December 2014
FROM
THE RECTOR
Our ‘Flower
Festival’ last year raised the funds to re-roof the stables in the church
grounds. Having money left over after the work was completed the Flower
Festival Committee decided to use the balance to install a much needed
defibrillator in the Parish Centre. On 3rd November we had a
training night for a member from each Parish Organisation which was conducted
by the company who installed the machine. As many of you will know, a
defibrillator can be a life saving device and we are very grateful to the
Festival Committee for providing it for the Parish.
On 4th
November the Institute
of Technology Tallaght
held their Annual Business Prize Giving in the Church. It is always a lovely
evening and it’s nice to be part of such a happy event and to see the Church
filled with locals. We have a close relationship with the college where I am
part time chaplain, the College also use our Parish Centre for sporting
activities and exams.
November
continued to be a busy month. We had the return of the Christmas Shoe Box
Appeal on 9th November, a Remembrance Service in Mount Seskin
Community College on 19th
and on the 21st I went to a Building Blocks conference in All Hallows College on ‘Messy Church’.
I attended ‘Tallaght Person of the year’
in the Red Cow Inn on 28th
which was awarded to Mary McLaughlin
for her work with the suicide charity HOPE (Hold On Pain Eases).
Christmas can be very sad for some people, a time of reflection, so the work of
charities such as HOPE is invaluable.
May I
take this opportunity to wish all the readers of the Parish Newsletter a very
happy Christmas and health for the New Year. William.
Christmas in St. Maelruain’s
Sun 14th December:
11am - Parish School
Carol Service and play
Sun 21st December:
11am - Good
News Club Carol Service
7pm
- Nine Lessons and Carols followed
by refreshments in the Small Hall.
Wed 24th December:
11.30pm -‘Midnight’ Holy Communion
Thurs 25th December
9.00am - Christmas Morning Holy Communion with hymns
11am - Christmas Morning
Family Holy Communion
Sun 28th December
11am - Family Service
Wed 31st December
11pm - New
Year’s Eve Multi Cultural Service
Please Note : SUNDAY MORNING HOLY
COMMUNION 8.30AM SERVICE HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 9.00AM
BAPTISM
On 1st November Milo Hewitson was Baptised, baby son of Emma. Please pray
for Milo and his family as he begins his
Christian life.
BISHOPS APPEAL The project this year for the Bishop’s Appeal
is the Al – Ahli Hospital
in Gaza which
is run by the Anglican Dioceses of Jerusalem and which was damaged in the
recent conflict in that region. Funds
raised will go towards medical supplies, fuel for generators and basic food
parcels and blankets.
GIFT DAY
Thank you to
all who gave so generously to our Annual Gift Day, this year in aid of a new
Church boiler. The sum raised, as we go to print, is €5, 515. If you haven’t
given your donation yet, it’s not too late. Don’t forget that there is a tax
rebate of 31% available on all recorded donations given annually over the sum
€250 to the parish.
ENVELOPES
Church
giving envelopes will be available in the Church Porch at the end of the month.
If anybody would like to join the envelope scheme, keeping in mind the tax
rebate available to the parish, please ask the Rector or contact the Parish
Office 462 6006.
THE CHURCH OF IRELAND GAZETTE If you would like to subscribe to the Church
of Ireland all Ireland weekly
newspaper please contact the Parish office.
ODD JOBS
The Select
Vestry is looking for volunteers to help with small maintenance jobs around the
Parish Centre and also if there is anyone with knowledge of lawnmower repairs
who would like to help out with the upkeep of our graveyard machinery. Please
contact Billy Gould on 087 986 4551 if interested.
CHURCH REVIEW
Subscription
of €40 is now due on orders of the Diocesan Church Review Magazine, please send
payment to Parish Office as soon as possible. If you do not wish to continue
with you subscription or if you would like start receiving the magazine, can
you please let the Parish Office (462 6006) know before the end of December.
DECORATING
THE CHURCH FOR CHRISTMAS
The Church will be decorated for Christmas on Friday
the 20th December at 10am. Donations of flowers, greenery and
decorations gratefully received. A warm welcome awaits anyone who would like to
come along and help to decorate the church, young, old, male or female!
MOTHER’S UNION
/ FAMILIES FIRST
On Monday 10th November we held a Quiz Night in aid of Church Boiler replacement. Whilst
we would have wished for a greater attendance, those present had great fun and
thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to Eileen Dunne for organising the questions,
Liz Norris Quiz Mistress, and all who
brought items for supper.
Monday 8th December: 8pm.
Christmas Flower Demonstration with Janet Edgely & Regina Donoghue.. All welcome. Please bring
your favourite Christmas treat to share at supper. (excluding mince pies)
Monday 12th January 2015 – Annual Dinner. The venue will
again be Blazin Grill who are local and excellent value. If you wish to join us
for this night out please contact either Valerie (086 8594850) or Miriam (087
2939751)
SAOIRSE
For December they have requested toothpaste. However, can we also contribute Christmas
fare. Please bring along your items on Monday 8th December.
January: They have requested kitchen towels, if you plan on
coming on 12th January, bring them along and I will put them in my
car boot..
……. and lots of presents !! Miriam –
Secretary.
BOY’S BRIGADE
We had our annual joint BB and GB enrolment
service on Sunday 23rd November which there was a great turn out. And a
special thank you to Mark Atkinson for the lovely sermon. All the boys enjoyed
it and was great to see some old and welcomed faces.
BB will finish on Friday the 12th December for the
Christmas period and will restart in the New Year, mid January. We would like to
wish all the parish a very happy Christmas and New Year.
BOWLS
We
wish all in the bowls club health and happiness for the festive
season and as we go to print, looking forward to seeing everyone at the bowls
Christmas dinner this Saturday.
WHIST DRIVE
The
December ‘Turkey’
Whist Drive is on Monday 15th at 8.00pm in the small hall. All Welcome!
PRAYERS FOR THE PARISH
Prayers
for the parish continue on Monday evenings at 8.00pm in the upstairs of Parish Hall, needs your support.
BIBLE STUDY of
the reading for the following Sunday continue on Thurs afternoon at 3.00pm
upstairs, Parish Hall.
PARISH COFFEE MORNING
Our November
Coffee Morning was a bit of a surprise, just as we had intended! Everyone had quite a chuckle when they
arrived and found three Victorian (well, sort of) maids waiting to greet
them. The phones and
cameras were whipped out at amazing speed! We felt like celebrities! We had candles, crackers, mince pies
and lashings of tea and cake and the atmosphere was very warm and
jolly. Thank you one and all for your support and generous donations
throughout the year. We
wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year. Our next Coffee Morning will be on 30thJanuary. Vivienne, Regina, and Barbara.
