HOLY WEEK & EASTER We had larger attendances at worship throughout Holy Week and at the start of the Easter season this year, with some new faces and familiar visitors too, as we journeyed from Palm Sunday to Easter Day. On each of the days of Holy Week, we focussed on events that took place in a particular place in the city of Jerusalem that marked Jesus’s journey from the City Gates to Golgotha – and beyond. Easter began with the dramatic Easter Vigil, with the lighting of the new fire, renewal of baptismal vows and the first Eucharist of Easter in St Mary’s, Castletownroche; while on Easter morning, there were festal celebrations of the Eucharist in St Mary’s, Doneraile and in St James’s, Mallow. On Holy Saturday, our young people, along with their families, enjoyed an afternoon of teaching and activities in the Parish Hall, including the building of an imaginative Easter Garden. The Garden was blessed during the Eucharist on Easter Day at St James’s, Mallow, and is now a focus for prayer and reflection in the church during the fifty days of the Easter season. The afternoon’s activities culminated in an Easter Egg hunt around the churchyard. We are very grateful to those who took part in the worship throughout Holy Week, prepared our churches for the Easter celebrations, and made them places of welcome for all who worshipped with us.
ST JAMES’S MALLOW 2024 CELEBRATIONS Following the successful and enjoyable table quiz at the end of February in Albert Lynch’s bar, Mallow (which occupies the site of the first Church of Ireland School in Mallow), we welcomed the Mallow Field Club on May 1st, who led a fascinating evening exploring St James’s Church(and its predecessor St Anne’s where the Irish patriot Thomas Davis was baptized), their history, monuments and significance in the community. On Friday May 10th, the popular Cór Mhagh Ealla will celebrate “May Melodies” with us, preceeded by a Prosecco reception. St James’s has long been a favourite venue for the choir and we are delighted to host them once more. On Sunday 9th June, we look forward to welcoming the choir of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, as they sing Choral Evensong in St James’s Church at 4.00pm. All are very welcome to join us for worship and for refreshments afterwards. The Bicentennial Year is proving to be productive and inspiring!
COMMUNITY CAFÉ This initiative by people from St James’s Church, Mallow, including some our younger parishioners, is now in full swing during the weekly Farmers’ Market in the church groundseach Friday morning. As well as great coffee and tea, this positive and inviting initiative offers a chance to sample home-made Torta Santiago (St James’s Cake) which can be found in cake shops all along the coast of Galicia in Northern Spain, as it sustains pilgrims along the Camino or St James’s Way. The café also enables the church to be open for people who are looking for a quiet space for prayer and reflection.
CONGRATULATIONS to the team of bell ringers from St Mary’s, Doneraile, who competed in the Cherry Cup competition in Skibbereenat the end of March. The team, Julia Lysaght, Roy Deane, Mark Buckley, Eddie Gabriel, Andrew Gardiner and Paul Deane, returnedhome with 3rd prize. Well done to all involved!
EASTER VESTRY The General Vestry meeting took place in St James’s Church, Mallow, on Tuesday 16th April.
ANNIVERSARY OF ORDINATION We were delighted that the Reverend Eileen Cremin presided at a celebration of the Eucharist in St James’s Church, Mallow on Wednesday 17th April, being the 30thanniversary of her ordination to the priesthood in St Paul’s Cathedral, London. A good number of parishioners and friends gathered to celebrate with Eileen and give thanks for her presence among us.
COMMUNITY SUPPER We are very much looking forward to welcoming parishioners and many friends from the wider community to a buffet supper in Castletownroche Community Hall on Friday 3rd May at 7.30pm. This is always a much-anticipated event in the local community.
ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE for the first time in the 200 year-old history of St James’s Church, Mallow, parishioners took part in the annual St Patrick’s Day parade through Mallow (with the Rector being invited join other clergy colleagues and civic representatives on the viewing stand). A striking new banner has recently been designed and produced by a group of skilled and talented parishioners and, having been dedicated at the Eucharist that morning, it was carried in front of the group of parishioners who joined many others from the town in celebrating Ireland’s patron saint in an atmosphere of fun and festivity.
MUGS We were thrilled to be gifted 500 specially designed mugs, carrying the St James 2024 logo, as part of our bi-centennial celebrations at Mallow. They were given in memory of the Reverend Bryn Byrne by his family and, as well as being a lovely souvenir of this significant anniversary, they will also serve as a memory to a faithful priest and pilgrim. The mugs, along with other commemorative items, are on sale in St James’s Church.
EASTER CELEBRATION OF FAITH Representatives of our three parishes, including past confirmands, were pleased to join the Bishop in his Cathedral in Cork for an Easter Celebration of Faith on 14th April last. A group from St James’s, Mallow, presented the Bishop with one of our bi-centennial mugs, bearing the scallop-shell logo – and the added treat of an Easter Egg! – to mark the 25th anniversary of his consecration on the feast of the Annunciation 1999.
DONERAILE CONCERT We were delighted to welcome violinist,Valdimir Jablokov, and friends to St Mary’s, Doneraile for a concert last month. A wide variety of music was enjoyed, along with suitable refreshments in the interval, by a good number of parishioners and friends.
FARMERS’ MARKET A reminder that the market continues to offer a wide range of local produce, including bread, fish, eggs, poultry, vegetables, preserves, handmade crafts and much more on Friday mornings in the grounds of St James’s Church, Mallow from 9am to 1.00pm.