The annual St. Andrew’s Day Mass was celebrated by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Farrell, on Sunday December 3rd. 2023. By arrangement with the Parish deceased past pupils are included in the prayers of the Mass. Their names also appear on the Parish Newsletter and Mass leaflet. An unusually large number of past pupils passed away since the 2022 Mass. The following were included in the prayers – Noel Halloran, Stephen Kenny, Michael Doyle, Paul Kealy, Ian McGarry, Martin Conway, Denis McKennedy, Bryan O’Higgins, Gerry Hammond and Willie Meier. May they all rest in peace.
The PPU was well represented in the congregation by a large number of past pupils including Monseignor Dan O’Connor and our Chaplain, Fr. Eugene McCarthy, who was a con-celebrant on the altar with the Archbishop and Fr. Enda Cunningham, the Parish Administrator.
The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, was amongst the VIP members of the Congregation.
The Congregation also included representatives of the St. Andrew’s Resource Centre which was celebrating its Golden Jubilee. The Centre is now located in the former St. Andrew’s National School and they provide a wide range of services which are focussed on the different stages of the life cycle, from toddlers in their Childcare Centre to those enabled to live independently by their Homecare services.
I include below a few photos which I took on the day. I gave the camera to a bystander within the Church to take a PPU group photo but, whatever the man’s attributes are, he can’t count photography amongst them. I’m still kicking myself for not checking the camera when he handed it back. Apologies for that.
Posted by Jim Conway
