CHURCH NEWS
Our parish choir rehearse every Wednesday night in the church at 8pm and are always ready to welcome new members. They would be delighted to welcome new male and female members so if you are interested please drop along to rehearsal. They treated us to some wonderful festive hymns and music over the Christmas season.
Fr. Francis recently announced that the Saturday evening mass in Ballyduff will be cancelled from January. He urged everyone not to give up hope and he remains optimistic that the Saturday evening mass will return. This is a diocesan decision as there is a shortage of priests and so the existing priests will be needed to cover weekend masses in other parishes. Bishop Cullinan has asked for special prayers for vocations.
GARDA REMINDER
At the most recent Community Alert meeting our local Garda reminded us to stay vigilant during these dark Winter days. Ensure that there is sufficient lighting around your property and that valuables are always locked away securely. They urged people to keep an eye out for any unusual behaviour in their area and to report any worries to them.
As the cold weather hits and the dark evenings are well and truly in place we are reminded to keep an eye on our elderly neighbours and those living alone. It is important to check that they have enough heat and supplies but most importantly just to call or phone and say hello. Often a little bit of company is all they need and a friendly chat can lift someone’s spirit and is something we can all do.
They spoke about a great new scheme beginning in December which will see a Garda van in place in different areas around the rural areas on pre organised days. At this van people will be able to get forms signed or stamped or speak to a member of the Garda about a query they have. This will be a wonderful service in many areas where there are no Garda stations.
COMMUNITY ALERT AGM.
Our local Community Alert Group will host their AGM on Wednesday January 8th at 8pm in Ballyduff Community Centre and all are invited to attend. The guest speaker on the night will be Ned Kearney who is the Development Officer of Muintir na Tire.
Our local group are very active in the community and keep an excellent text alert system running keeping the community up to date with any unusual happenings in the area and surrounding areas.
THREE LITTLE BIRDS.
Ballyduff AFC are delighted to announce that the Three Little Birds coffee dock will now be open at the club grounds on match days. This will be a wonderful opportunity to enjoy some hot teas, coffee, hot chocolate, pot noodles, soup and minerals. The proprietor is local lady Aoife Laffan and we wish her every success.
A TRUE LADY
Our local community was plunged into deep sadness in recent days as news spread about the death of one of our most treasured residents. Mrs. Bridget Morrissey, Ballyduff was a kind, gentle and caring woman. She was a wonderful family woman who loved to speak about her children and all her family. Her radiant smile and warm nature drew people into her company. She had a fantastic faith and loved attending mass. Popular with young and old, she led a full and active life. She will always have a special place in our hearts and she will be deeply missed. We extend our deepest sympathy to all her family and we will all remember her with great love and affection. Mrs. Morrissey’s funeral mass was offered in her beloved St. Nicholas’s Church Ballyduff and she was laid to rest in her native Kilteagh, Co. Wexford. We shall think of her often and remember her in our prayers. Our parish is a poorer place without her. May her sweet gentle soul now rest in the peace and love of Christ.
ITEMS FOR NOTES
If you would like me to include any items in these notes for you please contact
me Linda Spillane on 087 9838392 or spillanelinda2017@gmail.com It is a
wonderful way to keep in touch with what is going on in the local community
and to inform people about things happening within your club or organisation.