Parish Notices 25th March 2012

The Rector writes… ‘Next Sunday is Palm Sunday and Holy Week begins.  We have printed a Holy Week Schedule to help you plan ahead for the services which are spread across our two churches.  This week is the most important week in our Church Calendar. It is our opportunity to relive our Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection in our Liturgies, to take part in the journey of Holy Week.  Someone once said that a Priest’s job was to ‘Gather the people, Tell the Stories, Break the Bread’ – Holy Week is the most magnetic of times to do just that.  This year it is my pleasure to be the Preacher but in coming years I would hope to invite other preachers to join us and to sit with you and listen to the story in this week of weeks. Please take home a schedule and we’ll see you at some (or all!) of the services.’

SUNDAY SCHOOL resumes next week. No Sunday School this morning due to All-Age Service.

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

MID-WEEK EUCHARIST in St Mary’s Church every Wednesday at 10.30 a.m. All are welcome to come along.

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.

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

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 . As it will involve a little training in this area, the Rector has put together a small instruction booklet which will help anyone who is new to this area of ministry.

PARENTING COURSE Thursday 29th March in St Mary’s Church Hall 8pm. The topic this month is “Teenage Tensions—Security, Sex and Substances”. Contact Hilary Dring.

PARISH OFFICE will be closed tomorrow and re-opens on Wednesday 28th.

READING ROTAS & TEA/COFFEE ROTAS for April—June are available at the back of the church. If you are unable to read or provide tea/coffee on your allocated Sunday please swop with one of the names on the list or contact the parish administrator.

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. Jerome in the “Carrigaline Bookshop” has offered to source these books and offers us  a 5% discount as well. Please do support our local shops and keep jobs in the community.

PARISH WEBSITE Articles for inclusion to the parish administrator please. Check out the website at www.carrigalineunion.org

CENTENARY DINNER – Cork Church of Ireland Men’s Hockey.  Saturday 31st March in Garryduff Sports Centre. All welcome. Contact Daphne Hales.

TITANIC TALK. Renowned Titanic expert, Alicia St Ledger will give a free talk on this tragedy in St Mary’s School on Weds. 25th April at 8pm

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.

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