Issue 176  “UNION NEWS” DEC 2024

December 2024 & January 2025

Dear Parishioners,
We are combining our December and January Yellow Sheet this year with services up to the end of
January detailed together. We hope that you will be able to join us at some of these. The Parish
Nominators are keeping in touch in the background as they await the commencement of the process
to appoint a new Rector. As the Bishop is currently on leave until the end of 2024 our nominators are
looking forward to engagement in 2025 and expect to have a busy year. The Select Vestry would like
to thank all parishioners for their support during 2024, to wish everyone a very peaceful Christmas
and a Happy New Year.

Youth Activities
Sunday 8th December, the Annual Christingle Service takes place with participation by the Sunday
School children and the young people in the parish.
Board Game Saturday: 11th January 2pm – 3.30pm
Sunday 12th January Service of Crowns with Sunday School participation

Lighten Our Darkness update from Luke Hawkins
Lighten our Darkness are working with Luke Hawkins, Church of Ireland Youth Department to take
God’s Garden’s of Hope national ! One initiative was God’s Gardens of Hope where the group
worked in Churchyards and Graveyards to increase biodiversity in their local area by encouraging
insects and wildlife. They now hope to raise awareness of God’s Gardens of Hope across the country
with help from the Church of Ireland Youth Department (CIYD).

Every year CIYD produces a resource box for distribution to young people and youth work
volunteers across the island. In 2025 this box will be called Eco Gen and it will contain a range of
resources and ideas from the Lighten our Darkness project designed to educate people on the
spiritual imperative behind climate action and how to create their own God’s Garden of Hope.
Funding permitting, we hope to pair this resource box with an interactive mobile phone app also
called Eco Gen. This app will teach all the necessary skills and information to create a Garden of
Hope through a series of mobile phone games hosted by digital avatars of the Lighten our Darkness
Group! Production of this resource is already underway with a CIYD partner organisation called
Missional Generation, who will also handle the development of the mobile app. The members of
Lighten our Darkness will be involved in creative direction, resource design, script writing and voice
recording at every level of the project and will be involved in the launch and nationwide roll-out next
July. We would value all of your prayers and support as we create this exciting resource and seek
funding.

Thank you to Luke from all in Mullingar Union for his work with this project.

Baptism In Nov. notes we announced the Baptism of Max James Ennis. This should have read Max
James Kane, son of Sarah (nee Coady) and James Kane.  The Ennis and Kane families are first
cousins and we extend our apologies to all.

Bereavement
We offer our deepest sympathy to Gavin Lawrence and all the family on the death of his grandfather
in October. Mr Stanley resided in Shinrone, Co Offaly. Gavin is one of our organists and is a regular
player in Killucan.

Christmas Church Decorating
This will take place across Friday 13th and Saturday 14th December from 10.30am until lunchtime.
On Saturday the Sunday School group will be decorating and we would like to invite children and
parents to come along. Hot chocolate, tea and treats will be served…on both days.

Whist Drives
The Christmas Whist Drive is on Friday 6th December. The first Whist Drive of 2025 will be on Friday 7th
February followed by Friday 7th March. All start at 8pm in All Saints’ Church Hall.

Ladies Lunch Saturday 4th January 2025
The Whist Drive team are hosting a Ladies Lunch on Saturday 4th January at 1pm in All Saints’
Church Hall. We would like to invite ladies of ALL ages to join us for a simple lunch of soup, rolls,
dessert & tea/coffee. There will be a donation box and all proceeds will be divided across Women
specific charities in Mullingar. We would like to have everyone seated at 1pm and look forward to
seeing you there.

Food for Thought
WAITING AND EXPECTING

“Advent tells us Christ is coming
Christmas tells us Christ is here”
So went the children’s hymn some of us learned many years ago.
Waiting and expecting are the two themes, in a sense, the two sides of the same coin which begin on

December 1 st , the First Sunday of December.
Waiting and expecting are difficult themes in our lives. I am reminded of the wisdom of an old priest
friend of mine who used to say that it was hard to concentrate on getting anything done while you
were waiting for an expected visitor to arrive.

Just as this is true of everyday life, so too it is true in regard to the Church at this time of year, and
the expected second coming of Jesus.
Advent traditionally speaks of the four ‘last’ things- that is Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell. But
in a more immediate sense it tells of the expected coming of Jesus into this world of darkness, then
and now as predicted by the prophets in general, and John Baptist in particular.

Just over three weeks after December 1 st , Advent Sunday, Christmas Day tells again of the fulfilment
of these predictions when we welcome the baby Jesus in the crib, in the manger, in our homes, and in
our hearts.

The waiting and expecting of Jesus, both to come in his glory to judge the whole world living and
departed as expressed in the Advent Collect, and the joy of celebrating his arrival on Christmas Day
can be so easily obscured by the hustle and bustle of the month of December, along with self-
imposed deadlines of Christmas Day. Just as there is always something very special and different
about our Christmas celebrations once Christmas Day worship begins, let us this year give, during
December give more than a little thought to the wonderful Advent themes of Waiting and Expecting,

so that this year’s Christmas Day celebrations in our churches and parishes fulfil our expectations of
being very special.

Patrick Lawrence

Emergency Pastoral Care
During the vacancy Canon Patrick Lawrence is available for emergency pastoral care. His contact
details are 0449222109 or 0860562944

Ladies Lunch Saturday 4th January 2025
Inviting Ladies of All AGES to lunch on Saturday 4th January at 1pm
Location All Saints’ Church Hall. Seating at 1pm

There will be a donation box, proceeds will be divided across Women specific charities in

Mullingar. We look forward to seeing you there.

All Saints’ National School- School Enrolment

All Saints’ National School is accepting applications for enrolment for the school year 2025 –
2026 from Monday 6 th January to Friday 14 th February. The school admission notice and
application form are available online on our website – allsaintsnsmullingar.ie.
Please return the form by closing on Friday 14 th February We look forward to hearing from
you. Hard copies of application forms are available from the school office 04493 48206

December Church Services

Sunday 1st December
All Saints’ 10am Holy Communion
Killucan 11.30am Morning Prayer
Kilbixy 11.30 Holy Communion

Sunday 8th December
All Saints’10am Christingle Service with Carols
Killucan 11.30am Morning Prayer

Sunday 15th December
All Saints’ 10am School Nativity Play
Killucan 11.30am Morning Prayer
Almoritia 11.30am Morning Prayer

Sunday 22nd December
All Saints’ 10am Morning Prayer
Sunday 29th December
All Saints’ 10am Morning Prayer
Killucan 11.30am Morning Prayer

Christmas Services
Friday 20th December All Saints’ Carol Service 7.30pm, retiring collection for
Mullingar Mental Health Association

Saturday 21st December Killucan Carol Service 5.30pm, followed by light
refreshments
Christmas Eve All Saints’ Holy Communion 10.30pm
Christmas Day All Saints’ Holy Communion 10am
Christmas Day Kilbixy Holy Communion 11.30am
Christmas Day Killucan 11.30am

Holy Days

26th December St Stephen’s Day 11am Holy Communion All Saints’
1st January, New Year’s Day, 11am Holy Communion, All Saints’

January 2025 Church Services

Sunday 5th January, Epiphany
All Saints’ 10am Holy Communion
Killucan 11.30am Holy Communion

Sunday 12 th January
All Saints’ 10am Service of Crowns
Almoritia 11.30am Morning Prayer
Killucan 11.30am Morning Prayer

Sunday 19th January
All Saints’ 10am Morning Prayer
Kilbixy 11.30am Morning Prayer

Sunday 26 th January
All Saints’ 10a.m. Morning Prayer
Killucan 11.30a.m. Morning Prayer

Parish Website –
www.mullingarunionofparishes.net