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The Church of Ireland Diocese of Dublin |
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The Church of Ireland Diocese of Dublin |
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Previous issues of The Parish News Contents of this issue
The Parish News will be published monthly and will usually be available by the first Sunday. Copy Deadline Organisation reports should be sent either in written format to Martha Waller, C/O The Parish Office, or by email to: wallerm@oceanfree.net. These should be submitted by the 10th of the preceding month, no matter what day of the week. If possible please send them in a word document and not in the context of an email. The next Parish News will be published in the first week of April. The Rector WritesDear Friends, I write this as Lent approaches and once again we can fall into the trap of thinking that this is a time for making ourselves miserable about our failings. But that's not the right spirit. Lent calls us to repent: joyfully to turn ourselves around and head in a new way. It's as if, on a journey, we begin to realise that we're lost, and then understand that it's pointless continuing in the wrong direction. So we take time to think, read the map, be clear on where we're going and happily take the right path. So if we're serious about Lent it will take a little bit of our time to ask ourselves "where am I going?", "what are the things that are most important to me?", "are those the things that truly matter?". Giving up things, giving money to help the poor, coming to the services and study groups: they are all about breaking our chains of dependence on material wealth and helping us to look for the truth in the meaning of life. Surely that is well worth giving up a few hours of our time and some of our wealth: discovering what really matters. Read on through the magazine for more ideas on how you can journey with us through Lent. I would like to thank all of you for your wonderful support through this difficult time for all of us at the Rectory: your practical and financial help is so appreciated. Susan continues to make a good recovery at the National Rehabilitation Hospital. Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers. Your friend in Christ Andrew AnnouncementsImportant Dates Mothering Sunday falls on March 21st: as always we will be celebrating the Church as our mother and the gift of family life. Our Sunday Clubs will be taking a full part in the service and there will be gifts for everyone (female!) in the "audience"! St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) will be marked by a Celebration of the Eucharist in St. Brigid's at 10.30am. The Annual Easter vestries will be held on April 18th (Clonsilla) and on April 25th (Castleknock and Mulhuddart), following the Sunday morning service. The Easter vestries are like the parish AGM: everyone can come along to hear a summary of the year's events and to view the accounts. Those registered on the electoral register can vote to elect a new Select Vestry and People's Wardens for the coming year. Please do come and exercise your democratic rights!! March at a glance Annual Service of Thanksgiving for the gift of sport On Palm Sunday the Mothers' Union will once again be hosting the Hunger Lunch following the service in St. Brigid's. Soup and sandwiches will be provided, and everyone who comes is asked to contribute what they would normally have spent on Sunday lunch. The money goes to support our USPG link: St. Anne's Hospital in Liuli, Tanzania. This is a good way to do something very practical for those in need this Lent. Looking forward to April: Date for Your Diary INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE FAMILY DIOCESAN FAMILY FUN DAY: FUN FOR ALL AGES SUNDAY 9TH MAY 2004 THE KING'S HOSPITAL ORGANISED BY THE MOTHERS' UNION & THE SUNDAY SCHOOL SOCIETY WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE DETAILS Boys' Brigade NewsThe Annual Supper Dance was a tremendous success as usual with over €1,000 raised. Special thanks are due to Senior Section Boys - Mark, Colum and Ross who manned the bar and provided a professional service, to Janet, Lorna, and Lennie for providing coffee and tea, to Lawrence for negotiating the spot prizes and sourcing the vineyard, to John and Bernard for setting up the tables, to Hal for organising the food and glasses in his inimitable style and finally to Martha for doing the door. Thanks are also due to all who supported the night and those who donated spot prizes in particular all of the following: Merchandising Services, Paddy Reilly - Roselawn Inn, AIB Cabra, Castleknock Flowers, Spar - Castleknock, Statoil - Castleknock, Statoil Premium Club IFSC, Ashtown Electrical and to all BB parents who gave so generously. Thank You to one and all. In the meantime Junior Section are busy preparing for the Annual Figure Marching Competition that will be held in DCM, Abbey Street on 28th February. Junior Section and Company Section are also busy preparing for the Scripture Examination to be held in March. Everyone was delighted to welcome Luke Murphy back after a long illness and that he is looking so well. Robert Lawson - Coordinator 10th Dublin Company Girls' BrigadeIt is with great pleasure that I write this month's notes. The National Competitions were held from the 5th-9th Feb in Perrystown Community Centre and The High School. We had competitors in each competition, and each girl 'did us proud'. Our solo skippers, Junior/Senior team and Brigader team did very well. For some it was their first time in a competition. Our Explorer team came 2nd in their competition. Jennifer Hollingsworth won the Sibbald Cup Drilldown - this is a competition for 12 - 18 year olds, and we were thrilled when Jennifer aged 13 beat approx 40 girls to win this cup. Liz Farrell came 2nd in the Brigader Solo. Sandi Kenny came 3rd in the Associate Solo. Our Associate team came 3rd in their competition; although there were few entrants, just 2 marks separated them from first place. Liz and the Associate team now go forward to the All-Ireland finals to be held in Dublin in early March. The All-Ireland finals (between the Republic and Northern Ireland) have been resurrected this year following a five year absence, and we look forward to this competition. This is the first time Castleknock has reached this level. Unfortunately, the Associate Solo competition was not held in Northern Ireland, so there will not be an All-Ireland Final in this competition. We have the District Competitions in March, and will have teams prepared for them. Our Display will be held on Friday April 2nd, in Castleknock Community College, at 7.30 pm. Ros Garrett (old Driller) Mothers' UnionTwenty six members enjoyed their January get-together for dinner in Coolquay Lodge. We were last to leave the restaurant so I think that says it all - good company, food and wine go hand in hand for a good night out! Mr. Dessie Ferguson from Irish Church Missions spoke at our February meeting and focused mainly on the Mormon church. This was of great interest as a Mormon church has recently been built in Clonsilla village. During February members are "counting their blessings" and proceeds will be given to overseas charities. Our meeting in March is the AGM with our now annual bring and buy cake/preserves sale proceeds of which go to the Rector's Discretionary Fund. On Palm Sunday we will be organising a Hunger Lunch in the Parish Centre. Please support this by coming, having a soup and sandwich lunch and giving a donation based on the cost of your usual Sunday lunch at home. Proceeds are again for St. Anne's hospital in Liuli, Tanzania. On Saturday 24 April we are linking up with Holywood Branch and on Saturday 15 May we are planning a Branch outing. The Knit-Ins are continuing - contact the Secretary for date and place. Valerie Greene - Hon. Secretary Living the Gospel - This is our StoryA Journey through Lent Jesus invites each of us to live the Gospel, and to help you journey through Lent living the Gospel. Why not think about coming along to the Lent Course 'Living the Gospel'. It requires no academic qualifications or age criteria! All are welcome. It promises to be prayerful and scriptural as well as informative and enjoyable, and it will also make us think. It is in five sessions, each drawing on the early church in Corinth (based on 2 Corinthians) and illustrations from around the world today. Session I (4th March) "God's face turned towards the World". Based on a nursing Sister Gillian Rose in Bangladesh (who works with Christians, Muslims and Hindus), this session reminds us how God's face, turned towards us in Jesus Christ, enables us through the Spirit to reflect his face to the world. Session II (11th March) "Touching untouchables with love". Here we focus on the wholeness which Jesus brings, and a symbol of hope in the capital of Uruguay where Christians provide a special haven for young women and men living with HIV and AIDS. Session III (18th March) "Celebrating freedom". Thinking about the freedom which Jesus celebrated in the last supper, and which we celebrate in our Eucharist, we also look at the work with prisoners in London of the Rev'd DC Premraj who is a member of India's Dalit (or untouchable) caste. Session IV (25th March) "Given for all". As Jesus broke down barriers, so we as Christians are called to work for reconciliation. Our story this session is from Sri Lanka, a country scarred by civil war over 2 decades. Session V (1st April) "Sharing the Feast of Heaven". After worship we are called to go in peace to love and serve the Lord - a challenge to share the love we have received with others and spread the good news. Our final illustration is from one of South Africa's most beautiful regions, the Eastern Cape, where a 'Back to Eden' development project, begun by missionaries, is helping transform life for the community. Please join on 5th March or any of the sessions you can manage. The Clergy team There will be an early celebration of the Eucharist every Friday morning in Lent at 7.30am in St Brigid's, as well as the weekly Wednesday 10.30am service. Daffodil DayIrish Cancer Society's Daffodil Day Friday 19th March 2003 Following the success of last year's Coffee Morning held on Daffodil Day in aid of the Irish Cancer Society, we will be running another one this year. It will be held on Friday 19th March 2003 in the Parish Centre (by kind permission) from 10.30am until 1pm. Last year we raised over €900, so with your support we hope to better this figure. Please come along and bring your friends and enjoy a cup of coffee and a chat while supporting this very worthy cause. If you are unable to attend on the day, there will be daffodils on sale throughout the Parish prior to Daffodil Day. We look forward to seeing you. Shirley McGuckin/Janet Seaman Book of Common Prayer (2004)The launch of the Church of Ireland's 2004 revision of the Book of Common Prayer, which will take place at General Synod in Armagh in May, will be a truly historic occasion: it is the first time since 1551 that a new prayer book has been introduced (the blue APB of 1984 was an alternative prayer book rather than a new replacement). The BCP 2004 becomes the official prayer book of the Church of Ireland on Trinity Sunday (6th June 2004) and there will also be a Diocesan launch in Christ Church Cathedral (further details nearer the time). Many of you have already ordered a personal copy of the BCP 2004 either for yourself or as a gift, because the book is for personal use and devotions and well as for use in public worship. The parishes have also ordered a quantity of prayer books for the three churches (although, as you are aware, for our main Sunday worship we will continue to produce our own service sheet, which will of course be drawn from the services in BCP 2004). Some of you may like to consider donating one of the church copies of BCP 2004 in memory of a loved one, whose name will be inscribed on a plate inside the front cover. If you would like to do this, please contact the clergy or the Parish Office (each pew edition for the church costs €19.99). At the time of writing, the BCP 2004 is being printed and bound in Belgium, and the Editor is delighted with the standard of production - it will be a beautiful book to own and treasure. If you haven't ordered one yet and would like to, please speak to one of the clergy team. Holy Week: a Journey with Jesus towards the crossMONDAY, TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY (youth night) 8.00pm Evening Prayer with Sermon "The Return of the King", St Brigid's Monday: "Carrying" Tuesday: " Speaking" Wednesday: "Falling" Thursday: "Hurting" Friday: "Returning" As always, the week will be marked by the special ceremonies, which help to bring to life the most important moments of this most important week: On Palm Sunday we have the procession with Palms and the dramatised reading of the Passion Gospel. MAUNDY THURSDAY 8th April 7.30am Holy Communion, St Brigid's GOOD FRIDAY 9th April 10.30am A Children's Way to the Cross, Parish Centre EasterEASTER EVE 10th April EASTER DAY Sunday 11th April Clonsilla ProjectTHE STORY OF EASTER AS TOLD THROUGH FLOWERSFlower weekend in St. Mary's: during the Easter weekend, St. Mary's will be open each day for visitors. The Church will be richly decorated with flower arrangements depicting the Holy Week and Easter story and there will be guides to the Church and churchyard on hand. There will be a chance to give to the Clonsilla Project appeal as it nears completion. Please do come and tell all your friends. CONCERT Concert by GALA FLOWER EVENING by Maura Murphy, FAOI Thursday 29th April at 8.00 p.m. MANY THANKS TO THE TINY TOTS CLUB WHO MADE OVER €600 TOWARDS THE CLONSILLA PROJECT Christian AidLenten boxes will be available at the back of church for you to use during Lent. Ideas for filling the boxes (which you should return at Easter) include: putting a chosen coin in each day, giving up a luxury (chocolates, a bottle of wine, a glossy magazine, cigarettes) and regularly putting in the price saved, halving your pocket money, or getting visitors to the house or work colleagues to donate their spare change. Every little helps. Did you know that Christian Aid was founded in 1945 to begin the work of Christian reconciliation in Europe after the Second World War? Christian Aid is thus rooted in the churches ecumenically and its work is inspired by the Bible. (Incidentally, a new edition of the Bible, New Revised Standard Version, which is sponsored by Christian Aid, has a valuable section on the biblical background to its work, the call to social justice, and some prayers. ISBN 0-904-379-590.) Ecumenical ActivitySt Brigid's Patronal Festival: Hospice Appeal: World Day of Prayer: Christian women and men of all traditions literally all over the world mark this World Day of Prayer on the first Friday of March every year. While our gathering in Dublin 15 is often quite small, this is in fact the largest ecumenical Christian movement in the world organised by women. On this day, all around the globe, in over 200 different countries and islands, and speaking over 60 different languages and over 1000 different dialects, literally millions of women and men will pray with us, hear the same passages of Scripture, use the same prayers, and follow the same form of worship. While we are still fast asleep in the early hours of the morning, the first service will take place in Tonga in the Pacific, and then as the earth rotates, prayer will continue throughout the Far East and New Zealand and Australia, and then in turn, across Asia, the Indian Sub-continent, the Middle East and across Africa and Europe; and finally women across America will have their services, with the final service taking place, long after we have fallen asleep, on an island off Alaska. Women of Panama in Central America have devised this year's theme for the World Day of Prayer. Although in Panama it is only recently that women have been legally permitted to own land, many equality moves over the years, for instance in the areas of education and politics, have come about through women working together. The scriptural passages chosen reflect the role of women - from Numbers 26 and 27 there is the story of the five daughters of Zelophehad, and from John's gospel the account of Mary Magdalene's encounter with Jesus at the empty tomb. So come along to share in this act of worship with our Christian neighbours (women and men) in Dublin 15, adding our prayer and song and praise to a worldwide prayer. Sandra Farewell and WelcomeClonsilla parishioners Mark Cinnamond and Linda Green have moved to Kildalkey, Co Meath, and are now regular worshippers at St Patrick's Cathedral, Trim, where they are to be married in May. We wish them every blessing in their new home and future together. We also welcome the safe arrival of our two newest parishioners - Chloe Rose O'Sullivan (grand-daughter of Rose and Billy Cooper of Grand Lodge, Somerton) and Kate (daughter of Linda and Seamus McKiernan of Castleknock). We wish them every blessing. A Taste for LivingFAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT Most of us take a few seconds to choose our groceries - yet the choice we make has a lasting impact on farmers, producers and their families in the developing world. By choosing food with the FAIRTRADE mark we can help to change lives. This year's FAIRTRADE Fortnight celebrates a Taste for Life - for ourselves and for those who grow and produce our food far away. Millions of producers in the Third World want to be part of FAIRTRADE. In Ireland we drink over 20 millions cups of tea a day. By choosing FAIRTRADE mark tea and other products, we can open the way for more Third World producers to get a better deal and to live with greater dignity. The FAIRTRADE mark is your only independent guarantee of fairly traded goods, so do look out for it! And ask for it in shops if you don't see it. For further information, contact FAIRTRADE Mark Ireland on 475 3515, email info@fairtrade.ie or look at their website: www.fairtrade.ie Every little we can do, will help. Message from the Select VestriesOn behalf of the two Vestries, we would like to thank all of you who have responded so positively to the appeal letter we sent in January in respect of the unexpected financial burden on the Rector since Susan's diagnosis and surgery. Your generosity has been staggering and we are confident that we are on target to meet all the expenses required for the foreseeable future. This is a great blessing, so thank you all. Sandra Pragnell, Dave Dobson, Ken Doyle. A ThoughtThanks a Lot Go buy some flowers. Take them to God on StrikeIt is a good thing God above I'll give orders to the sun You know He would be justified Men say they want a better deal Author Unknown From the RegistersHoly Baptism: Christian Funeral: In Memorium: Sympathy: Readings for Sunday ServicesSunday 7th March (Lent 2) Sunday 14th March (Lent 3) Sunday 21st March (Lent 4 - Mothering Sunday) Sun 28th March (Lent 5 - Passion Sunday) Services for MarchEvery Wednesday: Holy Communion at 10.30 a.m. in Parish Centre Every Friday Morning during Lent: Lent Study Group: Thursday Evenings at 8 p.m. in the Parish Centre Sunday 7th March - Lent 2 Sunday 14th March - Lent 3 Sunday 21st March - Lent 4 [Mothering Sunday] Sunday 28th March - Lent 5 |
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Parishes of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla |
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