Aghaviller Parish Newsletter

Hugginstown, Newmarket and Stoneyford.

“Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord”  

6th.  and 7th. January 2024

Liam Cassin (Parish Priest)  Telephone: 056 776 8693 or Mobile 087 231 2354

Peter Hoyne (Retired)          Telephone: 056 776 8678 or Mobile 086 373 8492


Monday 8th. to Sunday 14th. January 2024

Hugginstown:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday and Friday at 9.30a.m.   

Vigil – Saturday 13th. at 8.00p.m.;  

Sunday 14th. at 10.00a.m.   

Stoneyford:

VigilWednesday 12th. at 7.00p.m.

VigilSaturday 13th. at 6.30p.m.    


Months Mind Mass; 

Marie Duggan, Ballinteskin.  Mass in Hugginstown Church on Saturday 6th. January at 8.00p.m.

Anniversary Mass:    

Eddie Walsh, Ennisnag.  Mass in Stoneyford Church on Saturday 6th. January at 6.30p.m.

Anniversary Masses next weekend;  

Andy Brennan, Stoneyford:  Mass in Stoneyford Church on Saturday 13th. January at 6.30p.m.

Mai O’Shea, Croan.  Mass in Hugginstown Church on Sunday 14th. January at 10.00a.m.


13th. and 14th. January  –  (Second Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Stoneyford:     Saturday 6.30p.m. Rita O’Farrell.

Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. Valerie Farrell. Sunday 10.00a.m. Noreen Kenneally  

Stoneyford:     Saturday 6.30p.m. Kitty Wallace

Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. Mary Cahill. Sunday 10.00a.m. Kay Power

Diocesan Designated Liaison Person: Ms. Ailish Higgins Tel: 087 100 0232.

Aghaviller Parish Representatives are: Deirdre Rohan and Catherina Roche. 


Many thanks for your very generous contributions for the Christmas Offerings and for your support throughout the past year.

To donate directly.)  For Aghaviller Parish Funds: Use IBAN:  IE74 AIBK 9330 9000 0610 47

(BIC: AIBKIE2D)  

For the support of the Clergy:  Use IBAN:  IE19 AIBK 9330 9000 0561 20 

(BIC: AIBKIE2D).

All Parish Property and Accounts are registered under the (Diocese of Ossory, Reg. Charity No. 20015831)

The “Church Door” Contributions last weekend amounted to €505.00. Thank You. 

The Annual Ossory Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2024 is now available to book!

The departure will take place on 22nd. May 2024 from Cork Airport; flying direct to Lourdes with accommodation available in the hotels La Solitude, Padoue or Agena.  With capacity being limited this year, it is strongly advised that pilgrims wishing to travel to Lourdes book as soon as possible.   Should you require any additional information on the pilgrimage, please do not hesitate to contact 01 241 0800 or info@joewalshtours.ie.  For Assisted Pilgrims please contact Fr. Anthony O’Connor 087 251 7766 or maoc50@me.com

Many thanks to all the Children; Parents; Teachers; Musicians; Choirs; Readers; Eucharistic Ministers; Servers and others who prepared the Christmas Masses: and to all who cleaned and decorated the Churches in the Parish for the Christmas Season and throughout the year.  Thanks to all who erected the Cribs; donated flowers and Christmas trees etc.   A sincere thank you and appreciation to all.

Confirmation will be celebrated for Aghaviller Parish in Hugginstown Church on Thursday 22nd. February at 11.00a.m.

For Stoneyford School on Sunday 12th. May in Stoneyford Church at 11.00a.m.   

For Monroe/Newmarket Schools on Sunday 19th. May in Hugginstown Church at 11.00a.m.


A Lecture on “Water Diviner Experiments in Ireland, 1891 and 1899”  will be given by Brian White on  Friday 19th. January 2024 at 8.00p.m. in Mullinavat Parish Hall (opposite St. Beacon’s Church).  This lecture will include the input of Mr Jones, Mullinabro, Kilmacow/Ferrybank in the experiments.

Aghaviller Parish and Carrickshock G. A. A.

The Lotto will resume this week after the Christmas break. Your support is much appreciated

Next Draw on Monday 8th. January.  Please submit returns by 8.30p.m. Draw at 9.00p.m.

Next Draw: Match 3: €500.00; (First 3 Numbers Drawn)   Jackpot: €7,300.00. (4 Numbers)

Hugginstown District, Hall Committee and Carrickshock G. A. A. extend thanks to all who attended the official launch of the Walkway at the G.A.A. Grounds on Saturday last; the “Waterboys Mile” is now open for all.  A collection for GOAL was opened on the evening and €578.00 is banked to date.  Online donations still welcome  at https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/CarrickshockGOALMile


The Baptism of Jesus marks a turning point in his life, and the start of his public life.  

It is surprising that Jesus, the Saviour of the World, asked to be baptised by John the Baptist.  The request symbolises his desire to identify with us.  At the same time he is filled with the Holy Spirit. That step of identifying with us is an important element in his being able to help us.   Have you ever found that when someone identifies with you, it is far easier for him/her to help you?

If you wish to receive the weekly Newsletter by email, please drop us your email address.

The Newsletter is also available on the Stoneyford Website every week.(www.stoneyford.ie)    All notices for the Newsletter to be left in before 5.00p.m. on Thursdays please.                      

Contact: Telephone: 056 776 8693 or email: liamcassin@ossory.ie


A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah:

Thus says the Lord: Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty;

though you have no money, come! Buy corn without money, and eat,

and, at no cost, wine and milk. Why spend money on what is not bread,

your wages on what fails to satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and you will have

good things to eat and rich food to enjoy. Pay attention, come to me;

listen, and your soul will live. With you I will make an everlasting covenant

out of the favours promised to David. See, I have made of you a witness to

the peoples, a leader and a master of the nations. See, you will summon a

nation you never knew, those unknown will come hurrying to you, for the

sake of the Lord your God, of the Holy One of Israel who will glorify you.

Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near.

Let the wicked man abandon his way, the evil man his thoughts.

Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him, to our God who is

rich in forgiving; for my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways not your

ways – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, the heavens are as high above earth

as my ways are above your ways,  my thoughts above your thoughts.

Yes, as the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return

without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed

for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth

does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in

what it was sent to do.

The Word of the Lord

Response:  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Truly, God is my salvation,  I trust, I shall not fear.

For the Lord is my strength, my song,  he became my saviour.

With joy you will draw water  from the wells of salvation.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name!  Make his mighty deeds

known to the peoples!  Declare the greatness of his name.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Sing a psalm to the Lord  for he has done glorious deeds;

make them known to all the earth!

People of Zion, sing and shout for joy, for great in your midst is the Holy One

of Israel.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

A Reading from the First Letter of St. John 

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten by God;

and whoever loves the Father that begot him loves the child whom he begets.

We can be sure that we love God’s children if we love God himself and do

what he has commanded us;  this is what loving God is – keeping his

commandments;  and his commandments are not difficult, because anyone

who has been begotten by God has already overcome the world;

this is the victory over the world –  our faith.

Who can overcome the world? Only the man who believes that Jesus is the

Son of God: Jesus Christ who came by water and blood, not with water only,

but with water and blood; with the Spirit as another witness – since the Spirit

is the truth – so that there are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water and the

blood, and all three of them agree. We accept the testimony of human

witnesses,  but God’s testimony is much greater, and this is God’s testimony,

given as evidence for his Son.

Gospel Acclamation   (Please stand)

Alleluia, alleluia!

John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said:

This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Alleluia!

A Reading from the Holy Gospel of St. Mark:

In the course of his preaching John the Baptist said:

‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’

It was at this time that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised in the Jordan by John. No sooner had he come up out of the water than he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.’

The Gospel of the Lord.


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