Pew Sheet – 2nd March 2025

The Rector writes  ‘Thank you all so much for your good wishes on the birth of our granddaughter Anna Jane Whelan, born on 16th February.     Áine and Mark are delighted with her as are we all. Hopefully you will get to meet her in person when she comes to visit at Easter but here are a couple photos to whet your appetite! ‘

Dates for your Diary

March

5th Ash Wednesday Services in St Mary’s Church

10:30am and 7:30pm

7th  World Day of Prayer, 3pm Service in St Mary’s Church

12th  Lenten Workshop on Prayer, 8pm St Mary’s Church

19th  MU Meeting 3pm Parish Hall

Lenten Workshop on Prayer, 8pm St Mary’s Church

23rd  MU Lenten Lunch in Parish Hall after 11am Service ,

Donations to the MU Overseas Fund.

26th  Lenten Workshop on Prayer, 8pm St Mary’s Church

This year’s Confirmation Service

will be at 11am in St Mary’s Church

on the Day of Pentecost 8th June

As you all know, for the last 10 years, Carrigaline Union has been an Eco Congregation and in that spirit, I have attached a wonderful Action Plan Calendar for this Lent.

The Global Anglican group called ‘Green Anglicans’ produced this Carbon Fast for the Earth and it has many easy things to do that can really make a difference. You can pin it up on your fridge and tick off actions that you can do during Lent, things that will make a ‘Sustainable Shift’ as they call it…. Good luck!

And if you have any ideas of what we might be doing better environmentally in our parish, you might like to talk to one of the members of the Parish Eco Group (Valerie & John Andrew)

Wednesdays in Lent

March 12TH, 19TH & 26TH

8pm at St Mary’s Church, Carrigaline

Sessions will be led by Carrigaline Union

Healer/Prayer Team and will include, Creative Prayer 

Communal Prayer, Contemplative Prayer and Coffee!

All Welcome!

Music Notes 02-03-2025

Hymns at St Mary’s

8          The Lord is King

300     Holy Spirit, truth divine

325     Be still, for the presence of the Lord

501 Christ is the world’s true light

The text for our second hymn today was written by Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892). He was born in Portland, Maine and educated at Harvard College. He became a Unitarian minister and hymnodist, writing many hymns and being responsible also for two important Unitarian hymn collections in his lifetime. His older brother was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who was probably the most famous American poet of his day.

He visited this part of the world also, having a private audience with Queen Victoria and receiving Honorary Degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge.

Henry is best remembered today for the poem The Song of Hiawatha, but he also wrote some hymns and the unusual Christmas carol I heard the bells on Christmas. This was written at the time of the American Civil War and includes some verses which speak of the horror of war concluding with verses of hope, quoted below. Although written in different times they still have a resonance in today’s troubled political climate:

And in despair I bowed my head;

‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said:

‘For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Bébhinn 087 228 5965   

bebhinnmuire@gmail.com