Parish Notices Sunday 2nd September 2018

The Rector writes   ‘September is the beginning of so much more than Autumn……Toddlers begin at crèches, Children start ‘big’ school, Teenagers continue on into secondary schools, many young Adults head to college. Slightly older adults might also be considering further education so let me recommend turning over the page to see some of the opportunities that abound at this time of the year :  A 12 week course for Carers being held in our own Northridge House ? or perhaps you might be more interested in the 6 week Environmental Awareness course being run by our sister church in Carrigaline together with SHEP Earth Aware?  Or perhaps you fancy learning  Indoor Bowling? Or joining our vibrant Mothers’ Union? Or maybe you have always planned to join a choir but never got around to it? Roger Ellis always welcomes new members for the Monkstown Chamber Choir. All the details of these wonderful Autumnal activities below.’

Mother’s Union Outing-Tuesday 4th September. Leaving St Mary’s Church at 11am. Visiting the Sam Maguire Bells in Dunmanway followed by afternoon tea and a garden walk at Fernhill House Hotel, Clonakilty. Cost €35 pp. Please contact Hilary on 086-3680513 if you would like to come. All welcome.

ST MARY’S INDOOR BOWLING CLUB 2018/19 SEASON St. Mary’s Indoor Bowls Club re-opens on Tuesday 4th September at 7.45pm in St Mary’s School Hall.  New members welcome.  For enquiries contact Irene McLoughlin 021 4377298 or Henry Forbes 087 2035000.

Monkstown Chamber Choir return to practice next Thursday evening 6th September at 8pm in St John’s Church, Monkstown. New members are always welcome! Contact Organist & Choirmaster, Roger Ellis on 087 0539416.

COME AND SING CHORAL EVENSONG at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral on Saturday 15th September. Singers from across the diocese are encouraged to support this event and all abilities are most welcome!  There will be a rehearsal at 2pm and the service itself is at 5pm.  Tea and coffee will be served at 4.15pm. Music will follow shortly to those who reply. Please let Peter Stobart know if you are planning on attending: directorofmusicsfb@gmail.com

NORTHRIDGE HOUSE at St Luke’s Charity Mahon, are running a 12 week programme for those wishing to become Professional Carers to the Older Adult. This programme includes QQI modules and other Mandatory Training and is free to those on Social Welfare Benefits. Places are strictly limited. The programme begins on 27th September with interviews on 13th September. Call Claire at 021.4536551 for further details.

GREEN ISSUES Our sister church of Our Lady and Saint John in Carrigaline are organising an environmental awareness Course entitled ‘The World as a Joyful Mystery’ which involves 6 Thursday evenings 7pm—9:30pm from 27th September till 1st November, plus 1 full day on Saturday 20th October from 10am till 5pm. The Course is free but places are limited so prior booking essential. Contact Ber Parfrey 086-8469405 or email carrigparishcentre@eircom.net

TEMPLEBREEDY FLOWER FESTIVAL. To celebrate its 150th Anniversary this year, Holy Trinity Church in Crosshaven are hosting a Flower Festival on 21st to 23rd September with the theme ‘Praise and Thanks’, Contact the Co-ordinator Esther Ross 021-4887273 for details. Esther helped us enormously when we held our Flower Festival a few years ago so it would be great if there was lots of support and involvement from our parish.

 

FORWARD PLANNER

4th Sept      Mothers’ Union Day out to Dunmanway  11am

5th Sept       Holy Communion 10:30am   St Mary’s Church

13th Sept      Friendship Club 11am Rectory

19th Sept     Mothers’ Union Service 8pm St Mary’s Church

21st Sept      Culture Night : Art Exhibition in Parish Hall

23rd Sept     Blessing of Animals Service 11am St Mary’s Church

30th Sept      United Harvest Service 11:15am St Mary’s Church

Preacher : Mr Keith Roberts

1st Oct           Theological Book Circle 8pm Rectory

6th Oct          Harvest Supper 7:30pm Canon McCrea Hall

7th Oct          United Harvest Service 11:15am St John’s Church

Preacher : The Revd Edwin Hunter

 

 Random Notes  No. CCLXXXII

Was Christopher Columbus the first European to set foot in America?

The Irish, the Vikings, the Welsh and the Scots would all say no, as they all claim to have got there before him.

Irish monks, led by St Brendan, are said to have sailed to North America around 540 AD. An account of their first voyage described encounters with whales and possibly a walrus. They also mentioned huge floating crystals (icebergs?).

The Vikings reached the coast of North America in the year 1000. (However they admit the Irish got there first!). The story of their voyages was told in the Norse sagas, written between 1320 and 1350. The discovery of stone foundations of eight houses, some outbuildings, cooking pits and implements, all carbon dated to the Viking era, lends weight to the story that their leader, Leif Ericson, established a settlement on their arrival in North America.

In the year 1170, a group of explorers, led by a Welsh Prince, landed in Mobile Bay, Alabama. According to the story, they taught their language to the local native Americans. This tale might have some truth in it, as centuries later, the local Mandan tribe still used boats very like Welsh coracles and responded immediately when spoken to in Welsh.

In 1395, according to the Scots, Prince Henry Sinclair of the Orkneys sailed to America. A stone known as the Sinclair Rock is said to mark one of his landing points at Westford Massachusetts.

(Maybe the history books should all be rewritten!)

MMPC