Parish Notices Sunday 18th February 2018

The Rector writes ‘ The good news for the Carrigaline area is that the St Patrick’s Day Parade is coming back to the town thanks to a very dedicated group of individuals who are now desperately seeking help! They are having Cake Sales after the morning Masses  in the Parish Centre Carrigaline next Sunday 25th and would be happy to accept donations of Cakes from anyone who cares to bake one!. It unfortunately clashes with our own Famine Lunch but if you would like to bake something just pass it onto me, I promise to make sure it arrives safely (and uneaten) to the Parade Committee! They are also looking for Volunteers to help out as Stewards etc. at the Parade on 17th March so again, just let me know if you could be of help in this way. Everyone around here was so disappointed when the Parade didn’t happen last year so now is our chance to help it become a reality again. I met children last year who were heading down to the main street with all their green gear on them as their parents hadn’t heard there was to be no Parade. It was very sad for the children so I’m delighted that this group have taken on this huge task and if we can help in any way it’d be wonderful’

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED.  Joy Keefe is looking for new  volunteers for bell ringing and flower rotas in St Mary’s.  Any new people would be put with an experienced person so there’s no need to be shy about expressing an interest!  Contact the Parish office or Joy Keefe 087-2559844.

FAMINE LUNCH  Next Sunday 25th February, the day before Fairtrade Fortnight begins, there will be a Famine Lunch in aid of Mothers’ Union Overseas Fund. No charge but donations are very welcome. It will take place in St Mary’s Parish Hall at midday, following the 11am Service.

 

DIOCESAN CERTIFICATE IN CHRISTIAN STUDIES

Do you want to deepen your understanding of the Christian Faith?  Would you like to explore contemporary issues from a faith perspective? Would you like to gain a recognised third-level award from a major theological academy?  The Certificate in Christian Studies is an 18 month part-time course for all who wish to explore the Christian Faith.

The programme provides a structured introduction to  Scripture, theology, church history, ethics, liturgy and ministry. For further information brochures are available in both Churches & in the Parish Office.

Grow It Yourself Group The Passage, Glenbrook & Monkstown group will host a vegetable seed swap night and related talk on Thursday 22 February  in the Church of Ireland Hall off Church Hill, Passage West at 7:30pm.  A great chance for beginners or anyone new to gardening to learn about growing veg at the start of a new growing year.  €5 -No booking necessary.  For more info call 086 2405573 or email: pgmgrowityourself@gmail.com.

Singing for the Brain is  a fun, informal event where people from all walks of life are brought together in a friendly and stimulating environment.  Participants enjoy the wellness aspects of singing such as reduced stress and improved mood.  Musician Patrick D’Alton will facilitate the session, songs are sung from different eras, musical styles and traditions . You do not have to be a Tenor or Soprano to attend; no singing experience or talent is necessary to enjoy this fun and sociable experience.  Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be served.  VENUE-Carrigaline Library- 2^nd March at 11.00am.

 

FORWARD PLANNER

19th Feb       Toddlers Plus One 10am until 12 noon  Parish Hall                                                                                                  Monday Club 3pm until 5pm Parish Hall

21st Feb       Holy Communion 10:30am in St Mary’s Church

21st  Feb      Lenten Bible Study 8pm  Parish Hall after 7:30 Evening Prayer

23rd Feb       CAMEO Monkstown Bay Sailing Club 10:30am

25th Feb      Fair Trade All Age Service 11am in St Mary’s followed by

Mothers’  Union ‘Famine Lunch’ for MU Overseas Fund

in the Parish Hall. (9:30 Eucharist in St John’s Church)

26th Feb      Annual update of the Register of Vestry People 7:30pm  Parish Hall.

3rd March   Women’s World Day of Prayer 10am  Our Lady & St John’s Church, Carrigaline

8th March Friendship Club 11am Rectory

16th March  St Patrick’s Eve Eucharist as Gaelige 7:30pm St Mary’s Church

22nd March, Carrigaline Singers Charity Concert 7:30pm St Mary’s Church

23rd March, Mothers’ Union Candlelit Supper, 8pm Parish Hall, Carrigaline

24th March  CDYC Annual Quiz, Parish Hall, Carrigaline

 Random Notes No. CCLXI

The latest iteration of Star Trek has just finished on Netflix. The original series of Star Trek first aired in the USA in September 1966. One of Star Trek’s most notable original characters was Mr Spock. Mr Spock was a logical being from the planet  Vulcan and frequently had much to say about humans and their emotions. Spock was played by Leonard Nimoy, the second anniversary of whose death falls later this month.

Like William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk, Leonard Nimoy was an Ashkenazi Jew whose family originated in Eastern Europe.

The character of Spock was informed in part by Nimoy’s Jewish heritage and upbringing. This is most evident in Spock’s “Live Long and Prosper” hand gesture, which was created by Nimoy when a specifically Vulcan greeting was needed for a particular episode of Star Trek.

In describing the origins of this hand gesture, Nimoy recalls a Jewish benediction ritual he attended as a child in Boston, with his father, grandfather and brother. The ritual demands that both rabbis and congregation have their faces covered while the ritual is performed. Unlike other rituals, this one was characterized by a particularly unmusical chant performed by the rabbis. The chanting got so dramatic that Nimoy peeped at the rabbis from between his fingers. Faces covered, their arms were outstretched, palms down and fingers splayed to make the Hebrew letter Shin. As Nimoy explains it, Shin is the first letter of Shekhina, the feminine aspect of God. Years later he learned that averting one’s gaze from the blessing of the Shekhina was essential for protection from the full strength of that blessing!

Spock’s hand greeting was introduced as the Vulcan equivalent of a handshake and is in effect the Hebrew letter Shin. Nimoy was surprised by how popular the gesture became, though very few people understood its true origin or meaning. (I only found out a few years ago.) Before Nimoy’s death, he recorded his experiences of its origin and its use in Star Trek. In his later years, Nimoy was an advocate of preserving and teaching the Yiddish language to a new generation of Jews.

While the Live Long and Prosper hand gesture has always been popular in geek culture, understanding its origins lends it greater depth. Nimoy’s story forms part of a larger oral history recorded by him and others at https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/.  This particular story may be seen at http://bit.ly/nimoyshin.

SJFW