Pew Sheet – 8th March 2026

The Rector writes ‘During the first three days of Holy Week this year, there will be a display of Crosses and Crucifixes in the Parish Hall. I probably have enough to fill the Hall (!) but the idea, which was suggested by Brenda Haubold, is that you might have a beloved Cross or Crucifix, or one that might be special to you, and you might like to lend it to the display for Holy Week?

Perhaps with a little note about where it was bought or what it means to you? It’s very much like what we did with the Nativity Cribs a couple of years ago during Christmas time …

The Display will be open on Palm Sunday and be open for viewing on Monday 30th March, Tuesday 31st March and Wednesday 1st April from 10am to 12noon and from 2pm to 4pm

I’m sure it will be interesting but at the same time it will remind us of how the Cross can be a powerful symbol of our faith. Also that Holy Week, we will again hold the overnight Vigil in St Mary’s Church, from after the 7:30pm Service on Maundy Thursday until dawn on Good Friday, you might like to join me for one hour during that time? Or come to the wonderfully evocative Tenebrae Service will be on Good Friday night in St Mary’s. Have a look at the events in the pages of this Pewsheet for details on all the exciting things planned this year for Holy Week’

Lenten Creed

We believe that our lives are held within the encircling love of God, who knows our names and recognises our deepest needs.

We believe that Christ is the divine Child of the living God,

and that his grace is like living waters that can never be

exhausted.

We believe in the birthing, renewing, enabling Spirit of God

who yearns over our welfare as a mother yearns for her child.

We believe that God is in the arid desert as well as in green pastures, and that hard times and disciplines are also loving gifts.

We believe that our journey has a purpose and a destination,

and that our path leads to a human glory we cannot yet

imagine.

We believe that in the church we are fellow pilgrims on the road, and that we are called to love one another as God loves us.

This is our faith and we are humbled to profess in Jesus the Christ.

Amen

— from Traveling to Easter with Jesus as our Guide, posted on the website of Patmos Abbey—The Order of Saint Columba. http://www.patmosabbey.org/

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

Monday 9th

Men’s Coffee morning 10am Carrigaline Court Hotel

Saturday 21st

· Children’s Reading Workshop St Mary’s Church 10am

· Youth group in the Parish Hall from 7:30-9pm

· Charity Whist Night 8pm Canon McCrea Hall (for St John’s Church painting work, see opposite page for more details)

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 30 strong choir from Norway 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 DXX

In the old Roman Catholic graveyard at Castlehaven, there stands a silver-painted cast iron cross bearing the following inscriptions

Michael Minihan

Died

May 26th 1891

Late 24th Regt and one of the

gallant defenders of

Rorkes Drift.

Minahan joined the British army in 1864 and in 1879 was stationed at Rorke’s Drift in Natal province, South Africa.

He was one of a unit of about 150 soldiers who were attacked by a force of c.3000 Zulu. A few days before, 1300 British troops had been killed by the Zulus at Isandlwana. The defenders of Rorke’s Drit had just time to build defensive walls of carts, biscuit boxes and sacks of meal, before they faced the onslaught, which was featured in the 1964 move, Zulu, (starring Michael Caine in his first major acting role). For almost 11 hours, wave after wave of Zulus threw themselves at the defenders. In spite of their numbers, the Zulu warriors were tired, having run 20 miles to reach Rorke’s Drift, and their spears and shields were no match for the British Army’s rifles. They eventually withdrew, leaving roughly 600 dead. 17 of the defenders were killed but almost every man was injured in some way. They had expended 19,000 rounds of ammunition. 11 V,.C.s were later awarded to the defenders, the highest number awarded to any regiment in a single action. Minihan later served in Gibraltar and India, before being returned to Britain, where he was hospitalised. He was discharged in 1884 and returned home. He died in 1891, aged just 46.