Issue
91 CSNL NEWS November/December, 2025
Parish
Of Celbridge & Straffan with Newcastle-Lyons
Church
of Ireland United Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough
By the
parishioners - for the parishioners
From
Our Rector - Dear Friends ..
The other day I was surfing Facebook on my phone when a memory from 12
years ago popped up. It was without
exaggeration one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Some of you will have heard me talk of it
before but it has become more significant for me in recent times. I was visiting Washington DC and an old
friend in Virginia offered me the use of their house where I had stayed before
but this time in their absence. It was
in the woods on the outskirts of Virginia - a beautiful setting but only five
minutes drive from the Pentagon. The
only thing they said was that there will be a group of Tibetan monks joining
you! My friends were regular hosts of
the Dalai Lama’s monks when they
visited the US and they were and still are deeply involved in the Free Tibet
cause. Needless to say I was delighted
at the prospect of spending the best part of 24 hours in their company and it
proved to be a wonderful experience - the holiness of these men was palpable
and yet they were some of the happiest people I have ever met. The two don’t always go together sadly! After a lovely meal out together we returned
to our lodgings and had gone to bed and I was still processing the
extraordinary experience of being in the company of these monks when there was
a knock at the door and I opened it to one of the monks in his flowing robes
wondering did I have the Wi-Fi code for the broadband. It just seemed so incongruous - ancient meets
modern! Over the years I have often
reflected on this episode and most recently in the light of growing division
and polarisation in our world I have come to see it as a perfect illustration
of how beneath our superficial differences, traditions and appearances we are
all the same - we are all of us searching - not just for the Wi-Fi code but for
that fundamental connection with one another and the source of our being. It is in building those connections with
those who we see as other that we discover the fundamental unity that was Jesus’ prayer for his people - that ‘They may be One’.
Yours Stephen
Church
Services
Sunday Newcastle
9 a.m* Straffan 10.15 a.m. Celbridge 11.30 a.m.
1st Holy
Communion Service of Word Holy Communion
2nd Service
of Word Holy Communion Service of Word
3rd Holy
Communion Morning Prayer Holy Communion
4th Morning
Prayer
Holy Communion Morning Prayer
5th 30/11/25. United Service. Holy
Communion. Christ Church,
Celbridge. 11.30 a.m.
28/12/25. United Service. 11 a.m.
Straffan.
*Services will
continue in Newcastle at 10 a.m., on the 1st Sunday as a permanent
change in the Sunday timetable.
Advent
& Christmas Services
On Advent Sunday, 30th November, there will
be a United Service of Holy Communion at 11.30 a.m., in Christ Church,
Celbridge. At the service we will mark
the retirement of our parish Lay Minister, Mrs. Cynthia Lang, who has
given tremendous service to our parish.
I am sorry that this day has come but I am very thankful for the support
and encouragement that Cynthia has given me on a personal level and her
ministry within the parish and I am sure you will join with me in wishing her a
happy and healthy retirement. Please
come along on the 30th to mark this significant day.
On Sunday, 21st December, there will be
Lessons and Carols Services in Straffan at 10.15 a.m., and in St. Finian’s, Newcastle-Lyons
at 3 p.m. On Christmas Eve, in Christ
Church, Celbridge at 4 p.m., there will be a service of Lessons and Carols with
seasonal refreshments and later at 9 p.m., Christmas Eve Eucharist. There will be Holy Communion in all three
churches on Christmas Day at the usual times.
There will also be a United Service in Straffan on 28th
December at 11 a.m.
WhatsApp
Groups
WhatsApp group continues to be very active. There are also groups specifically for
Newcastle and another for Straffan notices – together they provide a very
effective means of contact in the parish.
Chuckle Time!
What do you drain your carrots with at Christmas
time? An Advent colander!
On Going Events
Craft
& Chat: The group continues to meet in the Slip
Hall at 2.30 p.m., each Tuesday for crafting, chat and coffee. All welcome.
They will take a break over the Christmas/New Year period.
Wednesday Night Prayers: From 8 p.m., to 9
p.m. At present, they are held in the
home of Tony & Elizabeth Waldron in Newcastle. If anybody would like details they can
contact Rev. Stephen or Dee Huddleston. Everyone is very welcome to come along or to
let them know if there is something they would like them to pray about.
Whist Drives: The season returned on Friday, 26th
September in the Slip Hall at 8 p.m., with the latest on Friday, 31st
October. The final one of the year will
be held on Friday, 28th November at 8 p.m. A lovely supper is served at the interval and
there are always lots of prizes. Thanks
to all who arrange the drives, provide refreshments and raffle prizes.
Cellbridge/Straffan
Church Vestry
Ms. Georgina Touhey was unanimously
co-opted onto the Select Vestry at a recent meeting of the Celbridge/Straffan
Vestry.
Confirmation
This year candidates from Lucan/Leixlip are being
invited to join us for preparations.
More details to follow.
Straffan Sunday
Services Live Streamed
https://www.churchmedia.tv/straffon-church-of-ireland and www.facebook.com/CSNLParish.
Remembrance
Sunday
Remembrance services take place on Sunday, 9th
November in all three churches and there will be an opportunity to support the
Poppy Appeal.
Slip Hall
With the closure of the Montessori School there is now some availability
for morning hires in the hall. Please
send enquiries to email:csnparishhall@gmail.com.
Harvest
Thanksgiving & Pet Blessing Services
Our Rector reports that the annual ecumenical event -
the Pet Blessing Service - goes from strength to strength and this year saw
more of our four legged friends than ever come to Christ Church, Celbridge on
Saturday, 27th September. It
was also the first occasion that we had the pleasure of welcoming the new
Parish Priest in Celbridge, Fr. Philip Curran to join us in Christ
Church. The dogs were in particularly
good voice on the day and the human congregation had a hard time being
heard. We were joined as has now become
a tradition by the team from KWWSPCA with a number of rescue dogs and lots of
helpers. The collection went to KWWSPCA
and €640 was
raised for their work which was a great result.
Thanks to James & Trish Pasley and family who produced
advanced publicity material and the blessing certificates and stickers which
were given out on the day. Also thanks
to all the helpers who provided the tea afterwards and helped in the church
during the service. I would name them
but lest I forget someone (as I usually do) please accept this general thanks.
The first of the harvest festivals took place in
Straffan Church on the afternoon of Sunday, 5th October, with the
church beautifully decorated, the singing of the very familiar hymns and lovely
refreshments afterwards. Our Rector preached. Beginning with reminiscing on his early
memories of harvests in Abbeystrewry, Cork, from where there were people in the
congregation! Thanks to all who prepared
the church, the refreshments and cleaned up afterwards and to Jenny Shaw in
playing the organ. The collection went
to Bishops’
Appeal.
Newcastle-Lyons Harvest took place on the afternoon of
12th October and again the church was beautifully decorated and the
congregation enjoyed tea and refreshments afterwards in the church. The preacher was our friend and neighbour in
Lucan/Leixlip, The Rev’d Scott Peoples who we
were delighted to have with us as his retirement is approaching. He shared a very reflective and challenging
sermon with us and left us a lot to think about. Our Rector takes this opportunity to
wish him well on his retirement. At the
end of the service we gave an early birthday gift to Mr. Willie Harris who
has been and continues to be a hugely supportive member of our parish and it
was lovely to see him out after a recent illness.
Lastly, Celbridge Harvest took place on the 19th
October at the Sunday morning service.
The church was beautifully decorated and it was lovely to have
participation from a number of children from our parish school. Thanks to our Principal, Mrs. Flood,
who organised this. The service was
followed by refreshments served in the church at our new Coffee Dock.
Wedding
Congratulations to Isaac Antwi-Boasiako &
Magdalena Tafelska who were married in Straffan Church on the 18th
September. It was a beautiful wedding
and brought together friends from Ghana, Poland and many other countries as
well as Ireland. The reception took
place in Lawlor’s
Hotel, Naas. We wish Isaac &
Magdalena every blessing in their marriage.
Bereavement
Deepest sympathy to Marcus Beresford and family
on the death of his sister, Anna Simpson. Anna lived outside Celbridge and
attended Christ Church for nearly 20 years in the 1960’s and 1970’s before moving to England. She died on 5th October in Norfolk
aged 87.
Team
Hope Shoe Boxes
Thanks to all those who donated, made items and filled
shoe boxes and left at the back of the churches as well as those who will get
them ready for distribution.
The Editor read in The Irish Times that Oliver
Callan (RTE Radio 1) had a conversation with Adas Arkansas. Adas, who lives in Drogheda, recalls
his materially poor childhood in rural Lithuania during the early 1990’s and his delight
when he received a Christmas shoebox from Ireland, full of “tiny little
treasures”. “It was a gift for me,“ as well as for
his financially strapped parents. Now Adas
wants to re-create the gesture, as part of the Team Hope appeal for Christmas
shoeboxes for children in impoverished parts of the world. At a time when Tricolours are being
appropriated by anti-immigration extremists as signifiers of exclusion and
intimidation, it’s an
uplifting reminder of the Irish spirit of generosity towards those less
fortunate, as well as the value of the migrant experience.
Calendar
Of Events
November
Sun 9 Remembrance Sunday. CSNL NEWS issued.
Closing
date for Shoe Boxes.
Sat 15 Chaplaincy for everyone. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Theological
Institute.
Fri 28 Whist Drive. Slip Hall.
8 p.m.
Sat 29 Dublin Welsh Male Voice Choir
Concert. 7.30 p.m.
Christ
Church, Celbridge.
Sun 30 Advent Sunday. United Service. Celbridge.
11.30 a.m.
December
Sat 6 Christmas Fair. Slip Hall, Celbridge.
Fri 19 Connor McKeown Concert, Christ
Church, Celbridge.
Sun 21 Lessons & Carols. Straffan Church. 10.15 a.m.
Lessons
& Carols. St. Finian’s Church. 3 p.m.
Wed 24 Christmas Eve. Lessons & Carols. Christ Church,
Celbridge. 4 p.m.
Christmas
Eve Eucharist. 9 p.m. Christ Church.
Thu 25 Christmas Day. Holy Communion in all 3 churches.
Sun 28 United Service. Straffan Church. 11 a.m.
Wed 31 Subscriptions for The Church Review due.
Happy
New Year!
January
Tue 6 Closing date for next issue of CSNL
NEWS.
Christmas Around The World
Advent is particularly important in Germany. This is the time before Christmas when people
remember Jesus’ birth and the fact that he will come to earth
again. Most families have an
Adventskranz, a circular decoration which holds four candles. One candle is lit at the beginning of each of
the four weeks of Advent. There is
mounting excitement as each candle is lit.
Just before Christmas special markets are held in many towns. Children love to visit these to see the
colourful stalls selling decorations, toys and the special pastries and
biscuits which are given as presents.
From December 1st onwards in Sweden, beautiful
stars and red Advent candles appear in the windows of Swedish homes. The colour scheme for decorations - including
special Christmas curtains which replace the ordinary ones in some homes - is
red and white. The all-important day for
celebrating, feasting and giving presents is Julafton (Christmas Eve). A traditional Swedish Christmas meal includes
lutfisk (cod dried in a special way) and rice porridge.
In France, nativity scenes called crèches are
set up in homes just before Christmas.
This custom started in Provence, but has now spread throughout
France. Years ago, craftsmen spent the
winter months making the figures for the scenes. They either carved them out of wood or
moulded them in clay and then painted them.
By contrast in Australia & New Zealand, as Christmas
comes in the middle of summer, swimming and picnics are the order of the day,
though many families have the traditional roast turkey at midday. Australian carols talk about sun, not snow!
The candles lit from Advent to Christmas Day in our
churches represent:
Hope - The first candle reminds us of the prophecies
about the coming of the Messiah.
Faith - The second candle recalls the journey of Mary
& Joseph to Bethlehem.
Joy - The third candle represents the joy of the
approaching birth of Jesus.
Peace - The fourth candle echoes the angels’ message of “Peace on Earth,
Good Will Toward Men”.
Christ Candle - This is lit on Christmas day to
represent Jesus as the Light of the World.
Christ
Church. Celbridge Concerts
The Nanci Griffith Song Book concert took place on
Saturday, 13th September.
Another lovely concert with CCE Leixlip (Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann
Leixlip) and friends took place on Friday, 19th September. This was the third year that we have hosted
the group and it is always a fun night of great music and a little bit of dance
too.
4th November saw the return of Johnny
McEvoy for a lovely night of song and storytelling. On Saturday, 29th November, there
will be a concert in aid of the RNLI Lifeboat appeal by the Dublin Welsh Male
Voice Choir. Tickets can be had from Ken
Denner or Dee Huddleston at €25.
All money raised will go to the ‘Cill Dara’ Appeal. On Friday, 19th December,
Celbridges’s own Connor
McKeown returns for a Christmas Concert.
St. Finian’s Church Fair & Christmas
Fair
This was held on
Saturday, 13th September from 11a.m., to 3 p.m., with historical talks, stalls, refreshments
in The Glebe Garden with the Garden open but the House private and the church
also open. Thanks to all who contributed
in any way to the success of the event.
Put Saturday, 6th
December in your diary for the Christmas Fair, which will be held in the Slip
Hall. All the usual stalls, raffle, teas
and games for the kids and a special visit from Santa who will be distributing
gifts from his Grotto.
Diocese
Of Dublin & Glendalough - Chaplaincy For Everyone
Do you feel called to Chaplaincy in the Healthcare
Sector? At the heart of Chaplaincy is
spiritual and emotional support for people of all faiths and none, offering
prayer and support for patients, families and staff. There is a Chaplaincy Quiet Day &
Information Day in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute on Saturday, 15th
November from 10 a.m., to 4 p.m. There
is no charge. info@taneyparish.ie.
From
The Editor
Thanks to everyone who contributed articles and news
for CSNL NEWS during the year. It is
greatly appreciated. The first issue of
2026 will be on the 2nd Sunday in January with a closing date - on 6th
January, 2026. Happy New Year to all
readers.
Your Old Glasses Can Change Someone’s Life
The See & Be Seen glasses project started
as a small act of kindness - a personal effort to help people who simply couldn’t afford the cost
of eyeglasses. In Kenya & Rwanda,
many elderly people and school children struggle with poor eyesight, not
because the problem can’t be fixed, but because the cost of frames and lenses
is often out of reach. During this
summer, with the help of friends, neighbours and a few second-hand shops, we
collected the first 450 pairs of glasses - mostly used, a few new - and sent
them through to the Rotary Clubs in Kenya & Rwanda. The Rotary teams on the ground partner with
local opticians who test each recipient’s eyesight and fit the most
suitable pair. Where lenses are too weak
or damaged, they replace them so that each person receives glasses that truly
restore their vision. Seeing someone
smile as they can read again, or a child’s face light up as they can finally
see the blackboard clearly, it’s what keeps us going.
We would love to keep this work alive and reach many
more people who need the gift of sight.
If you have any old and unused glasses, please contact me (details
below) and I will be happy to collect them from you. Every pair will make a difference to
somebody. I will then pass them on to my
neighbour Stewart for delivery in Kenya & Rwanda. (There are boxes in each church.) Thank you in advance for all contributions to
this worthy cause. Dorothy Evertsen.
Organisation
Focus - The Mendicity Institution
In operation for over 200 years, it currently provides
food and day service to those experiencing homelessness. Mendicity’s Hard Ground coffee truck is now
located in the grounds of Christ Church Cathedral. It provides delicious takeaway coffees/teas
at €3. It is part of their social enterprise,
offering certified barista training and part-time employment to those who have
experienced homelessness and addiction. www.Mendicity.org.
Thanks
.. to Dee Huddleston for taking the Service of
the Word in Straffan on 2nd November. The service broadcast on RTE1 on Sunday, 26th
October was by Christian Aid workers and supporters and included Dee
Huddleston reading one of the lessons.
Straffan Market
& Car Boot 2025 - Report By Jos Evertsen
The above finished on 4th October. Unfortunately that date was the second
cancellation in a row, due to bad weather forecasts. With the cancellation on the 6th
September for the Irish Open Golf Tournament, it meant that we had no events in
September and October this year. Most
unusual and something that never happened before. On the 4th October, the Team of
Volunteers finished up with an End-of-Season get-together in Friel’s for a chat and
some refreshments.
Despite three cancellations, overall it was another
good year for our bimonthly event. We
had 9 events, rather than the 12 planned for. We experienced an extraordinary
high level of demand. For every event
date we dealt with at least twice the number of requests than the spaces we had
available. During the season we expanded
our places from 70 to 76. We still ended
up with waiting lists of up to 20 for each event. With our Team of 49 volunteers, this season
we managed an attendance of 600 cars and collected a total of nearly €10,950 in entry
fees. The generosity of our Team of
Bakers generated a fabulous income of just over €3,300. In all, this year, this Straffan Community
event, generated an impressive €6,695 for our parish Building Fund. Since our start in 2011, the Team has managed
a total of 127 Events, 6574 cars on our church site, raised a total of nearly €150,000 and a
contribution of over €76,000 to our parish Building Fund.
We are always looking for more volunteers. Why not join us for 2026 that starts in May,
2026 and runs to the end of September?
It is only the occasional 2 hours on a few Saturdays. You contribute to our own parish and you
participate in a great social and community event. Just send me a WhatsApp and I can add you to
our Team list. The best two hours you
will spend on a Saturday!
The
Church Review
The annual subscriptions for the above are due at the
end of December. If you want to continue
receiving our Diocesan Magazine, which contains news of all parishes, general
news of events and projects in the Diocese and further afield, or would like to
be added to the list, you can contact the following:- Debbie Kelly (Straffan),
Elizabeth Waldron (Newcastle-Lyons) & Ken Denner (Celbridge). Thanks to them for their work in distributing
during the year.
A
Prayer From Pope Francis Written In Hospital
“The
walls of hospitals have heard more honest prayers than churches. They have witnessed far more sincere kisses
than those in airports. It is in
hospitals that you see a homophobe being saved by a gay doctor. A privileged doctor saying the life of a
beggar.
In intensive care, you see a Jew taking care of a
racist. A police officer and a prisoner
in the same room receiving the same care.
A wealthy patient waiting for a liver transplant, ready to receive the
organ from a poor donor. It in these
moments, when the hospital touches the wounds of people, that different worlds
intersect according to a divine design.
And in this community of destinies, we realise that alone, we are
nothing.
The absolute truth of people, most of the time, only
reveals itself in moments of pain or in the real threat of an irreversible
loss. A hospital is a place where human
beings remove their masks and show themselves as they truly are, in their
purest essence.
This life will pass quickly, so do not waste it
fighting with people. Do not criticise your body too much. Do not complain
excessively. Do not lose sleep over
bills. Make sure to hug your loved
ones. Do not worry too much about
keeping the house spotless. Material
goods must be earned by each person - do not dedicate yourself to accumulating
an inheritance.
You are waiting for too much: Christmas, Friday, next year, when you have
money, when love arrives, when everything is perfect. Listen, perfection does not exist. A human being cannot attain it because we are
simply not made to be fulfilled here.
Here, we are given an opportunity to learn. So, make the most of this trial of life - and do it now. Respect yourself, respect others. Walk your own path, and let go of the path
others have chosen for you.
Respect: do not comment, do not
judge, do not interfere. Love more,
forgive more, embrace more, live more intensely! And leave the rest in the hands of the
Creator.”
(The Editor received this from a friend, and
thought it very appropriate for the end of the year and the start of a new
one.)
Who’s Who
In The Parish
www.cs-nl.org celbridgestraffannewcastlelyns@gmail.com
Rector: Rev.
Stephen Neill 01-6288231 087-2328172
www.paddyanglican.com stephen.neill@gmail.com
Keep up to date on www.cs-nl.org
&
https://www.facebook.com/CSNLParish & www.Dublin.anglican.org
Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth and the life ..” John 14:6.
