Pew Sheet – 22nd March 2026

The Rector writes ‘With reference to our Gospel today, here are a few photos of Bethany and the Tomb of Lazarus from my June 2023 Pilgrimage. It was a strangely moving place to stand’

There will again be a box at the back of St Mary’s Church to collect Easter Eggs for the children in Cuanlee Women’s and Children’s Refuge. Thank you to Joy Keefe for organising this lovely initiative each year.

The Owenabue Garden and Flower Club, Carrigaline

will host our Spring Show with a Floral

Demonstration “Easter Joy”

by Sharon O’Sullivan, AOIFA

Venue: St. Mary’s NS, Waterpark,

Carrigaline P43 V243

Date: Monday 23rd March 2026 at 8pm

All Welcome – Visitors €10

Includes: Horticulture and Decorative Competitions, Plant Sales Table, Raffle, and Refreshments

Palm Sunday 29th March

United Service for Palm Sunday 11am St Mary’s Church plus Opening of Display of Crosses/Crucifixes in the Parish Hall (open 10am to 12noon and 2pm to 4pm Monday to Wednesday in Holy Week)

Monday 30th March 10.30am HC St Mary’s

Tuesday 31st March 10.30am HC St Mary’s

Wednesday 1st April 10.30am HC St Mary’s

Maundy Thursday 2nd April

12 noon Diocesan Chrism Eucharist in St Factna’s Cathedral, Roscarberry. All Welcome.

7:30pm Maundy Thursday Eucharist in St Mary’s including washing of the feet.

Followed by Overnight Vigil in the church.

Good Friday 3rd April

10.30am St John’s – Morning Prayer with Litany

2pm Stations of the Cross in St Mary’s Church with our sister church of Our Lady & St John’s

7.30pm St Mary’s – Tenebrae Service

Saturday of Holy Week 4th April

9pm St Mary’s – Easter Vigil Service, with the new Pascal Candle lit from outside byre.

Easter Day 5th April

9.30am St John’s – Easter Eucharist

11am St Mary’s – Easter Eucharist

March

Sunday 29th United Service for Palm Sunday 11am St Mary’s Church plus Opening of Display of Crosses/Crucifixes in the Parish Hall (open 10am to 12noon and 2pm to 4pm Monday to Wednesday in Holy Week)

(see separate full Holy Week Schedule)

April

Wednesday 1st

8pm Lenten Study ‘Come & See’ Parish Hall

(also by Zoom, link in Pewsheet Email)

Thursday 16th

7:30pm Easter Vestry Meeting in the Parish Hall

May

Sunday 3rd

· 9:30am Dedication iof new Radio Mic n memory of Vonla Good at the Service in St John’s Church

· 11am Cork Choral Festival. A 33 strong Male Voice Choir from Portadown will attend the Service in St Mary’s with refreshments afterwards in the Parish Hall.

Sunday 10th Christian Aid All Age Service at 11am

June

Saturday 20th Parish Fete

Sunday 21st Sanctuary Sunday

July

Sunday 12th Choral Evensong in St John;s Church 7pm

Random Notes DXXII

One of the aspects of choir practice in both Monkstown and Crosshaven that I most enjoy, is that singing very often turns in to a chat about the most random of topics!! A few weeks ago, in Crosshaven, one of the choristers told us that her grand-daughter had sent her a picture of a deer in the garden at Weaver’s point. The grand-child was convinced it was AI, but her mother insisted that it was real.

In all my 50-odd years in Cork, I have never experienced wild deer.

This got a great conversation going as to how it got in to a relatively suburban garden in Crosshaven. There are wild sika deer all over Cork, and especially in the woods around Coolmore and Ringabellla. Another choir member told us that she had actually experienced deer swimming across the Owenabue to get from Coolmore to the wider expanses of Crosshaven and beyond.

Sika deer are not native to Ireland and were brought over here from China in 1860 by Lord Glendalough. They are a lot smaller than our native red deer, but in January 2026 they were regarded as invasive by the EU.