Sunday Newsletter

Masses Today

6.30: Joan Lally (nee O'Sullivan), (Anniv).
11.00 Agnes Margetts; Betty Creasa, (Anniv).
6.30: Frank Duggan, (Anniv).

Masses Sunday, February 3rd: 6.30: Sarah & Josie O'Toole; 11.00: Paddy Kelly (Bowling Green); 6.30: Edward Egan.
COLLECTION: Last Sunday's collection: €1,207.00.
TODAY'S COLLECTION: Since this is designated 'Education in Faith' Sunday, our collection will go towards financing the local Pastoral Centre at Newtownsmith. This centre provides a range of services for the pastoral care of the diocese. Among the important services provided at present are courses in 'Child Protection'.
YOUTH MASS: The bi-weekly Mass for young students of city secondary schools will be celebrated at 6.30 this evening in the Augustinian Church here. Young people gather to celebrate their faith there in a musical and uninhibited manner. Spread the word!
LITURGY GROUP: We had a fruitful meeting of the Steering Committee on Wednesday night last. Among the topics discussed was the desirability of forming a Liturgy Group. We had a very productive group working with us up to a couple of years ago. It slipped into unintentional hibernation for the simple reason that those involved moved house. (Incidentally, some people at our meeting thought that many would be put off by the very word 'Liturgy'. It could be misunderstood as presuming a certain competence or familiarity with the Rites of the Roman Catholic Church. I can now assure you that no such expertise is either presumed, required or even expected.) We need a group of about 10 people. They would meet as celebrations required. Their function will be to sit down and review the way we celebrate the main Christian Festival here, and to offer suggestions for improvement (especially at Christmas and Easter). The temptation is to repeat annually what we had done the previous year. This group would help prevent our celebrations growing stale. So I will be approaching people individually and inviting them to serve. At least we can open a discussion on it.

As I Was Saying...

The Olympic Games will be held in Beijing this Summer. The 1980 Moscow Olympics were the last major 'ideological' games. Enormous resources were poured into the preparatory propaganda. The 'impeccable' human rights record of the host nation was stressed. These games would surpass, in style, scale and skill, all its predecessors.

Unfortunately, the USSR government and the Soviet Olympic organisers weren't reading from the one score-sheet. Because, on Christmas Day, 1979, the Soviet leadership sent 100,000 troops into Afghanistan. The inevitable happened. Some 60 teams boycotted the Moscow Games. The U.S. Government threatened to withdraw the passports of any U.S. athlete who opted to attend in a personal capacity. Great Britain, France, Italy and Sweden did attend. Some countries did not officially send teams but took no action against athletes who attended. If they won medals, those athletes were greeted on the medal stand by the Olympic hymn and flag, rather than their national anthem and flag. From the Soviet point of view, the Olympics was a total disaster, though they couldn't admit it at the time.

So what of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing? Will questions be asked publicly about human rights abuses such as the 'one child per family rule'? (Those who violate this rule are evicted from their home, expelled from their job and severed from all state benefits). President Mary McAleese and a large business delegation made an official visit to China five years ago. Gordon Browne, the British PM followed in her footsteps this week. If either of them raised this matter, they didn't make much fuss about it. Perhaps both were satisfied, when China's leaders assured them that they were as committed as anyone else to liberty, equality and democracy - though in their own good time.

China fears the Catholic Church. There are two Churches, really; the 'Official', and 'unofficial' model. In the former, bishops are appointed by the Chinese communist government, and they live undisturbed lives. In the latter, Rome appoints the bishops, and they live a persecuted, underground existence. At least five of them languish in prison still. The authorities are scared of the way the Church pulled the ideological rug from beneath the Marxist regimes in Eastern Europe. It was a bitter lesson that they were forced to watch, China is right to be wary.

But why are our great western leaders silent in the face of such blatant abuses? What is the difference, in terms of human rights violation, between 1980 and 2008? The answer may be found by looking around your local supermarket at the many goods on display that originated in China. The Chinese economic miracle is generated by the sweat of workers slaving for 50 cent per day. Is this not a terrible exploitation of people and an abuse of human rights? And if so, aren't we all implicated in it, we who enjoy buying cheap consumer goods made in China? This may explain the silence of our morally bankrupt western leaders!

-Dick Lyng

Church Collections: New System

We have been beating around the bush (not George!) on this matter for over three years now. We were advised at that time to move from a 'basket collection' to an 'envelope collection.' But, because the Church Project and its financing was then our central concern, we kept postponing the change. There is no point in postponing the evil day any longer.

The system we are about to adopt works as follows: each family gets a box containing 52 envelopes, one for each week of the year, obviously. Each envelope is marked by a number. On the distribution of each box, that number is slotted down against the 'receiving' family. So the envelope will be identified by number rather than by name. As the individual envelope is opened, the amount is written on the envelope, beside the number. (This ensures anonymity. The only person who will know the identity of the donor will be the one keeping the records.) You are all probably familiar with the system as it has been working for years in most parishes.

So why move from our present 'basket collection' to this complex 'envelope collection'? The following reasons prompted us to make the move:

It enables us to keep records.
It is in line with modern practice in most churches.
Because records are kept, it is possible now for people who are self-employed to claim tax-relief on their annual contribution. Contributions of €250 or more per annum will qualify. The contributions concerned need not come from one source. It is cumulative. Collections, Dues, and so on, will all count towards that €250.
The Church can re-claim the tax already paid by those who are in the PAYE tax net. This means more income for the Church at no extra cost to the donor.
It reminds people to bring along their weekly contribution.
Beginning next weekend, a complete explanation will be given at all Masses. The box of envelopes will be distributed, individual details collected (Name, address, phone number, Self Employed or PAYE). There will be an opportunity to clarify issues for those with queries. Only a few minutes will be required for people to provide their details to the collectors.
The envelopes will be collected by passing around the basket every Sunday, as always. Obviously, we would be keen that you buy into this new system. The advantages are substantial. However, should you wish to continue contributing through the old system, we are in no position to call the Gardai, obviously! Your contributions are always welcome, regardless of the route by which they arrived here! So we will throw in the ball next weekend.

Bits and Pieces....

PATRICIAN BROTHERS: The Patricians, who manage St. Pat's and 'The Bish' here in the parish, are celebrating the bicentenary of their foundation this year. They were founded on February 2nd, 1808 by Dr. Daniel Delany (right), Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. He invited four teachers to form the Brotherhood of St. Patrick. The anniversary will be celebrated here in the Augustinian with a special celebratory Mass on tomorrow week, Monday February 4th at 7.30, and in the Cathedral on the following day, Tuesday the 5th, at 1.00. The Brothers would love to see as many as possible of their past pupils at one or other of these celebrations.
NEW VESTMENTS: There are two Sundays in the year when Rose-coloured vestments are worn: Gaudete Sunday (3rd Sunday of Advent) and Laetare Sunday (4th Sunday of Lent). Liturgical minimalists that we are, it never occured to us to secure these garments. Now that gap has been filled gloriously. Mary Forde generously secured a beautiful set of Rose vestments for the Church. Thanks very much Mary. I'm looking forward to Lent already!
AUGUSTINIAN MARTYRS: On Sunday, 28 October 2007, 498 people who gave their lives in witness to their Christian faith during the Spanish Civil War were beatified in Rome. Of those 498 martyrs, 98 were Augustinian friars: 61 Priests, 12 Brothers and 25 Students, the majority of whom belonged to The Escorial community near Madrid. One of the martyrs, Father Mario (Luis) Ros Ezcurra is pictured in the PDF version of the newsletter. He was born in 1910, ordained priest in July 1935 and martyred on the night of August 14th, 1936. A brief little pamphlet will be handed out after all the Masses today. This contains a very brief outline of the circumstances of their martyrdom, a sketchy biography and some photographs. I think you will find them interesting.
READERS' COURSE: The Pastoral Centre at Newtownsmith is offering a course for Readers. This course will be divided over two evenings, Thursday 7th and 14th of February, from 8.00pm to 10.00pm. We must have names of those participating in this week.

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