Comment

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern announced that he will be stepping down on May 6^th. He said he was proud of his work on the Northern Ireland peace process, on successive social partnership agreements, on delivering a modern economy and of Ireland's involvement in the European Union. 

In the last 10 years since Bertie began his reign as Taoiseach of Ireland we have become a nation of multiple cultures, ethnicity and languages. This is partially thanks to the migration of many other nationalities from around the world. Ardee today is a very cosmopolitan place.

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, has been elected as leader of Fianna Fáil and new Taoiseach in waiting.  He starts his term with several challenges as leader – the Lisbon Treaty referendum, a slower economy and next year's local and European elections.

Many of us are feeling cautious about the future. Downturns in the global economy are causing us to worry about our finances. As in most developed countries rising labour costs mean companies are moving to more competitive markets and putting our jobs at risk. Many of our young people have huge mortgages to pay. Ireland will continue as a leading economy by investing in education and development of intelligence-based jobs, ready to take on the next emerging technology.

Each year many from our parish travel to Lourdes with the Armagh Diocesan Pilgrimage. We’d like to give a special thanks to the volunteers that make this pilgrimage of hope, blessings and miracles possible for the many sick who travel in search of healing. Their generosity of spirit and unflagging energy can only be marvelled at as each year they campaign for financial support locally. They depart this year on May 12th. We hope both volunteers and pilgrims receive all the blessings that Lourdes has to offer and that they have a peaceful and spiritual trip.

Ballapousta Procession and Patrún will take place on Sunday 25^th May at 11am. Please note that monumental sculptors, cement mixing machines and the use of sanding or engraving machines will be not be allowed in the cemetery for the week prior to the Procession, ie from Saturday 17^th May.

Patrúns in the Parish in 2008

Place	Day	Date	Time
Ballapousta	Sunday	May 25^th	11.00 am
Stickillen	Tuesday	May 27^th	7.00 pm
Starinagh	Monday	June 9^th	7.00 pm
Kildemock	Sunday	June 22^nd	7.00 pm
Mapastown	Sunday	July 20^th	7.00 pm
Shanlis	Sunday	August 3^rd	7.00 pm
Smarmore	Sunday	August 24^th	7.00 pm
Collon	Sunday	September 7^th	11.00 am
Old St Mary’s	Sunday	September 7^th

Deepest Sympathy

Ardee Parish Council would like to extend their deepest sympathy to the Marie Davis, Secretary, and Ann Fedigan on the recent loss of Richie Davis, a devoted husband and brother. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their extended family during this time of loss.

Marriages

We congratulate the following couples who were married

recently in our parish:

Nicola McMahon & Michael Kenny

Nicola Taaffe & Colin Mathews

Elaine Carroll & Anthony McKenna

Baptisms

We congratulate the families of the following whom we welcome

into the community:

Ciara Daisy Hand

Clare Anna Miller

Phelim Declam Halpin

Sofia Lily Keogh

Alesha May McKeever

Conor James Whelan

Charlie McDonnell-Sands

Ryan John Smyth-Mackin

Daniel Patrick Mullane

Deaths

We express our sincere sympathy to the families and friends

of the following: –

Willie Gibney, London (late of Shanlis)

John Moriarty, Blackrock, Co Louth

Tom Halpenny, Drumconrath

Mickey Russell, Letterkenny

Tom Powderly, Philipstown

John O'Brien, Sliabh Breagh

Tom Murray, Townspark

Eileen Martin, Kells Road, Collon

Paddy Sweeney, Lamb's Tce

Resa McKeever, Ardee Street, Collon

Annie Carpentar nee Anderson, Carlanstown & Irish St

Josephine Carroll, The Fairgreen Bar

Pat McKeever, Reaghstown

Richard Davis, Shanlis

Jemmy Carpenter, Irish Street

Lourdes 2008

150 Year Jubilee

This year is particularly important as Catholics around the world celebrate Lourdes’ jubilee year, which began Dec. 8^th 2007, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and runs until this Dec. 8^th 2008. Different events are planned for the year, and Pope Benedict XVI authorized a plenary indulgence, the remission of all punishment, to encourage renewed devotion.

St. Bernadette was born at Lourdes, France. Her parents were very poor and she herself was in poor health. One Thursday, February 11, 1858, when she was sent with her younger sister and a friend to gather firewood, a very beautiful Lady appeared to her above a rose bush in a grotto called Massabielle. The lovely Lady was dressed in blue and white. She smiled at Bernadette and then made the sign of the cross with a rosary of ivory and gold. Bernadette fell on her knees, took out her own rosary and began to pray the rosary. The beautiful Lady was God's Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

She appeared to Bernadette seventeen other times and spoke with her. She told Bernadette that she should pray for sinners, do penance and have a chapel built there in her honour. Many people did not believe Bernadette when she spoke of her vision. She had to suffer much. But one day Our Lady told Bernadette to dig in the mud. As she did, a spring of water began to flow. The next day it continued to grow larger and larger. Many miracles happened when people began to use this water.

When Bernadette was older, she became a nun. She was always very humble. More than anything else, she desired not to be praised. Once a nun asked her if she had temptations of pride because she was favored by the Blessed Mother. "How can I?" she answered quickly. "The Blessed Virgin chose me only because I was the most ignorant."

Every year, more than 6 million people travel to Lourdes, to ask for healing and forgiveness, and often leave with a bottle of Holy water. In 1866, two years after the first local pilgrimage from Loubajac, France, a railway was built connecting Lourdes to the rest of the country and the first international pilgrims arrived from Belgium in 1874. Today, people come from around the world to pray at the sanctuaries and visit the important sites related to St. Bernadette’s life and her eighteen Marian apparitions. And many pilgrims also take home a bottle of water from the Massabielle grotto, where Mary showed St. Bernadette the muddy spring and asked her to drink from it. Lourdes is also a place where the sick and disabled visit to be healed. Sick pilgrims can stay at Accueil Notre-Dame, a sort of hotel-hospital, where each bed has an alarm bell and each unit has a doctor on call.

The Catholic Church recognizes as miracles sixty-seven cures attributed to Mary’s intercession at Lourdes, though there are probably thousands more.

Trócaire

The total received so far from Trócaire Boxes is €12,691. This is a creditable sum and reflects great generosity on the part of all who supported this worthy cause. An extraordinary variety of currencies (both notes and coins) came out of those boxes, including punts, sterling, and dollars, all negotiable. Some people contributed cheques – but whatever the format – the total so far exceeds that of last year. It should be comforting

to realise that the life of people somewhere has been well improved, possibly beyond all their expectations, because you made the effort to care.