This Tuesday, February 11, is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and also World day of Prayer for the Sick. Behind many hall-doors in our parish and throughout the length and breadth of our country, there are people who are sick; men and women, young and old; and more children than you might imagine. Some of them are confined to bed or to wheelchairs. Others, in spite of the limitations posed by their sickness, continue to go to work, do the shopping and play an active part in the life of their community. Each person’s story is unique, many of them are stories of great courage. These days, when we think about healthcare, we often think of new technology and new drugs. These are important, but healthcare is first and foremost a relationship of trust. When people are sick, they often discover in a new and more profound way, how much they depend on others. It is a useful lesson for all of us to learn, even if we would hope not to have to become sick in order to do so. Part of the story of every sick person is that relationship of trust with family members, friends, neighbours, carers, nurses, doctors, radiographers, physiotherapists, ambulance crews, priests and ministers of Holy Communion. It is a relationship in which love is expressed in generous service and care. The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes; if you are familiar with the story of the apparitions of Our Lady to Bernadette at Lourdes, you might wonder what the connection with healing is. It is true that Bernadette was not a very healthy child and Mary seems to have been very kind to her. Bernadette was not treated as an ignorant child from a poor family might expect to be treated. Mary spoke to her as a child of God. This reminds us – as Pope Francis says in his Message for this World Day of the Sick – that every person is, and always remains, a human being, and is to be treated as such. The sick and those who are disabled, even severely, have their own inalienable dignity and mission in life. I think, when Mary is present, Jesus is never far away. When she asks his help on our behalf, He listens to her. We see this when Jesus responds to the request of His Mother, to bring some joy back into the lives of the young couple at the Wedding Feast in Cana. The message of Lourdes, essentially, is that God loves us and that he comes to find us wherever we are, but especially in our weakness and in our smallness. The challenge of Lourdes is that we allow ourselves to be small, to be vulnerable and to receive whatever gift God wants to give us. In the years after the apparitions, Bernadette devoted her own life to prayer and the care of the sick, as a Sister of Charity of Nevers. She was never very healthy herself and she died of tuberculosis while she was still quite young. It may seem surprising that Bernadette never took the opportunity to return to Lourdes seeking a cure for her illness. I think she realised that she had already been healed. Through her encounter with Mary the Mother of Jesus, her whole life had been changed. One of the things I have often noticed in Lourdes is that the sick bring healing to the healthy, through their attitude of patience and prayerfulness. Those who come to Lourdes in the whole of their health discover a new humility, and go home with a fresh appreciation of the gift of life. This is the kind of conversion that Mary spoke about to Bernadette. Miracles of physical healing do happen at Lourdes, but they are the “icing on the cake”. The healing that comes from the love of God and of Mary His Mother touches people in many different ways. It then overflows to touch the lives of others. It happens in a particular way in Lourdes, but it is not limited to Lourdes. It can happen in your home, in your hospital, or anywhere that people learn to see themselves and one another as the children of God. I am very conscious that, in spite of all the good people who work in our healthcare system, the system itself is sick and in need of healing. Most people say that, once you get into the system, the care is very good, but getting in is a major problem. Many of you who work in hospitals and nursing homes, operate under enormous pressure and with facilities that don’t always measure up to what is required. When the sick have to wait too long for treatment and when those who care for the sick themselves become sick from stress, it is perfectly reasonable to feel angry. But it is important that we don’t take our anger out on one another. In this situation too, it is love that heals. Anger is an energy that, with wisdom and love, can be converted into a power which changes structures. As we pray for those who are sick, and for those who care for the sick, let us pray, especially today, for the wisdom to know how to bring that gift of healing to the healthcare system itself. Now that election 2020, has come to an end, I pray that a more authentic Healthcare system that responds more readily to the sick, will emerge. Our local Hospital in Portlaoise is an essential service and an essential lifesaving one. This essential service must never be compromised. SEE ALSO – Read more of Fr Paddy’s weekly columns here The post Fr Paddy: Healthcare is first and foremost a relationship of trust appeared first on Laois Today. from https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/02/09/fr-paddy-healthcare-is-first-and-foremost-a-relationship-of-trust/
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There are a number of jobs in Laois being advertised on LaoisToday at the moment. Below we have listed all of the roles advertised on LaoisToday in the last two weeks. In each instance you can click through to the full job description to read more. MJ Turley & Associates- Senior Quantity SurveyorsMJ Turley & Associates have immediate vacancies for Senior Quantity Surveyors to join our growing team in Portarlington. Ideally the successful candidate should be qualified to degree level with min 5 + years experience in a PQS environment. See full job description here. Laois GAA – Office AdministratorLaois GAA currently have a vacancy for an Office Administrator. The Office Administrator is directly responsible for carrying out duties in relation to the day to day management of the County Committee’s activities and will aim to enhance the County Committee’s activities by working with existing officers of the Coiste Contae and subsidiary committees. See full job description here. O’Neill Foley, Chartered Accountants and Business AdvisorsO’Neill Foley, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, are expanding. The following positions are currently available: Qualified Accountant; Corporate Finance Consultant; Tax Consultant; Graduate Trainee Accountants; Accounting Technicians; Trainee Financial Advisor; Payroll Assistant; See full job description here. Blue Equipment Ireland LtdBased in Laois, Blue Equipment Ireland Ltd are part of the UK Blue Group who specialise in selling machines mainly into the waste industry and they pride themselves in providing an excellent aftersales service. They wish to recruit full time service engineers working within a busy machinery dealership. A company van & tools are provided. See full job description here. Are you looking to hire?Are you an employer looking to hire staff? Get in touch with the LaoisToday team on 057 8670722 or email [email protected] for more information about our job advertising. SEE ALSO – Check out the dedicated jobs section on LaoisToday The post Jobs in Laois: All the recent job vacancies as advertised on LaoisToday appeared first on Laois Today. from https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/02/09/jobs-in-laois-all-the-recent-job-vacancies-as-advertised-on-laoistoday-13/ The South Leinster Schools Cross Country Championships proved to be a mixed bag for Knockbeg Colleges athletes. Held in Carlow Hurling Club, they didn’t have far to travel on the day. The minor team of Jack Milton, Cillian Whearty, Callum Hayden and Harry Byrne all ran strongly over 1500m but unfortunately just missed out on qualifying individually or as a team. The junior team had a bit more luck with MacKenzie McIvor finishing 4th and qualifying for the Leinster Championships next week. Sean O’Sullivan, Ben O’Gorman, Tom Hughes, Luke Buggy, Cian Cashman, Daniel Picovici and Tadhg McGrath all put in strong performances over the two and a half laps and finished well. They also just missed out on qualification despite placing well. Our intermediate group saw Lee Murray, Eoin Cawley, Matthew Buggy and Rory Gruffarty dig in over 4k. In a very competitive race they all gave their best on the day but unfortunately didn’t qualify this time. Finally the senior competitors, TJ Burke and Finn Cummins both put in great performances. TJ stayed on the heels of the main group for most of the race and this paid off as he finished 12th and will now go through to the Leinsters. Finn held his own for the three tough laps and as a result achieved another great personal best. Well done to all our athletes and good luck to Mackenzie and T.J. in the upcoming Leinster Championships.
SEE ALSO – The League of Ireland star keeping the 2018 All-Star nominee out of the Laois goals The post Knockbeg students compete well at South Leinster Cross Country Championships appeared first on Laois Today. from https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/02/09/knockbeg-students-compete-well-at-south-leinster-cross-country-championships/ Sinn Féin are on course for their greatest ever General Election performance – both in terms of percentage vote and overall seats won – but are almost identical in terms of support with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael according to an exit poll carried out by RTE, The Irish Times, TG4 and UCD this evening. Polling closed at 10pm around the country with the exit poll a study of 5,000 voters across all 39 constituencies. It puts Fine Gael slightly ahead on 22.4%, with Sinn Féin on 22.3% and Fianna Fáil on 22.2%. The Greens are on 7.9% with Independents at 11.2%. If the poll does hold true, it will mean an almost 10-point increase from the 2016 General Election when they took in 13.8% of the first preference vote and won a record 23 seats. It will also mean a record performance for the Greens, beating their previous best of 4.7% when they won six seats in 2007. Labour at 4.6% are set to fall again. Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will see a drop in their first preference vote from 25.5% and 24.3% four years ago. What it means in Laois-Offaly and Kildare South remains to be seen. Fianna Fáil have traditionally outperformed in Laois-Offaly compared to their national vote, even in 2011 FF wipeout when they took 26.7% of the vote compared to 17.3% nationally. FF have four candidates in Laois-Offaly and have targeted three seats while Fine Gael have run just two candidates, outgoing deputies Charlie Flanagan and Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy. Sinn Féin, however, look unlikely to maximise their vote as they have just 42 candidates across the 39 constituencies. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael both have 80+. It is expected that Sinn Féin candidates will top the polls in many constituencies, with a surplus in many instances. The poll was taken today at 250 locations across the State, among 5,376 respondents who had just voted.
SEE ALSO – Check out all the 2020 LaoisToday General Election coverage here The post Sinn Féin on course for best ever election result but little to separate the new big three appeared first on Laois Today. from https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/02/08/sinn-fein-on-course-for-best-ever-election-result-but-little-to-separate-the-new-big-three/ There’s an Orange weather warning across the entire country from 5am on Sunday morning – and that has had a considerable effect on a number of local sports fixtures. All of the local CCFL soccer fixtures have been postponed as has Laois’s opening round of camogie National League against Down. The Laois men’s and women’s senior football teams are due to be in league action on Sunday afternoon in MW Hire O’Moore Park and though there has been no announcement yet, there is doubt as to whether both games will go ahead as a double header in Laois GAA HQ. The Laois ladies are due to take on Longford at 12noon in Division 3 of their league with the men meeting Cavan at 2pm in Division 2. The orange wind warning is in place from 5am to 12 noon with a yellow rainfall warning in place until 3pm. Intense rainfall is expected to spread across the country along with some thundery conditions. A colder air will take hold on Sunday as the storm passes, bringing scattered wintry conditions at night. There will be an increased risk of snowfall into next week. Snow showers will possibly occur in any place nationwide, but will mainly be found in parts of the north and west. “After consideration and in the interest of health and safety, the CCFL Committee has decided to postpone tomorrows full programme of fixtures,” the CCFL said in a statement. “While this is disappointing news for everyone, the decision has been made early in the best interests of players, managers and officials who had intended to travel the various games across our region.” Laois camogie also confirmed that their Division 2 opening round league game against Antrim in Abbeyleix is postponed also. There is no announcement yet on the local rugby fixtures with both Portlaoise and Portarlington in Leinster league action. SEE ALSO – Check out all the 2020 LaoisToday General Election coverage The post Weather plays havoc with local sports fixtures as Storm Ciara hits appeared first on Laois Today. from https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/02/08/weather-plays-havoc-with-local-sports-fixtures-as-storm-ciara-hits/ Gardai have seized over €250,000 worth of cannabis as well as a cocaine press in a raid on a house in Kildangan in Kildare today. Officers attached to the Kildare detective unit carried out a search of a house in the Kildangan area after obtaining a warrant from Naas District Court. Gardai said that, during the search they seized cannabis with an estimated street value of €252,000 along with a large cocaine press with scales, bagging and packing machines. Nobody was arrested at the time of the search but gardaí said investigations are ongoing. SEE ALSO – Check out all the 2020 General Election coverage on LaoisToday The post Gardai seize over €250,000 in village close to Laois border appeared first on Laois Today. from https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/02/08/gardai-seize-over-e250000-in-village-close-to-laois-border/ Below are the recent deaths in Laois. Ar Dheis De go raibh a anam. Dr Hugh (Hugo) Gath
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