Nestled at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in Co. Laois is the parish of Aghaboe, a parish steeped in history and strong Catholic links. This is the birthplace of St Fergal who was considered the most learned man of his age, a renowned scientist and one of the great evangelists of the Middle Ages. Fr Maher reveals the story of the famous Saint and how the link back to Aghaboe is kept alive today.
''St Fergal was an abbot in Aghaboe but resigned in 739 to travel around the continent. He is famous for building the first cathedral in Salzburg which he dedicated to St Rupert. He became bishop there and sent out missionaries to East Austria and into Hungary and is responsible for the re-evangelisation of Europe.
''In 1974, a group of pilgrims from Salzburg came to Aghaboe to mark the 12th centenary of the foundation of the cathedral. One of the locals, Liam Hyland, was anxious that Aghaboe should respond to that. Four of his friends were going on holidays to Germany, in a bad car, so they said they'd get him to Salzburg for the centenary.
(Pictured right: Salzburg Cathedral)
''When they arrived, Liam was the only one with a suit so they said 'you better tell them you're here'. He went up and knocked on the sacristy door, with no German! All they could understand was that he was from Aghaboe and when they heard that they made a big fuss of him. They brought him and the other lads into the cathedral and several times throughout the Mass they referred to them as the young men from Aghaboe.
''A letter was sent home about their visit and how grateful the people of Salzburg were to Aghaboe. People from Salzburg have come to Aghaboe in 1984, 1985, 1990, 1996 and 2004, when around 430 pilgrims came to mark the 30th anniversary of the first visit. In 2002, students from St Fergal's College in Rathdowney wrote to Salzburg and organised an exchange programme. Pupils from Borromaum High School in Salzburg then came here and were accommodated by local families.'' The exchange has been taking place every year since. Liam Hyland was awarded the highest honour the Archdiocese of Salzburg can bestow on a layperson for his contribution towards relations between Aghaboe and Salzburg.
Camross community hall
Camross is a small, close-knit community with a big heart. With a population of just 1,000 people and nothing more than a church, school and a pub, the people decided that it needed something more. In 2007, a community hall was built but only because of the immense community spirit shown by the people of Camross.
Bríd Doran, secretary of Camross National School, explains how this small community came together to raise money for the hall and its impact on life there. ''The Department of Education gave a donation of €1.398 towards a new classroom and community hall so there was still about €567,000 needed for the job.''
The community managed to raise money through a variety of events and by the sheer generosity of the locals and wider community. ''We are very lucky to be part of a caring community that is very involved and willing to help. There are a lot of workers and helpers; it's a very generous community,'' Bríd said. With constant activities and fundraising events going on in the community, they hope to have the loan down to €120,000 at the end of the year.
''Everything revolves around the hall,'' Bríd said. ''There is a Youth Café, where the Youth Club 'hang out', as they say! They have GAA and Camogie and the school and the wider community use it for all sorts of activities too,'' she added. Bríd is a member of the Social Committee in Camross, which is responsible for organising these events in the community. ''I wouldn't really call it a committee; anyone that wants to help can come. We cater for GAA parties, Senior Citizens events, we have a monthly community dance for all ages, funerals and all types of events,'' she said. The community spirit is thriving as the activities and events bring the people closer together. ''The hall is a testament to the people. It's there for everybody,'' Bríd said.
Last year, the community hall in Camross received the Pride of Place award (pictured above)
150 years of St Fintan's Church at Raheen
St Fintan's Church in Raheen, Co. Laois is celebrating 150 years this year. Parish Priest, Fr James Kelly, reveals that the church originated as a thatched chapel. Although the foundation stone was laid in 1857, building didn't begin until 1860. ''The church was renovated in 1979 and again in 1985,'' he said. The attendance at Masses in St Fintan's however, has decreased since the church's early days. ''Numbers have dropped, times are different and people are searching for answers,'' he said. Although there are still many people ''who turn out faithfully, the youth attendance has dropped,'' Fr Hennessy added. ''The Church has to reach out in different ways,'' he said. The parish hopes to hold a celebratory Mass later in the year to mark the anniversary of St Fintan's.
(Pictured: Fr James Kelly and Communion children at St Fintan's in May, 2010)
