As the sun sets sooner and air gets colder in Wexford, Teach Bhride’s days continue to get busier and our list of Irish friends continues to grow. The Scoil Mhuire school 5th class has nearly had all of their class masses, the 2nd class first communicants have begun Communion preparation, and each of the four Parish ensembles continues to get better each week.
Though our schedules fill up very quickly these days, we gladly found time this past Friday to attend a small Folk Group celebration where we got to eat, drink, and merrily sing alongside our Irish friends. Just like any Irish gathering, we left with stories, smiles, and stomachs a little wider than they had been upon our arrival. Something I came to notice as we were leaving, however, is the age range of our friends has stretched quite a bit. Our smaller friends over at the schools are as young as eight years old and our wonderful friends known as the tea ladies are already grandparents. As fantastic as this is, I find that I have come to appreciate any opportunity to talk to somebody my age more than I had before. This week, we have been blessed with such an opportunity as a group from NET Ministries has come to the Parish for the week to reach out to the youth of our Parish. This coming week, NET ministries and the Parish will be hosting youth nights called “Encounter Days” from Monday through Saturday at 7:00 PM. If my hopes and dreams come true, this will be the perfect catalyst to finally start a youth ministry program in our beloved Parish. So, dear reader, if you find you have the time for some extra prayers this week, our friends at NET ministries and the teens of Clonard Parish would benefit greatly!
Cheers,
Ben Wagner
