ST PAUL’S POST St Paul’s Province Weekly Newsletter: 169 6 April 2020

Our

birthday

girls this

week are:

Brid O’Rawe 9 April

Behold your King comes to

you gentle and riding on a

donkey.

Matthew 21:5

Then came the day of

Unleavened Bread on which

the Passover lamb had to be

sacrificed.

Luke 22:7

And I, when I am lifted up

from the earth, will draw all

people to myself.

John 12:32

I am the resurrection and the

life.

John 11:25

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS

Our Sisters:-

Nora Horan

Regina Boland

Una Vaughan

Rita McStay

Relatives/friends of Sisters:-

Marguerita’s brother, Pat;

Eily May’s brothers, Tade & Jack, and her sister, Mary Philomena White;

Francis’ niece-in-law, Val McCartan;

Kay Doran’s niece-in-law, Kerry;

Martin Joseph’s sister, Julie;

Rita McStay’s niece-in-law, Michelle Reid;

Keighley Associate, Elaine Plunkett;

Sheila McNally’s brother, John McNally;

Brigid Murphy’s brother-in-law, Michael Clyne;

Carmel Comerford’s sister, Clare;

Barbara Sexton’s brother, Denis, and his

wife, Breda; also their sister-in-law, Angela Sexton;

Margaret Travers’ sister, Mary McLean;

Annie McCambridge’s grandniece, Anna Kearns;

Paschal Somers’ wife, Maria;

Dominic, brother to Ann Cotter (Chile);

Kerry Jackson, CEO of St Gemma’s.

Your prayers are requested for:

Seamus Kelly, the brother of Annette Kelly, who died earlier in the week;

Danny Hainey, the brother of Anna Hainey, who passed away April 3, and

Fr Aidan McGing CM, a Vincentian Priest, who died in Dublin 2 weeks ago. He was a cousin of Sr Julie McGing RIP.

Our prayers and thoughts are with Annette and Anna and all

their respective families at this difficult time.

It was a beautiful sunny morning for the internment of our dear Sister Anthony Mary in

Ilkley Cemetery. The hearse passed through Elmleigh and stopped at the chapel door

while the Sisters watched from a safe distance and recited the Rosary. Sister Mary Bolton had

made a beautiful wreath of flowers which was put on

the coffin, together with a bouquet of flowers from a

member of staff who had looked after her for many

years. Sister Susan and I followed in our own car

making a lonely cortege to the cemetery. The roads

were empty. The priest, Fr Michael McLoughlin, was

waiting at the graveside and Jane and Robert Parkinson

were there too, at a safe distance. It was a simple

ceremony but very beautiful. I asked permission to

video the service, which I later put on the Province

WhatsApp group. We threw the required soil on top of

the coffin and then Susan and I threw in white roses. A

small token of love for a much loved and very generous

lady. At the end of the service, Fr Michael chatted

about Sister Anthony working with the

travelling people as she was involved in that

ministry when he was in Wakefield.

Simultaneously, in Elmleigh Convent, Sister

Moya led a Eucharistic Service in memory of

Sister Anthony with the promise of a Mass

and celebration once the Coronavirus

restrictions are over. When we returned to

the Briery we had our own Eucharistic Service.

It was a very strange day. I never imagined

that I and a novice would be the sole

representatives at the funeral of one of our

Sisters who had celebrated her Platinum

Jubilee! It moved me very deeply, but I was

both humbled and honoured to be able to

represent you all.

Sister Anne Hammersley

I am staying in a deserted Glendalough Valley. No cars,

bicycles or motor bikes. Normally this weekend, which is

the beginning of Easter holidays, it would be difficult just to

cross the road. All car park gates are locked and hotels closed

till further notice.

It is great to be able to walk around and hear the birds and

flowing streams.

The attached photographs give a glimpse as to how I am

spending some of my time. I never have time to bake so now I

am baking with all the recipes in my head from my teenage days

at home. My bread making is not up to the standard yet!

When this cocooning time ends and the many pilgrims return, I

may be able to get a table at our local market to sell my

produce. The little garden is all ready for these lettuce and

beetroot plants.

It is great having time to read and do things I don't usually have

time to do.

It will be good to hear how others are enjoying these weeks. We

have never seen the like of it before!

Breda Ahearn

S heila McNally has been very busy with

knitting needles creating pram/cot

blankets for charity. She has already

sent her first one to Chile with Sister Anne

Culliton. Well done Sheila!

Every one of us is living on a cliff edge. However, we can support

one another and believe that eventually ‘all will be well’.

A friend of mine sent me the following ‘snippets’, which I would

like to share with you to encourage us and make us smile.

Eily May White

The earth whispered but you did not hear.

The earth spoke but you did not listen.

The earth screamed but you turned her off.

And so I was born...

I was not born to punish you.

I was born to awaken you.

The earth cried out for help...

Massive flooding. But you didn't listen.

Burning fires. But you didn't listen.

Strong hurricanes. But you didn't listen.

Terrifying Tornadoes. But you didn't listen.

You still don't listen to the earth when

Ocean animals are dying due to pollutants in the waters.

Glaciers melting at an alarming rate.

Severe drought.

You didn't listen to how much negativity the earth is receiving.

Non-stop wars.

Non-stop greed.

You just kept going on with your life..

No matter how much hate there was..

No matter how many killings daily..

It was more important to get that latest iPhone than worry about what the earth was trying to

tell you..

But now I am here.

And I've made the world stop on its tracks.

I've made YOU finally listen.

I've made you take refuge.

I've made you stop thinking about materialistic things..

Now you are like the earth...

You are only worried about YOUR survival.

How does that feel?

I give you fever.. as the fires burn on earth.

I give you respiratory issues.. as pollution fills the earth air.

I give you weakness as the earth weakens every day.

I took away your comforts.. Your outings. The things you would use to forget about the planet and its pain.

And I made the world stop...

And now...

China has better air quality.. Skies are clear blue because factories are not spewing pollution

into the earth's air.

The water in Venice is clean and dolphins are being seen.

Because the gondola boats that pollute the water are not being used.

YOU are having to take time to reflect on what is important

in your life.

Again I am not here to punish you. I am here to Awaken you...

When all this is over and I am gone... Please remember these

moments..

Listen to the earth.

Listen to your soul.

Stop polluting the earth.

Stop fighting among each other.

Stop caring about materialistic things.

And start loving your neighbours.

Start caring about the earth and all its creatures.

Start believing in a Creator.

Because next time I may come back even stronger....

Signed,

Coronavirus

Forwarded to us by Máire O’Sullivan

2020: BICENTENARY YEAR OF THE BIRTH ON 2 SEPTEMBER

OF OUR FOUNDRESS, THE SERVANT OF GOD,

MOTHER MARY JOSEPH OF JESUS IN SAECULO ELIZABETH PROUT:

OUR HERITAGE:

THE GROWTH OF HER CONGREGATION

PARTS NINE & TEN

Parts 9 & 10: Founded within 110 and 130 years of her death;

Vaxjo, Sweden, 1975

17 Elwes Way, Great Billing, Northampton, July 1976

St John Ogilvie, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, 27 September 1976

St Clare, Darlington, 8 November 1976

Lima, Peru, October 1977

St Gemma’s Convent, 22 Griffith Avenue, Marino, Dublin, Ireland, 8 July 1979

Macul, Chile, c. 1979; and Manzana, Chile, c. 1979

Cordoba, Buenos Aires, Argentina, opened between 1979-1982

Tallaght, Dublin, 1 February 1980

Angered, Sweden, c. 1980/1981

Darnley, Glasgow, Scotland, 22 April 1981; Girdle Toll, Irvine, Ayrshire, 31 October 1981

Quinton, Birmingham, 1981

Stadium Street, Chelsea, London, 23 October 1982

Poleglass, Belfast, 28 November 1982

Gabane Village, Botswana, 13 October 1983

Glenlora Drive, Glasgow, 15 February 1983

Warwick, Rhode Island, USA, 1983-1984

Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland, 28 June 1985, replacement of Irvine convent

Mandeville, Jamaica, West Indies, 1985

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, June 1986

62 Gerald Rd, Salford, 20 October 1986

Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA; One Wright Lane, Kingstown, RI, USA, 1986/1987

Peace Dale, Rhode Island, USA, 1986/1987; and East Greenwich, RI, USA, 1987/1988

Highgate, London, 20 October 1988

Holy Family, Madrid St, Belfast, May 1989 and 13 Clare Rd, Dublin, Ireland, 1989

St Ann’s Convent, Bradford, Yorkshire, 2 Sept. and St Patrick’s, Bradford, 6 Oct. 1989

Sacred Heart, Innisfayle Rd, Belfast, 1990; and Ystradgynlais, Wales, September 1991

Tsabong, Botswana, 1993; and Naledi, Gaborone, Botswana, c. 1994 (SDS)

Sr Dominic Savio Hamer