Dear Parishioners,
January
We would like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy new year. We also hope 2023 will be a good year for Bishop Pat, Karen Seaman and all the parishes in the Diocese. The appreciation and understanding of the Christian Faith is so necessary in today’s society. Knowing Jesus is Lord is inspiring and comforting and the spreading of the Good News of Christ needs to be a top priority for the Parishes in the Diocese.
Epiphany Carol Service – Sunday 8th January at 11a.m.
The Epiphany Carol Service will be held in All Saints’ Church on Sunday 8 January at 11am. The service will be led by young leaders in the parish and the Senior Parish Choir will lead the singing of all the inspiring Epiphany Carols. This is a lovely occasion and a wonderful way to start the New Year in church as parishioners from each of the churches join together as God’s family.
Service of Crowns
This special service, the Children’s Gift Day Service, will be held at 11am in All Saints’ on Sunday 15 January. Being grateful and showing gratitude is a very important human trait inspired by the Gospel. Children who have received so much at Christmas can show their gratitude by giving a small gift of money to support children in need. This ceremony is an important event in the parish calendar and I hope all the children will be able to attend.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 18 – 25 January
The annual service attended by all the church leaders and members of all the churches in Mullingar will be held in All Saints’ on Sunday 22 January at 7 pm. This year the focus will be on Creation Care and Climate Change. The young leaders of Lighten Our Darkness by Numbers will make the presentation and I hope there will be a good attendance of parishioners to show our support along with the members of other churches for Climate Change.
Whist Drive – Friday 3rd February
The February Whist Drive will be held in All Saints’ on Friday 3 February at 8.30pm. Everyone will be most welcome and the Whist Drive is always so enjoyable.
Holy Baptism
Over the Christmas and New Year period we welcomed three children into God’s family through baptism – Joni Harriet, Richard Edward and Éabha Grace. We pray for them as they begin their journey of faith with their parents and godparents.
Bereavement
We offer our deepest sympathy to Rupert, Antonio, Mylo Mahon and their children and the wider family following the untimely death of their dear mother Penelope who passed away last month and was buried beside her beloved husband Tim who sadly passed away last February. Penelope had recently, along with Tim, become parishioners in the Parish and, in their all too short time with us, they made a wonderful impression. Their Gospel values by which they lived and their care of God’s creation through their magnificent garden, was a fine testimony to the faith they espoused. Penelope bore her illness with amazing courage, bravery and fortitude and, like Tim, she will be very sadly missed by her dear family and many friends. We pray they will be comforted by their wonderful memories of her and that Penelope, now in the fuller presence of God, may rest in peace and rise in glory.
Anne Oosting sadly passed away just before Christmas. Anne who lived her early life in Clonkill trained as a nurse in England and moved to Canada where she met and married Hans. They were together 55 years. Anne and Hans recently returned to Ireland . Anne was a lovely person with a strong faith in God
We pray for Hans and pray he will be comforted by his memories of Anne and knowing she is now safely in God’s care.
Select Vestry
The meeting of the Select Vestry will be held on Monday 23rd January at 7.30 p.m. in All Saints’ Church.
A Thousand Thanks
We would like to offer a big thank you to everyone who helped make our celebration of Christmas so special – everyone who arranged the wonderful Christmas Extravaganza of Christmas Trees and Christmas flowers and greenery, the Church Wardens, the Senior Parish Choir, the Choir Director, the organists, the generous Christmas to Those in Need, the Readers and young parishioners, the young leaders in Lighten Our Darkness by Numbers for the Christmas Tree Appeal and everyone else who helped in any way. A thousand thanks and a very happy and healthy New Year to everyone.
Christmas Tree Appeal
It was most encouraging to see the large response to our Christmas Tree Appeal. At the Lambeth Conference of Bishops in the summer an initiative to plant a Communion Forest, trees in every parish in the world, was launched. Your support will help us to play our part in planting trees in every churchyard in the Parish and in many parishioners’ homes. This year our climate change initiative in the Parish, Lighten Our Darkness by Numbers, will be taking on a national profile and it is so encouraging to see the interest and enthusiasm in the support parishioners are giving to help repair the damage that has been done to God’s world.
May I again wish you a very happy and healthy New Year
Rev. Alastair Graham
Church Services this Month – January 2023
Sunday 1st January
All Saints’ 11.00 a.m. Holy Communion and Carols
This is a United Service for all the Parishes
12.30 p.m. Holy Baptism
Epiphany – Friday 6th January
All Saints’ 11.00 a.m. Holy Communion
Epiphany is a very important occasion in the Church, when we remember that Christ is the King for all people. Everyone will be most welcome to attend.
Sunday 8th January
All Saints 10.00a.m. Holy Communion, (said), Rector
All Saints’ 11.00 a.m. Epiphany Carol Service led by the young leaders
Sunday 15th January
All Saints 10.00a.m. Holy Communion, (said), Rector
All Saints’ 11.00 a.m. Service of Crowns – Children’s Gift Day
All Saints’ 12.30p.m. Holy Baptism
Killucan 11.30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Almoritia 7.00p.m. Evening Prayer with Kilbixy
Sunday 22nd January
All Saints’ 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion, Rector
Killucan 11.30 a.m. Holy Communion, Rector
All Saints’ 7.00 p.m. Ecumenical Service on Climate Change
Please do attend if you can as we join with the other Christians in Mullingar
Conversion of St. Paul – Wednesday 25th January
All Saints’ 11.00 a.m. Holy Communion
Sunday 29th January
All Saints’ 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion (Rector)
Killucan 11.30 a.m. Holy Communion, Rector
