New Year Lunch

President Roy and guests

The Rotary Club were delighted to welcome the Dean of Clogher the Very Rev. Kenneth Hall to give the New Year message at the first meeting of 2014.

A large turnout of Rotarians and partners were in attendance, prior to the lunch a recital was given by Ellen Cupples a student at the Collegiate Grammer School accompanied by her music teacher Mrs Bloomfield.

President Roy welcomed all the guests including, Gerry McElvogue from Banbridge Rotary Club, Gerry Knight from the Fermanagh Herald and John McVitty from the Impartial Reporter.

Following an excellent lunch provided by the staff of the Killyhevlin, the Dean was asked to give his New Year address. "I am delighted to be asked to give the New Year message and I am following in the footsteps of my good friend Monsignor Peter O'Reilly who gave the Christmas message. We are both of the one mind with regards to reconciliation, tolerance and respect. " The Dean went on to speak about The Feast of Epiphany and with it comes the first sign of a mix of faiths. "What drew the non Jewish wise men to Bethlehem was the desire to worship the Prince of Peace. The wise men came with their gifts to the baby Jesus and this has now become part of the modern day Christmas. We have all seen the pictures of the wise men being led by the star to Bethlehem or the school children telling the story. It is easy for us to assume that beyond making Christmas more "Chrismassy" the visit of the wise men has no significance now. But we are wrong to think that, in journeying to Jesus to give him gifts the wise men are conveying the good news from God to you and me - and that is the message I wish to convey to you the Rotarians of Enniskillen Rotary Club this New Year.

The Dean went on to say "many people feel lost in society and in church and feel their faith is weak, and perhaps unloved by God, or that God could not love them the way they are, or the state they are in or the way they behave and the way they live. If anything has to be learned from the season of Epiphany it is that God loves us all, he is the God and father of all. We don't know what tomorrow or next week will bring or indeed this New Year 2014, but we know we are in God's hands, he does lead us and he will guide us each step of the way if we will let Him."

President Roy thanked the Dean for his uplifting message.

Ellen Cupples accompanied by her music teacher Mrs Bloomfield