Dear Parishioners,
This month we look forward to some special occasions in the Parish.
Harvest Thanksgiving
The last of our Parish Harvest Thanksgiving Services will be held in Killucan this Sunday, 31st October, at 11.30 a.m. The special preacher will be Revd. William Seale, Rector of Kells Union. The singing and music will be led by the Senior Parish Choir under the direction of Bill McConnell. I do hope parishioners will support Killucan this Sunday by coming to the Service. The church will be decorated from 10.30 a.m. on Saturday morning, 30th October.
November – A Month to Remember
November is always a very special month in the Parish with some lovely church ceremonies.
- All Saints’ Day – Monday 1st November. This very special Saints’ day will be celebrated in All Saints’ with a service of Holy Communion at 11.00 a.m. I warmly invite parishioners to attend and, if we have sufficient numbers, we would be able to sing the hymn “For all the Saints”.
- Saturday 6th November. There will be a special service in All Saints’ at 2.00pm to remember our much loved parishioner and choir member, Claude Rolston. Following the service Claude’s ashes will be buried in the Garden of Remembrance.
- Patronal Festival. On Sunday 7th November at 10.00 a.m., we will hold a special “All Saints’ Day” service to celebrate the life of the Parish and pray for God’s continuing guidance and support.
- Remembrance Sunday – 14th November. The traditional Remembrance Service will be held in All Saints’ at 10.30 a.m. At the service there will the cascading of poppies at the Act of Remembrance and the singing of all the familiar hymns. The service will be attended by ex-Servicemen and women and representatives of all the emergency services.
- Day of Prayer for Young People – Sunday 21st November. In our Parish we will be remembering in prayer all our young people. It is very fitting that this day should be marked with the young leaders in Lighten Our Darkness performing their presentation on Climate Change and Spreading the News at 2.30 p.m. in All Saints’ Church. This will be an amazing presentation and is worthy of all our support. The Bishop and other church and civic leaders will be attending. If you wish to come to the presentation you must let the churchwardens know. Please telephone Arthur O’Toole on 087-9733233.
- Thursday 25th November. To mark the ‘UN International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women’, the churches in Mullingar will be coming together for a united service to be held in the cathedral at 12.30 p.m. I earnestly urge men and women and young people to attend this very important occasion to show their support, as Christians standing against domestic violence which is such a scourge, not only in our country, but throughout the world.
- Advent Sunday 28th November. There will be a special service in All Saints’ for all the young people who were recently confirmed, and their families, at 10.00 a.m. At this service each of the young people will receive their Confirmation Bible. This service will also give parishioners the opportunity to come and show their support and congratulate them on their confirmation. At 11.30 a.m. in Killucan there will be the Advent Carol Service and at 7.00pm in All Saints’ there will be the Advent Ecumenical Carol Service with all the church leaders and parishioners.
- Andrew’s Day – Tuesday 30th November. There will be a celebration of Holy Communion in All Saints’ Church at 11.00 a.m.
Select Vestry
The Select Vestry will hold its’ next meeting on Monday 15th November at 7.30 p.m.
Parish Gift Day
The Parish Gift Day will be held on Sunday 28th November – Advent Sunday. There will be a service held in each of the churches on that day. Parishioners have been very supportive of the Parish this year for which we are very grateful. As you can see from the Parish Notes, our Parish is beginning to really get back into full swing and we have so much to thank God for. The Parish Gift Day gives every parishioner the opportunity to show their gratitude to God our Father for all His loving care. The Honorary Treasurer will send a Gift Day envelope to each parishioner
Lighten Our Darkness – Sophie Ray
I am writing with the exciting news to say that our initiative is now really taking off and we hope that all of us, as young leaders in the Parish with the support of parishioners, will be able make a significant contribution in addressing the difficulties arising from climate change. Our Climate Sunday service in September was a great success – over 200 attended. Thank you for all your support. This month, on Sunday 21st November, we are putting on our presentation and it would be great if you could support us by coming along. We have lots of other ideas and projects in the pipeline which we will keep you informed of. So watch out for next month’s Union Notes. From all of us thanks for your support.
Picia Harvey-Kelly
A memorial service will be held for Picia in Almoritia Church this Saturday 30th October, at 12.00 noon. Picia was a much-loved parishioner and a person of great talent. The family would very much appreciate your support at this service.
Saturday Lunchtime Concert- The Essence of Beauty
Charles Marshall and Bogdan Sofei will be performing at a special concert in All Saints’ next Saturday, 30th October, at 1.30 p.m. Tickets are €10 and can be purchased at the door. Don’t miss this special musical treat.
Children’s Baking Competition – calling all Junior Bakers
Entries are invited for a Baking Competition on Saturday 11th December. The categories are:
Under 7’s: 6 buns of any kind on a plate
Over 7’s: Chocolate cake presented on a plate
Entries can be submitted on Saturday morning up to 11.30 a.m. at All Saints Church. Entry fee €1 per entry and prizes will be awarded for each class. We look forward to seeing and tasting your bakes.
Holy Baptism
We congratulate Lorcan and Gideon on their recent baptisms. We pray for them and their parents and godparents as Lorcan and Gideon begin their journey of faith.
If I can be of any assistance to you in any way please do not hesitate to contact me – 087-7870985.
With God’s blessings,
Rev. Alastair Graham
