VARIOUS VOICES were heard in St Mary’s Doneraile on February 17th when many musical expressions came together to support the Doneraile Arts Fest and the St Mary’s Bells Project. From an Ukrainian accordion to the Uillean pipes, it was a great event enjoyed by the whole community.
LENT Our series of meetings have taken place during Lent to explore St Matthew’s Gospel (which is the scriptural focus of our worship this year), its origins, its distinctiveness, and its significance for today.
HOLY WEEK & EASTER There will be a full programme of worship across each of our three churches on each day during Holy Week. Further details can be found on the parish website. At the Liturgy of Good Friday in St James’s Church, Mallow, at 8.00pm, the preacher will be the Right Reverend Dr Richard Clarke, formerly Archbishop of Armagh. Please note that the Easter Vigil will take place at St Mary’s, Castletownroche, at 8.00pm on Holy Saturday; and on Easter Day, there will be two festive celebrations of the Eucharist: in St Mary’s Doneraile at 10.00am; and in St James’s, Mallow at 11.45am.
ECUMENICAL WORSHIP We are delighted that the well-established opportunity for Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists to worship and meet together over refreshments has resumed after a long break due to the Covid pandemic. This is already being well-supported by all three Christian communities and meets on the fourth Sunday of each month at 7.30pm in the hall at the rear of the Convent of Mercy, Main Street, Charleville (a few doors down from Holy Cross church). The Rector led worship during the March meeting.
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. Young people from both unions enjoyed a day of preparation in Douglas with the Bishop, with other young people from across the Diocese, at the beginning of March. We look forward very much to supporting and encouraging them, as well as keeping them in our prayers, as they prepare to reaffirm their baptismal faith and continue on the life-long journey of exploring, discovering and celebrating their Christian faith.
COMPLETION OF RESTORATION WORK We are delighted that the first phase of works at St Mary’s Church, Castletownroche, mainly to address water ingress in the tower and porch areas, has been completed. We are most grateful for the award of a substantial ‘Built Heritage Insurance Scheme’ grant by Cork County Council – and generous donations to enable some additional works to be carried out at the same time. It was especially good to be guided through the process of grant application, planning and works by the professionalism and experience of conservation architect, James Bourke, under whose supervision the work was undertaken.
CELEBRATING WOMEN St Mary’s Church, Doneraile, was the venue for two celebrations at the beginning of March. First, the World Day of Prayer took place on Friday 3rd March, at which the speaker was Sr Nula who is part of the pastoral team at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Doneraile. Second, on Wednesday 8th March, there was a celebration to mark International Women’s Day at which the main artist was heritage specialist Melissa Sheils who gave us an insight into everything Georgian!
MOTHERS’ UNION members from this Union attended the Diocesan celebration in Ballincollig last month, when the Bishop commissioned the Reverend Ivan Ruiters as Diocesan Chaplain to the MU.
RESPONDING POSITIVELY TO IMMIGRATION communities across the large area served by this Union are continuing to welcome people who have been displaced from their homes by war. Some of our parishioners have responded to the request from the Le Cheile family centre in Mallow for volunteers to help young Syrian families with their English language skills and to integrate more fully into Irish society. We are also exploring how St James’s Church in Mallow can be a focus for worship by growing numbers of Syrian Orthodox Christians in the area. Alongside these developments, we continue to welcome growing numbers of Anglicans (and Christians from other traditions) from different parts of the world.
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.