The Rector writes……
I am writing this a few days after the confirmation service in St Luke’s Church. It was a wonderful occasion, and one which I hope the 18 candidates will remember for a long time, as they continue to grow in their Christian faith and commitment.
We are all familiar with the pattern of young people being confirmed. In recent years in this parish, the age of confirmation seems to have dropped a little, with some now opting to be confirmed while they are still in 6th class in primary school. However, there is no set age for confirmation and so it is good when there is a mixture of ages in the class. It makes the point that it is the young person’s own decision and that they feel ready, whether they are aged 12 or 14 or even older.
In my years as rector, I have also had the pleasure of preparing three people for adult confirmation. This is
particularly special and the confirmation service usually happens at a different time to the children’s one. The preparation takes a slightly different form. It doesn’t involve a series of classes but is more related to the specific needs of the individual candidate. It can involve some reading material and a conversation in the light of that reading with me in the privacy of their own home. It is important that the person has a mature understanding of the step that they are taking. The same is true for adult baptism. But I have found that by the time someone is considering either baptism or confirmation as an adult, they have probably done much of the thinking and praying already and no doubt have considerable experience of the church as a worshipping community.
If you are reading this and you are someone who has never been baptised or confirmed, why not take that step now? Just make contact with me, and we can have an initial conversation. At the end of the day, each is a step on a life long journey, taken not on our own but with God and with the help and support of our sponsors, godparents and the wider church community.
I take this opportunity to wish you all the joy of the Easter season. ‘Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!’
Yours in Christ, Adrian.
Zambia
In July this year, God willing, I am due to take a flight from Dublin to Addis Ababa to Ndola to Kitwe in Zambia, along with three fellow passengers. We are going, not on a holiday, but to visit Keith and Lynn Scott who are mission partners with Douglas Union and other Church of Ireland parishes. We will be guests of Archbishop Albert Chama and the Diocese of Northern Zambia. It will be a good opportunity for our parish to enhance our links with the Scotts. I could say much more here, but instead want to invite you to a get-together in the Supper Room of the Canon Packham Hall on Tuesday May 14th at 11 am to share coffee and a chat about the plans. If you are not available at this time we will also have an evening meeting; please tell me when would suit you. It’s an exciting project, and my hope is that our parish will be ‘armchair travellers’ with me on this journey. On a broader canvas, it’s an expression of the fact that we are part of God’s Church and of the Anglican Communion worldwide. Rev’d Hazel
Christian Aid Support. Two events hosted in the parish in recent weeks raised significant support for the Christian Aid appeal for the relief work in Southern Africa in the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai. On 27 March the Lent Old Schoolhouse Lunch in Blackrock raised €350 and on Sunday 7 April the Confirmation Class hosted their Sunday Soup and Rolls Lunch which raised €685. We thank all those who contributed to the success of these events.
St Luke’s School News. March was a very busy month here in St Luke’s School where there has been an amazing variety of extra curricular activities. All our classes participated in a Céilí Mór this year to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge. Our hockey players took part in the Inter-Schools’ Hockey Tournament and our Junior team brought us home some silverware. 5th and 6th Classes attended a superb performance of Alice in Wonderland in Ashton School where many of our past pupils took leading roles. Many of our classes have been outdoors and have taken advantage of the nearby Ballybrack Woods for Nature Trails and Spring Walks. 4th Class had an amazing day at The Manch Project where they enjoyed Pond Dips and Scavenger Hunts. We had a visitor from the Road Safety Association who stressed to the children the importance of Road Safety for all ages. Archdeacon Wilkinson brought the Junior Infants on a tour of the Church where they learned the names of the familiar items there as part of their Religious Education program. Thank you to our Parents’ Association who raised over €1,400 for school funds bag packing in Dunnes Stores. Our Rang 6 have also been fundraising for their school tour to Cappanalea, they organized a Cake Sale and Raffle for the pupils and raised €358.
St Michael’s School News. As usual we have had a busy few weeks in St Michael’s. We have Liza and Steffi, two trainee teachers from Germany who are working alongside us as part of their Erasmus programme until Easter. The head teacher, Marie Emmanuel, from our etwinning partner school in France also visited for a week and all of our pupils exchanged postcards. We have been learning all about France and Germany as part of our Blue Star Europe Project. It has been fun to see our new classroom nearing completion. and we look forward to moving in shortly. We have been focused especially on ‘Gaeilge’ this term and had many fun activities for Seachtain na Gaeilge including drama, art, music and quizzes. Some classes even created books for the ‘Scríobh leabhair’ project run by Cork Education Support centre. Third and fourth class have begun working on their Marine Explorers Science project with the Lifetime lab UCC and will be presenting these shortly. Fifth and sixth class were doing some very deep thinking during visits from Mr Salice, a philosophy lecturer from UCC. All classes are attending Gaelic Football training every week with St Michael’s Gaelic Football Club and first class upwards also have hurling coaching with Blackrock Hurling Club. World book day was fun! All pupils (and some teachers!) dressed up a favourite character and told us all about their books. The junior room are very fortunate to have Ms Binions visit every Thursday morning for singing lessons. We are always appreciative of the support our school receives from our families and parish community.
Easter General Vestry Elections. Frankfield Easter General Vestry was held on 11 April. The results of the elections are as follows:
Incumbent’s Churchwarden James Maythan
Vestry Churchwarden Marcia Appelbe
Vestry Glebewarden John Kingston
Hon. Secretary Noel Locke
Hon. Treasurer Roger Flack
Due to its trustee status, all parishioners in Frankfield are permitted to attend meetings of the Select Vestry.
We thank all those who serve the parish in this capacity. Their commitment is appreciated.
Ecumenical Bible Week. Following the success of last year Cork Ecumenical Bible Study Week will run this
year from Tuesday 21 May to Sunday 26 May. The topical theme this year is ‘The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’ and focuses on ecology and welcoming the stranger, both crucial challenges facing our world today. Each meeting begins at 7.30pm.
Tuesday 21st May – ‘Ecumenism in Ecology’ Rev. Elaine Murray Sacred Heart Church, Monkstown. Wednesday 22nd May – ‘We are stewards not owners……our arrogance towards creation’ Fr Ben Hegarty St Joseph’s RC Church, Springhill, Glanmire.
Thursday 23rd May ‘Exiles and Strangers’ Dr Richard Scriven Old Schoolhouse, Blackrock. Sunday 26th May – ‘The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. The transformative power of the Psalms to shape our imaginations and our lives towards eco-justice’ Dr Jessie Rogers Sacred Heart Hall, Western Road, Cork. Cork Ecumenical Bible Week extends a warm welcome to everyone. No booking required. Donations to cover costs will be welcome.
Contacts: David Bowles 086-817 8306, Geraldine Gracie 085-7071449, Marian Mortell 086-3124858, Tony Murphy 087-8327347, Sean O’Sullivan 087-2151894
The General Synod. This year for the first time the General Synod is being hosted in Derry and it runs from Thursday 16 to Saturday 18 May. While it is a considerable journey from Cork to Derry, we hope that our diocesan representatives will be out in force to contribute to the debate, discussion and voting.
1st Cork Company of the Boys’ Brigade. The Annual Boys’ Brigade Display this year will be held on Thursday 23 May in the Canon Packham Hall at 7pm. We thank the Captain, Tanya Meikle and all the leaders and officers for all they do each week throughout the year to put a busy programme of events and activities together. We look forward to seeing the fruits of what the boys and girls have been doing over the year at this display.
Rogation Sunday. On Rogation Sunday each year we pray especially for those who work in agriculture as we consider our dependence on God’s beautiful and mysterious creation. This year we look forward to having the Revd Andrew Orr as a guest preacher in Passage and Douglas on 26 May. Andrew is the current chairperson of Eco Congregation Ireland. Our curate will be taking services in Youghal Union that Sunday to facilitate this pulpit exchange.
Hymn Singing will take place in the home Florence Binions, Grange, Douglas on Tuesday, 7th May at 7.30pm
Church Services May 2019. Please click on link below.
