazy and confused
They blame their insecurities on your flaws
They give you the cold shoulder for not conforming to them
They try to make you fearful or inadequate for not conforming to them
They focus on the negatives in your past to avoid facing their present wrongdoings
They say offensive things to you that they mean but call it a joke
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“See you later”
I have learned a few things about grief.
It is not a temporary feeling but rather an eternal one with many
changing seasons.
Grief hurts in places that are hard to point to because the pain in your
heart overflows into every other crevice that exists inside of your body.
Sometimes grief longs to be held and pushes you away at the same time.
It runs for both freedom and shelter.
It wants to heal but without letting go.
Grief lands upon your chest whenever and however and wherever it
chooses.
It is not bound by space or time or distance and I can guarantee you that
it will always find a way to come to the surface.
Grief lays its weary head down and waits for rain. For sun. For Wild
Winds. For peace - oh precious, precious peace.
Grief reminds us that death is not a goodbye, but the longest and hardest
“See you Later”
~Ullie-Kaye
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Reflect
Take time daily to reflect on how much you have. It may not be all that you want but remember someone somewhere is dreaming to have what you have.
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Thought for the Week: The Art of Listening.
The Lord wants us to work on his behalf, but he also wants us to listen to
him. Jesus understood that his visit to the home of Martha and Mary was a
time for them to refrain from activity so as to listen to his word. Jesus had
something to say and he wanted them to listen. Jesus wanted on this
occasion, the hospitality of listening rather than the hospitality of activity.
Wisdom consists in knowing when it is time to be active and busy in the
Lord’s service and when it is time simply to sit and listen to his word.
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Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne grandparent of Jesus next Saturday 26th July.
Prayer for Grandparents
Bless all Grandparents and keep them in Your care.
Bless them with peace, health and healing.
Reward them for their Faith and fidelity,
for their work and goodness,
for their love and thoughtfulness,
for their gifts and prayers.
Give them a long and happy life together.
May old age come to them in the company of family and friends.
And when life is over, unite them again,
where parting will be no more, in the Kingdom of Your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
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Thought for the Week
Always remember to forget the troubles that pass your way;
BUT NEVER forget the blessings that come each day
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Seanfhocail:
Éist le fuaim na habhann agus gheobair breac.
Listen to the sound of the river and you will catch a trout.
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Change of Mind.
By Asaf Elia-Shalev June 18, 2025 1:08 pm
Naftuli Moster spent a decade as an activist accusing haredi Orthodox yeshivas of denying students a basic education and the tools needed to become independent adults. He later launched a muckraking news site targeting misconduct by Orthodox communal leaders.
Now, he has made a stunning disavowal of both his activist past and recent journalistic endeavors.
He considers the confrontational tactics he once embraced misguided and says he has developed a deep appreciation for the Orthodox way of life, which he had previously rejected. His reckoning, he says, was fueled by a growing distrust of progressive politics and the motivations of his former allies, as well as concern that his outspokenness harmed his many relatives who remain in the community.
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NOTE FROM JIM Lenihan ...
A question I’ve heard over the years is: ‘Which would you prefer, Christmas or
Easter? And of course as Christians these are our major feasts, yet another
major Christian celebration is Pentecost but it’s rarely mentioned. There are two
Jewish feasts that have been brought over to Christianity. The first is Easter or
The Passover and the second is Pentecost. 50 days after the Passover Moses
received the Ten Commandments. There you had 1. Fire. 2. A Loud Sound 3. People
for the first time had ‘Understanding’ of what God wanted them to know. And
likewise in the Pentecost we celebrate here today, we see how the Spirit of God
came down as tongues of fire on the disciples and Our Lady. It also came with a
loud sound and when the disciples began to speak, everyone could understand them
in their own language. So we see the parallels in both: Fire, Loud Sound and
Understanding. When I think of the above I think of the first Pentecost where
God’s commandments were written on stone tablets but now because of the power
released through His death and resurrection He can now write His law on people’s
hearts and not only that but He has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to live
this higher calling of love which up to then was humanly impossible. Just look at
the transformation of the disciples, ignorant, fear filled, sinful human beings yet
when they allowed the Holy Spirit to come down upon them they were transformed
themselves and later changed the world. They were Changed, Transformed and
Renewed. So how about us? Do we want to be changed, transformed and renewed.
Sometimes as Christians we can become comfortably numb. We can become
minimalistic about our faith just doing enough to pass. We can allow our fear of
change to prevent us from allowing God to fully possess us.
In St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, he beautifully expresses the heart of
Christian transformation: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who
live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me". Galatians 2:20 (RSV).
I pray for all of us this Pentecost that we like the disciples will allow ourselves to
be changed, transformed and renewed and become the Christians we are called to
be. As Saint Catherine Sienna says ‘Be who God meant you to be and you will set
the world on fire’
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D DAY; By Jessica Easthope
Frank DeVita wore this jacket with pride, nearly every day for the last 10 years of his life.
His medals and patches tell a story of bravery, but DeVita had a different recollection of June 6th, 1944.
“Everybody in that generation was called heroes, and he would say, ‘I’m not a hero,’ not to be humble or anything, but he would say, ‘I’m not a hero. The people who are heroes are the people that are buried there still.’ He continually vocalized that.”
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Manitoba data shows 99 of 109 wildfires were human-caused
The overwhelming majority of wildfires in Manitoba have been started by people, according to provincial government data.
Quinn Patrick, True North- Jun 03, 2025
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Quoting from Culturally Relevant Pedagogy by Laura Mae Lindo, one slide states that “biases are the socialized teachings of the white culture,” and “we use key words and phrases to promote the dominant culture.” One of the offensive words in question is “family,” which is said to be harmful to racialized students because it implies male authority, demands obedience without question, and erodes personal boundaries by “prioritizing the family’s needs.”
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQbffVZwncSgtcgTLLbxsSsMQKm
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About Us
Ensuring no Filipino kid is left behind, the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization in the Philippines that aims to provide access to education for children in remote and poverty-stricken areas by providing boats to reach their schools. The foundation’s story began in 2010 when a group of friends learned about the struggles of children in a coastal community in the Zamboanga Peninsula who had to swim to get to school. The group decided to provide a yellow boat to these children so they could go to school safely and comfortably.
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‘THESE WILD WOODS’—LORD EDWARD FITZGERALD’S GRAND TOUR OF THE NORTH AMERICAN FRONTIER, 1789–90
By Ruairí Nolan The first and still one of the most comprehensive of the biographies of Lord Edward Fitzgerald is that by Thomas Moore from 1831. It utilises a plethora of correspondence to fill in the contextual gaps of his narrative, giving us a great insight into the life of a man constantly at odds
https://historyireland.com/?s=mexico
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Jennifer Sokol Blogs
May 18, 2025
On July 17, 1794, Madame Lidoine, prioress of the Carmel of Compiègne (in religion called Mother Teresa of St. Augustine) stood with her 15 Carmelite daughters in the Place du Trône Renversé in Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution and led them as they renewed their religious vows in unison.
The putrid smell of human blood filled the humid air as a silent throng watched, amazed to hear religious vows pronounced in public — a practice suppressed by the new French Republic.
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NEW YORK: June 14, 2025; NY Irish Center, Culture Lab LIC & McManus Irish Dance present an exciting outdoor gathering at Culture Lab LIC with 5 continuous hours of entertainment and activities.
https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org/
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Mexico has a thriving and diverse culture. There is something for everyone to enjoy. The basket to pick from is overflowing with vibrant festivals and delectable cuisine. The 20 most significant Mexican traditions and customs are examined in this article.
This includes well-known celebrations, such as Dia de Muertos to Cinco de Mayo. Customs also range from festivals, food to the way of life and common music. Learn more about the various ways that Mexicans celebrate their culture by reading this article. Enjoy!
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LISTOWEL: Below is a small flavour of Conor’s travelogue. I include it because it struck a cord and I saw a Listowel connection. Here in Listowel we have a hairdressers’ with its very own pet repile on display. So there….
“From Tecapan I moved on south down to San Blas. I meant to stay just two nights but quickly fell into the local expat scene so ended up here for four nights. Mostly I spent my time at the San Blas Social Club. It served great food, had friendly American and Mexican owners, and had a wide range of booze and clientele. There were a lot of Americans and Canadians spending the winter here so it was a convivial spot to hang out. I also found another bar where they kept a crocodile in a pen on the patio. Keeping a pet reptile in a drinking establishment might not sound like a great idea, but I was assured that it was no problem. The croc, whose name is Fluffy, is sixty seven, has few teeth, and is fed regularly, so I was assured it posed no danger to the patrons.”
https://listowelconnection.com/tag/mexico/
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Why World Vision is in Mexico
In September 2017, two high-magnitude earthquakes hit 10 states in Mexico, affecting thousands and leaving hundreds dead. On top of this, multiple hurricanes and tropical storms hit various regions, weakening already-vulnerable communities. We responded with relief like food, water, and damage repair. Your support helped us create dozens of Child-Friendly Spaces, havens of childhood where kids' physical and emotional needs can be met during trauma.
https://www.worldvision.org/our-work/country-profiles/mexico
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WORLD VISION:
Pulling up the roots of poverty and planting the seeds of change.
Building relationships. Listening. Planning and working alongside local church and community leaders. Together, finding solutions that will change the future for children. Here's just some of what we accomplished in 2024 together with our donors, partners, and the communities we serve.
https://www.worldvision.org/our-work?campaign=400088779&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ac-ol&utm_content=content-20250423&utm_campaign=400088779&acuid=d8d865edc87ac7ef1f8bec2bfcded1fdee5b231d88596efd1cd254d942700d44&ehash=f18b80f5b2c710bc2196b72d084e9d70cdbdeb4de198c3ea4bbc59758422897a
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By Clement Harrold
May 16, 2025
As Christians, we know that suffering is part and parcel of this present life. But we also know that we are not alone in our suffering, for Jesus Christ has entered into it and redeemed it by the power of His Cross. We take heart, therefore, in the knowledge that “we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom 8:17). And we turn to Sacred Scripture for encouragement and consolation on our pilgrim journey through this valley of tears.
https://stpaulcenter.com/posts/12-consoling-bible-verses-during-times-of-suffering?mc_cid=b49e1b3724&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=catholic_news_leo_xiv_at_inauguration_mass_we_want_to_say_to_the_world_look_to_christ_come_closer_to_jesus&utm_term=2025-05-18
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Kingdom County Show 2025. Everything on display from goats,cattle, dogs and machinery
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In addition to these staples, there was a healthy array of machinery trade stands and vintage machinery for visitors to view with at least six local dealers showing up.
All the dealers acknowledged the poor spring for sales but also pointed out that customers were now emerging from the recent winter and starting to talk about buying machinery again.
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/watch-plenty-for-machinery-fans-at-kingdom-county-fair/
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Kerry Writers’ Museum marks International Museum Day on Sunday May 18th with a public event celebrating the acquisition of three very important collections for the Kerry Film & Digital Media Archive established in the museum in 2024.
Heritage Council funding makes it possible for the museum to acquire Jimmy Deenihan's remarkable library of North Kerry Literary Trust video recordings of Kerry writers and their associates, filmed as part of the 'Rivers of Words’ documentary series screened on RTE in the early 1990s.
Kathy Reynolds has gifted Tony Fitzmaurice's collection of over 26,000 world class social documentary photographs shot in and around Ballybunion and Listowel from 1953 onwards.
Leo Finucane will give a collection of film and video material created over an extraordinary career as a farmer-filmmaker based in Moyvane.
In 2024 and 2025 Kerry Writers' Museum was awarded funding totalling €87,750 from The Heritage Council under the Heritage Organisations Support Fund to appoint a curator to establish and develop the Kerry Film & Digital Media Archive. The 2025 award will fund the development of a viewing library with trained staff to provide free, public access to these and other collections. This places Kerry Writers’ Museum at the forefront of a strategic drive to manage public engagement with archives at a local level.
The FREE event starts at 3pm and all are welcome.
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Curiously Unusual Wonders ·
Asela K Madige · eoSndrpost04M1if3a5tc71744m6 26a16:c0g 7a cgya3gAtmMut99033 ·
In 1920, an extraordinary scene unfolded in France: an eight-year-old boy named Samuel Reshevsky calmly making his way down a line of chessboards, playing—and defeating—multiple seasoned masters simultaneously. Clad in a modest suit with an air of quiet confidence, young Reshevsky exhibited a brilliance far beyond his years. Spectators watched in awe as he analyzed each board with lightning speed, countering strategies with an instinctual understanding that baffled even the most experienced opponents. His performance wasn’t just a spectacle—it was a revelation.
Born in Poland in 1911, Reshevsky had already earned a reputation as a prodigy by the time of his 1920 exhibition tour in Europe. He had learned chess at the age of four and, within two years, was defeating adult players with ease. This simultaneous display in France became one of the most iconic moments in early 20th-century chess, not just for its visual impact—a small boy towering over his seated challengers—but for what it suggested: that genius can emerge from the most unlikely places and ages. His presence captured the imagination of audiences and the press, who dubbed him a “boy wonder.”
This moment in France would become a defining chapter in Reshevsky’s remarkable journey. He would go on to compete at the highest levels of the game for decades, eventually becoming a U.S. Champion and a formidable rival to legends like Bobby Fischer. But that day in 1920 remains singular—a scene of youthful audacity meeting intellectual mastery, and of a child stepping into the global spotlight with nothing but a board, a mind, and a quiet fire to win.
Follow for more University of life
https://www.facebook.com/groups/862622991361031/user/100057713977434/
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https://www.facebook.com/LegioMariaeWorldWide
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WAR: the Irish forecast that aided the invasion of Europe
One of the most tantalising dilemmas faced by Eisenhower, who was responsible for initiating the landing in France, was to decide on the suitability of the weather for ‘Operation Overlord’.
In the event on June 4 Captain J. M. Stagg, meteorologist to the Supreme Command reported: ‘The whole north Atlantic Ocean area appeared to be filled with a succession of depressions, any of which could blow into violent storms. Thus the June 5 launch of the invasion force had to be cancelled.
General Bernard Montgomery subsequently recalled what happened next: “And then a young Irishwoman, Maureen Sweeney, a postal clerk who worked with her husband, the keeper of the Blacksod Lighthouse on the north-western coast of Ireland, one of the first places that detect looming Atlantic weather approaching the British Isles, posted data on the night of June 4 that caught the attention of Stagg’s team.”
Maureen Sweeney subsequently wrote of that time: ‘Our reports were first to show any change coming in for good weather or bad weather. There was a query from London at around 11 o’clock. And then there was a second query. A lady with a distinct English accent requested me to ‘Please check. Please check’.
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On 13 May 1981, on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Pope John Paul II was shot and wounded while he was entering the square.
The bullet was put into the Crown of Our Lady of Fatima and is in the Museum in Fatima, Portugual
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BOOK: Made for This, By Jennie Allen
Feeling stuck or unsure of your purpose? This 40-day journey can help you uncover the God-given signs — your gifts, passions, and experiences — that point to your unique calling. Stop striving, and start living with clarity, freedom, and meaning! From the New York Times bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head.
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The fossil site they left behind is just as colossal.
“There are upwards of 10,000 individuals preserved here,” Bamforth said. “It’s one of the densest bone beds in North America – we’re talking 100 to 300 bones per square metre, and the site stretches back into the hill for at least a square kilometre. It’s a hugely dense bone bed that is very, very large – and that makes it tremendously significant.”
https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/dinosaur-graveyard?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-gb
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People with back pain often want a scan. X-rays can reveal fractures and other bone abnormalities, while MRI scans offer a more detailed look at the bones and surrounding soft tissues.
Scans are done to rule out rare issues like neurological conditions or cancer, but they also create problems of their own. As we get older, our spines do change. Like grey hairs and wrinkles, this is a normal part of the ageing process.
MRI scans are very sensitive. They pick up on these changes, highlighting features such as wear and tear, torn ligaments and bulging discs. Often, these features are presented to patients as ‘abnormalities’ that need to be fixed, but although these issues are common in people who have back pain, they’re also common in people who don’t have back pain.
https://www.sciencefocus.com/wellbeing/how-to-pain-proof-your-back
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A NOTE FROM JIM Lenihan
The last line of this weekend's Gospel is: 'I give you a new commandment: love one
another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you
have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.’ Being a
disciple in Jesus’ time involved following His teachings, living out His message, and
striving to become more like Him. People will know by your behaviour who you
studied and allowed yourself to be formed by. Actions speak louder than words
and being a person of sacrificial love will proclaim to everyone that you follow
Christ. The love that Jesus not only spoke about but above all lived out to the very
end was called Agape. A love best described by St. Thomas Aquinas: ‘Willing the
good of the other as other’. Wanting their greatest good with nothing in it for
yourself. So what is a person's greatest good? Of course it’s their salvation
(Getting to Heaven with God for all eternity). What's most important in life is to
do everything in your power to insure that you and all in your life gets to heaven.
As we find in Matthew 16:26: ‘For what good will it do a person if he gains the
whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his
soul? ’When you think about it everything else in life is secondary in the context
of eternity. Yet as a Christian people do we worry about the condition of our own
soul or the souls of those we claim to love. We pray for the grace to be true
ambassadors for Christ and have a burning desire within us to save our soul and
souls of others.
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WELLBEING: A 2011 study published in the Journal of Religion and Health looked at the emotional wellbeing of almost 100,000 women. They found that the women who were weekly churchgoers (regardless of denomination) were 56% more optimistic than women who attended church less frequently or not at all. Because of this, they were also significantly less likely to become depressed, and much less inclined to exhibit a cynical or hostile outlook on life than their unchurched counterparts.
Another article published in the journal Depression Research and Treatment looked at almost 500 separate studies exploring the link between faith and depression. Similar to the above study, the meta-analysis conducted by the researchers found that people who identify as spiritual or religious are 60% less likely to become depressed than the general population. The same study found that when spiritual or religious people do get depressed, they are less likely to become as severely depressed, much more likely to have a positive response to treatment and tend to recover more quickly than those who do not have an active faith life.
https://www.oursundayvisitor.com/depression-and-faith-do-they-go-together/
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Pope Leo XIV laments that today’s youth have to deal with ‘relativism’ and ‘superficiality’
POPE In his address, he listed the obstacles facing the younger generations: “Think of the isolation caused by rampant relational models increasingly marked by superficiality, individualism, and emotional instability; the spread of patterns of thought weakened by relativism; and the prevalence of rhythms and lifestyles in which there is not enough room for listening, reflection, and dialogue, at school, in the family, and sometimes among peers themselves, with consequent loneliness.”
These “demanding challenges,” he noted, must become “springboards” to “develop tools and adopt new languages to continue to touch the hearts of pupils, helping them and spurring them on to face every obstacle with courage in order to give the best of themselves in life, according to God’s plan.”
At the meeting, which took place against the backdrop of two special anniversaries: the third centenary of the promulgation of the bull In Apostolicae Dignitatis Solio, with which Benedict XIII approved the order and its rule (Jan. 26, 1725), and the 75th anniversary of Pius XII’s proclamation of St. John Baptist de La Salle as patron saint of educators (1950).
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A Short History of the Church
St Brendan’s Church Tralee
Plans got underway to build a new church to cater for the growing population of Tralee in the mid-sixties. Rev. Peter Scott C.C. was appointed to establish a fund raising organisation which raised £88,000. A three quarter acre site was purchased from Miss Joanie O'Connell of Upper Rock Street, Tralee for £4,000.
Local architect Mr. Dan Kennedy was appointed to design a suitable place of worship for 950 people close to the altar. Fitzgerald Brothers were appointed builders to undertake the work. Whilst the estimated cost was £90,000 this increased to £114,000 due to higher wages and material cost
https://stbrendansparishtralee.net/history/
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The Fatima Prayer (Decade Prayer)
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell,
lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those most in
need of Thy mercy. Amen.
Mary told the children that people should add this prayer to the end of each decade of the Rosary.
May 13th was the anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady to three shepherd children in the small village of Fatima in Portugal in 1917. She appeared six times to Lucia, 9, and her cousins Francisco, 8, and his sister Jacinta, 6, between May 13, 1917 and October 13, 1917.
=========================
=============================
Together we Pray:
Eternal God, in whom mercy
is endless and the treasury of
compassion – inexhaustible,
look kindly upon us and
increase Your mercy in us,
that in difficult moments we
might not despair nor
become despondent, but
with great confidence submit
ourselves to Your holy will,
which is love and mercy
itself.
---------------------
May you find whatever you need from this message. Maybe strength, hope, healing and peace. Wisdom of knowing that the power of God within you is greater than the Pressure of your troubles or the troubles around you. Bless you on this day Good Friday
----------------------------
============================
‘Double Celebrations’
Father Richard Sofatzis, a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Sydney, has a very personal perspective on the issue. He grew up in a mixed Catholic and Orthodox environment, since his father is Greek Orthodox and his mother, who died in 2017, was Catholic.
The priest’s Catholic mother, who was born in England, and his Greek Orthodox father, who was born on the Greek island of Lemnos, agreed before their marriage to baptize and raise their children in the Catholic faith, but to send them to a Greek Orthodox primary and secondary school.
==============================
Saint Stanislaus’ Story
Anyone who reads the history of Eastern Europe cannot help but chance on the name of Stanislaus, the saintly but tragic bishop of Kraków, patron of Poland. He is remembered with Saints Thomas More and Thomas Becket for vigorous opposition to the evils of an unjust government.
Born in Szczepanow near Kraków on July 26, 1030, he was ordained a priest after being educated in the cathedral schools of Gniezno, then capital of Poland, and at Paris. He was appointed preacher and archdeacon to the bishop of Kraków, where his eloquence and example brought about real conversion in many of his penitents, both clergy and laity. He became bishop of Kraków in 1072.
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-stanislaus/?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=356333356&utm_content=356333356&utm_source=hs_email
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Saint Teresa of Los Andes -----------------------
The convent offered the simple lifestyle Teresa desired and the joy of living in a community of women completely devoted to God. She focused her days on prayer and sacrifice. “I am God’s,” she wrote in her diary. “He created me and is my beginning and my end.”
Toward the end of her short life, Teresa began an apostolate of letter-writing, sharing her thoughts on the spiritual life with many people. At age 20 she contracted typhus and quickly took her final vows. She died a short time later, during Holy Week.
Known as the “Flower of the Andes,” Teresa remains popular with the estimated 100,000 pilgrims who visit her shrine in Los Andes each year. Canonized in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, she is Chile’s first saint.
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-teresa-of-los-andes/
=========================
Collaborative Genealogy
Unlisted
Clarerootsmedia CRS
Streamed live on 10 Apr 2025
This Clare Roots Society talk was given by Paddy Waldron on Thursday 10 April 2025 (a week earlier than usual due to Easter) at 7:30pm in the Clare Education Centre in Ennis (V95 F782).
For many centuries, individuals wrote out family trees by hand on sheets of paper or rolls of wallpaper, rewriting them frequently as new discoveries were made or new generations were born.
By the 1980s, the personal computer allowed family tree information to be recorded electronically, and reprinted frequently as new information materialised.
By the 1990s, the World Wide Web allowed family tree information to be published online, and later to be directly recorded online.
By the 2010s, online DNA comparisons required corresponding online family tree comparisons, with a multitude of DNA comparison websites requiring multitudes of duplicate online family trees.
The 2020s and 2030s promise to be the age of the collaborative online family tree, or trees: ideally a single accurate online world family tree, with the objective of having just one profile for every person who has ever lived, linked directly to the DNA data of those wishing to be included in the tree, allowing artificial intelligence to break down genealogical brick walls.
Paddy's talk will discuss the advantages and shortcomings of various candidates for this ideal family tree, and how members of the Clare Roots Society can contribute to bringing it about.
Paddy Waldron has degrees in mathematical sciences, economics and finance and has been a Lecturer and Visiting Research Fellow in Economics at Trinity College Dublin. More recently, he has specialised in local history and genealogy, especially genetic genealogy. He has been Chairman of the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations (2011-2012), Chairman of the Clare Roots Society (2013-2017) and Public Relations Officer of the Kilrush and District Historical Society since 2012. He has published in various local history journals, such as the North Munster Antiquarian Journal, Old Limerick Journal, Ballybrown Parish Journal and Ballyguiltenane Rural Journal, as well as An Irishman's Diary. On St. Patrick's Day 2025, he was appointed a Companion of the Clans of Ireland Order of Merit.
New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/58959039...
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Pa Daly TD April 2025
otnSepodrs3AtlhM9306r89i2mi9h7P6715 51g4lct2i3p2 a a 15h11:2 •
On her 10th birthday, I raised the case of Caireann O’Flaherty of Moyvane, North Kerry.
Cairinn has autism, EPD and dyspraxia.
Like many children around the country, Cairinn is being denied access to appropriate education. She is forced to attend a classroom that is not suitable nor equipped to meet her needs. As a result she’s often deeply distressed, subject to sensory overload and burnt out.
There is an obvious solution but the government are refusing to play ball.
Despite having a suitable building and empty classroom, as well as four other children who would benefit, Murhur National School has not been sanctioned for a special education class.
The principal, Fiona Fogarty, and the Board of Management are supportive.
This is another example of a government that is prepared to leave people behind despite the answers being right in front of them.
This is not good enough. Children from rural locations and small schools are just as entitled to appropriate and inclusive education as those from urban areas.
=====================
A Glimpse of Jesus
By Brennan Manning
Does self-hatred hinder our acceptance of God’s love? A former Franciscan priest looks to Jesus’s life for guidance in this encouraging exploration of Christian morality and compassion. “Compelling” (Publishers Weekly starred review).
==================================
The woman who had the most children in history Valentina Vassilyeva, born in 1707 and died in 1782, is recognized as the “woman who had the most children in history” according to the Guinness Book of Records. She was the first wife of Feodor Vassilyev, a peasant from Shuya, Russia. At this time, there were no methods of contraception, and having children was considered a religious and social obligation for women. Valentina gave birth 27 times, giving birth to 16 sets of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets, for a total of an incredible 69 children. Although it may seem unbelievable, this incredible feat has been officially documented and recognized by Guinness World Records.
==========================
MOST Children
https://www.tuko.co.ke/facts-lifehacks/celebrity-biographies/578161-who-kids-world-everything-know/
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Don’t allow those who reject you for reasons that you don’t know steal your joy! God sees you and you are loved by Him. Be still and let The Lord work things out on your favour
====================
Newtownsandes search
https://www.ancestry.com/search/?keyword=newtownsandes&searchMode=advanced
=======================
VIETNAM has been imposing strict laws against 22 offences, some of which are deemed minor by International Human Rights Law The offences include drug smuggling, spying, high treason, armed robbery, murder, activities aimed at overthrowing the government, and corruption, among others Kenya's Margaret Nduta was sentenced to death after she was convicted of drug smuggling following her arrest with over two kilos of drugs in July 2023 Read more: https://www.tuko.co.ke/world/asia/582454-vietnam-margaret-ndutas-offence-22-punishable-by-death/
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https://www.tuko.co.ke/world/asia/582454-vietnam-margaret-ndutas-offence-22-punishable-by-death/
===============================
STORM: Because the Earth is round, the sun is more directly overhead during the day at the equator than at the poles. This means more energy reaches the surface of the Earth near the equator. And that causes the lower part of the atmosphere, where weather occurs, to be both warmer and have higher pressure on average than the poles.
Nature doesn’t like imbalances. As a result of this temperature difference, strong winds develop at high altitudes over midlatitude locations, like the continental U.S. This is the jet stream, and even though it’s several miles up in the atmosphere, it has a big impact on the winds we feel at the surface.
================================
By Kate Quiñones
CNA Staff, Mar 21, 2025 / 08:00 am
On World Down Syndrome Day, March 21, people around the world raise awareness and promote the rights and well-being of people with Down syndrome.
The date, “3/21” symbolizes the triplication of the 21st chromosome — the genetic cause of Down syndrome, which was discovered by Dr. Jérôme Lejeune, a Catholic doctor on his way to sainthood.
In 2021, Lejeune, who was born in 1926 and died in 1994, was declared venerable for his heroic virtue, including his advocacy for people with Down syndrome and his defense of unborn children.
=======================
BELL at Mass: There's a conversation going on about why we ring bells in the Catholic Mass. The answers so far have been incomplete or incorrect.
Here's the whole thing explained:
In the Middle Ages, churches had many side altars. You can still see the many side chapels when you visit a medieval cathedral in Europe.
Often the side chapels were added to a church or cathedral by a wealthy benefactor who left an endowment (a parcel of land from which there would be a revenue stream).
The endowment paid for a priest's stipend to say Mass in that chapel every day for the repose of the soul of the donor and his family members.
https://www.churchpop.com/why-do-we-ring-bells-at-mass-the-fascinating-medieval-history-youve-never-heard/?utm_campaign=ChurchPop&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=353090580&utm_content=353090580&utm_source=hs_email
===============
Limerick Chronicle early 1800
https://vimeo.com/222647496
=========================
People are literally happier when they move to the places they want to live in to be the people they want to be. (In the great debate between my friends Kevin Williamson and Michael Brendan Dougherty over the town of Garbutt, New York, and all it represents, I am now more fully on team Kevin than ever before).
------------------------------------
From the March 28, 2016, issue of NR
Michael Brendan Dougherty is bitter. I think that I can write that in both truth and charity. (I think you might even say that he and I are friends.) Dougherty is a conservative of the sort sometimes advertised as “paleo” and served as national correspondent for The American Conservative.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2016/03/donald-trump-white-working-class-dysfunction-real-opportunity-needed-not-trump/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=The%20Energy%20That%20Fuels%20the%20American%20Dream&utm_campaign=The%20G-File_Free%20Subscribers%20Only_The%20Energy%20That%20Fuels%20the%20American%20Dream
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===================================
Dear Friends of Sacred Heart Church,
Today, we arrive to a very different Gospel from last Sunday. From Saint Matthew’s account of Jesus’s admirable Transfiguration in Mount
Thabor, we now have Him confronting both spiritual enemies in the dumb demon that He expels from a man, and His worldly enemies
in the man that accuses that Christ’s good work of liberating the possessed man as a cover for His allegiance with the cohorts from Hell, and incites the multitude to request signs right after seeing God’s wonders.
Throughout the Lenten Sundays, the Church gives us alternatively readings that make us aware of both the spiritual confrontation ahead of our Christian life, and the spiritual consolation that God provides to us in the midst of our struggle against the enemies of the soul.
This shows two aspects we must never forget about our Lent: firstly, that we must detach from everything that is worldly and merely a creature in God’s eyes (including ourselves and our pride); secondly, we can’t do it without God’s grace and firm encouragement.
Lent isn’t primarily a period of joy, it’s a period of serious reflection on ourselves and what keeps on the way of loving God more perfectly, and of engaging in penance for the expiation of our past sins and the detachment of anything that leads us into sin. This Sunday, particularly, reminds us that we’re not simply dealing with our own, isolated problems in Lent, but we are confronting a whole kingdom of evil that is set in taking Heaven away from us. And such an enemy can only be won over collectively with God’s grace, and with the entire Church engaged in edifying each other and praying for each other’s sanctification.
With that being said, we do have a little consolation next Tuesday through the anniversary of one of the greatest moments of Salvation history! Nine months before the world saw the Son of God be born in human flesh, the Archangel Gabriel was
sent by God to Nazareth to visit a Virgin named Mary, espoused to Joseph of the house of David, to announce God’s plan of making her His mother as He would come as the promised Messiah – a promise that dated as far back as when Eve first brought sin into the world.
From Eve’s transgression, came sin and Death; but from Mary’s assent to
Gabriel’s message came the world’s salvation and a new hope for the poor
sinners. Let us strive to give particular honour to the Virgin Mary this week in the day that she became, even if unbeknownst to most men, the Mother of God and of all the living redeemed!
This last weekend, Canon Lebocq went to Ardee to celebrate the Feast of our dear Patron Saint Benedict with our Sisters Adorers and is today in Belfast to see our Canons and faithful in the North. Let us pray that his travels go smoothly and that he may return home safely!
This Wednesday, as it became our practice during this holy season, we will have our next Lent conference on the next word of Christ on the Cross: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?’ We look forward to seeing you there!
Lastly, we would like to invite you to pray for our Bishop, Brendan Leahy, particularly next Friday where he will turn 65. Happy birthday and ad multos annos!
Wishing you a blessed week,
Canon Lebocq
Prior of Sacred Heart Church
Live stream from the Sacred Heart Church
---------------------------------------------------------------
But back to that day, that era. I can’t recall anything like it. My great-grandmother lived through the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918. I think that pandemic was worse but the leadership was better. For the one in our lifetime, much of the pain was induced by unforced errors by our leaders. Closing the schools; forbidding funerals but allowing BLM protests; the loss of trust in our scientific, medical, political, media, and other societal institutions. We still haven’t recovered from it.
We may never recover from it. Things are...different now. In certain respects, different in a good way. The average guy on the street needed to know how bad it is, how corrupted our institutions have become. Now he knows. In my case, while my politics are conservative, my temperament is relatively moderate. I take no special pleasure in knowing that the tinfoil hat crowd turned out to be right about so much. But they did. They are. The ones at whom the conspiracy theorists had pointed the finger for decades exposed themselves. Conspiracy, yes. Theory, no.
https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/pandemic-and-pope-francis/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=catholic_news_vatican_announces_new_program_of_committees_and_2028_meeting_to_help_churches_walk_in_a_synodal_style&utm_term=2025-03-16
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Weekly Newsletter
Second Sunday of Lent
16th March 2025
Dear Friends of Sacred Heart Church,
We hope your Lenten efforts are perseverant and yielding good results! Remember to give thanks to God for all success and perseverance, and take any occasional failing to grow in humility. Remember that for our resolutions in Lent to be truly fruitful, they should be surrounded by a true sense of helplessness that trusts that God works in and through us. As Saint Francis de Sales taught his Visitandine sisters, true humility is coupled by a true confidence in God that doesn’t discourage us from trying to progress, but on the contrary makes us more generous in our efforts, knowing He is the backbone of any true spiritual growth!
And this Sunday, we have a set of readings destined to encourage our efforts! Today, we follow Christ’s closest disciples as they ascend Mount Thabor in Lower Galilee, and witness on the peak of that tall hill their Lord and Master being transfigured. In a few weeks, they would see Christ surrounded by criminals in the midst of suffering and humiliation: but today, we see Him entoured by holy men in the midst of His divine glory. Let us take this moment to take this refreshing moment to glimpse the glory that we aspire through our Lent, and strive to persevere in our spiritual struggle.
And speaking of Lent, have flyers with the schedule for this year’s Holy Week. Make sure you get one flyer at the back of the church so that you don’t miss any of the ceremonies that will prepare us for Easter!
A Week of Solemn Feasts
Aside from the encouraging readings of today, we also have a whole set of beautiful feasts that will lighten the mood of our penitential season. As you all undoubtedly know, tomorrow we will be celebrating Ireland’s great apostle and holy patron, Saint Patrick!
For this great solemnity of the Éire, we will be celebrating a low Mass at 8 am and a Solemn High Mass at 10:30 am. Please be aware that the church will close after the 10:30 Mass and we will not have a public Mass at 6 pm.
On Wednesday, we will be celebrating the solemnity of the great Patron of the Universal Church and more particularly of our community here in Limerick, Saint Joseph. His intercession has been instrumental to allow our acquisition and restoration of our church, and we would love to have your presence or at least your prayers to thank this great benefactor of the church on his feast day.
Additionally, we will blessed with the presence of our dear friend Father Horgan, who
will come to join us for the feast of Saint Joseph, as the celebrant of the Mass and as a guest preacher of the Lenten conference that follows. Please join us in welcoming him and learning from his instruction for the edification of our Lent!
Finally, on Friday, we will be celebrating the feast of Saint Benedict, patron saint of Europe and more particularly as well of our Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest! Not only has his Rule been a standard for the monasticism in the Western church, but the spirit of his rule is the source of the community life and focus on bringing God the greatest public honour we can through a careful liturgy!
Like for all of our patronal feasts, the Holy See grants to all of the attendants of our Mass a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions. Please come and join us for this wonderful celebration!
Prayer Intentions for the Pope
The Holy Father’s health, as you may have heard, has been rather unsettling for the last couple of weeks. As our shepherd and Christ’s Vicar, we all have the duty to pray for him as his spiritual children. Please join in our prayers that God may give him strength and perseverance on this trial.
Canon Lebocq
Prior of Sacred Heart Church
Live stream from the Sacred Heart Church
==================================
-----------------------
LIVING IN THE GIFT OF HIS DIVINE WILL : CONFERENCE 8TH MARCH
2025: Daniel Shiels will guide us on “Living in the Gift of His Divine Will" and will
show us how our daily lives can be transformed through operating the gift of
Divine Will. Dromid conference centre Waterville V23RK10 (066 947 4782).
A NOTE FROM FR JIM Lenihan
As we begin Lent this Wednesday with Ash Wednesday what is your strategy to
make yourself a better person over those 40 or so days? Lent is a time where
with the help of Prayer, Alms Giving and Fasting we achieve the challenge of
bettering ourselves. But why Prayer, Alms Giving and Fasting? The catechism of
the Catholic Church in paragraph 377 mentions a term called the ‘Triple
Concupiscence’ that subjugates Humanity to 1. the pleasures of the senses, 2.
covetousness for earthly goods, and 3. self-assertion, contrary to the dictates of
reason.” St. John in his first letter describes it like this: “Do not love the world or
the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world;
for all that is in the world—1. the lust of the flesh, 2. the lust of the eyes, 3.
the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:15–
17). The lust of the flesh is an inordinate or unnatural desire for bodily pleasure
of any kind such as food, drink, sensual pleasures, excessive comforts, etc., The
lust of the eyes is an inordinate or unnatural desire for possessions. This can
manifest itself in greed, envy, consumerism, materialism. And finally, the pride of
life is a rebellion and disobedience against God seen in sins such as egotism, pride,
selfishness, arrogance, atheism, etc. So fast to overcome lust of the flesh. Give
alms to push back the lust of the eyes and pray to humble ourselves against pride
of life. I do find it fascinating to link the first temptation in Genesis 3:6 'When
the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh),
and pleasing to the eye (Lust of the eyes) and also desirable for gaining wisdom
(Pride of life). Then look at the three temptations of Christ, all three temptations
are the same. Reflect this Lent on your own sin and see where your focus should
be on, Fasting? Almsgiving? or Prayer?
======================
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A new film by ZSL captures the urgent rescue mission and 7000-mile expedition made by conservationists to protect a tiny frog from a deadly fungus.
A Leap of Hope documents the devastating impact of chytrid fungus on some of the world's most vulnerable amphibian species and the work being done at London Zoo rescue the Darwin's frog and safeguard its future in the wild.
A Leap of Hope | Rescuing Darwin’s Frogs from Extinction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs1SIs0KRlk
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That was a day to remember, and I like to think I wasn’t the only one in the Lyreacrompane Community Centre who felt the brothers’ approval of another meitheal of Brosnans: Con’s son John on accordion, Dan’s son Tim on bodhrán, and me — the son of their uncle Tim — on guitar.
In memory of Kathleen Brosnan (née Casey) 1930 – 2021
https://thehumanwriters.com/2025/01/09/bogmen/
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By Currents News
Charles and Anthony Esposito learn and process information just like everyone else, but non-speaking autism has prevented them from sharing their thoughts with the world – until now. Jessica Easthope is reporting on how Spelling to Communicate technology has allowed the two men to use a letterboard as their voice and give their opinions on autism, faith, and how the two collide.
https://netny.tv/episodes/currents/catholics-non-speaking-autism-letterboard-tech/?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=347019432&utm_content=347019432&utm_source=hs_email
=================================
Erin Shine
Founder | BPI® Energy Auditor Certified Professional
Insulation is a key factor in how energy efficient your home is. But are we insulating our homes at the cost of our health?
Many types of insulation contain questionable chemicals that can pose a health risk to you and your family even while they protect you from the elements. So we examined the different types of insulation on the market to find the healthiest insulation out there.
https://www.attainablehome.com/healthiest-insulation-top-5-for-your-home/
=================
Weird , Wonder and Amazing Things ·
Chathumi Bhagya · Sopoetrdnsa0 A5 b:2e1cM6gf6t7g1y20 a976 u67030rghhF9630girla ·
An Ancient tree discovered in New Zealand contains a 42,000-year-old record of a reversal of Earth's magnetic field.
The most recent polar reversal, called the Laschamp excursion, happened about 41,000 to 42,000 years ago. During this time, the north magnetic pole moved to the southern hemisphere and then back to the north.
Scientists studied ancient kauri trees found in wetlands in northern New Zealand. These trees were alive during the Laschamp excursion. By analyzing the growth rings, researchers measured a spike in atmospheric radiocarbon levels, which occurred when Earth's magnetic field weakened. This helped them create a detailed timeline of the changes.
Earlier studies focused on what happened while the magnetic poles were reversed, during which Earth's magnetic field was only 28% as strong as it is now. However, this new research revealed that the biggest changes happened during a transition period called the Adams Event. During this time, the magnetic field dropped to just 0-6% of its current strength.
Researchers compared their findings with data from other Pacific sites and used climate models to show how the Adams Event caused major environmental changes. These included the growth of ice sheets in North America and shifts in wind patterns and tropical storm systems.
Professor Anthony Dosseto from the University of Wollongong explained that the Adams Event caused dramatic changes to the planet's climate. In Australia, for example, it became much drier. This event might explain the extinction of megafauna in Australia and the disappearance of Neanderthals in Europe.
The event may also explain the sudden rise in cave art during this time. As cosmic radiation increased, people likely sought shelter in caves, leading to a surge in cave painting.
The study warns that if a similar magnetic field shift happened today, the effects would be devastating. Cosmic radiation could destroy power grids and satellite systems while triggering rapid climate change.
Professor Dosseto stressed the importance of understanding this event: “What happened 42,000 years ago is terrifying and could happen again. The weakening of the magnetic field only lasted a few hundred years, but its effects on the climate, environment, and life lasted thousands of years. It’s a warning for our planet today.”
CCTO
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1660866237657971/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=2011289245949000
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Anna Haining Bates: One of the Tallest Women in History and Her Unique Love Story
Anna Haining Bates, born on August 6, 1846, in Mill Brook, Nova Scotia, is remembered not only for her remarkable height but also for her extraordinary life alongside her equally towering husband, Martin Van Buren Bates. Standing at an astounding 7 feet 11 inches,
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SOLAR: The funding will enable O’Shea’s Gala to install a new solar photovoltaic system installed by Dingle-based company, Solar Beo, specialists in Commercial, Domestic & Agricultural Contractors in Solar PV, Battery Management Systems & EV Charging Units.
By implementing this technology, the store expects to significantly reduce its energy consumption and carbon footprint.
The system is projected to save the store 33,080 kWh of energy annually, reducing CO2 emissions by 12 tonnes per year – which is the equivalent of over 537 trees needed to offset the same amount of CO2, showcasing the tangible benefits of adopting sustainable practices in convenience retail.
https://traleetoday.ie/osheas-gala-blennerville-is-first-store-to-receive-gala-greener-grant/
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Your friends saw the red flags. Your family voiced their concerns. But you were so caught up in the excitement of new love that you missed all the warning signs. Now you’re stuck in a relationship that’s making you absolutely miserable.
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As of Dec. 2024, 71 approved miracles are attributed to the Marian shrine at Lourdes. However, more than 7,000 additional healing claims have occurred, even though they are not yet approved.
The first approved miracle was the healing of Catherine Latapie on March 1, 1858. She dislocated her arm and paralyzed her hand after a fall. She regained full movement after placing her hand and arm in the spring water.
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February 10, 2025
As a Benedictine woman, it’s no surprise that I love the feast of St. Scholastica. Though we only have one story about her from the Dialogues of Gregory the Great, it is a doozy. In brief: as was their annual custom, Benedict and Scholastica meet between their monasteries one particular year to have a visit. St. Gregory writes: "They devoted the whole day to the praises of God and to holy conversation." They talk into the evening, and then Benedict says it is time to leave. Scholastica asks him to stay so they can keep talking about holy things. He refuses. So she puts her head down on the table and, moved to tears, prays. The skies open up, and there is such a storm that Benedict can’t leave. Gregory concludes that part of the story with the words: "And so it happened that they passed the whole night in vigil and each fully satisfied the other with holy talk on the spiritual life." They go back to their own monasteries, and Scholastica dies three days later.
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Scientists have recorded the coldest temperature in Earth’s history—but some experts warn that temperatures could drop even lower in the future. What caused this extreme freeze, and could we see an even colder record
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The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
As I was writing last weeks piece, which never made it into hard copy but was available on line, I mentioned the fact that it was snowing but little did I think that it would be as severe as it was. In recent years we have got used to very mild winters with the odd exception but I have never seen anything like this years beginning since 1963. I remember it well because I was supposed to go back to England after Christmas but wasn’t able to travel for six weeks with all the snow on the ground and freezing temperatures. Maybe the snowfall wasn’t as heavy as this year but it was driven by a storm that made huge drifts. It was also much colder with very low temperatures which caused the rivers to freeze over. I was talking to a man in Abbeyfeale the other day who remembers that time and how all the youngsters went skating on the Feale . In those days we weren’t told what the temperature was. There was a snowdrift about f1ve feet high just down the from our house that made the road impassable until my father eventually backed his lorry into it and made a passage through. Even though it was worse than the present freeze people didn’t suffer as much because they weren’t relying as much on electricity or cars as we are today. In those days people rarely shopped except for things like tea and sugar because they had all they needed at home. The potatoes were in the pit, the pig in the barrel and cabbage or turnips added for a good dinner and there were plenty of eggs and bread which could be baked over the open fire or range. There was plenty of turf in the sheds so, apart from being able to travel, life went on as usual. Now it is totally different. People who followed the best advice now have homes that totally depend on electricity. There is no fireplace, no stove fuelled by oil, gas or turf, no chimney, everything depending on electricity, even the car. When the power goes off the household is in real trouble. Why does the power go out so easily? I was listening to the Abbeyfeale County Councillor, Liam Galvin, on the radio the other day and he made a few good observations. One was the fact that we have power lines running through forests too close to trees that fall on the wires through the weight of snow or the force of a storm. He said there should be discussions with those in power to cut back those trees so that contact with the power lines would be minimal. I totally agree and the question should also be asked; why are all the power lines not underground where they would be protected? I don’t expect much to change because this will be forgotten in a few days and everything will go back to normal but times are changing and the weather is getting less predictable. It is likely that we will have more storms and cold snaps in the future so it is vital that we prepare ourselves for all eventualities. I am lucky that I have a gas fire that we were able to use for heat and a gas stove for cooking. In card-playing terms it is “keeping a guard to the knave” so I think every house should have something to fall back on. I know there is a move away from fossil fuels but it wouldn’t make much difference if they were only used in emergencies. Though the weather was really bad last week it somehow brought out the best in people. Those who could travel with tractors and four wheel drives made sure their less fortunate neighbours weren’t left isolated and brought necessary supplies from the shops. There was a great sense of community, something that we took for granted years ago but is less in evidence today. We fawn over so-called “celebrities” but the real heroes are the crews who were out 24/7 trying to restore power and water to thousands of houses and businesses. The technicians could not do their job until a path was made to the location of a fault and then another crew had to cut and clear away the trees that had fallen on the lines. I don’t know what they get paid but whatever it is would not repay them for what they did on our behalf. There were also a lot of elderly people who depend on meals on wheels for their daily dinner. It was impossible fior the cars and vans that normally deliver but, again, those with suitable vehicles chipped in and made sure nobody was left hungry. “Ar scath a chéile a mhaireann na daoine” is an old Irish saying which means we live in each others shadow and so we depend on each other.
I am worried about the way society is developing in Ireland at the moment. No week goes by now without news of another murder somewhere. When I was young murders were very rare indeed. I remember a murder, back in Kerry between Lyreacrompane and Tralee, of a man in a land dispute. It was the talk of the day and the night for weeks and people would mention it in hushed voices. It was the inspiration for John B. Keane’s play “The Field”. Why have we become so violent? We had our disputes and rows long ago but the worst that happened was a bloody nose or a split lip but now knives and guns a re used with little regard for life. I firmly believe that young people are being influenced by violent films and social media content that have nothing to do with reality. I don’t know what the answer is but I think anybody found carrying a lethal weapon should be prosecuted and taken off the streets. Over the years I have walked the streets of major cities at all hours of the night and never feared for my safety. Now there are parts of local towns where I wouldn’t venture, even in the daytime.
https://www.athea.ie/category/news/
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The Jubilee Prayer 2025
Father in heaven, may the faith You have given us in Your son, Jesus Christ, our
brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of Your Kingdom.
May Your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of
evil vanquished, Your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the
treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our
Redeemer throughout the earth. To You our God, eternally blessed, be glory and
praise for ever. Amen
Pope Francis
A Jubilee Year is traditionally proclaimed by the Universal Church every 25 years. It
is a particular year set aside to encourage the faithful to embark on pilgrimages, to
repent of their sins and forgive the sins of others, and to renew a focus on the
spiritual life. In the Hebrew tradition, as recorded in Leviticus, a Jubilee was
celebrated every 50 years with the freeing of slaves and the forgiveness of debts. In
1300, Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Christian Jubilee, and since then the
Church has designated each new Jubilee as a special year of grace and forgiveness,
offering the faithful an opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence.
The 2025 Jubilee is centred on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” Pope Francis
said: "We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to
gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a
trusting heart and far-sighted vision." During the Jubilee Year, the Pope invites every
one of us to embark on a pilgrimage of hope, so that, "Through our witness, hope
may spread to all those who anxiously seek it
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JUBILEE YEAR PRAYER
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our
brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us
the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into
tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of
the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May
that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you
our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen - Pope Francis
FIRST COMMUNION CORNER
Thank you, loving God, for loving me and for welcoming me into your family when
I was baptised. Help me to share your love with the people I meet today. Amen.
CONFIRMATION STUDENTS WINDOW
The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in bodily shape, like a dove.
A voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved; my favour rests on you.’
Q. Who has shown God’s love to you today?
Q. With whom have you shared God’s love?
Don’t let someone who gave up on their dreams talk you out of going after yours.
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FR. GERARD’S CORNER
BAPTISM OF JESUS
Today’s feast reminds us of our own baptism and presents us with the opportunity to reflect on the implications of leading the life of a Christian in the world today. Baptism marks our spiritual birth and the start of o Christian journey. It sets the tone of our lives. What God said to us on the day of our baptism, he says to us every day of our lives. We are God’s ‘beloved sons and daughters on whom God’s favour rests.’ We are called, like Christ, to spend our lives revealing the kindness and love of God. Like Jesus, we are called to share with others the favour of God which rests upon us.
LAST WORD: WORRY IS INTEREST PAID ON TROUBLE BEFORE IT IS DUE!!
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