Issue
62 CSNL NEWS November/December, 2020
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 ..
I want to begin with a Big Thank-You for your generous
responses to our request for increased financial giving due to the stresses
placed on parish finances by the ongoing Pandemic. We are not out of the woods yet but things
are considerably improved and we have a little more breathing room than we
had. In total nearly €12,000 has come in
since the appeal.
We are now facing into the winter and the evenings are
getting shorter which is a challenge which we didn’t face with earlier lockdowns. However we are also facing into the wonderful
season of Christmas and the joy that comes with the Saviour’s birth which
cannot and will not be overshadowed, even by a Pandemic. Somehow despite the
restrictions we will celebrate this Christmas.
I am currently looking at possible arrangements which Government policy
allowing we will be able to accommodate all those who wish to attend a
Christmas service. Among the options
being considered is a Drive-in service!
We have adapted before and if necessary we will again.
In wishing you all in advance a Happy Christmas (as
this is the last magazine this year) please do let me know of anyone in
difficulty who needs a helping hand at this time - we have so many people who
are willing to give support to those who are lonely, anxious, facing financial
challenges etc. This is a time to be
there for each other and give expression to the reality of the Body of Christ
where all are precious and treasured.
Please stay safe and may you have a Happy and Blessed
Christmas.
Yours Stephen
Newcastle-Lyons
Easter General Vestry Meeting - 3rd September
Rev. Stephen opened the meeting by thanking the Vestry for their
part in steering us through a real roller coaster of a year, as stated by Rev.
Stephen there are lots of challenges we still have to face but like
everything else we will come through it and also perhaps with a new sense of
perspective as to what are the really important things in life. Rev. Stephen thanked everyone for
their support throughout the year. He
paid a particular thanks to Geoffrey McMaster as a valuable colleague in
ministry. Geoffrey often
represents the parish in the wider community and plays a big part in deepening
inter-church and community relations in the parish. Thanks, were also given to our Hon.
Secretary, Maggie Harris, Church Wardens - Elizabeth Waldron &
Vivien Bond. He also thanked
the Glebe Wardens, Willie Harris & Michael Spillane. A special thanks to our Hon. Treasurer, Sandra
Doble, who has an increasing demanding job in overseeing our parish
finances and for the considerable work involved in the preparation of the
annual accounts. Finally, to all vestry
members and parishioners for all the help and time everyone has contributed to
the smooth running of the Parish. The
meeting closed with a big thank you to Rev. Stephen for the wonderful
creative on-line Services during the Covid lockdown, they were greatly much
appreciated by Parishioners. The
following are the results of the annual elections:-
Rector’s Church Warden: Vivien Bond
People’s Church Warden: Elizabeth
Waldron
Rector’s Glebe Warden: Willie
Harris
People’s Glebe Warden: Michael Spillane
The remaining members of the Select Vestry are:
Betty Beattie Devon
Beattie Claire Burke
Sandra Doble Willie
Doble Maggie Harris
Peter Hildebrand Andrew
Jordan Avril Kerr
Robbie Roulston Tony
Waldron
Parochial Nominators: Vivien
Bond Elizabeth Waldron
Supplementals: Maggie
Harris Michael Spillane
Diocesan Synodsperson: Geoffrey McMaster
Supplemental: Robbie
Roulston
Subsequently Sandra Doble & Maggie Harris were confirmed as
Treasurer & Secretary respectively.
Team
Hope Shoe Boxes Moving On Line This Year
This year you can build your box on line in 5 easy
steps and donate €20.00
for your shoebox. Alternatively their
address is Unit 5, Leopardstown Business Centre, Ballyogan Avenue, Dublin
18. 01-2940222. Team Hope’s network of local partners in
Africa and Eastern Europe will then use this money to purchase items from the
4w’s -
wear/write/wash/WOW - locally. They will
then create the shoebox gifts and deliver them directly into the hands of the
children.
Church
Review Subscriptions Rebate
During the months of lockdown, it was not possible to
publish or distribute the Church Review in print. It was however still published online for
anyone who could access it and the link was sent out to parishioners. As a gesture of goodwill, the 2020 annual
subscription was discounted by 25% €10) and a rebate was sent to Debbie
Kelly, Celbridge & Straffan & Elizabeth Waldron,
Newcastle-Lyons, who have been in touch with most of those who subscribe. This will be offset against the 2021
subscription unless you tell Debbie or Elizabeth otherwise. Subscriptions are due in January. The Church
Review informs on all that is happening in the Church of Ireland United
Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough and other items of interest.
Organisation
Focus - Bishops’ Appeal Harvest Newsletter
The newsletter highlights some of the work supported through the
appeal. Recently, the Appeal was able to
release €10,000 for the
Beirut Appeal and £5,000 for the ongoing Covid-19 Appeal. These funds went to Christian Aid, Tearfund Ireland & CMS Ireland. Thousands of hot meals as well as vouchers to
enable those most in need to buy food and hygiene items have been issued
helping families access essentials such as blankets and medicine, removing
rubble and providing basic repairs to homes in Beirut. In Lebanon, 1 in 4 people are refugees. In Uganda, hand washing facilities, soap and
other essential supplies were provided to over 250,000 people. Emergency food supplies reached 20,000 people
and essential PPE supplied to 49 health centres. Geoffrey McMaster is the Bishops’ Appeal Representative for Dublin.
Confirmation
Due to the Pandemic, there will be no confirmation service this year.
Jim -
Author Unknown
A minister passing through his church in the middle of
the day,
Decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to
pray.
Just then the back door opened, a man came down the
aisle.
The minister frowned as he saw the man he hadn’t shaved in a
while.
His shirt was kind of shabby and his coat was worn and
frayed.
The man knelt and bowed his head, then rose and walked
away.
In the days that followed, each noon time came this
chap,
Each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pack on
his lap.
Well, the minister’s suspicions grew, with robbery a
main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him, “What are you doing
here?”
The old man said, he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength
and power.
“I stay
only moments, see, because the factory is so far away;
As I kneel here talking to the Lord, this is what I
say:
“I just came again
to tell you, Lord, how happy I’ve been, since we found each other’s
friendship and you took away my sin. Don’t know
much of how to pray, but I think about you everyday. So, Jesus, this is Jim checking in.”
The minister feeling foolish, told Jim, that was fine.
He told Jim he was welcome to come and pray just
anytime.
Time to go, Jim smiled, said “Thanks”.
He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar, he’d never done it
before.
His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with
Jesus there.
As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim’s prayer:
“I just came again
to tell you, Lord, how happy I’ve been, since we found each other’s friendship
and you took away my sin. Don’t know
much of how to pray, but I think about you everyday. So, Jesus, this is me checking in.”
Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim
hadn’t come.
As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry
some.
At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was
ill.
The hospital staff was worried, but he’d given them a
thrill.
The week that Jim was with them, brought changes to
the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, were his reward.
The head nurse couldn’t understand why Jim was so glad.
When no flowers, calls or cards came, not a visitor he
had.
The minister stayed by his bed, he voiced the nurse’s concern:
No friends came to show they cared. He had nowhere to turn.
Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up and with a winsome
smile;
“The
nurse is wrong, she couldn’t know, that in here all the while
Everyday at noon He’s here, a dear friend of mine, you
see,
He sits right down, takes my hand, leans over and says
to me:
“I just came again
to tell you, Jim, how happy I have been, since we found this friendship, and I
took away your sin. Always love to hear
you pray, I think about you each day, and so Jim, this is Jesus checking in”.
Ordination
In Pro Cathedral
Our Rector had a front row seat for the
Ordination to the Priesthood of Celbridge Ecumenical colleague and friend, Deacon
Frank Drescher and was made most welcome by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. He was last in the Pro Cathedral 40 years ago
at a choir festival where he was a chorister of St. Bartholomew’s Church and sang
alongside the Palestrina choir.
Chuckle Time - One For Covid Restrictions On Hymn
Singing
A former chorister was asked why she had given up
singing in the church choir. “I was absent one
Sunday,” she
replied, “and
somebody asked if the organ had been mended.”
Baptisms
& Wedding
There have been no baptisms. Congratulations to Samantha
Geoghegan & Lee Farrand who were married in Christ Church,
Celbridge on Saturday, 19th September. We wish them a long and happy
marriage.
Straffan
Church
Thanks to Jos Evertsen who has completed the
cataloguing of a large number of old church books. This includes a description of their
condition, content and photography. All
the books are stored in the pew beside the organ and wrapped in acid free
tissue paper and are coded corresponding to their folder on Dropbox.
Zoom
Meetings
Our Rector organised several of these over the
last couple of months. There are now two
regular meetings each week, one on a Sunday morning at 10.30 and the other
usually on Wednesday evenings at 8 p.m. They are very informal and an
opportunity to see each other and talk face to face in these challenging
times. All are welcome. If you are not already on Rev. Stephen’s list,
let him know so he can give you the meeting details.
NON
Going Events!
Craft & Chat/ Time Of Prayer For Healing &
Whist Drives will not resume until the Pandemic is considerably
less of a threat and sadly there were no pets blessed or harvest thanksgivings
either.
Celbridge
Camera Club Calendars In Aid Of The NCBI
Celbridge Camera Club have created a beautiful 2021
calendar in partnership with the National Council for the Blind of
Ireland. There are wonderful images all
over Ireland taken by our members, superbly printed and produced. These include images from three parishioners
- Dallas Camier, Tony Waldron & Lilian Webb. The calendar will be available to purchase
from The Orchard and from Supervalu, Celbridge from 9th
November. It costs €10. This is the second year that this has been
produced.
Services - (all services in November on line
only)
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
Thanks to our Rector for continuing to be very
flexible in ensuring that meaningful services continue to be broadcast every
Sunday since the start of the Pandemic.
Also being able to hold actual services in Straffan & Celbridge when
Dublin was in lockdown until 5th October.
Thanks From Shirley
Gibson
On behalf of Saidhbhin and Samuel, I wish to thank so many
people for their kindness to us during our recent bereavement. Your many calls, cards and gifts helped so
much to ease our pain. We will remember
your support and comfort. Our sincere
thanks to Rev. Stephen who unsparingly gave so much of his time and did
so much for us in every way. We will
never forget his thoughtfulness and consideration. Thank you Stephen for
Louise’s beautiful funeral
service with such tenderness and understanding.
Primrose
Hill National School
The school has returned after its mid-term break and
will continue until 22nd December, when classes will finish at
noon. The school continues to work hard
raising funds to replace the surface under the swing set and climbing
tower. During the month of October, they
sold face masks as part of their fundraising efforts and this raised €1,054. Thanks to everybody. The pupils are also in the process of
designing a Christmas card.
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
2020 - A Fresh
Vision
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