Parish Notices Sunday 6th November 2016
The Rector writes ’During the Service today (and for the next three Sundays!) we will be filling in Census cards which I will send back in early December to the Representative Church Body (RCB) in Dublin.
These cards, along with some information about baptisms, weddings and funerals over the last three years, our current children’s ministry and numbers of young people confirmed , our Christmas and Easter attendances and the number of parishioners will , we hope, be useful in helping to generate a more accurate picture of the entire Church of Ireland community.
Some of you may remember that we also had this Census in 2013 so I would hope that this second set of statistics can help realistically formulate plans for the future based on the actual age and gender profile of our church populations.
THE POSADA TRADITION Each Advent time, the Crib figures of Mary, Joseph and the Donkey travel from home to home in our Parish. They will begin their journey on Advent Sunday 27th November, when one of you will take them home after the All Age Service in St Mary’s, you will mind them overnight and then bring them to whoever is hosting them next…. and so on…throughout the 4 weeks in Advent until they finally arrive back in St Mary’s in time to be placed in the Crib at the special Child friendly ‘Carols around the Crib’ Service at 4pm on Christmas Eve.
The Posada Form is now in the Porch of St Mary’s Church so please sign up on the day you would like to have Mary, Joseph & the Donkey come to stay overnight in your home or tell the Rector to put your name down if you are in St John’s Church. It really is very simple, you just write your name and number on the date that suits you, then the person on the list before you will ring you and arrange to deliver them to you. Then you contact the next person on the list and pass the figures on to them and in this way, we can all share in the wonder and waiting and promise of the Advent Season.
MOTHER’S UNION
Wednesday 16th November at 3pm (note early time!). “A Time to Remember”. Bring along a photo or memento to share a memory.
Saturday 26th November from 7.30-9.30pm. 16 days Prayer Vigil. St Mary’s Church.
YOUTH NEWS-It’s that time of year again!!!! Get training because our 5-a-side Soccer Tournament is happening on the 19th Nov in Ringaskiddy. Booking forms are available at the back of the church or contact Peter Coughlan for more details! It’s not just for soccer players or just for guys- it’s a great chance to meet old friends and make new ones !!! Tournament starts at 1pm and finishes at 6pm! Pizzas and fun guaranteed!!
DEALING WITH DEPRESSION Monday 7th November 7.30pm. Carrigaline Community Centre. Dr Ivan Watson, a former GP turned pastor will guide us through this common struggle with reflections and information from science and spirituality. All welcome Tea and coffee served at the end with opportunity for public and private questions. Organised by Carrigaline Baptist Church.
COELIAC SUPPORT GROUP. Tuesday 8th November at 8pm in the SMA Centre, Wilton, Cork. All Welcome. (€5 entrance fee). Topic: Christmas themed evening (a bring and taste) with questions and answers how to get through the festive season plus dietician in attendance.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
7th Nov Toddlers plus One 10am
Monday Club 3-5pm Parish Hall
16th Nov Mother’s Union 3pm Parish Hall
19th Nov 5-A-Side Youth Soccer Tournament, Ringaskiddy
18-20th Nov Mother’s Union Weekend. Celtic Ross Hotel
25th Nov CAMEO. Monkstown Bay Sailing Club. 1030am
26th Nov 16 days Prayer Vigil. 730-930pm St Marys Church
30th Nov Advent Talks : ‘Faith’ 8pm Parish Hall
3rd/4th Dec St Mary’s School Christmas Fayre in GAA Hall
7th Dec Advent Talks : ‘Hope’ 8pm Parish Hall
10th/11th Dec The Road to Bethlehem, Live Crib, St Mary’s Church
14th Dec Advent Talks : ‘Love’ 8pm Parish Hall
18th Dec Service of 9 Lessons & Carols 4pm St John’s
24th Dec Carols around the Crib Service 4pm St Mary’s
Random Notes CCXIII
Every year on Remembrance Sunday we think of those who died in wartime. One of the most tragic deaths of World War One was Private George Gunther, who died literally at the very last minute before the armistice, at 10.59am.
While the phrase “Eleventh hour, of the Eleventhday, of the Eleventh month”, gives the impression that all of the fighting stopped at that time, that was not the case and as a result, some others died after the official end of hostilities.
These included LT Thoma, a German officer. After the 11am deadline had passed, he decided now that the war was ended, to walk over to a company of American soldiers, intending to ask of they needed quarters for their troops. This goodwill gesture proved to be a fatal mistake. As their phone line to headquarters had been snapped by shelling, they were unaware of the cease-fire, so still regarding him as an enemy, they shot him.
Another American troop didn’t hear about the cease-fire until 4.15pm. They had been returning what they thought was enemy fire, only to learn later that it was actually engineers blasting an obstruction blocking the river Meuse.
The last deaths of the Great War on the Western Front happened in Hamont, a Belgian town on the Dutch border. Retreating German troops mined the railway station, in the belief they were the last to leave the town. However, at the midnight following the armistice, one last train, filled with German soldiers, arrived from Antwerp. With a roar, the mine went off, flinging train carriages around like matchboxes. The Germans act of sabotage killed hundreds of their own countrymen, thirteen hours into peacetime.
MMPC