Parish Notices 1st April 2012

The Rector writes………   ‘I am writing this having just come from a tragic funeral in Monkstown. While the young man was not a parishioner, he lived in our community. Many of you were taught by his mother in Ashton School.  At times like this, words really don’t begin to convey the sadness and despair we feel for the Stoker family …but what else do we have to offer but our presence and a few words of consolation?  The following words written by Reinhold Niebuhr may help us at such times in our lives. Niebuhr was an American Theologian who wrote this prayer in 1943 during the darkest days of World War II.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;  taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,  not as I would have it;  trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;   that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.   Amen.

NO SUNDAY SCHOOL this morning in St Mary’s as the children will take part in a special Palm Sunday Liturgy and listen with us to the Passion story (colouring sheets available for the little ones).

TEA & COFFEE this morning in St Mary’s after church.

HOLY WEEK please check the various service times in the separate booklet.

EASTER CLUB The Easter Club will again take place in St Mary’s Church Hall on Good Friday 6th April, from 10am until 1pm. The actual Service for everyone is at 12.30 in the Church. All Primary school age children are welcome, please fill in one of the application/permission forms at the back of the church or contact Hilary.

CONFIRMATION 2012 please let the rector know if you would like to be confirmed this year as she needs to give the bishop a list of names before 18th April. There will be a REQUIRED Confirmation Morning Session with the bishop for all candidates on Saturday Morning 28th April in Douglas. As yet there is no date for the actual Confirmation Service.

PRAYER REQUEST SHEETS are at the back of both churches. This allows anyone to request prayers which will be incorporated into the prayers said at our Sunday and midweek services. Please just write the date and the first name of the person you would like to be prayed for. More details may be written but names will be not be mentioned aloud but will be remembered silently during our time of corporate and private prayer.

INTERCESSIONS IN CHURCH If you would like to be involved in doing prayer intercessions at our church services, please contact the Rector who will put together a rota of all interested persons .

ST MARYS NATIONAL SCHOOL Parents Association website is now up and running www.stmarysnspa.ie. All upcoming activities will be outlined.

BISHOPS’ APPEAL There are envelopes for the Bishops’ Appeal available in both churches. The Sunday School teachers have a special Bishops’ Appeal Family collection box together with activity sheets to help the children understand the difference we can make to the lives of others. Lent is a traditional time for remembering those less fortunate than ourselves so if you have given up something for Lent, then perhaps you might like to put aside a little of the money saved into the Bishops’ Appeal fund.

THEOLOGICAL BOOK CIRCLE  sounds fancy but really only involves reading a particular book every three months. The book chosen for our first meeting in the Rectory on Tuesday evening 1st May is “The Lost Message of Jesus” by Steve Chalke and Alan Mann. This is an interesting, thought-provoking book rooted in good scholarship yet accessible to anyone.

PARISH WEBSITE Articles for inclusion to the parish administrator please. Check out the website at www.carrigalineunion.org HOLY WEEK services are displayed on the site.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT PROGRAMME begins on Monday 16th April—Monday 4th June in Parish Centre of Our Lady and St John’s Carrigaline at 8pm.  For those who are grieving the death of a loved one or have experienced a significant loss. Contact Ber. (Mon– Friday mornings)

WORKSHOP ON MINDFULNESS Six week course at St Luke’s Home Education Centre commences 18th April. 7.30-9.30pm. Contact Claire.