New Ross and Fethard-on-Sea Parish (the Hook Peninsula)

A Parish of the United Dioceses of Cashel, Ferns, Leighlin, Lismore, Ossory & Waterford (Church of Ireland)

January 2012

CHURCH SERVICES in the PARISH: (see “Diary Dates” for special services)

St. Mogue's Church, Fethard on Sea     09.00 a.m. every Sunday (except 5th Sunday)

All Saints Church, (Duncannon) Killesk    10.15 a.m. every Sunday (except 5th Sunday)

Whitechurch     10.30 a.m. 2nd Sunday only

St. Mary's Church, New Ross     11.45 a.m. every Sunday

(except 4^th Sunday in ‘odd’ months [Jan. etc.] or 5^th Sunday)

St. Mary's Church, Old Ross     11.45 a.m. 4^th Sunday in ‘odd’ months (January, March etc.) only

on a 5^th Sunday 10.30 a.m. Combined Service for all the Group

Diary Dates NEWS Our CHURCHES in PICTURES History of St Mary’s Church

New Ross

Pause for prayer

Slow us down, Lord, so we may take the time to view your Creation with reverence, to see the needs of all your family, to share with our brothers and sisters, to celebrate with them the abundant life You offer and so that we create Sabbath time in our own lives and in our communities.

Help us to become sensitive to the rhythms of your seasons and to rest in the security of your grace.

Priest-in-Charge: Rev. Richard Greene

Tel:  051 425004

Mobile: 087 8250418

Click here to send email to Richard

Reader Emerita: Mrs Joan Deacon

New Year Message from Richard

First and foremost I want to thank all parishioners for their encouragement, support and friendship over the past six months and more. I want to particularly express my gratitude to those who decorated our churches (for Christmas in particular) with such dedication and talent and to those who laid on hospitality at so many of the moments we have shared. I also want to thank all parishioners who sent me Christmas cards and presents. They will probably not realise how touched and encouraged I have been by their generosity. Speaking of Christmas, the attendance at our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Eucharist at all of the four churches were also encouraging for the future – they were ‘healthy’ by any standards and particularly so in comparison to those of last year (for which the bitter weather was undoubtedly a factor). I want to thank the Revd Leslie and Mrs Janet Crampton, Mrs Margaret Stephens and Mr Ciaran Kavanagh for coming to lead our worship during 2011 and, in particular, the Revd Leslie Forrest for his monthly assistance to our Parish, not least in presiding at the Christmas Day Eucharist in St Mary’s Church, New Ross.

Secondly, as on New Year’s Day we remembered those of our parish who had passed away during 2011, we tried to do so in as forward-looking a way as we were able. We remembered Peter Wilmet, Isobel Kelly, Roy Daniels and June Tweedy as four persons who in so many ways had sustained our parish in the past and would want, I believe, to see it prosper into the future. One of the abiding memories of all these persons is their interest and care for others, even when their own state of health was so challenged. Their example in this regard should be a New Year resolution for each of us individually. As a Parish, we should also see their example as a reminder that what we share we can endure, that when we share we can prevail and that how we share is the reflection of all the love we have received.

Thirdly, please let me know if any of you might consider training as a Diocesan Reader (or indeed pursue the Course without a wish for ministry). I am certain that there would be a tremendous enrichment of our worship if we had at least one of 'our own' Readers! In saying so, I want to thank Mrs. Joan Deacon for her invaluable ministry among us ‘in retirement’ and hope that she will be able, willing and interested in continuing it for much time to come!

Finally, have a very Happy New Year!

Richard

Diary Dates Home

JANUARY 2012

SUNDAY 1^st Usual 1^st Sunday schedule (services in St Mogues, All Saints and St Marys, New Ross) with memorials of those who died during 2011

SUNDAY 22^nd Family Service of the Word (St Mary’s Church, Old Ross)

(no service in New Ross on 22^nd)

SUNDAY 29^th 11.00 a.m. United Family Holy Communion (St Mary’s Church, New Ross) (with the Bishop presiding)
followed by parish lunch and indoor bowling (YMCA Hall)

Hook Head

Tintern Abbey

Notes and Home

OFFICERS and MEMBERS of SELECT VESTRY as elected at Easter General Vestry (for 2011 / 2012):

Church Wardens Rector’s People’s

New Ross: Olive Thorpe Robin Shore

Fethard-on-Sea: Alan Powell Sam Watchorn

Killesk: Ivan Ward Neil Williams

Whitechurch: Patricia Knight Mike Barrett

Old Ross: Desmond Thorpe Linda Rogers

Glebe Wardens: John Greene Rodney Deacon

William Auld Neil Blodwell

Select Vestry: Claire Auld, Suzanne Barrett, Dermot Bassett, Donna Blodwell, Mrs. Cairns, Noel Cooper, Margaret Crews,

Joan Deacon (elected Treasurer), Kit Kelly, Hazel Murray, Jenny Nuttall,

Olive Power, Vanessa Ryan, Albert Symes, Connie Tantrum, Virginia Thorne, Brian Thorpe, Ruth Watchorn,

John Weldon (elected Secretary), Sheila Wilmet

CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES:

A big thank you to parishioners who sold raffle tickets before Christmas, and donated prizes for it, in aid of St Marys, New Ross.
The sum raised was €2000 – well done indeed!

The Advent Carol Service in All Saints’ Church, Killesk, was held on Sunday, 4th December, and was supported by the communities of Ramsgrange and Duncannon as well as many parishioners. We were delighted to have the Parish Priests of both Duncannon (Father John Nolan) and Ramsgrange (Father Bernard Cushen) participate in this special form of seasonal praise and prayer and our thanks go to all who read lessons and attended. Our particular thanks must go to our organist Connie Tantrum and to Ivan and Richard Ward for their seasonal and generous hospitality to all who came to Fortagusta afterwards.

Thank you to everyone who prepared for, read at and attended the Friday night (16th December) Carol Service in St. Mogue’s Church, Fethard-on-Sea. Special thanks to Principal, Domini Codd, and Pupils of Poulfor National School whose singing so enriched our worship, and to Father Oliver Sweeney for his attendance and participation. Special, special thanks to Mrs Olive Power and her team for giving us such hospitality afterwards. The collection at this service raised a total of €500 which was divided between the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the RNLI.

Thank you to all parishioners who prepared for and attended the Sunday night (18th December) Civic Carol Service in St. Mary’s Church, New Ross. Special thanks to the civic and community representatives who attended and participated in our worship, to Father Tomas Kehoe from St Mary and St Michael’s Church and to the Holy Family Confraternity Band who accompanied our singing and raised our spirits. The collection in aid of St. Vincent de Paul and Bishops’ Appeal raised the sum of €250 for each of these charities. The hospitality afterwards was provided by Mrs Bea Thorpe and her team and was much appreciated by the many people who stayed on to chat.

NATIONWIDE TELEVISION:

William and Claire Auld were the subject of a ‘Nationwide’ item that was broadcast on RTE 1 Television on Monday 12th December. This received appreciative and complimentary comment from many parts of both our country and the Church of Ireland. Congratulations to all who spoke so well and communicated such a caring, Christian, impression of the Fethard community and of St. Mogue’s Church.

CONGRATULATIONS: To Noel Power on qualifying as an airline pilot. We wish him well in his future career made possible by this achievement.

ILL AT HOME AND IN HOSPITAL:

We keep in thought and prayer all those who are (or have recently been) in hospital or are unwell at home, and those who are receiving treatment, our particular prayers being for Ruth. Richard asks that he be advised of anyone falling ill or may otherwise be in need of a pastoral visit. Loving Father, hear our prayer and grant each of us your peace.

MOTHERS’ UNION NOTES

Our Christmas Party has been ‘changed’ into a lunch get-together in the Ferrycarrig Hotel, Wexford, at 1.00 p.m. on Friday 6^th January (price 21 euro). All members and friends are most welcome. For bookings and details for this event, please contact Olive Power (051) 397317 or (087) 9076671.

The January meeting will take place on Thursday 26th in the YMCA Hall, New Ross, at 8.00 p.m..

Best wishes to all our members and their loved ones for a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.

Our churches in picture:

Home

All Saints’, Killesk

St Mogue’s, Fethard-on-Sea

St Mary’s, New Ross

Whitechurch

St Mary’s, Old Ross

History of the Buildings at St Mary’s in New Ross Home

A place of continuous worship in the Town for over 800 years.

The establishment of the town of New Ross and the foundation of St. Mary’s are closely linked to events following the
Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169. The town was founded in the early years of the thirteenth century by William Marshall,
Earl of Pembroke, and his wife Isabella of Leinster, daughter of Strongbow, and grand daughter and heiress of Dermot
MacMurrough, king of Leinster. Unlike many Irish towns, New Ross was a planned development, and the building of a very
large church such as St Mary’s was a statement of the intentions of Marshall for the future size and importance of Ross as
a port town. Until the time of what is known as the ‘Black Death’ or Bubonic Plague, in the middle of the fourteenth century
New Ross prospered and its port trade rivalled that of Dublin. The rich legacy of medieval effigies of prominent citizens
within the walls of the large graveyard surrounding St Mary’s testify to the importance of this town during this period.

St Mary’s Church, founded c.1210, the extensive remains of which are located near the top of the hill in a commanding
position overlooking the town and river, was a town and parish church, as is its more modern addition today. It was one of
the first perpendicular Gothic churches built in Ireland in this period, and probably the largest.

The copyright on this image is owned by Humphrey Bolton

and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons

Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.

Construction of the present Church

Part of the ruins was converted into the present church, which was built within the walls of the nave, and over the
medieval crypt in the early nineteenth century. Thus, it is an integral part of the medieval church. The design is attributed
to John Roberts the well-known architect of much of 18th Century Waterford, but as he died in 1796 it is assumed either that
he designed the building before he died, or that members of his family firm carried out the work. The new church was partly
funded by the Board of First Fruits - a body within the Irish church to assist with funding building and repairs to churches and
glebes in the 18th Century.

The exterior is plain, and the walls are of coursed stone rubble construction, and the East wall of the chancel is built into
the thirteenth century transept arches of the medieval church. Internally, the church consists of a four-bay single volume and
has a first floor gallery on three sides of the nave, with a panelled timber balustrade, and is supported on iron columns. There
are boxed pews in both the gallery and the nave, with a central organ in the west wall of the gallery.

The church has a flat ceiling of lath and plaster of an unusually wide span that is subdivided by wooden beams running in
both directions. In the chancel are several contemporary stone mural memorials of some importance, to members of the
Tottenham family, by a well-known contemporary sculptor, van Nolt. The entrance hall has two graceful circular stone
staircases on both sides, and vestry rooms beneath the gallery.

The original furniture of the church is intact and much as in a photograph of 1909. Prayer desk and baptismal font
positions have been altered but otherwise this is a very fine early nineteenth C. interior of dignity, restraint and simplicity.

An explanation for the size of the church is perhaps that it was designed in the years directly following the Rebellion of
1798, when it was envisaged that there would be a large military and constabulary presence in the town, but this never
materialized, and the Church of Ireland population of the area has always been small.

Grounds of the Church

The entrance to the Church and grounds is through a set of stone piers with wrought iron piers, and a steep sloping path
to the church. A small stone cottage known as the Sexton’s Cottage is to the left of the entrance Gate but outside the wall of
the graveyard. St Mary’s is surrounded by a large graveyard, which as it is a pre-Reformation burial ground has always been
used by many families of both denominations in the town and area. An undamaged wall surrounds the whole site, which
contains graves from medieval dates to the present, although it has now been closed to new burial sites.

Conclusions

Since it was built in the thirteenth century, St Mary’s church has always been an important part of life in New Ross.
Today it is the oldest surviving building in the town. The medieval buildings are in the care of The Office of Public Works,
and the more modern building is included on the Record of Protected Structures.

It has been a centre for Christian worship for over 800 years, and has in recent years been used by the wider community
as a venue for concerts and music due to its exceptional acoustic properties, as well as continuing its ongoing use as a place of
worship. The highly successful New Ross Piano festival now in its fifth year highlights this point.

Bibliography

Boyle, Michael, Architectural & Historical report on St. Mary’s Church for The Ros Tapestry. 2004.

Colfer, Billy, Arrogant Trespass: Anglo –Norman Wexford 1169-1400 Wexford 2002

Dunne Tom (Ed) New Ross Ros Ponte Ros Mhic Treoin

An Anthology celebrating 800 years Wexford 2007