Diocesan Designated Liaison Person: Mr. Mick Daly 085 8021633 Rev. Fr. John Dunphy: Phone: 059 / 9141833 / 9182882

Priest on Call for Carlow area (Emergency Only) - 087/2588118

Christmas Prayer Box: we invite Parishioners to write any special prayers or

intentions for Christmas and place them in the box beside the crib in St. Clare’s. They

will be placed in the crib for Christmas.

Priest’s Christmas Collection:- this

quarterly collection for the support of the

priests of the parish will be taken up at all

Masses and Christmas Eve & Christmas

Day. Special envelopes are provided in the

envelope boxes or alternatively envelopes

are available at church doors.

Weekly Collection

Red Bag: € 952..00

Blue Bag: €1,526.00 We thank you for your support.

The Poor Clare Sisters along with Fr.

Liam Lawton and his music, have a new

CD called The Rosary. CD on sale in

Graiguecullen Parish Centre Cost €15.

A Carol service will take place in St Abban’s Church, Killeen, Maganey on

this Sun 22nd Dec at 7pm. Everyone is welcome.

When we look at the shimmering stars as we welcome Christmas Eve

may we too be led, in Love and Peace to the Newborn Infant King!

Wishing you all A Happy and Holy Christmas

Heartfelt thanks to all our parishioners for your prayers

and support during the past year. We wish everyone at

home and abroad a Very Happy and Peaceful Christmas

and a New Year filled with God’s blessings.

(The Parish Team) Difficult Decisions.

If we are lucky we might get through life without making

any painful or difficult decisions, but we can’t all be so lucky.

There are some who will choose to give birth to a child

knowing that the baby has a disability. There are those who

will choose to care for a relative who is very ill or dying. These decisions are

made with no real clue of what lies ahead, but they will always be made out of

love. There’s no doubt about it, for people who make difficult decisions in life

there will be great difficulties ahead. What is equally certain is that there will be

great rewards too.

Our Nativity scenes show Mary and Joseph smiling fondly at the Baby Jesus as

though bringing the son of God into the world had been one of the easiest

decisions to make. As we look in at the cosy scene, we have to remember that

the history of salvation would have been completely different if either Mary or

Joseph had said ‘no’ to God’s plan. Saying ‘yes’ to God’s plan didn’t give

Mary or Joseph an easy life, but being part of God’s plan in such a direct and

practical way must have brought them great fulfillment, and of course, it earned

them a place in the history books for all eternity.

We too are part of God’s plan, though it probably doesn’t feel like it. We too

have a part to play in leaving the world a better place than we found it. What is

God asking of each of us? Is there a nagging vocation that keeps throwing

opportunities into our path, opportunities that up until now we have managed to

sidestep? Advent is a time to make decisions that will turn our predictable lives

into roller-coasters with difficult lows but rewarding highs.

CHRISTMAS MASSES

Christmas Eve:

6.30pm St. Clare’s Church

(A Special Children’s Christmas Mass)

7.00pm Holy Cross Church, Killeshin.

(A Special Children’s Christmas Mass)

8.30pm St. Clare’s Church

Christmas Day

9.00am St. Clare’s Church

10.15am Holy Cross Church, Killeshin.

11.30am St. Clare’s Church

Daily Masses Thurs 26th – Sat

28th at 11am (please note

change of time) Wednesday 1st January 2020

11.30am Special New Year’s Day

Mass in St. Clare’s

Parish Centre:- will be open on Christmas Eve from 9am to 12

noon. It will reopen on Thursday 2nd January @ 9am. Notices for

Newsletter can be emailed to gkparish@gmail.com

Carol Service: A big thank you to

Cathriona Kelly and everyone involved

in organizing our fabulous Christmas

Carol Service. We are really blessed to

have so many talented people in our

parish. If you missed it you can now

view it on the webcam on our website.

Barrow Track Dog Walk on St Stephen’s Day @ 11.30am. Meeting point outside

Graiguecullen/Killeshin Parish Centre. A fun walk to raise money for St Clare’s

Hospitality Food Kitchen. Donations on

the Day. Treats & refreshments for dogs afterwards. Dogs must be kept on a leash.

Parish Envelopes: the 2020 boxes

of envelopes are available at the

church doors and we ask each

family to take a box and use the

envelopes to make your

contribution to our Parish

Development Fund and other

special collections. We need your

financial support to continue to

upkeep and maintain our beautiful

churches and parish buildings and

to develop our pastoral initiatives.

The work of the parish is greatly

helped by your regular Financial

Support

Graiguecullen Swimming Pool

Christmas opening hours

Public sessions:

SAT 28th Dec. 11am – 4pm

SUN 29th Dec. 11am – 4pm

MON 30th Dec. 9am – 4pm

TUE 31st Dec. 9am – 4pm

WED 1st Jan. CLOSED

THUR 2nd Jan. 11am – 6pm

Everyone €3 each until 5th January 2020

Normal opening hours from Fri 3rd Jan 2020

We would like to take this opportunity to

wish all our customers a Happy Christmas

and a Prosperous New Year.

Carlow Family Support Group

– You Are Not Alone. Drugs

and Alcohol abuse affects

families regardless of status in

life. You did not cause it, you

can't control it and you can't cure

it. Help is available for those

who live with this dreadful

disease call 085 7872730.

ANNIVERSARIES

Sat 21st 6.30pm (Lil Kinsella, 7 Oakley Pk)-(Intention Mass)

(Aidan & Kathleen Power, Pacelli Ave & all deceased members of the

Power & Hayes families)-(Peig O’Gorman, Athy (Birthday Rem)

(Brigid (Bridie) Gaule, 90 Pearse Rd, also her husband Billy, daughter

Eileen & daughter in law Una)-(Jean & Seany Abbott, Knocknagee)

Thomas & Francis Ryan, 65 Maher Road also their daughters Claire & Carmel

Marcella Corcoran, Duggan Ave also her husband Pat & granddaughter Zoe

(Christopher Bolton, Ballickmoyler)-(Rose, James & Brendan Roe, Co. Offaly)

Betty Kinsella, Colclough Ave

Sun 22nd 10.15am Paddy Maguire, Clonmore, Killeshin

(Kitty Brennan, Coolnariska)-(Christina Dempsey, Lower Rossmore) 11.30am Seanie Brennan, Avondale Drive. (Birthday Rem)

William & Annie Shaw, Sleaty also their daughter Phil Long

Kathleen Foley, Sleaty St

Mon 23rd 10am (Months Mind) Franciszka Korus, Poland

Joe Hennessy, 4 Chapel St.

Deceased members of the Maughan Family & the Stokes Family, Ballina

Deceased members of the Ward Family, Galway

Michael & Bridie Darcy, Oakley Park & Sleaty

Paul & Michael Darcy & Brian Doherty, Oakley Park

Thomas, Catherine, Patrick & Philomena Hartnett

(Ellen, Tom, Jack, Hannah & John Danaher)-(Joan Tobin)

Tues 24th 10am Dan Hayden, New Oak Estate

All anniversaries for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Masses

are displayed on the church notice board and the

Anniversaries will be prayed for at the relevant Masses Thurs 26th 11am (First Anniversary) Ann Kinsella, 147 Heatherhill Downes

(Breda Woods, Tolerton)-(Michael & Breda Woods, Duggan Ave)

(Intention Mass)-(Edward & Mary Byrne, Carlow)

Fri 27th 11 am Joan Culleton, 56 St Fiacc’s Tce (Birthday Rem)

Thomas O’Rourke, ‘98 Street.

Sat 28th 11 am Bernard O Shea, The Numbers also his son John

6.30pm Christy Lawler, 152 Duggan Ave, also his parents Michael & Rose

Michael & Ellen McDarby, Maryboro St.

Margaret & Thomas Anderson, St Fiacc’s Tce.

(Nancy Anderson, USA)-(Christina Ryan, Chapel St.)

Sun 29th 10.15am James & Margaret Dowling, Ardenteggle, Killeshin

John Hynes, 81 St Clare’s Rd & St Fiacc’s House

11.30am Patrick (Benny) Keating, 95 St. Mary’s Park

(Betty Geoghegan (née) Cash, St. Clare’s Road, her parents

Nicholas & Elizabeth Cash, Pearse Rd, also her brothers Joe, Jim & Noel

& sister Geraldine)-(Kathleen Joyce, Ballyhide)

John Hynes, 81 St Clare’s Rd & St Fiacc’s House

Bridie Darcy, Oakley Park, Graiguecullen, Carlow

READERS – ST CLARE’S

Sat 28th December

6.30pm: Megan Hosey,

Ava & Killian McCutcheon

Sun 29th December

9am: Collette Brennan,

Deborah O’Brien, Jessie Burke

11.30am: Martin Lynch,

Mary Hand, Aine Harte

READERS – HOLY CROSS

Sun 29th December

10.15am: Julia Dempsey,

Katelyn & Niamh O’Reilly

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS

ST. CLARE’S

Sat 28th December

6.30pm: Zoe Hayden (C),

Ruth Phiri, Owen Gorman,

Breda McDonald, Phil Brady

Sun 29th December

9am: Ina McCarthy, Ann Ryan,

Holly Farrell

11.30am Liz Hosey (C),

Joshua Devereux, Abbie Graham,

Amelia Chodorska,

Hannah & Matthew Keogh

HOLY CROSS

Sun 29th Dec.

10.15am: Anna Kehoe,

Emma Rogers, Alicia Gordon

Thank You:- Paddy Norris would

like to thank those who sent Get

Well cards, mass bouquets and

those who enquired for him after

his recent accident. Thanks also to

those who assisted at the scene of

the accident. Thanks to Fr John,

Fr Liam and the Poor Clares for

their prayers and good wishes.

Special thanks to my family for

their help and support. The Holy

Sacrifice of the Mass will be

offered for your intentions.

Marian Movement of Prayers for Priests takes

place in St Fiaccs House, on Thurs 2nd

January 2020 at 7 30pm. Mass, Rosary and

Benediction. All Welcome

Carlow Rainbows Group offer a nine

session Peer Support Programme for

children aged 7 – 13 who have experienced

loss through the death of a close relative or

the separation of their parents. These

Programmes are run separately, are free to

participants and will commences in Jan

2020. Contact Anne on 087 6636 499 or

Nora on 087 1269 709. We are now also

offering similar programmes for teenagers

aged 13-16.

Graiguecullen Bingo: There will be no

bingo on Tuesdays Dec 24th or Dec

31st. Bingo will resume again on Jan

7th. This is a brilliant idea for new

hobby in 2020 A chance to win money

while supporting your parish. Come

and bring a friend.