PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

(Recited at the end of the Rosary in the church before Mass)

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in our hour of need; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God restrain him, we humbly pray: and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God cast Satan down to hell, and all wicked spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

ANNIVERSARIES

Johnny Parle, Months Mind Mass this Saturday

Jack Glennon, Mass this Sunday at 11am.

Mary McGrath and Mary Curtis, Mass this Wednesday at 9.30am.

Anastasia Knox, Mass next Saturday.

May they all rest in peace. Amen.

ALTAR SOCIETY

This Week: (2) Margaret Bates, Anna O'Regan & Diane O'Hara.

Next Week: (3) Anne O'Connor, Mamie Murphy & Peggy Colfer.

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS

This Week: (1) Martin Kennedy, A.N. Other & Margaret Colfer.

Next Week: (2) Dora Kent, Ann French & Margaret Colfer.

REFLECTION

It isn't the things you do, it's the things you leave undone, which give you a little heartache at the setting of the sun. The gentle word forgotten, the letter you didn't write, the flowers you might have sent, are your haunting ghosts tonight. The stone you might have lifted out of your brother's way, the little heartfelt council you werre hurried too much to say. The tender touch of the hand, the gentle and kindly tone, which we have no time or thought for, with troubles enough of our own.

EVENING OF PRAYER

The Diocesan Clergy Choir in communion with the Sisters of Adoration would like to invite you to join them for the singing of Evening Prayer on Sunday, 14th March at 5pm in Bride St. Church, Wexford.  The prayer is principally for an increase in vocations, and has been organised by the Ferns Vocations Team.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

God of grace, you are that patient and careful gardener who can produce fruit from the most unpromising of trees. Help us to produce in our lives the fruits of true repentance. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

ENVELOPES

The envelope contributions, which go towards the upkeep of the Church, for last weekend were €224.20 for which I thank you.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

The story of the fig tree gives us a heartening glimpse into the mind of God who patiently watches as we mess up our lives. He continues to have confidence in us long after we have lost hope in ourselves. With the best will in the world, we cannot get through a day without making mistakes in our work, without falling foul of people and failing to recognise goodness and give credit where credit is due. Lent is a grace filled time to take stock of our lives, recognise our sinfulness and avail of the window of opportunity  this holy season provides for repentance. One of the greatest enemies of the moral life is putting things on the long finger and waiting until tomorrow to do something. Such a person is forever looking forward to the right moment and the golden opportunity that never arrives. Someone once said 'that life is what happens when something else is planned'. The great mistake is to think that we are in control. All things considered, few of the really important occurrences of any person's life are programmed. The truth is that the most significant things happen among the commonplace and when least expected. It is a risky business putting repentance off to a later date because we have no idea how long our moment of grace will last. At the close of every day which is a God given gift and an opportunity to grow in grace, it is worth reflecting on what good we could have done and neglected to do.

DARKNESS INTO LIGHT

Pieta House 'Darkness into Light 5k Event' will take place this year on Saturday 8^th May 2010 in two venues - The Phoenix Park, Dublin 7 and University of Limerick.  Participants will be invited to walk or run the 5k route, starting whilst it is still dark and completing the circuit as dawn is breaking. This will be a symbolic event to give hope to those affected by Suicide and Self-Harm.

Pieta House, the centre for the Prevention of Self-harm or Suicide, opened its doors in January 2006.  Pieta House is Ireland's first community-based centre for the prevention of self-harm or suicide. Pieta House offers one to one counseling. Services at Pieta House are free of charge. Pieta House has outreach centres in Tallaght and Finglas. We will open an outreach centre in Ballyfermot in the summer of 2010. Our first outreach centre outside the Dublin area will open in Mungret, Limerick in the summer of 2010.

Online registration is now available at www.pieta.ie. Postal registration will also be available. For any enquiries contact Marie Freeman at (01) 6010000; or marie@pieta.ie.

RURAL BUS @ SWW CDP

The Rural Bus @ SWW CDP has been shortlisted as one of the local deserving children's projects in contention for a €10,000 award from AIB New Ross through the Better Ireland Programme. The branch will share out €10,000 between the three short listed projects with first place receiving €5,000, second place €3,000 and third place €2,000 that will be ranked in order by public votes cast over a four-week period from 15^th February - 15^th March 2010. Some of the transport we provide for younger people includes; daily travel for several local primary schools where children are unable to access other public or private transport, a boys after schools group, transport to and from Fusion Youth Cafe, and for the Homework Support Club in Ramsgrange Community School. Please help us by getting all your friends & family to text NEWROSS (all one word), followed by a space, followed by the letter C to 51303 (standard SMS rates apply) or vote online at www.betterireland.ie. You can vote on line every day. The group with the most votes gets the most money. Many thanks for all your help & please keep voting.

SUNDAY MASS

Anybody 50 or older can remember when attendance at Sunday Mass was the norm for all Catholics. To miss it, unless you were sick, was unheard of. To be a "practicing Catholic" meant you went to Mass every Sunday. Over 75% of Catholics did so. That should still be the case. But, sadly, it is not.

If you want your faith to wither up and die, quit going to Sunday Mass, as the body will die without food, the soul will expire without nourishment. That sustenance comes at the Sunday Eucharist.

These are some excuses that are used by people who no longer attend the Sunday Mass:

·         "Sunday is our only free time together" (Great, what better way to spend it than by praying together at Mass)

·         "I pray my own way". (Nice idea. But, odds are, you don't)

·         "The sermon is boring". (You may have a point)

·         "Until the Church changes its teaching, I'm staying away" (Don't we go to Mass to ask God to change us, not to tell God how we want him and his Church to change to suit us?)

·         "Everyone there is a hypocrite and always judging me" (Who's judging now?)

 (Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York)

 

TRÓCAIRE

Trócaire would like to thank everyone for their huge generosity to the Haiti appeal. Donations from the Irish public have surpassed all expectations - ROI: €3,486,815 and NI: Stg £979,643.  Thanks to this support Trócaire will help thousands of survivors to rebuild their lives in Haiti. However, this Lent Trócaire reminds us that, while earthquakes and natural disasters attract global attention, there are millions of people around the world who will go to bed hungry tonight. During Lent over 600,000 children will die from hunger and diseases caused by hunger. The total number of people that were killed by the recent earthquake in Haiti, is less than half that number. This hunger crisis is taking place away from the TV cameras and global attention, in small, rural villages all over the developing world. Please support Trócaire's Lenten campaign this year in whatever way you can, to help families overcome hunger.

NATIONAL TREE WEEK

A free illustrated lecture, to celebrate National Tree Week, will be held in Wexford Town Library on Thursday 11^th March, 2010 from 10.45am to 11.45am. The theme of the lecture; 'Managing Trees and Forest  in County Wexford' will be delivered by Declan Doyle, Forestry Manager, Wexford Area, Coillte.

COCKLESHELL GALLERY

The Cockleshell Gallery is pleased to announce the Official Launch of Exhibitions 2010 on Friday March 12^th at 8pm in the Cockleshell Gallery. This exhibition range will showcase the works of Imelda Crosbie-Harvey, Peter Hodnett, Barbara O'Meara and Joe Ryan. Local Artists: Eileen Cloney, Anne B Colfer, Ethna Horan and Catherine Power.

This invitation is extended to all.

Children's Easter Art & Craft Workshop:

For children aged 7 to 13 years, 6^th to 9^th April inclusive. Tutor: Jane Whelan. 10.30am to 1pm each day. Early booking Essential. €40 each.

Snapshots Spring 2010

Digital Photography Workshop for Beginners, Saturday 10^th & 17^th April. 2pm to 5pm each day. Tutor: Paula Malone Carty L.I.P.P.A. Fee: €50. Early Booking Essential. 051 389990 to book.