CHRISTMAS WORSHIP There will be a full round of worship in preparation for Christmas – and during the festal period that begins on Christmas Eve and extends until Candlemas Day – in all three churches of the Union.
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There will be Carol Services as follows:
- Sunday 10th December at 7.00pm in St James’s Church, Mallow;
- Thursday 14th December at 7.30pm in St Mary’s, Castletownroche
- Sunday 17th December at 3.00pm in St Mary’s, Doneraile.
On Sunday 24th December (Christmas Eve) there will be:
- The Eucharist at 10.00am in St Mary’s, Castletownroche (for the Fourth Sunday of Advent)
- The First Eucharist of Christmas at 8.00pm in St James’s, Mallow
- The First Eucharist of Christmas at 11.15pm in St Mary’s, Doneraile
On Monday 25th December (Christmas Day) there will be
- Festal Eucharist at 9.45am in St Mary’s, Castletownroche
- Festal Eucharist at 11.30am in St James’s, Mallow
On Wednesday 27th December (the feast of St John the Evangelist)
- 11.00am The Eucharist in St James’s, Mallow
On Sunday 31st December (The First Sunday of Christmas), being the fifth Sunday of the month, there will be one celebration of the Eucharist in this Union
- 11.00am at St Mary’s, Castletownroche
Sunday 7th January (the feast of the Epiphany of our Lord)
- 10.00am Morning Prayer in St Mary’s, Castletownroche
- 10.00am The Eucharist in St Mary’s, Doneraile
- 4.00pm Christingle Celebration in St James’s, Mallow followed by a party for our younger (and not-so-younger!) parishioners.
Wednesday 10th January (the feast of the Baptism of the Lord)
- 11.00am The Eucharist in St James’s, Mallow.
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We are always delighted to welcome you to the three churches of Mallow Union of Parishes – in Castletownroche, Doneraile and Mallow.
We strive to be welcoming, inclusive Christian communities and we are especially glad to welcome great numbers of people: young and old; locals and visitors; families, friends, and individuals.
This year’s celebrations give the Christmas story a piercing directness. A baby born in Israel/Palestine, surrounded by soldiers, facing threats of violence, without adequate medical care, safety or shelter, is not just a heart-warming story from long ago that is only for the children. It is a pressing reality for millions of people in the place where Christ was born, as they face terror, grief, homelessness and hunger. It tells us that there is suffering in the Christmas story along with the ‘hopes and fears of all the years.’ It also tells us that Christ was born into a world of stress and anxiety, bringing light to whatever darkness we may face, and blessing to the joys we share with those we love. It invites us to renew our hope in God and in one another, to celebrate the love of God which is stronger than anything we fear.
Whether you come to our churches regularly or rarely, I hope you will feel that they are places where you can belong – at Christmas and at any time of the year.
This comes with my very best wishes, on behalf of our parishes, and every blessing for Christmas and the New Year.
THE RECTOR
Meurig