R 3D & UL 0$<%($/7$,1( W VK 6 1HZEULGJH &R.LOGDUH May has traditionally been known as the 'Month of Mary' and the in May when Marian Shrines will be decorated too with the simple annual setting up of the May Altar heralds the start of summer. flowers. Some of these shrines are associated with apparitions or healing cures or just mark the paths along places of devotion. Building the May Altar The old hymn records the act of veneration of the Blessed Virgin Over the years, the tradition of building a small May Altar in the and sung by Rev. Sidney MacEwan. home has brought the colourful primroses, cherry blossom and daisies into the house. In our younger days our mothers would Bring flowers of the rarest add the statue of the Blessed Virgin and surround it with flowers bring blossoms the fairest, and perhaps a votive candle. The same statue was used every year, from garden and woodland and hillside and dale; usually purchased from Knock Shrine, (depending on what part of our full hearts are swelling, the country you lived in) or further afield from Lourdes in France. our glad voices telling These were small plastic statues of what was called the "Holy Lady" the praise of the loveliest flower of the vale! about 6 inches in height, though any statue could be used. When O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today! purchased, they were filled with holy water and topped with a blue Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May. crown. Almost every house in the country had one and most houses O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today, ProofQueen of the Angels and Queen of the May… still have them today. The May Altar would be erected on the 1st May and kept until 31st May and it is surprising the amount of small, colourful flowers that The tradition of the May Altar has been handed down in many are available at that time of year. Usually the weather hasn't warmed parts of the country, usually from mother to daughter but since the up but in looking for those flowers you discover that, indeed, the decrease in Mass attendance it might not be as popular as it once land has certainly awakened from its winter hibernation. was. Even if it is less practised today, it is nice to think that in this Bring flowers of the rarest... quiet, simple task each year we remember our mothers and our Almost every town and village in Ireland has a few Marian Shrines, connection to her mother and all those who came before. Wouldn’t with many houses and communities creating these quiet corners of it be nice if we restored the practice in our homes? reflection, adorned with a statue of Mary and usually with a place to Photo and Text supplied by Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO). sit or kneel. Spotting these can be a great way to pass the time on See page 3 for more information. long car journeys around Ireland and they are particularly interesting Parish e-mail: [email protected] Parish Office Tel: 045 431394 News & Views email: [email protected] Parish Website: www.newbridgeparish.ie Lotto: [email protected] Diocesan Website: www.kandle.ie Parish Team Phone Numbers Parish Office Parish Sister Sr. Eileen Fr. Paul Dempsey, P.P. Fr. Michael Cudzilo C.C. Tel. 045 431939 Parish Office Tel. 045 431741 Tel. 045 438036 Parish Pastoral Minister Tel. 045 431394 Fr. J. McDermott, P.E.C.C. Fr. Tadeusz Durajczyk (Polish Chaplain) Margarita Bedding Fax: 045 486171 Tel. 045 903889 Tel. 045 434069 Tel. 087 6107528 Parish Administrator Parish Centre Fr. David Barrins O.P., C.C. Rev. Deacon Jim Stowe Tel. 045 487200 Donal Mahon Tel. 045 431121 Tel. 045 431394 Tel. 087 2124515 Emergency Number: Priest on call 087-2554908 M ASS TIMES You’ll Be Bowled ST CONLETH’S CILL MHUIRE DOMINICAN CHURCH Over! Ryston Bowls would Saturday: Vigil Mass Saturday: Vigil Mass Saturday: Vigil Mass 6.00pm 8.00pm welcome new members 7.00pm Sunday: 8.30am 11.00am Sunday: 9.30am 10.30am to join our club with a 12.30pm 7.00pm Sunday: 10.30am 12 noon 5.30pm view to playing in our League programme.We Dates for Your Diary - Holy Family Icon & Novena meet every Tuesday and On Thursday May 3 the Holy Family Icon will Thursday from 2.00 to arrive in Newbridge and remain for the weekend. 4.30pm, in Ryston Hall. The itinerary is as follows. Coaching provided. Call ST CONLETH’S CHURCH, NEWBRIDGE (085) 7153868 for info. Thursday, May 3 - 7:30 pm. Taizé Prayer Service of Welcome for the Icon with DEATHS reflections and a blessing for families and formal John Jack O’Reilly – Hawkfield opening of the icon Catherine Walsh – Lucan Friday, May 4 - 12 noon. Sarah O’Brien – Athy Schools Liturgy. As above. Michael O’Carroll – Kildare Town Friday, May 4 - 7:30 pm. Donnie O’Brien – The Oaks Evening Mass for the Feast of St Conleth Blessing for families at Masses & praying of Jerry Lodge – Portlaoise WMOF official prayer; Extended opening for quiet prayer until 10 pm. Jim Byrne – Wexford Monday, May 7 - 11 am. Sr. Catherine Evers, Holy Family – Newbridge Mass and formal closing of Icon & entrusting of prayer petitions to the WMOF John Quinn – Mount Carmel Novena Dates & Speakers Brenda Norris – The Curragh World Meeting of Families 2018 Newbridge Parish: The Joy of Love in Marriage Christopher (Christy) Byrne, The Curragh and the Family Monday, May 7. Healing night with Sacrament of the Sick Testimony on illness impacts a family - Edel Swords. BAPTISMS Monday, May 14. Helping married couples Mafalda Brennan ACCORD Newbridge Adam Seán Kenny – Roseberry Monday, May 21. Vocations and the Family Father Willie Purcell. Adelaide Lorraine Murphy – Treacy Meadows Monday, May 28. Youth Night. To be confirmed. Maja O’Neill – Curragh Grange Monday, 4 June. Vocation - first year as a priest Father David Vard. Patryk O’Neill – Curragh Grange Adam O’Neill – Curragh Grange Communion Gifts Available in the Parish Centre Kate Mary Thérése O’Reilly – Rathangan Freya Joanne Kemmy Cullen – Roseberry Hill Grace Michelle Breslin – Baroda Court, Newbridge Kaitlynn Moreno Abad – Rathcurragh Emily Molloy – Lakeside Park Sienna Devine – College Farm Court ProofSadhbh O’ Donnell – Swords Saoirse Donnelly – St. Barnabas Church, New York City. INTERVIEW TRAINING SKILLS SCAN HOME PHOTOS Music lessons available on CV PREPARATION Confidential scanning service to preserve piano, violin, PRESENTATION SKILLS and protect photos in an online world voice, keyboard, Speak with Ease and Confidence • Protect photos guitar, drums, • Share with friends and family Contact Con McNamara brass and • High-speed service that saves you time +35345831577 woodwind +353872538011 Contact us: 087 6677400 www.ebcr.ie [email protected] Naas Rd, Newbridge.Tel: 045-437175 22 NEWS & VIEWS MAY 2018 EDITORIAL Breda Reid It was one of those beautiful lengthening days, are unsure of where in Ireland they originate from, or if there are when May was pressing back with both hands any living relatives still here. Ireland XO aims to help people the shades of the morning and the evening. discover the story of their family history and reconnect them with Amelia E. Barr the Ireland of today. While speaking to Laura, she asked me what In my opinion these words describe perfectly civil parish we were in, I had no idea there was a difference. It what May does. The harbinger of Summer, seems that the civil parish is often different from the religious May is a month full of promise and expectation. Our front page parish. And this proved to be the case for Newbridge as our civil captures the essence of Maytime memories from my youth while parish is Oldconnell. You learn something new every day. The on page 4, Maria McDonald outlines May, the month, full of website address is. https://www.irelandxo.com different celebrations from around the world. I think you will That’s all for now. Till next month enjoy reading about them. When researching the information for the front page I came across Left: Ireland Reaching out (Ireland XO) and Laura Colleran. I love This Tree of serendipitous meetings; when you come across someone who is Hope was on the same wavelength as yourself. I had been online for ages planted in the looking up May Altar images when I came across the Ireland XO Linear Park as a website with Laura’s phone number attached. I called her and she symbol of hope was so helpful and obliging. She explained that Ireland Reaching and support for Out (Ireland XO) is a volunteer-based, non-profit initiative which those affected builds vibrant, lasting links between the world wide Irish Diaspora by suicide and/ and parishes of origin in Ireland. or mental health Their programme is based on a simple idea; reverse genealogy. issues. Instead of waiting for people of Irish descent to trace their roots, Ireland XO volunteers worldwide are networking with people of Irish descent in their local areas, helping to build bridges between the present and the past by connecting people with the home parishes of their ancestors. Since 2009, Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO) has helped thousands of Irish people, whether they have emigrated recently or have never been to Ireland, discover the history of their families and reconnect with their parish of origin. Many of the estimated 70 million people of Irish descent living outside of Ireland today Left: Christy & Maeve Byrne, cutting the cake in celebration of their 50th Wedding anniversary at Ryston Sports & Social Club Newbridge.