+++
| Senior’s Dinner
in Kinawley |
 |
|
We had another great
evening on Mon 11th Dec when the seniors from our Group gathered
for a festive meal and entertainment. Our picture shows the
same two candidates who danced the HOSEPIPE at last year’s
function – I don’t think that either Mackey or John
had put in any practice since then!! Music on the evening was
once again provided by Robert Wilson of Florencecourt ably assisted
by Sean McGuire of Enniskillen.
We all had a wonderful time and are
indebted to the various women from our Parishes for the massive
amount of work which went in to preparing for the evening
and the beautiful meal which was served up – thank you
all very, very much.
And a thank you, penned by Mackey Breen, Kinawley
A bit of a do!
’Twas last December
As we all can remember
We had Aa bit of a do.
There was almost fifty
Who were over sixty
Some with maybe a year or two.
But now this December
Some will prefer not to remember
Sixty plus a year or three.
So we go forward together
Regardless or whether
We are sixty or one, two or three.
Just a small group from
near and far
Ballyconnell, Templeport, Swanlinbar
Once a year get together
Whatever the weather
For food and crack
Accordion, banjo or guitar.
To you who organised a
bit of a do
Senior Citizens we say thanks to you
We all wish we were twenty two.
But tonight we are the privileged few
Thank God for
Nice people like you.
So here’s Happy
Christmas to you
And a very good New Year too
And we all will remember
That come next December
There may be A Abit of a do!
TOP
+++
|
|
Swanlinbar
/ Kildallon Regrouping
At meetings held
in each of the above groups last week the Kilmore Diocesan
Review Committee made the following proposals:
The existing Swanlinbar
(Swanlinbar, Tomregan & Templeport) and Kildallon
(Kildallon & Newtowngore / Corrawallen) groups be
amalgamated to form a new team ministry;
The Revd Geoff Wilson be appointed Rector of the new group
(subject to the approval of the parochial nominators),
continuing to live in Swanlinbar Rectory;
A full-time stipendiary curate be appointed to the group,
to be resident in Kildallon rectory;
The two clergy share fully in the work of the new group,
each exercising ministry throughout all the parishes,
including regular shared leading of worship, alongside
the existing team of parish & diocesan readers, helping
all parishioners to discover and use their own God-given
gifts.
That the existing pattern of shared worship in Swanlinbar
/ Kinawley & Newtowngore / Corrawallen is extended
to include Tomregan and Templeport.
These proposals
will be put before the Diocesan Council for approval early
in 2007 and if agreed will then be forwarded to the Representative
Body in Dublin for it’s approval also.
The intention would be to bring the new grouping into
being around June 2007. |
|
|
|
| |
Bishop Ken Clarke
(right) and Archdeacon George Davison (left) presented
the proposals at meetings in Ballyconnell and Kildallan
on Thursday 14th December |
|
TOP
+++
Swanlinbar Sale
of Work
Just a short note to
thank folk for supporting us at our recent Sale of Work in Swanlinbar.
To date we have raised in the region of €2600 with donations
still coming in. Thank you to everyone concerned.
+++
Advent Carol Service in St
Peter’s, Templeport
At the time of writing these notes we
have only had one Advent Carol Service in our Group. The children
from Ballyconnell Central National School delighted us in the
service with The Christmas Alphabet and their singing. The children
reminded us that the MESSIAH came with a MESSAGE into a world
in an awful MESS and that the message was LOVE! They were fantastic,
as was everyone who took part in the service. Thanks also to
all who came along and supported us in the re-telling of this
story and to the teachers, Lavinia Tilson and Susan Corrigan,
for all of the hard work which went into preparing the children.
Photographs of the children performing are available to those
involved but are not published here because new Anglican org
recommendations to protect children suggest that photographs
should not be used on Church websites.
+++
Informal Praise Service
This little service certainly seems
to have struck a chord with many people in not only Derrylin
Parish and our Group of Parishes, but further afield as well.
The service is very informal and accessible to all age groups
with a blend of contemporary and traditional music and multi-media
presentations. Our next service will be at 8pm on Sunday 14th
January 2007 in Derrylin Parish Church – our theme will
be . . . . New Year. . . . New Start! Everyone is most welcome
to come along to this service so please do give it a try!
+++
Monthly Holy Communion in
the Breffni
Someone commented to me at our last
service on Tuesday just past that they thought that this service
had really taken off! I agree wholeheartedly, but intend to
keep my feet firmly on the ground!! This service has fallen
on the second Tuesday of the month, which can be an extremely
busy week for Geoff, so we have decided to shift it to the fourth
Tuesday commencing Tuesday 23rd January 2007. Everyone is more
than welcome to come along, indeed I would encourage the more
mobile members of our Church family to get involved in this
highly significant ministry by simply setting aside one hour
in the month for Holy Communion followed by a cup of tea.
+++
Christianity Explored
This continues in our Group of Parishes
on Thursday 11th Jan 2007 following the Christmas break. We
have had a great time looking at the Gospel of Mark and finding
out more about Jesus, who He is, why He came and what it means
to be a follower. Each evening begins at 8pm in Tomregan Parish
Hall with a cup of tea and a chat.
+++
A thank you from Lilian Willis,
Derrylin
SAMARITAN’S PURSE – OPERATION
CHRISTMAS CHILD – SHOE BOX APPEAL
I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those involved
in preparing and filling shoe boxes for the above appeal. It
was a wonderful effort especially from the children. The boxes
were very well decorated and filled with plenty of treats and
gifts.
Overall in this area we managed to send 1700 boxes away, a very
worthwhile effort.
I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New
Year and once again thank you very much for a marvellous effort.
Lilian Willis
I would also like to add my thanks to those of Lilian. This
is a very worthwhile appeal and will make such a difference
to children in other parts of the World this Christmas. Please
spare a thought and prayer for those less fortunate than ourselves
as we celebrate the Peace which came down that first Christmas.
+++
Fairtrade
Fairtrade guarantees a better deal for
Third World Producers. We all know and understand the pressures
of reducing margins and the challenges which they pose in our
lives as we think of the way things used to be in the farming
community. But even with ever decreasing margins, our children
and families still benefit from free education and health care
in 21st Century Ireland.
This is not necessarily the case in Third World countries where
much of the tea and coffee we enjoy is produced at prices which
mean that the producer is not getting a fair price for their
produce. Fairtrade however, ensures that all products bearing
the Fairtrade trademark have been produced in an ethical manner
and the producer has been paid a fair price for a fair product.
At our recent Diocesan Synod in October, a motion was passed
that wherever possible, only Fairtrade products will be used
at Parish functions and on Parish property. This means that
we should be using only tea and coffee which bears the Fairtrade
mark, readily available in all large supermarkets - a more limited
supply of Fairtrade biscuits is also available.
I am not expecting that we will all change our way of thinking
overnight, but by engaging with the concept of Fairtrade in
this small way we can gradually begin to understand the challenges
faced by others in a world which is far from equal and do something
to bring about change.
+++
Forthcoming youth events
Our newly appointed Youth Officer, Mike
Edwards, has written to inform me of some forthcoming events
for our young people.
Dublin on Ice on Saturday 13th January 2007 – a day coach
trip to Dublin with January Sales, 10 Pin Bowling and Ice-skating.
The cost is €25 with a discount for families of 3 or more.
Contact Geoff for more details and booking forms.
Youth Weekend at Share Centre from Friday 16th Feb to Sunday
18th Feb – this was what we took our confirmation candidates
on last year and is open to all our young people. Contact Geoff
for more details if interested.
Ireland/UK Exchange – Mike has applied for a grant to
take 16 young people to England for a week during the Easter
holidays (6th to 14th April). The group will meet with a group
of young people from the Cambridge area and will be looking
at the issue of Rural Isolation and how our different contexts
vary. The cost for participants will be €140. Contact Geoff
if you are interested.
+++
WWW.
Some advance notice of a new and exciting
initiative which is beginning in the New Year. WWW. is for young
adults (18 and over) and will offer a time for Worship, Word
and Worship followed by tea/coffee and chat. It will a monthly
event beginning Saturday 3rd Feb 2007 in Kilmore Hall. I will
say more about it in the next edition of our Newsletter but
keep the date free until then!
