Baptism was given a new meaning by Jesus and all Christians share in that meaning. We have been bap-tised into the Christian faith by water and the Holy Spir-it, and our Christian faith teaches us that sacramental baptism is the gateway to the other sacraments.

There is powerful symbolism associated with water. It can sustain life and cleanse, by its thirst-quenching and purifying qualities. But it can also destroy that same life through drowning. Thus water has the potential to give life and to cause death. Too much water is as damag-ing as too little water.

The religious symbolism of water in sacramental bap-tism revolves around our dying to alienation from God through the washing away of our sins, and around our new identity which is flourished and deepened by our sharing in God’s life and by being incorporated into the Body of Christ which is the Church.

The significance of God’s invitation to share in this newness of life offered in baptism is well summarised in the words: ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him’ (Mt 3:17). Throughout our lives, if we

open our hearts to God’s loving presence and if we lis-ten to the word of God, then our souls will be nourished and live in a healthy state of union with God’s will.

As we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we have a timely liturgical reminder that we have been baptised into Christ’s death and resurrection. We share in his risen life through baptism and we know that God has made an irreversible commitment to us.

PRAYER AT THE START OF THE YEAR

Lord, I sometimes wonder where I’m going

and what is the meaning of my life.

I wonder especially

what the new year holds for me.

Will it bring joy or sorrow,

success or failure, life or death?

But then I remember that you came on earth;

and that you still travel

the road of life with me.

And so I say to my soul:

‘Go out into the darkness,

and put your hand in the hand of

Christ, your Brother;

that will be better than a light,

and safer than a known path.’

KILQUADE PARISH NEWSLETTER

Baptism of the Lord 12th January 2020

St. Patrick’s St. Joseph’s St. Anthony’s Holy Spirit Oratory

PREPARATION FOR BAPTISM: Our new approach to preparation for the

Sacrament of Baptism in the pastoral area of the parishes of Greystones and

Kilquade is well in place. The purpose of the preparation programme is to support

parents in reflecting on the significant step they are taking in bringing their child to be

baptised into the Christian Community. Enquiries to the Office.

BAPTISM CERT REQUESTS: Due to the new Data Protection Laws,

anyone wishing for a copy of a Baptismal Cert will need to bring the Birth Cert of the

person in question.

W elcome! If you are a new to this area or just visiting you are very welcome and we, the

existing faith community, hope you feel at home. Our pastoral area incorporates the villages

of Kilquade, Kilcoole, Newcastle, Newtownmountkennedy, Delgany and the surrounding

countryside in Kilquade Parish and the town of Greystones and the surrounding hinterland in

Holy Rosary and St. Kilian’s Parish.

If you are new to either parish, please make yourself known to one of the priests of the parish.

Be sure to visit our respective parish websites www.kilquadeparish.ie and www.greystonesparish.ie.

KILQUADE PARISH: Fr. John Daly, P.P.: 086 2365194

Email: frjohndaly@kilquadeparish.ie

Fr. Eamonn Clarke: 01 2876207

Canon Sean Smith: 01 2819253

PARISH PASTORAL WORKER:

Paul Thornton: 0851259753.

Email: paul.thornton@dublindiocese.ie

KILQUADE PARISH OFFICE:

Mon to Thurs. 11am – 1pm. Tel: 01 2819658.

Email: kilquadeparish@eircom.net

Website: www.kilquadeparish.ie

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL:

President: Fr. John Daly.

Chair: Rachel Kerrigan.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Frances Stephenson & Máire Ní Shiodhail (contact through parish

office)

GREYSTONES PARISH:

Fr. John Daly, P.P.: 086 2365194

Email: frjohndaly@greystonesparish.ie

Fr. Denis Quinn: 01 2877025

Fr. Gerard Young: 01 2874278

Pastoral Area of Kilquade/Greystones

PARISH MASSES

WEEKEND MASS TIMES

Holy Rosary Church, Greystones

Sat 6pm Vigil

Sun 11:30am

Sun 6:30pm

Holy Spirit Oratory, Newcastle

Sat 8pm Vigil

St. Anthony’s Church, Kilcoole

Sun 10:30am

St. Joseph’s Church,

Newtownmountkennedy

Sat 7pm Vigil

Sun 8:30am

Sun 11:30am

St. Kilian’s Church, Blacklion

Sun. 10am:

St. Patrick’s Church, Kilquade

12 Noon:

NEW CHRISTIANS: We welcome Layla

& Sábha and Daniel & Kaiya, who were

the newest members of our community

through the water of baptism on Sunday

5th January. May they continue to grow in

body, mind and Spirit in the years ahead.

WEDDING BELLS: Congratulations to

Shane McGovern & Fionnuala Shields who

were married in St. Patrick’s Church,

Kilquade over the Christmas. May the Lord

deepen their love for one another in the

years ahead.

REST IN PEACE: Please pray for the

repose of the souls of Bill Carthy of

Newtownmountkennedy, Jerry Shannon of

Newtownmountkennedy & Formerly

Ashford, Rita Kilbride (née Kelly) of

Kilcoole & Formerly Greystones. Patrick

(Paddy) Condron of Greystones &

Formerly Newtownmountkennedy for

whom Requiem Mass was celebrated in

our parish this past week. We offer our sympathy to their

family and friends. May they rest in peace. Amen.

CHURCH UNITY WEEK: At least once a year, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disci-ples that “they may be one so that the world may be-lieve” (see John 17.21). Christians come together to pray for their unity. Congregations and parishes all over the world exchange preachers or arrange special ecumenical celebrations and prayer services.

Traditionally the week of prayer is celebrated between 18–25 January, between the feasts of St Peter and St Paul. The theme for 2020 is ‘Unusual Kindness’. Hos-pitality is a much needed virtue in our search for Chris-tian unity. It calls us to a greater generosity to those in need. The people who showed unusual kindness to Paul and his companions did not yet know Christ, and yet it is through their unusual kindness that a divided people were drawn closer together. Our own Christian unity will be discovered not only through showing hos-pitality to one another, but also through loving encoun-ters with those who do not share our language, culture or faith.

CHRISTMAS OFFERING ENVELOPES: A big thank you to all who have returned the Christmas Offering envelopes. If you’ve not had the opportunity and would like to make an offering en-

velopes are available at the back of the church. The Christmas Offering goes to help support the priests in the Diocese and the Parish. Thank you for your pray-ers and continued support, especially at this time.

POPE CALLS FOR “SELF-CONTROL”: As the political crisis in relations between the United States and Iran continues to escalate, Pope Francis has called on all parties to exercise “self-control”.

Pope Francis made no direct reference to the conflict between the US and Iran in his address following yes-terday’s Angelus prayer, but he said: “War brings only death and destruction. There is a terrible air of tension in parts of the world. I call upon all parties to fan the flame of dialogue and self-control – and to banish the shadow of enmity.”

The Pope then invited all present in St Peter’s Square to pray in silence for this intention. Coincidentally, the Pope’s Intention for January is the promotion of world peace.

NEW TRANSPARENCY: Pope Francis has abolished the obligation of secrecy for those who report having been sexually abused by a priest and for those who testify in a Church trial or process having to do with clerical sexual abuse.

“The person who files the report, the person who alleg-es to have been harmed and the witnesses shall not be bound by any obligation of silence with regard to matters involving the case,” the Pope ordered in a new Instruction On the Confidentiality of Legal Pro-ceedings, published last week.

Victims and witnesses free to discuss the case, the amended law specifies that the still-in-effect obligation of Vatican officials to maintain confidentiality “shall not prevent the fulfilment of the obligations laid down in all places by civil laws, including any reporting obligations, and the execution of enforceable requests of civil judi-cial authorities”.

The new law makes it clear that “anybody who disclos-es misconduct or a crime and anybody who is impact-ed by the misconduct or the crime, and the witnesses, should never be subject to a vow or a promise of si-lence on the fact that they have reported”.

The new law explicitly states people’s “moral duty” to cooperate with civil authorities in reporting and investi-gating the crime of abuse. Moreover, there is an obli-gation not to bind people who disclose misconduct or crimes by any promise or vow of silence.

A HERMITS LIFE?: For almost 20 years pilgrims of all persuasions have been welcomed to Glendalough Hermitage Centre from all over the world. In an atmos-phere of peace and tranquillity, people from different walks of life come to be renewed in body, mind and soul. Here you will find time to reflect, rest, pray and journey inwards.

Glendalough Hermitage Centre: Would you like the opportunity to experience a hermit way of life that involves a short stay in the Glendalough Hermitage Centre? Need a day or two or more, of quiet reflection and rest? Can you take time out to experience the presence of God in the peace and tranquility of the Valley of Glendalough? Find out more: Web-site:www.glendaloughhermitage.ie or Email: fail-te@glendaloughhermitage.ie, or Telephone:087 9356696

1STCOMMUNION PREPA-

RATION MASS: Next Sunday’s

11.30am & 6.30pm Mass will be

celebrated especially for families

who are preparing a child for 1st Ho-

ly Communion and will focus on ex-

plaining the importance of listening

to the Word of God at Mass.

SOCIAL HOBBY

& CRAFT: Sun.

12st JAN. 2020:

Kilian House Family

Centre; 3:00 p.m. to

5:30 p.m. Learn new crafts and

make new connections while also

having a cuppa . Lots to see and

learn while meeting with friends.

WOMAN’S FELLOWSHIP

EVENING: @ St. Patricks

Church Greystones, 7pm Jan. 15th

2020 Speaker Dawn McDowell en-

try €10.00, see poster on notice-

board for more details.

HOLY ROSARY

SOUP & SAND-

WICHES : 29

January 2020 Kilian

House Family Centre; 12:15 p.m.

to 2:00 p.m. Meet your friends for

delicious home-made soup and

sandwiches. Followed by tea/coffee

and cake. Suggested dona-

tion, €5.00.All proceeds go to local

charities. Everyone is most wel-

come for good food and a friendly

chat.

ANAM CARA: Wicklow, is hold-

ing it's monthly Parent Evening on

Monday 20th January at 7:20pm in

the Parkview Hotel, Newtown-

mountkennedy, Co. Wicklow. This

event is free and open to all be-

reaved parents regardless of the

age your child died, the circum-

stances of their death, or whether

their death was recent or not.

Please contact us on in-

fo@anamcara.ie or 085 2888 888

for any queries.

KILQUADE PARISH ANNUAL

GENERAL MEETING: It is good

practice for charities to have an

AGM to act as a review of the year

and reviewing the annual accounts.

We will be holding the meeting on

Thursday 23rd January at 8pm in

Kilcoole Community Centre. It

will include a presentation of the

parish accounts and a parish review

by the chair of the Parish Council.

All Welcome.

Catholic Schools Week 2020 will

take place this year from Sunday 26

January – Sunday 2 February on

the theme ‘Catholic Schools: Living

in Harmony with God’s Crea-

tion’. During Catholic Schools

Week families, parishes and

schools, North and South, are invit-

ed to participate in a week of cele-

bration of Catholic schools and on

their contribution to the common

good of our society. This year’s

theme ‘Catholic Schools: Living in

Harmony with God’s Creation’, en-

courages us to see that we all have

a responsibility to care for the earth,

not just for our own future, but for

the future of every one of God’s

creatures.

GREYSTONES BRIDGE CEN-TRE CLG Beginners Bridge Clas-ses commence Monday 20th Janu-ary 2020 at 10.00am (10 weeks for €120 p.p.) Improvers Bridge Clas-ses commence Tuesday 21st Janu-ary 2020 at 10.00am (10 weeks for €120 p.p.) For further information pleaseemail:board.greystonesbridgecentre@gmail.com

HELP IS JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY: ALCO-HOLICS ANONY-MOUS: Meet in the Parish Centre Kil-coole ,Tuesdays

8.30 p.m. WICKLOW SUICIDE SUPPORT, 086 7779868 .ST. VIN-CENT DE PAUL: Kilquade 01 8550022. Greystones: 089 4292769 AL-ANON: meet at St. Kilians Fami-ly Centre Sundays 8.00p.m. GAM-BLERS ANONYMOUS: Details from Pat 01 2874799.

SCRIPTURE READING

Each week we suggest a piece of Scripture to use in your prayer.

Light a candle and read slowly the passage, re-read it a couple of

times and reflect on it and listen to what God is saying to you.

This week’s is John 1:29 –34