Issue 46 “UNION NEWS” December 2013

Dear Parishioners,
Advent
The Season of Advent provides us with a lovely biblical preparation for Christmas and the church services during Advent are always beautifully ordered. This year the Advent Carol Service will be held on Sunday 15th December at 7.00 p.m. in All Saints’. The Service will be in candlelight and we will be joined by members of the other churches in the Mullingar area. There will be Retiring Collection for the very worthy local charity Good To Talk which is doing such valuable work in suicide prevention.

Parish Gift Day- Sunday 1st December, Advent Sunday
The Parish Gift Day will be held on Advent Sunday and I enclose a letter from Hon. Treasurer and a Gift Day Envelope with the Union Notes. Every year the Gift Day is very well supported and your gift helps us build up and develop our Parish. Our gifts also are a thank offering to God for the good things He does in our lives and community.

Christmas Whist Drive
The Christmas Whist Drive will be held on Friday 6th December at 8.30 p.m. in All Saints’ Parish Hall. This is always a most enjoyable evening with wonderful prizes and everyone will be most welcome.

Christmas Carol Concert
The Christmas Carol Concert with the Musical Allsorts Choir and the Midland Youth Orchestra will be held on Saturday 7th December at 7.30 p.m. in All Saints’ Church. This is an occasion not to be missed and each year we are all enthralled and inspired by the children’s singing and the playing of the orchestra. Do make a point of coming and you will be most welcome.

Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association
The Enrolment Service will be held in All Saints’ on Sunday 8th December at 10.00a.m. The Company is going exceptionally well this year and the numbers attending are growing. I hope parishioners will come along to support the young people and their leaders as this is a very important Parish organisation.

Parish Carol Service
Parish Carol Service will take place on Sunday 22nd December and I hope everyone will make a very special effort to attend. The Parish Choir is preparing some very special items and the Carol Service provides a lovely opportunity for us to join together prior to Christmas.
Christmas Services
Details of the Christmas Services are included in these Notes. If all parishioners in the Parish attended church on Christmas Day then each of our churches would be full to overflowing. This would be such a special happening and I invite you to come to church as, with large numbers attending, we can all share and celebrate together the beautiful occasion of Christ’s coming to earth.

Holy Days after Christmas
In the Parish we continue the traditional custom of holding a Service of Holy Communion on each of the three days after Christmas Day. Every year parishioners attend these Services which are prayerfully reflective and spiritually uplifting and if you can join us this year you will be most welcome. I commend them to you.

New Year’s Day
Last year we had a very large congregation to celebrate the New Year. This year the Service will be held at 11.00 a.m. in All Saints’. Olive and I would like to invite everyone who attends to coffee and tea afterwards in the Rectory. What better way to start the New Year than to worship God in church?

Select Vestry and Choir Christmas Party
Olive and I will look forward to welcoming the members of the Select Vestry and Parish Choir to a forked supper in the Rectory on Friday 13th December at 8.00 p.m. The Select Vestry and Parish Choir work so hard during the year and it is an opportunity to thank them and to wish them well for Christmas.

St. Thomas’s Day – Saturday 21st December
There will be a celebration of Holy Communion in All Saints’ at 10.30 a.m.

Holy Baptism
We welcomed into God’s family Donnacha Ryan, Alexander Johnston Molloy and Charlie Mitchell who were recently baptised. We will continue to pray for them and their parents and godparents.

Bereavement
We offer our deepest sympathy to George, Caroline and Colin Lloyd following the very sudden death at home of George’s sister Margaret. Margaret had spent her life living around the area of Ballynacargy and was much loved in the community. She will be very sadly missed and we pray that all who mourn her passing will be comforted by knowing that God’s promises are true and we pray that Margaret, now in the fuller presence of God, may rest in peace.

Parish Dinner
The Parish Dinner was held on Friday 15th November. It was a wonderful success and was enjoyed by everyone who attended. We are all greatly indebted to Andrea Hampton who organised the event again this year and, through her fine organisation, ensured that everyone had a most enjoyable evening.

Happy Christmas
I would like to wish everyone in the Parish a very happy and blessed Christmas and prosperous New Year and I will look forward to meeting you at the Church Services over Christmas

With God’s blessings,

Rev. Alastair Graham, Rector
The Rectory, Gaol’s Hill, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
Telephone No. 044-934 8376