- The collection last Sunday was € 940.00.
AS I WAS SAYING...
Despite the absence of our own team from the present European Cup tournament, I guess that still over half the country are glued to the small screen. And, though we may not admit it, the team that is holding our interest in the competition are the English boys. We tune into their every game in the hope and expectation that they will be beaten! We had one great night during the week when France picked their pocket on the double in extra time!
I heard a poor English guy on the radio the following day. He had been on holidays in Dublin and had retired to a pub in the Temple Bar area to watch the spectacle. Naturally, he wore his white English shirt, and, just to ensure that he wasn't mistake for a wandering Kildare supporter, he carried the English supporters 'national flag': the red cross of St George on a white background. It is probably an understatement to say that he was somewhat taken aback by the profanities that greeted his grand entrance! Apparently a goodly number of patrons suggested alternative uses for the flag he bore with such pride!
On the following day I listened to this bewildered English fan voice his confusion on the radio. And I must confess he had a point. Apparently six out of ever ten Irish males confess to being fervent fans of one or other English club from the Premier League. And this of course was the source of the English fan's understandable confusion: how come, for example, that an individual will cheer David Beckam or Michael Rooney to the rafters for 40 weeks of the year, and then, as soon as they don a different shirt, pray fervently that they will break both legs?
Not unlike religion, football is a stranger to logic. In fact sports columnists invariably employ religious language and imagery to convey the passion and fanaticism generated by the game. They use mystical-sounding language like "the agony and the ecstasy" or "sacred turf", they note the team loyalty, the ardour of the fans - from the word fanatic - the power of football's rituals and the deification of its personal icons, not to mention their subsequent crucifixion by the media when they've outlived their usefulness. And verily, these football-writers say unto us, "This is indeed a religion".
But many of them also go on to say that the average weekly attendance at football matches far exceeds weekly attendance at religious worship. That is actually complete nonsense. Total national football attendance is around 700,000 on a good day. Church attendance in the United Kingdom on a bad one is around four million. So the true ratio - or final score-line - is probably six to one in God's favour!
Of course many famous football clubs were started originally by local churches. This is the origin Celtic and Rangers in Glasgow, or Everton and Liverpool. They wanted to provide manly exercise and moral example to the young men in their working-class areas. They believed that soccer emphasised Christian virtues like self-discipline, sharing and mutual help. The game today, with its £70,000-a-week primadonnas, has lost its way. We are now dealing with celebrities rather than players. The wearing of the national shirt, be it Irish or English, is now a mere cosmetic exercise. The real action is at club level. Someone should have informed the lost English fan in the Temple Bar!
-Dick Lyng.
EVENTS THIS WEEK AND LAST
- MID SUMMER FESTIVAL: Since we have our Festival next weekend (June 25-27), this week will be our busiest week of the year. A number of obvious tasks will need attention: clearing and cleaning the carpark, securing trestle tables and delivering them, putting up the gazeboes, hanging the bunting, and preparing the ground floor area of the Priory. Some work has been done on the Liturgy but loose ends need to be tidied up. We will look at the Liturgy after Mass this morning. But we will need to look at the other areas just mentioned also. So those involved will a gather once more in the front parlour after Mass.
- CHILDREN'S ART PROJECT: Don't forget that Tuesday night next is the deadline for the children's Art Project. All children between the ages of 6 months to 16 years are invited to enter. The theme for this year's competition is "Summer in the Auggie". Thanks to Tom Kenny (whose right are was twisted rather vigorously) there will be a whole wheelbarrow load of prizes! The works of art will hang in the church for the duration of the Festival.
- FESTIVAL TICKETS: Tickets for the barbecue on Saturday night next are available today, in the priory and outside the church after the Masses. Tickets for this will cost €5 or €10 for a family ticket. These will entitle you to all the food and refreshments you are able to consume! If you have neighbour whom you think would like to join us, why not bring a ticket home for them? If they are not in a position to use it, you can always return it to the Priory Office during the week.
- CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT: We are really glad to have secured again this year the services of the magician, Billy Cleary. Billy will begin his trickery at 7.30 in the Priory diningroom. Two renowned Face Painters will also be present!
- THE MIKADO: The cast will meet again on Tuesday night next at the Priory for another rehearsal. The production is shaping up very well but we do need a few more bodies for roles. Remember, you don't necessarily have to sing or dance to land a part in this! In fact an ability to perform either task could well be regarded as an insurmountable obstacle to you securing a part!
AUGUSTINIAN CHURCH PROJECT TEAM
Further to our communication in last week's newsletter regarding Phase II of the planning process, we are now in a position to advise you that an appeal has been lodged with An Bord Pleanala. We contacted An Bord Pleanala when the appeal period expired and were informed that no submission had been made. However, the advisor at An Bord Pleanala was unaware at the time that a submission was hand delivered at the last minute.
We have been advised by An Bord Pleanala that the decision date is expected in mid-October. In the planning of this project we have always anticipated the likelihood of a planning appeal and accounted for this in the project schedule. We should not be discouraged. It is important to recognise and build upon the positive response of our local authority and the continued support of the community during this period. We will keep you updated on the continuing progress of the project.
"SING TO THE LORD ALWAYS..."
'He who sings prays twice' wrote St Augustine in his Confessions. Music is such an integral part of our Liturgy. In fact on those Sundays when the choir is absent, the celebration of the Liturgy is such a flat, unexciting experience and such a disappointment to those who have come to the 11.00 Mass to hear the choir specifically. We owe it to these people, if not to the Lord himself, to ensure that, should the choir is absent for unavoidable reasons, then music of some sort should be provided.
LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE
FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.
How many 'F's did you find last week's puzzle? 6 I think! Most people find only 3 on first inspection. How about you?
SUMMER FESTIVAL
Floral Display in Church
Friday night, 8.00: Poetry and Music
Saturday, 6.30: Festival Liturgy followed by Barbecue.
Children's Art Project
Magician
Tickets: €5 (individual) or €10 (family)
HUNGER AWARENESS PROJECT
It is very difficult to keep the routine parish business ticking over for the Summer months. People take breaks and gaps tend to appear in the Parish Lists. So be aware of that and rush to the breach when the yawning gap appears! For this reason, the Augustinian Hunger Awareness programme will not resume its activities until September next.
RELIQUARY
The robot camera enters the Titanic
And we see her fish-cold nurseries on the news;
The toys of Pompeii trampled in panic;
The death camp barrel of babyshoes.
The snow that covered up the lost girl's tracks;
The scapular she wore about her neck;
The broken doll the photojournalist packs
to toss into the foreground of the wreck.
-(M. Donaghy)
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