Issue 54 “UNION NEWS” 1st August 2014

Dear Parishioners,

The month of August is part of the summer holiday season and I hope you will be able to find time for some relaxation and rest. If the recent good weather continues there will be ample opportunity to enjoy the delights of Westmeath and beyond. If you are visiting family or friends, or if family are returning to Westmeath to visit you, I hope you will have many rich hours together.

Heritage Week
National Heritage Week takes place nationwide from 23rd – 31st August. There will be a number of different and interesting activities held and I hope you will have an opportunity to enjoy them. The Parish churches will be open at different times during the Week and details of opening times will be posted in each of the four churches. Details are also in the ‘Union notes’ I know a number of parishioners kindly volunteered to act as stewards to welcome visitors and we are very grateful to them for giving so generously of their time.

Prayer Shawls
On Wednesday 13th August we launch our Prayer Shawl. This weekly group will be held from 11.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. at All Saints’, Mullingar. To begin with Meetings will focus on teaching crochet to anyone who would like to be part of this special service. As members become more confident we aim to progress and be up-and-running making Prayer Shawls for members of the Parish by autumn. Everyone is most welcome. If anyone has any spare or leftover wool that they’d like to donate to this worthwhile Christian service, it would be very welcome. Please contact Karen Lomax (044-9332699 or 085-7165625) if you would like to be part of the Prayer Shawl Project

Parish/School Golf Outing
The Parish/School Golf Outing was held on Friday 25th July at Mullingar Golf Club, by kind permission. All who participated had a very enjoyable time and raised much-needed funds for the School and Parish. Sincere thanks are due to all the golfers for their support and again I warmly thank Cyril Collier and Pat Fletcher for the wonderful work they did in organising the event and ensuring its’ success.

Sunday Services during August
As you will appreciate, a number of people will be on holidays this month and, in order to ensure that there are Services in each church during the month, I have made some small changes which I hope you will understand and appreciate. I will include details of the church services for 31st August in the September Union Notes.

Holy Days in August
There are three special Holy Days during the month and a celebration of Holy Communion will be held on these days. Details are in the Union Notes.

Bible Study
The next Saturday morning Bible Study will be held in All Saints’ on Saturday 23rd August at 10.30 a.m. Everyone is most welcome to attend. We will be studying Acts 5, verses 12-16 and Luke 22, verses 24-30.

Coffee Morning
A coffee morning in aid of the North Westmeath Hospice will be held in Doreen and Peter Lynch’s home at Kilpatrick, Mullingar, on Saturday 30th August from 11.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. We are most grateful to Doreen and Peter for kindly undertaking to organise this occasion and making their beautiful home available to the Parish. I hope all parishioners will show their support by attending on Saturday 30th.

Holy Baptism
We baptised into God’s family Jessica Webster on Sunday 6th July and George Culbert on Sunday 20th July. We will continue to pray for Jessica and George, and their parents and godparents.

Bi-Centenary Whist Drive
A special Whist Drive to commemorate the Bi-Centenary of All Saints’ will be held on Friday 26th September at 8.30 p.m. in All Saints’ Parish Hall. The proceeds will go towards the good work undertaken by the North Westmeath Hospice. If anyone in the Parish would like to donate a gift or give a donation, Olive would be delighted to receive them and can be contacted at the Rectory. This will be a most enjoyable occasion and we hope it will be very well supported.

Special Preacher
The special preacher in All Saints’ on Sunday 3rd August will be Rev. Prof. Gordon Graham from Princeton, USA, who is visiting Mullingar for the weekend. You may remember that Gordon preached at my Institution and also delivered a lecture on a previous visit.

Parish Web Address
You may like to keep in touch with the Parish through the website and your family and friends may also like to have the web address. The address is www.mullingarunionofparishes.net. also our Facebook page can be found here

I do hope you will continue to have a most enjoyable and restful summer and I am delighted that the good weather has been of such assistance to all the farmers and their families in the Parish.

With God’s blessings,
Rev. Alastair Graham, Rector

The Rectory, Gaol’s Hill, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
Telephone No. 044-934 8376 Mobile 087 7870985