The Rector writes……
Have you ever thought about ordination?…Yes, you! Not the person sitting beside you, or the churchwarden or someone who is a member of a church committee…but you? The reason I put the question directly to you is because often we think modestly that someone else is being called and not us. God calls ordinary people, men and women from all sorts of backgrounds, of different ages and life experience to ordained ministry. Where do you think your clergy come from? Once they too were people in a pew, perhaps hesitant and insecure as some inner voice or prompting nudged them towards that initial conversation with a friend or clergyperson that started them on the road towards ordination.
This month on Sunday 15th September, we will be marking Vocations Sunday. This is a new initiative in the Church of Ireland and we along with parishes the length and breath of the island, will be exploring vocation towards ordination at our services. It is no secret that in the Church of Ireland there are not enough clergy available to fill all the vacant positions. While it is far from a crisis, it does pose problems. We need people who are both fully themselves, yet also quietly confident in God’s leading, to offer themselves as potential candidates for training for ordination. If you do want to have that initial conversation, please feel free to talk to me or send me an email to set up a meeting. It will be in the strictest confidence. I can explain what might be involved and most of all listen to you. It is most important that you find the space to explore the issue, without any pressure towards a definite conclusion. While I serve in the full-time stipendiary ministry, which is not a job but a way of life, there are several different training pathways and both part-time and full-time avenues of service. One thing is certain, if God is calling you, you will never be fully happy until you have responded to it.
While on this theme, many of you reading this will have heard by now that our curate, the Revd David Bowles, has just been appointed by the Bishop to be half-time priest in charge of Moviddy Union and half-time hospital chaplain. I appointed David as curate four years ago and I know that over that time he has had a very positive impact on the parish. We have been lucky to hang on to him as long as we have! His diligent pastoral care, energy and willingness to spear head new initiatives has been appreciated by all of us. We will miss him as he, Michelle, Harry and Hannah move to Moviddy Rectory in the coming months.
On a practical note, this new position involves David having to do a further 12 weeks of fulltime training. This means that in effect, he will have no further pastoral role in the parish from now on as he starts Clinical Pastoral Education on Monday 2 September. We are fortunate that he will be still taking Sunday services with us, but from Monday to Friday he will be doing course work and pastoral placements outside the parish. Saturday will still be his day off. However we will have the opportunity to give David a proper parish send off before he goes permanently and details of this will be announced in due course.
As we enter the autumn season, the pace of parish life picks up again, not that it ever stops. You will find details of a number of parish events and activities in this issue. I hope you all enjoy reading it as we all play our part in being part of God’s church in this part of Cork.
Yours in Christ, Adrian.
Parish Book Club The Book Club restarts on 10 September with coffee and chat in the Maryborough House Hotel at 8pm. It will be a chance to compare summer reading and choose the books that will be read in October, November and December. The Book Club meets in the Rectory every second Tuesday in the month and new members are always very welcome.
Come to Lunch Following the summer break, the Blackrock Lunches (on the last Wednesday of each month) will resume on September 25 at 12.30pm in the Old Schoolhouse on Church Road. All are welcome to a nutritious three course meal for a modest donation towards expenses. As usual there will also be a sales table.
Harvest Sunday On Sunday 29 September we will be holding Harvest Thanksgiving Services in all our
churches. This year, they will be having an African emphasis in the light of the recent visit of the Revd Hazel Minion to Zambia with CMSI. We are delighted that Bishop Trevor Williams, former bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, will be the guest preacher in Frankfield and Blackrock that day. It happens to be the patronal festival in Blackrock so it is good that Bishop Williams will be with us. He was part of the team that visited Zambia this summer. In Passage and Douglas, The Revd Roger Thompson from CMSI will be the guest preacher.
Parish Bowls Club The Bowls Club resumes its activities this month after the summer break. It meets in the Canon Packham Hall on Wednesday evenings starting on Wednesday 4 September. Parishioners are particularly encouraged to join or come along and try it out. For further information call Jack Forde (089-4818794) or any other club member.
Sunday Schools. On certain Sunday mornings during term time there are Sunday Schools running in St Luke’s Church, Douglas and Holy Trinity Church Frankfield. Primary school aged children leave church during the service and do activities based on bible stories, including crafts, games and dvds. Parents collect their children from the Canon Packham Hall in Douglas or the Sunday School Room in Frankfield after the service has ended.
Sunday School will restart in St Luke’s Church on 8 September. The contact person is Jacqui Wilkinson. Sunday School will also start in Frankfield in September where the contact person is Lucy de Montfort.
All children are welcome but preschool children need to bring a parent with them. All children need to be registered by a parent when they start Sunday School. Simply fill in the form provided by leaders. It is also available in the churches.
Guy’s Almanac 1891
Recently a parishioner sent me a scanned copy of the Church of Ireland statistics from Guy’s Almanac of Cork for 1891. You too may find them interesting! A. Wilkinson
Parish Total Church Pop. Clergy
Blackrock 742 Canon George K. Smyth (Rector)
Douglas 392 Revd George Pring Quick (Rector)
Frankfield 60 Revd John A James (Vicar)
Marmullane 470 Revd Alexander Knox (Rector) Revd H.E. Ruby (Curate)
ECO TIPS
1st September is the start of the SEASON OF CREATION across the world. Starting on Sunday it runs until 4th October which is the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the natural world. During this time we will think and pray for ways in which we as families and individuals can improve our living environment. A great deal of discussion, debate and argument has been raising our awareness of the many challenges that we must face up to in our demands on the resources that we ask of our planet in so many ways, eg. Our use of water, electricity, oil and plastic etc. We now realise that these resources are not limitless, and our use of them has to be modified. That means deciding on what we NEED rather than what we WANT. The theme for the Season of Creation this year is THE WEB OF LIFE. Each week we are encouraged to take action in one area of our daily life which will enhance the Web of Life. For instance you may have a family discussion on enhancing you methods of recycling household waste. Re-using or reducing or adapting items in the home instead of throwing them out. If you are a frequent flyer consider donating a tree sapling to be planted in the parish to offset the pollution caused by your plane. There are many ways to participate in the Season of Creation, culminating in our Harvest Festivals at the end of the month.
Please check out the website: seasonofcreation.org A very good website and easy to use.
Wednesday 18th September in the Canon Packham Hall: Creation Month – an evening to celebrate some achievements and hear about some of the current challenges to our environment. This meeting is part of our programme as an eco congregation, a follow up to the award of an eco certificate to our parish. All welcome.
Annual Theatre Night
We are delighted to announce that our annual dally with all things theatrical will take place this November. We are once again joining forces with Carrigaline to hold a theatre supper night on 28th, 29th and 30th November in Canon Packham Hall (dates for your diary). If you are interested in getting involved in any aspect of this production, from setting out tables and chairs to treading the boards, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact Judy Meany on 086-8091804.
The adventure starts here! Boys’ Brigade meet every Thursday in Canon Packham Hall, Douglas for both boys and girls commencing 12th September.
Anchor Section: 4-7 year olds – 6-7pm Junior Section: 8-11 year olds – 7.15-8.30pm
Company Section: 11 years plus – 7.15-8.30pm All boys and girls very welcome!
Contact Tanya @ 086-826 6678
Zambia Update
On Wednesday 25th September at 8pm in the Canon Packham Hall, in response to several requests, I plan to share more of the stories and some of the photographs of my recent trip to Zambia. All are welcome. The money raised by our Confirmation Class (€185) will go to buy books for the school library in Limapela School, Kitwe. (See last month’s Parish Matters). Other money donated by the Parish Book Club and by individuals, totalling €1050, will go directly to St John’s Anglican Seminary where Keith and Lyn Scott are teaching. They received a large donation of books last year, so large that there is no accommodation for them and hence they are inaccessible to the students. Our contribution will go towards the setting up of the library. On our travels, we met several graduates of St John’s, priests who are doing amazing work often in difficult circumstances and with impressive commitment and cheerful good humour. I am delighted that we can in this way support and encourage the next generation of ordinands. Thank you to all who contributed. Rev. Hazel
Photo: Dr Keith Scott with the book donation.
Hymn singing: Tuesdays 7.30-9.30
3rd September, 1st October, 5th November, 3rd December dv.
Please contact Florence Binions if interested, as space is limited.
Bible Studies in Joan Miller’s home: Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Please note later time.
11th & 25th September; 9th & 23rd October; 6th &20th November; 4th December dv. Fellowship night to be announced. New members welcome.
Bible Studies in Carol Boylan’s home on Thursday nights beginning later in September dv. New members welcome. Please contact Florence Binions or any of the clergy if interested in joining either group.
Cork Autism Conference 2019 – Autism: No Limits, Just Possibilities, Sunday September 22nd, Clayton Silversprings Hotel, Cork. The conference provides a unique forum for Parents, Families, Caregivers, Autistic Adults, Employers, Educators, Professionals, Agencies, Advocates and anyone with an interest in autism. More info here: www.autismcork.ie or call 089 239 8900
GIY Grow it Yourself, will meet in St. Mary’s Church Hall Passage West on Thursday, 19th September. Get growing tasty fruit and veg! For beginners, intermediate and experienced veg and fruit growers. Monthly meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month. For more information email pgmgrowityourself@gmail.com or phone 085/8701386
Congratulations to Hilda and Sam Beamish on their very successful Open Garden evening in aid of the Mercy Hospital Cardiac Genetic Charity Fund. A total of €2240 was raised.
DOUGLAS UNION CHRISTMAS MARKET AND TREE SALE (WITH FRANKFIELD)
On Saturday 7 December, 10 am – 1 pm, the customary sale of Christmas trees will take place at the Canon Packham Hall. Importantly, this year, in conjunction with the tree sale, we will, in the absence of a summer fete, try out a Christmas Market in the Hall itself. Fare on offer will all be associated with the festive season – Christmas cakes, mince pies, puddings, biscuits, preserves, pickles, confectionery, Christmas stockings, yule logs, Christmas wreaths, table and tree decorations, etc. Coffee and mulled wine will be served and a raffle for Christmas-themed prizes will be held. The Christmas Market will be an opportunity to socialise and to buy your tree along with the decorations to adorn it and gifts to lay under it – all in aid of parish funds.
Many families prepare good things/special treats for the festive celebrations and often these goodies are made long ahead of the Christmas rush. By flagging the event so far in advance, we hope that, this year, parishioners will be inspired to make additional quantities and offer them for sale at the Market. Much more information/guidance will be available in the coming months; in the meantime, please contact a member of the organising committee (listed below) if you could see your way to contributing a Christmas-related product for sale.
And please note the date in your diary NOW!
Shirley Clarke-Swanton 087 2212969
Anne Hevers 087 9967705
Ivan Johnston 086 2573948
Aoife Bhreatnach 086 8637514
Stephen Daunt 087 2389357
David Kerr 086 8109825
Fort 2 Fort Camino Cycle
A 4 Day Charity Cycle has been organised to support the establishment of a Cardiac Genectics Program at Mercy University Hospital in Cork. This clinic will enable the diagnosis and management of patients with genetic cardiac diseases.
Dates: Travel Ireland to Portugal Monday 21st October, cycling Tuesday 21st – Friday 25th October
Travel Portugal to Ireland Saturday 26th October.
Each cyclist is expected to raise or donate a minimum of €400 for our charity partner to support the development of a Cardiac Genetic Programme at MUH for young people. Please contact the Mercy Hospital Foundation on 021/4274076 or by email info@mercyfundraising.ie for sponsorship cards or to receive a link online giving page. Each cyclist must pay the event organiser a total of €800 to cover the on the ground costs.
Please contact the event organiser Sam Beamish on 085/8629868 or email Fort2FortCamino@gmail.com for more details.
Church Services September 2019. Please press link below
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