WebCam Schedule

CENSUS 2022 and IRISH FAMILY LIFE
The latest report from last year’s Census shows that there are 1.8
million households in the country. Less than a third of that number
consisted of a married couple with children.
Both international and Irish data show that children are more likely to
do well when they are raised in a home with their married mother and father.

In 2021, the Economic and Social Research Institute produced a report
called ‘Risk and Protective Factors in Adolescent Behaviour’. Quoting
from that report, “Family structure emerged as having a significant and
consistent relationship with adolescent behaviour, with poorer
behaviour across all domains for those in lone parent families or families
that experienced separation during the young person’s adolescence.”
Therefore, the fewer children are being raised in an intact home with
both of their parents, the more problems will be encountered by more children.

This is a highly sensitive area, many children come through the breakup
of their parents’ marriage without any lasting adverse effects. Many
children are raised very successfully by lone parents. Some children raised by married parents fare badly. But in general, the ERSI finding holds true and should not be ignored.

A WELCOMING PARISH COMMUNITY

Recently we’ve noticed many new visitors to Masses in our Church, especially on Sundays, many being from different countries.  St. Agnes has always demonstrated a spirit of welcome to all who visit our Church and this is commented on by many visitors to our Church. Hospitality and Welcome are essential values of the gospel of Christ and it’s been my experience that these qualities are very evident in St. Agnes since I arrived here in 2019.  We extend a warm welcome to all who are part of our gathering for Mass every Sunday and throughout the week.  In October we will organise a special “Welcome Sunday” for all newcomers wherever you come from and afterwards have a cup of tea and coffee in our Parish Centre where we can get to know one another and offer opportunities to be involved in our Parish Ministry Groups and Activities.  In the meantime our Parish Team welcomes all to our Parish, parishioners, newcomers and visitors.  We will have more information in October.

Fr. Tony