CANDLEMAS DAY we brought our Christmas celebrations to a joyful conclusion on Sunday 29th January as we celebrated the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. All three congregations of this Union joined together for a celebration of the Eucharist in St Mary’s Church, Doneraile, which ended with the ancient custom of lighting candles, accompanied by words which gave thanks for the incarnation and looked forward to Lent, Good Friday and Easter, as we sang Elizabeth Cosnett’s evocative hymn for this day from the Church Hymnal.
CELEBRATING BRIGID, ABBESS OF KILDARE to mark the inauguration of a new public holiday in honour of St Brigid, her festival was transferred to Sunday 5th February, this year. In his sermon, the Rector focused on how Christian history, though written predominantly by men, is punctuated by women, who made a lasting difference to the way the Christian life has been shaped and who show us how the transparency of the Good Shepherd can form healthy Christian communities for the future. We are especially grateful to Jennifer Hartnett for the gift of St Brigid crosses which she skilfully crafted and distributed to worshippers on this day.
VARIOUS VOICES on Friday 17th February, St Mary’s Church, Doneraile, was full of joyful sounds as we were delighted to host a concert by the local vocal ensemble Various Voices with special guests. The proceeds of the ticket sales went jointly to the Doneraile Arts Fest and the project to restore the church bells.
LENT began on Ash Wednesday, 21st February. This season of preparation for Easter was marked with two celebrations of the Eucharist, one in St James’s Mallow at 11.00am and another in St Mary’s, Doneraile at 8.00pm, with the traditional imposition of ashes for those who wished to receive it. A series of meetings will also take place during Lent to explore St Matthew’s Gospel (which is the scriptural focus of our worship this year), its origins, its distinctive character and its significance for today.
CONFIRMATION 2023 We are delighted that the Bishop has designated Sunday 21st May as the date he will confirm candidates from Mallow Union and Fermoy Union in St James’s Church, Mallow.
THE SILENCE OF THE.….BELLS Having finally gained the necessary permissions, the bells of St Mary’s, Doneraile, have been removed for restoration work by Matthew Higby of Shepton Mallet in Somerset. Grateful thanks to everyone in the working group that prepared for their removal. Now, the challenging work of securing match-funding begins, before the Bishop is invited to bless and dedicate the newly restored bells prior to their re-hanging.
DIVERSITY IN MALLOW Being a specially designated town, as part of the Government’s National Development Plan, Mallow is an increasingly diverse community. This is, happily, reflected in the evolving nature of the congregation at St James’s Church, where Anglicans from the Global South (notably Africa and India) are worshipping alongside long-established parishioners from Ireland, along with people from Europe (notably Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Wales and England). We are thankful that they have all found a welcome here and are bringing their gifts and insights to enrich and enlarge the life of the parish. This is especially welcome as we prepare to celebrate our 200th anniversary in 2024.
CONTINUING RESTORATION WORK is taking place in St Mary’s Church, Castletownroche, mainly to address water ingress in the tower and porch areas. The work is being supervised by heritage architect, James Bourke.
TIME FOR OUR YOUNGER WORSHIPPERS It is very good to report that a group of people from St James’s, Mallow, are giving their time, energy and skill to enable our younger worshippers to meet in the Parish Hall on Sunday mornings. They explore the scriptures together through art, craft and other activities, before joining their parents and carers in church for the distribution of communion. They then share with the rest of us what they have been up to before enjoying refreshments with everyone at the conclusion of worship.
FARMERS’ MARKET The market continues to offer a wide range of local produce, including bread, fish, eggs, poultry, vegetables, preserves, handmade crafts and more on Friday mornings in the grounds of St James’s Church, Mallow from 10.0am to 1.00pm.