Issue 68 “UNION NEWS” October 2015

Dear Parishioner(s)

God Matters So People Matter
The first month of the implementation of our Parish Vision Plan has gone exceptionally well and it has been very encouraging to see the number of people participating in the different events and attending the church Services. Our good efforts to build up our Parish life will, I hope, continue to be well supported. Everyone will benefit from being part of God’s lovely family in the Mullingar Union of Parishes. I hope the friendship, care and Christian love which we share will enable us to build wonderful relationships as brothers and sisters in Christ. Attending church takes on a whole new significance as we now realise that, in our worship of God, we are “topped up” with God’s grace which we then share and so enrich and enhance the parish.

Harvest Festivals
During this month we will all be coming together to celebrate the Harvest Festivals and give thanks to God for all His goodness. The Harvest Festival in Killucan will be held at 11.30 a.m. on Sunday 11th October and the preacher will be Canon Patrick Lawrence. After the Service everyone is invited to the Pot Luck Lunch in the Parish Hall.
The Harvest Festival at Kilbixy will also be held on Sunday 11th October at 4.00 p.m. The preacher will be the Rector of Longford, Canon David Catterall and we hope the members of the wider community will again join us this year.
The Harvest Service in All Saints’ will be held at 11.00 a.m. on Sunday 18th October and the preacher will be Emma Rothwell who is the Diocesan Youth Officer and Chaplain at Wilson’s Hospital School.

The churches will be decorated in Killucan and Kilbixy on Saturday 10th October from 10.00 a.m. and on Saturday 17th October in All Saints’ from 10.00 a.m. Everyone is most welcome to join in the decoration and to bring along greenery, vegetables and flowers. I greatly look forward to the Harvest this year and I hope you will too. As Almoritia is currently closed for essential repairs, the parishioners of Almoritia are warmly invited to attend the Harvest at Kilbixy.

Christian Dance
The workshop on Sunday 27th September went very well indeed and the first Christian Dance will take place at the Harvest in All Saints’ on 18th October. If any young people would still like to take part please attend the next rehearsal at 4.00 p.m. on Sunday 4th October in All Saints’.

Ordination
The Ordination Service on Monday 21st September was a very inspirational occasion and we are delighted to have Trevor Holmes assisting us in the Parish over the next three years. We hope Trevor, his wife Anne and their family, will thoroughly enjoy their time with us and feel very much at home.

The Little Bible Course
The Bible Course which was to have been held on Monday 12th – Friday 16th October in the Greville Arms Hotel has had to be postponed until the New Year. Scott Evans, who was going to conduct the Course has unfortunately had a sad health issue in his family and, naturally, will want to spend as much time as he can this month with his immediate family. We will hold Scott and his family thoughtfully in our prayers at this very difficult time for them.

Holy Baptisms
We welcomed into God’s family recently Laurie Winifred Keane and Sophia Pearl Forbes. The baptismal occasions were very special and we continue to remember the two children, their parents and godparents in our prayers as they begin their journey of faith.

Holy Matrimony
We warmly congratulate David Horan and his new bride Marie Clare, who were married last month in Mullingar. David is the son of Pat and Paula Horan, and Marie Clare is from Vancouver, Canada, where they will be making their home. We pray that God will bless them with a married life of good health and happiness.

Bereavements
The Parish was deeply shocked to learn of the untimely death of Bill Gibson, following a tragic accident at home. Bill was a highly respected and admired member of the community and had been a very accomplished and successful sportsman. We offer our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to his wife Liz, their children Mandy, Ken, Peter and Jenny and all the members of the wider family and their many friends. Bill will be very sadly missed but the memories of him will be truly cherished.

We also offer our deepest sympathy to Gerry and Margaret King following the death of Gerry’s sister-in-law, Denise. Denise, who resided in Dublin, was a wonderful person and was held with admiration and affection not only by the members of the family but also by a wide circle of friends. Her charitable work and kindnesses and support to family members was legendary and she will be very sadly missed. We pray that both Bill and Denise, now in the fuller presence of God, may rest in peace, and their families may be comforted by the love and support of those who knew them.

Congratulations
We would like to offer our warmest congratulations to Emma Black, the daughter of Norman and Valerie Black. Emma has recently been awarded a Doctorate in Applied Educational Psychology from Newcastle University. Emma was educated in All Saints’ National School and Wilson’s Hospital School.

Parish Coffee Mornings
From next Wednesday 7th October, we are going to hold Parish Coffee Mornings in All Saints’ from 10.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. on the First Wednesday of Each Month . These are occasions for parishioners and their friends to meet socially and I do hope the coffee mornings will be very well supported. Coffee mornings are an important building block in the building of our Parish family. Welcome, friendship and conversation will be the hallmarks. Do please call in, even for a short while, and let us hope that this important initiative will grow from strength to strength. Parishioners of all ages are more than welcome and there will be plenty of toys for children.

All Saints’ Day
Like last year, there will be special Service held in All Saints’ church on Sunday 1st November followed by a Lunch in the Greville Arms Hotel.I do hope everyone in the Parish will make a point of attending this year. The Service of Sung Matins will be held at 11.30a.m. and the special preacher is the Bishop of Limerick, Right Rev. Dr. Kenneth Kearon. Bishop Kearon was the Secretary General for the Worldwide Anglican Communion before becoming Bishop and is one of the most highly respected Bishops. We are so privileged that he is joining us on this occasion. We will also be extending an invitation to the wider community and I am confident this will be another “mountain top experience” for our Parish.

Select Vestry
The Select Vestry will meet on Monday 2nd November at 8.00 p.m. in the Rectory.

Youth Weekend
There will be a special weekend for young people in Wilson’s Hospital on the Bank Holiday weekend, from Saturday 24th – Monday 26th October. I will be circulating information about this to the young people in the Parish and I hope the weekend will be very well supported. The weekend will have some very special events which I know the young people will thoroughly enjoy – an occasion not to be missed!

Whist Drive – A Whist drive will be held, in memory of Elsie Bourke, on Friday 2nd October at 8.30pm in All Saints’. Everyone is warmly invited

Parish Website
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. I encourage you to continue to look at the website and to also advise your family and friends about it. Facebook page can be found here and you can follow us on Twitter @MullingaUP

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