Parish News Archives - December 2008/January 2009

Rector Writes | Readings & Services | From the Registers | Organisation Reports | Announcements | Other News

Rector Writes

Dear Friends,

Nearly Christmas - are you ready? I don't expect many of us are. Not ready to celebrate and no time to think about what it's all about. So just some thoughts about how to enjoy all the Christmas glitz and fit in some reflection at the same time.

1) See those Christmas trees with their tinsel and fairy lights - imagine a dark sky over Bethlehem with glittering stars overhead. Remember those in Bethlehem today gazing at that sky but having trouble visiting relatives because of the huge wall that surrounds them and say a prayer.

2) See those Christmas cards to write and some dropping on the mat already. Imagine angels bringing messages of love and peace to you from God. Remember those who don't have our freedom, those in Southern India who dare not admit they are Christian. Remember those in Zimbabwe who don't know if there will be enough food to keep them alive until Christmas and say a prayer.

3) See Father Christmas with his reindeer towing him across the sky with sleigh piled high - imagine another journey, a donkey and two tired travellers, Joseph and Mary heading for Bethlehem. Remember those you know who will be too tired or too sad to enjoy Christmas this year and say a prayer.

Then see your presents, your family, your home, your food, your friends and really take time to enjoy them all. We look forward to seeing you at the Christmas services and gazing at the tiny baby in the bed of hay, the one that is the cause of all this celebration.

On a very personal note, it was with mixed feelings that I announced on November 30th that I have been appointed as Rector of the Parishes of Tullow, Shillelagh, Aghold and Mullinacuffe, four churches in Carlow and Wicklow. We’re very sad to be leaving this great parish, which has meant so much to us, where we have made so many friends, where we have experienced such support and Christian love. On the other hand, we are very excited to be moving to a parish with enormous challenges and potential, which has changed from being a farming community to a mix of commuters and agriculture, and where there is clearly wonderful community spirit. However, we’re not moving until May, so there is plenty of time yet for goodbyes.

On a still more personal note, I would like to thank the many, many people who sympathized with us on the death of my mother Felicity. She was a wonderful lady, active for all of her 80 years, driving her car the day she went to hospital, and we have many happy memories. She was deeply committed to the Church, especially the Ministry of Healing and The Mothers’ Union and her funeral reflected a life spent in the service of others. Her resurrection faith was profound, and we know that we shall be reunited “on a farther shore and in a greater light”. May she rest in peace.

Thank you to all who sent cards, letters and texts and especially to those who made the journey to Belfast for her funeral. Susan, Rachel, Patrick, Ciara and I feel greatly supported by your prayers and thoughts.

While this is a sad time for us, we still want to wish you all a happy and joy filled Christmas,

Andrew

From the Registers

Holy Baptism:

Christian Marriage:

Funeral:

In Memorium:

Organisations Reports

Girls' Brigade
42nd Company, Castleknock Girls’ Brigade

Congratulations to our explorer Jane Sheridan on coming 2nd in the Feis competition held on the 8th November. Well done Jane!

We are delighted to welcome Karen Lockhart - a new Associate and leader who brings with her a wealth of experience from her time in Girls’ Brigade in Northern Ireland.

The girls are busy preparing for our stall for the Parish Fair and practice is well underway now for the verse speaking competition at the end of November. Best of luck girls.

Heather Hayes

Announcements

Other News

Jack and Jill Foundation

ST. MARY’S CHURCH CLONSILLA

During the month of December we in Clonsilla are adopting the
JACK AND JILL FOUNDATION
as our Christmas Charity and we would like your help in supporting this worthwhile cause.
We will be asking you to make a donation towards your coffee after church each week.
Put your old mobile phone and ink cartridges in the buckets provided.

And come along to our

CHRISTMAS CANAPES
On
Sunday 21st December 2008
In Castleknock Parish Centre
From 12.30 onwards
Tickets €5
Available from the Parish Office, Valerie Fildes, Valerie Greene and the Churchwardens

STOP!

Don’t throw away that mobile phone, ink cartridge or fax toner

Let us recycle your old mobile Phones, fax toners and ink cartridges and help to raise funds for the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation.

Collection bins can be supplied and collected from your premises free of charge. Most common brands accepted.

For more information
please call locall 1850 525 545 (1850 JAK JIL)
or check our website www.jackandjill.ie

Christmas prayers for peace to go to Bethlehem

As many Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Advent and Christmas in the security of their homes and communities, they are being invited to pray for justice, peace and security for Palestine and Israel - and to send a prayer or a peace message to Bethlehem. Once again this year, Christmas celebrations will take place in a difficult climate for people in the Holy Land. However, in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, many individuals and groups refuse to give up hope. They continue to search for non-violent ways to voice their rights and work for a peaceful and just future for both Palestinians and Israelis.

Since December 2000, a new Christmas tradition has been taking shape: sending peace messages to people in Bethlehem. Once again, individuals, communities, churches and congregations, organisations and partners from across the world are invited to e-mail Advent and Christmas wishes and prayers for justice and peace to Bethlehem.

This year, the project is being carried out in collaboration with the World Council of Churches and its Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF).

Wishes and prayers will be printed and handed out as personal messages, educational materials (e.g. at schools), and in the context of interfaith prayers (in places of worship) and in the newly established peace house of the Arab Educational Institute opposite the Israeli "separation wall" at Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem. The wishes and prayers could also include ideas for non-violent actions. The action will be launched at the beginning of Advent.

Sending a wish or a prayer by e-mail is an important way of communicating with many people who long to hear a word of hope. People in Bethlehem greatly appreciate receiving wishes and prayers from people outside the region, both as personal and spiritual gestures of comfort and hope on the occasion of Christmas. These messages are one way of breaking through the isolation they live in.

Please e-mail your Christmas messages and prayers for peace before the 25th of December 2008 (Western Christmas) and/or the 7th of January 2009 (Eastern Christmas). While English is the preferred language, non-native English speakers may also send wishes and prayers in their mother tongue. Messages can be e-mailed to the Arab Educational Institute at the following address: aei@p-ol.com

Read all messages at www.aeicenter.org and www.paxchristi.net

Charles Wesley 1707 – 1788

Imagine my surprise to find in the October Coin Fair which was part of the Over 50’s show that An Post had produced a commemorative stamp this year for Charles Wesley. The stamp is a 78c, used only for letter post to the UK so many of us may not have become aware of it. As our Methodist brethren will agree, Charles and his brother John, were the recognised founders of Methodism in the 18th century. According to our 1960 edition of the Church Hymnal he was responsible for twenty-one of the hymns therein and our current Hymnal contains fifteen of these. His brother, John, composed the music and much of his work was included in The Foundery Collection in those early days.

There was in Dublin some years ago a substantial business originally set up in 1820 by a Methodist Family, which was family owned up to the early 1970s. This family had a major input into the lay activities of the Centenary Methodist Church on St Stephen’s Green. The Church was built in 1843 to celebrate the Centenary of John Wesley’s conversion. A dramatic presentation had been written by Sylvia Fannin to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Centenary Church in 1968 and also as an introduction to the new Irish Television service. This was entitled “The Wesley’s and the Weaver’s Shed”, and it related to Cork Street in Dublin, where the Wesley brothers set up their headquarters in a former weaver’s shed during their time in the city establishing the Irish Methodist community. Benches were installed in the main shed area for their meetings and small rooms were provided to accommodate the preachers.

In December 1968 – their year of celebration, exactly forty years ago, a great tragedy befell the Centenary Congregation when their beloved Centenary Church was destroyed in a malicious fire. Details of this were reported in the Irish Times of December 23rd that year. The Methodist congregation were then invited to share Christ Church, Leeson Park.

All of these memories were recalled by the Charles Wesley stamp. Then the Methodist Notes in the Irish Times added more food for thought as it reported on the first local Methodist Service in Mulhuddart National School Extension in Tyrrellstown, by kind permission, on the 2nd November this year at 10.30

Alice Best

Heavenly Peace

A little boy and girl were singing their favourite Christmas carol in church on the Sunday before Christmas.
The boy concluded "Silent Night" with the words, "Sleep in heavenly beans." "No," his sister corrected, "not beans, peas”.

Aladdin

The PC Players Present its 10th Annual Pantomime

ALADDIN

In Church of Ireland Parish Centre, Main Street, Lucan On
Thursday 8th January 2009, Friday 9th January 2009, Saturday 10th January 2009 at 8.00pm and also a matinee on Saturday 10th January at 2.30pm
Tickets on Sale from 1st December 2008 from either the Parish Office 6240976 or Jenny McGrath
Tickets - Family (Adults x2 /Children x 2) €40.00
Adult €15.00 Children/Student/OAP’s €8.00
Children must be accompanied by an adult

St Francis Hospice, Dublin 15

There is an urgent need to establish a dedicated hospice facility to service the rapidly expanding Dublin North West community. St. Francis Hospice is committed to building the new hospice. The Government has provided a 6.8 acre site on part of the Abbotstown lands adjacent to the James Connolly Memorial Hospital. The design and planning work for the new Hospice was completed and submitted for Planning Permission to Fingal County Council at the beginning of July 2008.

Planning Permission was received in August and tendering for building is in progress. It is expected that work on the site may begin before the end of 2008 (or very early in 2009).

The Hospice will be developed in two phases. Phase 1 will see the construction of facilities for the Hospice Home Care and Day Care services. It is hoped that Construction work on this phase will be completed during 2009. The final phase of the development will be the construction of a 24 bed In-Patient Unit.

The service provided by St. Francis Hospice is partially funded by the Health Board. However, the Hospice does not receive any funding for capital costs, such as building a new hospice. The projected cost of the new Hospice at Abbotstown is €29 million. Thus, the Hospice is seeking the support of the Dublin North West community to help raise funds for the building development.

The Hospice Christmas cards and childrens colour in cards are on sale in Spar in Castleknock. Tickets for the car draw are on sale in Blanchardstown Town Centre and Ryans Garage, Main St Blanchardstown.

Ring the Changes on Climate Change

Countdown to Copenhagen

Christian Aid, Eco-congregation, Friends of the Earth, Tearfund, Trócaire and Stop Climate Chaos invite you to take part in the Global Day of Action on Climate Change

From 1 – 12 December 2008 the UN Climate Change Conference will take place in Poznan, Poland. World leaders will meet to discuss action on climate change for the last time before the Copenhagen Climate Conference, which will seek to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it runs out in 2012. Over the next twelve months, governments around the world must receive a loud and clear message that bold decisions will have to be made in Denmark next December if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change.

To coincide with this year’s conference, there will be an international day of action on 6 December. Marches and demonstrations will be taking place across the world, including in the UK and Ireland, which will illustrate the demand for strong action to be taken by governments on climate change.

In Northern Ireland Christian Aid, Eco-congregation Ireland, Friends of the Earth, Tearfund and Trócaire have teamed up to organise “Ring the Changes on Climate Change – the Countdown to Copenhagen.”

In the Republic the same event is being organised by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition. On 8 December last year, while world leaders met in Bali, dozens of Churches in Northern Ireland and the Republic rang their bells at 2pm as part of an event called “Sound the Alarm on Climate Change.” At the same time, activists gathered in Belfast and Dublin. We want to build on the success of that event this year by including many more Churches and activists.

We have renamed our event “Ring the Changes” because we want to convey a positive message, one concerned with solutions to climate change – both scientific and political. This is a message of hope and possibility, not one of panic.

There are a couple of ways in which you can take part in this event:
Arrange for the bells to be rung in your local Churches and Cathedrals and organise events in your town or village around the bell-ringing
Incorporate the message of action on climate change into your Church services over that weekend
It only takes one or two Churches in each town or village to ring their bells in order to make an impact and we would like your Church to join in. All you have to do is arrange for the bells to be rung at 12 noon precisely.If your Church doesn’t have bells, then why not get in contact with other Churches in your town that do?
Invite members of other Churches in your town to come to whatever event you’re organising or organise an event in conjunction with them.
While the bells are ringing you can take a number of actions to let your local
community know why this is happening
Hold a carol service outside the Church and hand out flyers to passers-by
Host a prayer service to be held inside the Church
Organise a climate change prayer service in your Church hall for all the Churches in your area
Host a “Night of non-power” by turning off the lights and heating and have a candlelit service with your coats on. The service can focus on care for the environment and you could have a talk about the effects of climate change and how we can all make a difference.
Get your youth workers to lead a session on climate change with the young
people – we can provide free resources to help you do this.

You could:
Instead of, or in addition, to this, we would like the message of this year’s event to be included in Church services over the weekend of 6 and 7 December. We can provide you with the information they need to bring the message of action on climate change to your congregation.

We are encouraging every Church or group of Churches which takes part to contact their local press, using a template press release which we can provide to participating Churches. In Belfast we hope to have members of the clergy of all denominations, as well as a diverse range of activists and members of different congregations from across Northern Ireland. If nothing is happening in your town, then please come along to St Anne’s from 11:00am onwards.

In Dublin Stop Climate Chaos are in the middle of organising events and will make announcements about these soon.

Rector Writes | Readings & Services | From the Registers | Organisation Reports | Announcements | Other News

Parishes of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla
Parish Office
Main Street
Castleknock
Dublin 15
Tel: 01-820 0040
Fax: 01-820 0040
E-mail: castleknock@dublin.anglican.org