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The Church of Ireland Diocese of Dublin |
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The Church of Ireland Diocese of Dublin |
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Other NewsEaster Vestries | The Rambling Ordinand | A Thought | Habitat for Humanity Trip to Madagascar | Holy Week and Easter | The Average Child Easter VestriesAddress: In his annual Easter vestry address, Andrew highlighted key areas in parish life:
The full text of the address will shortly be available on the parish website. Castleknock and Mulhuddart election results: Castleknock Churchwardens: Paula O’Brien and Rachel Devlin Vestry members: Malcolm Cadoo, Pat Gray, Valerie Greene, Gladys Hutchinson, Valerie Jameson, Alex Kitching, Hal McGuckin, Orla McKeever, Hilary Nason, Bernard Neary and Stella Obe. Clonsilla election results: Churchwardens: Charles Seaman and Keith Bannister Vestry members: Donna Allen, Valerie Fildes, Gordon Hill, David Kelly, Avril McCabe, Edie Nuzum, Frank Robinson, Yvonne Smith and Margaret Tutty. Special thanks go to those who have retired from their posts: Valerie Fildes as Clonsilla Churchwarden; In particular, we would like to thank Gladys for 18 years of sterling service as secretary with three different Rectors. Enjoy your retirement!
The Rambling OrdinandIn the recent past, some parishioners remarked, “long time no see” when I robed out for services in the parish. Well, the reason is that I have moved on to a new module in the NSM course, which focuses on different models of Church. I always wanted to visit other traditions, but my weekly involvement in this parish over the past eleven years always superseded my desire. So my project has consisted of visiting different churches around the city e.g. “high Church”, evangelical, multicultural etc., all which have different traditions and of course I then had to write about the experience. So that’s where I have been, folks. The next module is New Testament and I don’t think a visit to the Holy Land is on the cards! Pity though!
Habitat for Humanity Trip to Madagascar
Habitat for Humanity is a non-denominational Christian charity dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide. Habitat works around the world with volunteers from all backgrounds, races and religions to build homes together with families in need. Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 200,000 homes around the world, providing over one million people in 3,000 communities with simple, decent, affordable homes. Habitat for Humanity is also engaged in house building projects both in Northern and Southern Ireland and are in the process of completing four houses in Ballymun. In Northern Ireland, they have a proven track record, engaging all communities in house building projects both at home (in Downpatrick and North Belfast) and abroad. As stated in the opening paragraph, Habitat have worked with 3,000 communities, and this year two members of the parish, Muriel Kellett and Bernard Neary, together with Muriel’s sister and Bernard’s wife, will travel to Madagascar in September as part of a team to build two homes for people in need of adequate housing in Ankazobe, in central Madagascar. The parish cycling group is doing a sponsored cycle this year on 26th and 27th May centered in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, to help fund the team’s trip to Madagascar. Offers of sponsorship or donations can be given to any member of the cycling group. Details are available from Hal McGuckin . For anybody wishing to know more about Habitat’s work in Madagascar, they can see their website (http://gv.hfhmadagascar.org) or see Habitat for Humanity Ireland’s website (www.habitatireland.ie). Bernard Neary
Holy Week and EasterA big thank you to everyone who took part in the services during this week. We had a very interesting series of preachers: Fr John Jones of Blanchardstown, Fr Mick Cullen of Laurel Lodge and Sean Mullan from the Dublin West Community Church took us through the different events of Holy Week, while Andrew and Elaine finished the series of reflections. Wednesday night’s youth service looked at the symbols of Holy Week, while on Good Friday night we used a “service of nails” to look at the cross in new way. The Easter Vigil and Easter Egg Hunt were as popular as ever! Thanks to all who helped and especially Raymond, Philip and Jenny for the music and to Pat Gray and Dorothy Robinson (in absentia) and their teams for the wonderful flowers.
The Average ChildI don't cause teachers trouble. This poem sums up so much of society today. In the face of a culture that finds it hard to praise success, and with increased targets, exams and assessments that point out our inadequacies, we begin to feel that if we aren’t the very best, then we are nothing special, and if we are nothing special, then we have nothing much to offer and so we begin to limit ourselves and our dreams. But Nelson Mandela, in his inaugural speech said:- "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." I wonder what would happen if we could all do the same, really believe we are ‘powerful beyond measure, brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous, meant to shine, as children do, and born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.’ Imagine, too, if the media began to refer to young people in their hoodies and caps as ‘brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous,’ instead of yobs? Think what asylum seekers would feel like if they were considered as ‘brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous’ children of God offering to come to our country, and not as people trying to bend the system. Imagine if, on retirement, people are told they are still, ‘brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous.’ It could begin to set people free to reach for their potential, and transform their view of God from a God that they think barely notices their existence, to a God who says, “I have made you brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous, you are meant to shine, as children do, and you are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within you, so come and get to know me because I have plans and a purpose for your life.” Rev. Fiona Hall
Easter Vestries | The Rambling Ordinand | A Thought | Habitat for Humanity Trip to Madagascar | Holy Week and Easter | The Average Child |
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Parishes of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla |
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