Issue 166 “UNION NEWS” January 2024

Dear Parishioners,

Happy New Year
I would like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year and I
hope we will continue to see life and vitality in the Parish under God’s guidance and
protection.

Christmas 2023
Christmas in the Parish was very special and the various Services and events went
very well indeed. The good numbers attending church was a great encouragement for
everyone and we hope we can build on that in the year ahead. It was wonderful that
the numbers attending Church at Christmas was larger than last year
Looking forward to January
This month there will again be some lovely occasions in the Parish which I hope
everyone will enjoy and look forward to attending.

 New Year’s Day
We start the New Year with the New Year’s Day Service in All Saints’ on Monday 1 st
January at 11.00 a.m. This is such a lovely way to begin the year, seeking God’s
blessings up on us. You will be most welcome to attend this service.

 Lighten Our Darkness
On Thursday 4 th January the young leaders will be travelling to a theatre in Drogheda
to record a video on Climate Change to be distributed throughout the Church of
Ireland.
On the last two Saturday mornings in January we hope to undertake maintenance in
the churchyards in the Parish. If you are free to assist on 20 th or 27 th of January from
11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. please let me know. The young leaders will certainly
appreciate your help and support. If everyone does a little, we will achieve a lot-
please come and lend a hand!

 Epiphany- Saturday 6 th January
This very important liturgical occasion will be celebrated at a Service of Holy
Communion at 11.00 a.m. in All Saints.

 Epiphany Carol Service –Sunday 7 th January
This truly joyful and uplifting Carol Service, led by the young leaders of Lighten Our
Darkness, will be held in All Saints’ on Sunday 7 th January at 11.00 a.m. We will sing
all the uplifting Epiphany carols and give thanks to God for the important message of
Epiphany. Do come to church so we can all celebrate Little Christmas Day
together.

 Family Matters – Sunday 14 th January
We will be holding a very special Service in St. Etchen’s on Sunday 14 th January to
celebrate the life of the Parish as a family. Do come and join your brothers and sisters
in Christ as we thank God for the family of the Parish in Killucan.
 Service of Crowns – Sunday 21 st January
Every year the Children’s Gift Day is held in All Saints’ at the Service of Crowns.
This year we will hold the Service at 5.00 p.m. and we hope all the children in the
Parish will come to present their gift in a token of appreciation for all the gifts they
received at Christmas. This year we are asking each child to bring an item of non-
perishable food and all the gifts will be made into a bumper hamper which will be
given to TEAM in Mullingar in recognition of the important service they provide to
the community.
 Christian Unity Week
In January the churches meet to pray for Christian unity. This year it will be the turn
of the Cathedral to host the Christian Unity Service at 7.00 p.m. on Sunday 21 st
January at 7.00 p.m. I would like to invite all parishioners to come and support this
occasion.

 Christians’ Coffee and Conversation
As part of our celebration of Christian Unity Week, we will be holding a special
coffee morning in All Saints’ on Wednesday 24 th January from 10.00 a.m.-12.00 p.m.
We invite everyone to come to this special occasion for the community.

 Select Vestry Meeting – Tuesday 23 rd Jan.
A meeting of the Select Vestry will be held at 7.30 p.m. in the Rectory on Tuesday
23 rd January.

 Opening the Bible – Sunday 28 th January
We are utterly privileged to welcome Dr. Katie Heffelfinger to the Parish on Sunday
28 th January. Dr. Heffelfinger is a truly delightful person and one of the finest
teachers of the Bible in Ireland today. We will be holding a special Bible Service in
All Saints’ at 11.00 a.m. and I urge everyone to come as she will help us understand
and appreciate how wonderful the Bible is and how reading of the Bible can be so
inspiring for all our lives.

A Thousand Thousand Thanks
I would like to express all our thanks to everyone who made Christmas such a
wonderful and memorable time for us all. To all those who decorated the church so
beautifully –
 to Arie and George and the team of parishioners in Killucan,
 to Catherine and Annie and the parishioners in Almoritia,
 to David and Violet and the parishioners in Kilbixy,
 to Diane and the Ashmore family for dedicating the magnificent tree to All
Saints’ in memory of Roy,
 to Arthur and Marion O’Toole and William for all their work in All Saints’
 to the flower ladies in All Saints’, Doreen and Liz, Anna, Nicole, Emma and
Olive, for their inspiring Christmas decorations,
 and to Peter Cruise for his imaginative creation in the chancel of All Saints.

Bereavement
We offer our deepest sympathy to Lesley Aust on her recent family bereavement in
South Africa. We pray that God will comfort her at this sad time and that her sister,
now in the fuller presence of God, may rest in peace.

Holy Baptism
We welcomed into God’s family recently Theo and Jack. We pray for them, their
parents and godparents as they begin their journey of faith.

Parish Gift Day
We would like to warmly thank all the parishioners for their very generous giving at
the Parish Gift Day, which was greatly appreciated. The donations will be a great
help to the Select Vestry in meeting the expenses of the Parish in the year ahead. To
everyone who contributed so generously is helping people in need this Christmas, I
can assure you that all your kind gifts were very well received and helped make
Christmas a much happier time for those in need.

Revd. Alastair Graham Mobile: 087-787 0985

All Saints’ National School- School Enrolment
All Saints’ National School is accepting applications for enrolment for
the school year 2024 – 2025 from Wednesday 10 th January to Friday 09 th
February. The schools admission notice and application form are
available online on our website – allsaintsnsmullingar.ie.

Please return the form by closing on Friday 09 th February We look
forward to hearing from you. Hard copies of application forms are
available from the school office 04493 48206

Church Services this Month – January 2024

Sunday 7 th January
All Saints’ 9.30 a.m. Holy Communion, Rector
11.00 a.m. Epiphany Carol Service
Killucan 7.00 p.m. Evening Prayer, Rector
Sunday 14 th January – Family Matters Sunday
All Saints’ 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion, Rector
Killucan 11.30 a.m. Family Matters Service- Rector
Almoritia 7.00 p.m. Evening Prayer, Rector
Sunday 21 st January
All Saints’ 10.00 a.m. Holy Communion, Rector
Killucan 11.30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Kilbixy 11.30 a.m. Holy Communion, Rector
All Saints’ 5.00 p.m. Children’s Gift Day Service
Cathedral 7.00 p.m. Christian Unity Service – the Cathedral
Sunday 28 th January
All Saints’ 9.30 a.m. Holy Communion, Rector

11.00 a.m. Opening the Bible – a special service with
Dr. Katie Heffelfinger with hymns

Holy Days this month
New Year’s Day – Monday 1 st January
Epiphany – Saturday 6 th January
Conversion of St. Paul – Thursday 25 th January
There will be a Service of Holy Communion in All Saints’ on these days at 11.00 a.m.
Every Wednesday at 11.00 a.m. in All Saints’ there will be a Service of

Holy Communion