Dear Parishioners,
UPDATE 16th March 2020
ALL SERVICES CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PRECAUTIONS TO KEEP OUR PARISHIONERS SAFE
All of the following services are now cancelled – All saints Church will be open from 10am – 11am each Sunday for quite prayer and reflection – please do not attend if you are unwell in any way – please observe social distancing and physical contact with each other in order to keep our most vulnrable members safe and well.
We have reactivated our Facebook Page to keep you all updated and advised on a regular basis you can follow the parish on Facebook here
Parish Conference – Lighten Our Darkness – Sunday 1st March 10.30 am
The final preparations are being made for our Parish Conference and I sincerely urge everyone in the Parish to come to hear what the young people have to say in their Presentation and to support them by your presence. For the last nine months the young people have given a great amount of their time to prepare for the Conference and it would be lovely to see their good efforts rewarded by your support.
Lent
The season of Lent provides the opportunity for prayer and reflection on faith and life issues. This year All Saints’ Church will be open each day for prayer from 11.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. A prayer Service will be held at 12.00 noon. This gives a daily opportunity for prayer and reflection in church. In addition, there will be Lenten Bible Study on Saturday 7th and 21st March at 10.30 a.m. in All Saints’. The Lenten Parish Retreat will be held on Saturday 28th March and there will be a Lenten Songs of Praise in All Saints’ on Sunday 15th March at 11.00 a.m. The Lenten occasions for April will be outlined in the April Union Notes.
St. Etchen’s Day
While St. Etchen’s Day falls in February, this year we are holding our Patronal Festival on Sunday 8th March in Killucan at 11.30 a.m. We will combine the Women’s World Day of Prayer with this Service. I am sure this special Service and occasion will be very well supported by parishioners. Poppy Tansley, a young parishioner in Killucan, has kindly offered to hold a Cake Sale at the Patronal Festival in aid of the Mullingar Hospital MRI Scanner Appeal. All contributions, baked or bought, will be gladly accepted by Poppy on the day. Poppy will be selling the cakes during the Refreshments at the end of the Service and all monies raised is going to a great cause. It is inspiring that a young parishioner has come forward with this offer of help for such a worthy cause. I know Poppy will be very well supported.
St. Patrick’s Day -Now Cancelled
There is always a special Service held in All Saints’ on St. Patrick’s Day, Tuesday 17th March at 11.00 a.m. At the Service there will be the Blessing of the Shamrock and the inspiring singing of the Breastplate by the Senior Parish Choir.
All Saints’ Whist Drive
The March Whist Drive will be held on Friday 6th March at 8.30 p.m. in All Saints’ Church. The Whist Drive is always a most enjoyable evening with a delicious supper and a good selection of prizes. I commend the Whist Drive to you. This will be the last Whist Drive until November. If anyone has a gift which they would like to present as a prize we would be very grateful if you could leave it in to the Rectory any time before 6th March.
Select Vestry There will be a meeting of the Select Vestry on Monday 30th March at 7.30pm in The Church Hall to allow for social distancing.
General Easter Vestry – TBA Going Forward
The General Easter Vestry will be held on Sunday 26th April at 11.00 a.m. in All Saints’. Last year we held the General Easter Vestry on a Sunday and parishioners expressed their support for the meeting to be held on Sunday rather than the practice of a weekday evening meeting. I hope you will put this date in your diary to attend.
Mothering Sunday – Sunday 22nd March – Service Now Cancelled
There is always a special Service held to ma – rk Mothering Sunday in the Parish at 10.00 a.m. in All Saints’ and 11.30 a.m. in Killucan. Mothering Sunday provides a wonderful opportunity for families to come to church and celebrate with thanksgiving the care and love mothers provide.
Rock Solid Parish Youth Club
The Rock Solid Parish Youth Club will meet on Thursday 2nd April at 7.30pm in All Saints’.
Lenten Retreat TBA
The Lenten Retreat will be held on Saturday 28th March in St. Anne’s Retreat Centre, Killenard. At the Retreat we will be prayerfully reflecting on some important passages from the Bible. The setting for the Retreat is ideal. The prayerful ethos in Killenard facilitates a wonderful opportunity for quiet discernment and those parishioners who attended last year benefited greatly from the day. If you would like to come and join us this year you will be most welcome and, if you speak to either the churchwardens or myself, we can give you more details and also provide transport if required.
Coffee on Thursdays – Now Cancelled
The coffee mornings have become very popular and it is lovely to see so many people enjoying good company and conversation week by week. I would like to warmly invite you to attend and your presence will be greatly appreciated.
Bereavements
We offer our deepest sympathy to Rev. Trevor and Anne Holmes on the death of Trevor’s father, Norman. The funeral Service was held in Taney Parish Church on Thursday 6th February. Norman was a wonderful person who won the admiration and affection of so many people over the years and in every aspect of his life he was held with the highest respect. We would like to sympathise with Trevor and Anne at this sad time for them and the family. Trevor preached a most inspiring address at the funeral, reminding us of the Christian hope we have in Christ, and the assurance of knowing that death is not an end but an entrance into a fuller life in God’s presence. We pray that Norman, now in the fuller presence of God, may rest in peace and rise in glory, and that Trevor, Anne and their family will be comforted with the lovely memories they have of Norman.
Thank You
Olive would like to thank everyone for their prayerful support recently and for the many lovely cards she has received. Olive’s knee surgery has been very successful and she is recovering well. The support, love, kindness and prayers of parishioners has been a great comfort and encouragement. Olive would like to thank everyone very much indeed.
Parish Website Address – www.mullingarunionofparishes.net.
You may like to keep in touch with the Parish through the website or the facebook page
Rev. Canon Alastair Graham
Lent
I hope everyone in the Parish will find time during Lent for prayer and bible reading and opportunities to reflect on faith and support charitable work.
