Pope Francis

 

Prayer for the New Holy Father

O God, shepherd & ruler of all the faithful,

Look favourably on your servant Francis,

Whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd;

Grant, we pray, that by word and example

He may be of service to those over whom he presides

so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,

he may come to everlasting life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

One God, for ever and ever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The new Pope Francis who was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires. He was ordained for the Jesuits on 13 December 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel.

 He was novice master in San Miguel, where he also taught theology. After completing his doctoral dissertation in Germany, he served as a confessor and spiritual director in Córdoba.

On 20 May 1992 he was appointed titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires, receiving episcopal consecration on 27 June. On 3 June 1997 was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires and succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino on 28 February 1998.
He has served as President of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the Bl. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001.

 

Bantry Bulletin - Weekend of 17th February 2013

BANTRY PARISH - CHURCH NOTICES 

 

 

Calendar: Mass Times and Intentions :–

Sat. 16^th February: After Ash Wednesday:

Hospital           10am      
Kevin McCarthy - Seskin
 Bantry:             6.15pm   
Michael Goggin – Barrack Street

Sun. 17^th February: First Sunday of Lent.

Bantry:                  9am     
Finbarr Coughlan - Scart
Coomhola:           10am     
Geraldine Coakley - Snave
Kealkil:                11am      
Christy O’Reilly - Gurteenroe           
Bantry:                 12noon             
People of the Parish

Mon. 18^th February: 1st Week of Lent:

                Bantry:             10am       Bridie Cronin – Georges Row

                Bantry:             7.30pm    Jerry Daly – Shannonvale, Clonakilty

               

Tues. 19^th February: 1st Week of Lent:  

                Bantry:             10.00am,               Annie May O’Mahony - Glandore

                Bantry:           87.30pm               Dermot Hurley - Drimoleague

                                                                     

Wed. 20^th February: 1st Week of Lent:

Bantry:             10am       Mary O’Donoghue – Newbridge, Skibbereen

Hospital;          5.30pm    Donal O’Sullivan – Seskin Park
                       

Thurs. 21^st February: 1st Week of Lent:

                Bantry:             10am       Paddy & Nancy O’Shea – Gories, Bantry

                Bantry:             7.30pm    Nancy O’Sullivan – Newtown East – Months Mind

 

Friday 22^nd  February:

Bantry:             10am       Mary Griffin – Reenrour East

                Kealkil:            7.30pm    John O’Sullivan – Curraghglass, Kealkil

               

Sat. 23^rd  February: 1st Week of Lent:

                Hospital           10am       Con Keane - Kealkil

                Bantry:           6.15pm    Arthur O’Connor & his daughter Catherine O’Connor - Barrack Road
                Bantry:           7.00pm    Mass in Polish

Sun. 24^th February: Second Sunday of Lent.

                Bantry:                  9am    Patrick McSweeney – Shanavalla – 1^st Anniversary

                Coomhola:           10am     Teddy O’Driscoll - Snave
                Kealkil:                11am   Kathleen & Jeremiah Keohane – Incharoe, Kealkil
                Bantry:                 12noon              People of the Parish

First Assembly Meeting;

Tueday, February 19^th at 7.30pm in the Parish Room, upstairs in the Sacristy of St. Finbarr’s Church, Bantry. Looking forward to seeing you all.

 Further meetings will be on  26^th February (7.30pm – 9.00pm) and  9^th March (10.00am - 4.00pm)

The first meeting of the new Assembly will be on March 12^th. All of the above sessions will be facilitated by Sister Karen Kent of the Diocesan Pastoral Development Office. The Venue will be announced later.

Recent Parish Baptisms:

Ruairí Tadhg O’Donovan (Seskin, Bantry) & Michaela Kate Tooher (Kealkil)

We welcome them into our Christian Community

World Day of Prayer – Organised by Women

This years service will take place at 8pm on Friday 1^st March at Bantry Hospital Chapel.

A Preparatory Bible Study will be held at the new Ian Conner Room behind St. Brendan’s Church, Bantry on Thursday 14^th, 21^st & 28^th February. 10.30am-12noon. Enquries: Arethusa Greacen tel. 027-50166

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Community News

Bantry Basketball Club: AGM takes place on Wednesday 20^th February next at 8pm in the Boys’ Club. All Parents of players are requested to attend to ensure the club’s future.

Bantry Basketball Club Children’s Table Quiz: Bantry Boys Club – Saturday 23^rd  February Registration at 7pm. For ages 8-14 years. Team of 4: €20/team. Prizes for best team name & different ages & Raffle prizes.  Fully supervised.  All welcome.

Bantry Historical Society: The next meeting of the Society will take place at 8pm in the Maritime Hotel (note different venue) on 19^th February when Connie Kelleher will speak on “Piracy and Prostitution in West Cork in early 17^th Century”. Keep 20^th March free for the following meeting about the Famine. As part of Bantry Historical Society Photo Project to record the town, as it is now, exterior photographs of the shops and various businesses have been taken. The next phase is group photographs of owners and staff. Businesses will be contacted in the near future about this.

Spring Clean & Support Kealkil N.S.

Kealkil N.S. Parent’s Association are running a ‘Cash for Clobber’ fundraiser at the school next week. From Monday 18^th next through until Thursday 21^st morning only (as it is collection day), the school are accepting bags of clothing to be recycled locally in Ireland. This is the perfect opportunity to spring clean & benefit your local school. The following can be donated: - all types of clothing, bags & shoes, hats & belts, towels & curtains and bed linen. Place the items in black bin bags and drop off at the school during school hours 9.20am to 3pm. Any enquiries contact the school at 027 66298.

Retail Skills FETAC level 4 Course to commence on Tuesday 5^th March in Bantry. 3 mornings per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) from 9.30am – 1.30pm for 10 weeks. Info. session on Tuesday 26^th March 10am in St Goban’s College, Bantry. For info. contact  Kathryn in WCDP at 087-9876390 or Teresa in VEC at 028-40293.

FREE Health Checks at Primary Care Information Evening

A FREE pre-diabetes check, blood pressure check, and fitness test are available to members of the public at the Bantry Primary Care Information evening, which will be held next Tuesday, February 19^th, from 5.00pm to 8.00pm in the Primary Care Centre, The Quays, Bantry (follow the signs outside the Maritime Hotel).  The event is also a chance to meet the Primary Care Team – Public Health Nurses, Home Help Organiser, Speech Therapist, Physiotherapist, Community Mental Health Nurse and Community Worker, among others, and find out what services they offer.  All are welcome to drop in  any time between 5.00 and 8.00pm. 

Fadó Festival – Bantry 15^th-17^th March.

Lots of free events, wear your own period costume, live music & storytelling. Streets by lamplight. Children’s Fancy dress at Square on Sun.17^th followed by children’s ceili. Old time dancing from 9.30pm. See posters for full list of events

 

Bingo in aid of Bantry lifeboat in the Mariner (over the brick oven) every Monday night. €500 jackpot this Monday night.

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI

 

PRAYER FOR POPE BENEDICT XVI

AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS MINISTRY AS

BISHOP OF ROME AND SUPREME PONTIFF

 

 

Almighty ever‐living God,

who has given your faithful servant Benedict

grace to maintain his faith and hope in you

amid the labours of his apostolic ministry;

graciously bestow upon him, we pray,

the consolations of your Holy Spirit

and uphold him in serenity of life.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us

St Peter, pray for us

St Paul, pray for us

St Benedict, pray for us

All holy men and women, pray for us

Pope Benedict XVI

 

Pope Benedict's Address on Resignation From the See of Rome

"I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry"

VATICAN CITY, February 11, 2013 (Zenit.org) -
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI

Bantry Parish Newsletter - Weekend of 3rd February 2013

CHURCH NOTICES

Bantry Hospice Project are holding their Annual Mass in the Hospital Chapel on Tuesday February 5^th at 7.30pm. All are welcome.

 New Parish Assembly; New Assembly members who have not yet been approached will be invited on board this coming week. Letters of appointment will follow. There will be two evening sessions and one Saturday session to prepare these new members.

19^th February             7.30pm – 9.00pm
26^th February             7.30pm – 9.00pm
9^th March                  10.00am - 4.00pm
The first meeting of the new Assembly will be on March 12^th. All of the above sessions will be facilitated by Sister Karen Kent of the Diocesan Pastoral Development Office. The Venue will be announced later.

Cork Theology Forum - Come to the Water – Perspectives on Baptism.

Bishop Michael Mayes gives introductory talk followed by group discussion & response.

Topic What is the call & the meaning of our Baptism?

What is the background to this important sacrament?

Tuesday Evening 5^th Feb. 8pm-9.30pm.

Venue: Sacred Heart Hall, Western Road, Cork

Bookings & Queries: 021-4509574

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

Mealagh Valley

The 4th Annual 10 mile Mealagh Valley Ring Run organised by Bantry Athletic Association will take place on Sunday 10th February. Starting time for walkers is 10.00AM and 11.00AM for runners. Walkers must register by 9.15 AM, Runners must register by 10.15AM. For more information or to register log onto www.bantryac.com.

 

Progressive 45 Card Drive will be held on Saturday 9th February at 9pm in the Mealagh Valley Community Hall. Entry fee 10.00. All Welcome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Kealkil 
 

Date for your Diary: Kealkil Tidy Towns are holding a Quiz in Collins Pub at 8pm on Friday 8^th February. All are welcome. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

PAKT (Parents & Kids together) now has places in its weekly kids clubs for new members. For more info. contact Úna Chambers, YMCA, Old Barrack Rd., Bantry (027) 514 61 or email una@ymca-ireland.org 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 The Bantry Bay Lions, in partnership with the HSE and the West Cork Development Partnership (WCDP), will be organizing a free short course on suicide prevention at the WCDP building (old Gaelscoil) on Mon. February 4 from 10-1pm. The course, SafeTalk, provides training that prepares anyone over the age of 18 to be alert to persons with thoughts of suicide & connect them to suicide first aid resources. Anyone interested please email the Bantry Bay Lions at bantrybaylions@gmail.com or access their website at www.bantrybaylions.com and click on ‘Suicide Prevention’ where you will be presented with a box to enter your contact details. You can also register by calling the WCDP office at 027-52266.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Bantry Defibrillator Group would like to thank the people of Bantry for their generous support at our Church Gate collection held recently. We raised a total of €1136.15 which will go towards the cost of replacing out of date pads & batteries in the 6 external defibrillators placed around Bantry area. Our next training session will be held in the Bantry Boys club on Monday February 4th so do come along and learn CPR and other life saving techniques.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



 

Coomhola School enrolling pupils for 2013/14 school year on Friday Feb. 8th from 10.00 to 11.00 a.m.

 

Gaelscoil Bheanntraí – Open Day: An Open Day will take place for all new enrolments for September 2013 on Thursday, 21st February 2013 at 3.00 p.m. Children and parents will meet the Principal and the Junior Infants Class Teacher, Múinteoir Cristín will give a brief outline on how to prepare your child for school and you will have a chance to look around the school and it’s facilities. School Prospectus and enrolment forms will be available on the day. Please bring your child’s birth certificate with you – it will be photocopied and original returned to you. We look forward to meeting you all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Date for Your Diary!

Table Quiz in Quay’s Bar at 8.30pm

on Friday 15^th February in aid of

Carbery GAA Senior Football Team.

Teams of 4 @ €40.

Come and support your team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Bantry Al-Anon Family Group 086 6042376.

Portacabin behind St Brendan's Church

Wednesday night at 8.30pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feast of St. Brigid - 1st February

Story of St. Brigid

St. Brigid was born in AD 450 in Faughart, near Dundalk in Co. Louth. Her father, Dubhthach, was a pagan chieftain of Leinster and her mother, Broicsech, was a Christian. It was thought that Brigid’s mother was born in Portugal but was kidnapped by Irish pirates and brought to Ireland to work as a slave, just like St. Patrick was. Brigid spent her earlier life cooking, cleaning, washing and feeding the animals on her father’s farm.

She lived during the time of St.Patrick and was inspired by his preachings and she became a Christian. When Brigid turned eighteen, she stopped working for her father. Brigid’s father wanted her to find a husband but Brigid had decided that she would spend her life working for God by looking after poor, sick and elderly people. Brigid’s charity angered her father because he thought she was being too generous to the poor. When she finally gave away his jewel-encrusted sword to a leper, her father realised that she would be best suited to the religious life. Brigid finally got her wish and entered the convent. She received her veil from St. Macaille and made her vows to dedicate her life to God. News of Brigid’s good works spread and soon many young girls from all over the country joined her in the convent. Brigid founded many convents all over Ireland; the most famous one was in Co. Kildare. It is said that this convent was built beside an oak tree where the town of Kildare now stands. Around 470 she also founded a double monastery, for nuns and monks, in Kildare. As Abbess of this foundation she wielded considerable power, but was a very wise and prudent superior. The Abbey of Kildare became one of the most prestigious monasteries in Ireland, and was famous throughout Christian Europe.

St. Brigid also founded a school of art, including metal work and illumination, over which St. Conleth presided. In the scriptorium of the monastery, the famous illuminated manuscript the Book of Kildare was created. 

St. Brigid's Cross

Making a St. Brigid’s cross is one of the traditional rituals in Ireland to celebrate the beginning of early spring, 1st February. The crosses are made of rushes that are pulled rather than cut. St. Brigid and her cross are linked together by the story that she wove this form of cross at the death bed of either her father or a pagan lord, who upon hearing what the cross meant, asked to be baptized.
One version goes as follows: “A pagan chieftain from the neighborhood of Kildare was dying. Christians in his household sent for Brigid to talk to him about Christ. When she arrived the chieftain was raving. As it was impossible to instruct this delirious man, hopes for his conversion seemed doubtful. Brigid sat down at his bedside and began consoling him. As was customary, the dirt floor was strewn with rushes both for warmth and cleanliness. Brigid stooped down and started to weave them into a cross, fastening the points together. The sick man asked what she was doing. She began to explain the cross, and as she talked his delirium quieted and he questioned her with growing interest. Through her weaving, he converted and was baptized at the point of death.”

 

ST. Brigid's Cloak

St. Brigid went to the King of Leinster to ask for land to build a convent. She told the king that the place where she stood was the perfect place for a convent. It was beside a forest where they could collect firewood. There was also a lake nearby that would provide water and the land was fertile. The king laughed at her and refused to give her any land. Brigid prayed to God and asked him to soften the king’s heart. Then she smiled at the king and said “will you give me as much land as my cloak will cover?” The king thought that she was joking and because Brigid’s cloak was so small he knew that it would only cover a very small piece of land. The king agreed and Brigid spread her cloak on the ground. She asked her four friends to hold a corner of the cloak and walk in opposite directions. The four friends walked north, south, east and west. The cloak grew immediately and began to cover many acres of land. The king was astonished and he realized that she had been blessed by God. The king fell to the ground and knelt before Brigid and promised her and her friends money, food and supplies. Soon afterwards, the king became a Christian and also started to help the poor. Brigid’s miracle of the cloak was the first of many miracles that she worked for the people of Ireland.

St. Brigid died in AD 525 at the age of 75 and was buried in a tomb before the High Altar of her Abbey church. After some time, her remains were exhumed and transferred to Downpatrick to rest with the two other patron saints of Ireland, St. Patrick and St. Columcille. Her skull was extracted and brought to Lisbon, Portugal by two Irish noblemen, and it remains there to this day. St. Brigid is the female patron saint of Ireland. She is also known as Muire na nGael or Mary of the Gael which means Our Lady of the Irish. Her feast day is the 1st of February which is the first day of Spring in Ireland.