Pew Sheet – 6th April 2025
The Rector writes ‘We are nearing the end of Lent at this stage, next Sunday is Palm Sunday which begins Holy Week, when we have many different types of liturgies or services (details inside) –
the Maundy Thursday Eucharist as we recall Jesus’ Last Supper in the Upper Room, then the stripping of the altar reminds us of the starkness of the tomb in which he was laid. After this, St Mary’s church will remain open all through Thursday night as we remember how Jesus prayed alone through that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. As in the previous two years, I intend to remain in the church overnight to pray. Some of you have offered to keep watch during the night and if you would like to spend some of that night in prayer in the church, perhaps you might let me know as it would be easiest to have some kind of a rota so that people could be there for just an hour at a time and I am never left totally alone. I really do recommend the most moving and atmospheric Tenebrae Service on Good Friday night (more on that inside), or if you are free during the day, we will have the outdoor Ecumenical Stations of the Cross at noon in St Mary’s Graveyard with our friends from Our Lady and St John’s parish and of course the wonderful Vigil Service at 9pm on the Saturday of Holy Week when the Paschal candle is lit from the fire outside and carried into the church symbolising the resurrection of Christ. All of these services during Holy Week can really help us connect with our faith. This is the most important week liturgically in our Christian year and hopefully the liturgies will provide immense comfort to you in these troubled times’
Music Notes April 6th, 2025
Hymns at St Mary’s
81 Lord for the years
247 When I survey the wondrous Cross
218 And can it be?
373 To God be the glory
We have recently returned to chanting the psalm at St Mary’s using the melodies of Anglican chant, which has a long history in the liturgy of the church. Stories about psalm singing pop up in old newspapers from time to time and this one showed a novel use of Psalm 119 chosen by a certain Parish Clerk in Yorkshire when the parish priest displeased him:
At Stokes Valley, in Yorkshire, there lives a man who once assisted in singing the whole of the 119th Psalm. This feat, added to the fact that he is descended from a long line of gravediggers, has earned for him the respect of his fellow-townsmen, one of whom tells the story of how the parish clerk got his revenge one Sunday morning when the parson had displeased him.
Having got the choir and band on his side, on a certain Sunday morning…instead of giving out part one of the 119th Psalm, the clerk gave out – “Let us sing to the praise and glory of the God the 119th Psalm – all of it.” The parson, with his head on the pulpit cushion, for some time did not notice what was going on, and by the time he did the musicians were fairly at work, and, in spite of all he could say or do, were not to be denied. Sometimes only one voice was heard, but still the air was never lost. The fiddlers wore out their bows and strings, the flute-player nearly blew out his front teeth, the clarinet never recovered its tone, and the singers all suffered more or less, but they kept it up to the bitter end.
(Edinburgh Evening News, April 20th, 1878)
Never cross a musician!
Bébhinn 087 228 5965
bebhinnmuire@gmail.com
Good Friday Tennebrae Service
7:30pm St Mary’s Church
Photo: Tennebrae Service 2024, Clodagh King
Tennebrae – A Service of Shadows, a Meditation on the Passion of Christ with Scripture readings and music.
Bébhinn and the Gallery Singers along with readers Mary Murphy & Rowland Newenham have been busily preparing for this most moving of Services, which is traditionally held on the evening of Good Friday.
This will provide an opportunity to meditate on this most solemn of days.
Some online comments from last year’s Service :
‘Beautiful Service of Shadows and light’
‘So atmospheric and beautiful’
‘A very personal examination time. Thank you.’
‘Very atmospheric service, thoroughly enjoyed’
Dates for your Diary
April
7th 10am Parish Hall, Illustrated Talk by Chris Trotter
on his past expedition to Kanchenjunga
May
1st Annual Vestry Meeting ‘Easter Vestry’ at 7:30pm in the Parish Hall
4th Cork Choral Festival Choir from Canada will join us for the 11am Service
11th Christian Aid Service 11am St Mary’s Church, Preacher the Revd Tony Murphy
June
8th Confirmation Service 11am in St Mary’s Church
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.
Mother’s Union would like to thank everyone who supported the recent Famine Lunch . €365 was raised!
13th Palm Sunday:
9:30am Morning Prayer in St John’s. Palm & Passion Liturgies
11am Morning Prayer in St Mary’s including Palm Procession with Billy the Donkey, with Palm Liturgy in the Rectory Grounds before returning to the church for the Passion Liturgy.
7:30pm Rector will preach at the Songs of Praise in St Factna’s Cathedral, Roscarberry. All Welcome.
14th – 16th Monday – Wednesday of Holy Week:
10.30am Holy Communion in St Mary’s
17th Maundy Thursday:
12 noon Diocesan Chrism Eucharist in St Factna’s Cathedral, Rosscarbery.
7:30pm Maundy Thursday Eucharist in St Mary’s, including washing of feet
9pm until Dawn ‘Night/Gethsemane Watch’ , in St Mary’s Church, praying for the Environment ahead of Earth Day on 22nd April.
18th Good Friday:
10.30am St John’s – Morning Prayer with Litany
12 noon Ecumenical Stations of the Cross in St Mary’s
Graveyard with our sister church of Our Lady & St John
7.30pm St Mary’s – Service of Tennebrae
19th Saturday of Holy Week:
9pm St Mary’s – Easter Vigil Service,
Pascal candle lit from outside byre.
20th Easter Day:
9.30am St John’s – Easter Eucharist
11am St Mary’s – Easter Eucharist
Random Notes CDLXXXVIII
You may have read in last week’s pew sheet that Chris Trotter is presenting an illustrated talk on his past expedition to Kanchenjunga on tomorrow Monday April 7th in the Parish hall at 10am……What you would NOT have read, is WHY???
Well, it came about because of a conversation that I had with Chris at our last ‘Men’s Coffee.’ Here follows a shameless plug for Men’s coffee. We normally meet on the second Monday of each month at 10am in the bar of the Carrigaline Court Hotel, and all men are welcome!
This month, to facilitate the illustrated talk, we have moved the event to the parish hall, we have changed the date to the first Monday (tomorrow), to avoid any conflict with holding it during Holy Week, and we have thrown the event open to all parishioners, male and female, so that everyone has the opportunity to see and hear it….
But why Kanchenjunga Base Camp?
Well, I happened to mention to Chris that my daughter Janet is planning a trip to Everest Base Camp this October, and that I am travelling with her! We will be commencing in Kathmandu on October 11, and fly from there in an ‘Indiana Jones style’ aeroplane to Lukla, a thrilling 45-minute flight which is known as one of the most scenic air routes in the world. Then, over the next 10 days, we will hike to Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, Gorakshep, and hopefully ending up at Everest Base Camp 10 days later.
Janet has invited me to accompany her on one of her ‘Janets_journeys trips. This is one of her organised trips with 12 other persons. She is also planning similar trips to Japan, Sri Lanka, Iran, Colombia, Peru, Namibia, Uganda, Samoa, Vanuatu, Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan, Egypt, Socotra (Yemen), Jordan, Iraq, Madagascar, and Antarctica, all in 2025.
Now I don’t really do social media, but for those of you who do, follow her on Instagram @janetnewenham or @janets_journeys. Her most recent adventure, in early March, was to North Korea, but that’s a tale for another day! So, if you do attend the talk tomorrow, and you you happen to observe me viewing and listening intently, well now you know why!
RWWN
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