Today’s gospel in Advent, Wed 17 Dec. The genealogy of Jesus

  

Please scroll down for notes and notices.


Today in the Aughaval Parishes:   
 

- Midweek Holy Communion, 

Wed 10.30am, 

in Holy Trinity Church, Westport, 

followed by coffee in Cornrue (from 11.10am). 

- Online Prayer and Bible Study, Wed at 8pm. Link below.




Jesse Tree
Illumination on parchment
Anonymous 
Public domain, via 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2002026

 

 

Today’s gospel     Matthew 1:1–1:17

An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. 

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.  

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.


Sacred Space

You can find a gentle prayer guide here: 

https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer

/2025-12-17


Christian Art

https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-1-1-17-2025/


A song for Advent: A sign shall be given (Immanuel)

https://youtu.be/O7DG3N6rYqk?si=Qwv08F0GYlHabwRF


Notes and Notices


Holy Communion at Home    
If you or your loved one would like to receive Communion at home before Christmas, please contact the rector (details below).






Sunday 21 Dec, 11.30am, 'Crib Service' (All-age Nativity) 
in Holy Trinity Westport with participation by Westport Sunday Club and children of Holy Trinity National School. All are invited and welcome. Info: Steffi or Shirley (numbers on request), or the rector.
Visitors are especially welcome.


Chapel Street Gospel Choir concerts, Sunday 21 Dec, 5pm and 8pm in Christ Church, Castlebar


Westport - St Mary's-and-Holy-Trinity-Carol-Service-Together 
- A Shared Celebration - Sunday 21 Dec, 5pm, in St Mary's Church

Please note that regular times (see below) apply for other services during this Advent period.


Christmas Communion Services
'The First Communion of Christmas'
(Subject to change)

St Thomas's, Dugort: Christmas Eve (Wed) at 12 noon

Turlough Church: Christmas Eve (Wed) at 6.30pm

Christ Church, Castlebar: Christmas Day (Thurs) at 9am
                    
Holy Trinity Church, Westport: Christmas Day (Thurs) at 11am



Services on the weekend of 27-28 December (subject to change):

Saturday 27 December:
  •     7pm, Turlough, Evening Prayer

Sunday 28 December:
  •     10am, Christ Church, Castlebar 
  •     11.30am, Holy Trinity, Westport


A Public Celebration 
of the Reopening of Holy Trinity Church, Westport,
and Blessing of the Work,
with the Rt Revd Bishop Michael Burrows

Friday 23 January at 7.30pm in Holy Trinity Westport 





New Year Social and Fundraiser for HTW repairs:
Table Quiz, Friday 20 February 2026, in Clew Bay Hotel, 7.30 for 8pm start.
Info: Babs Strutt or Henry McKinney. Contact details on request.
Donation of prizes for raffle will be much appreciated.



Regular Service Pattern 

in the Aughaval Parishes


Turlough

Saturdays Weekly at 7pm:  

- Holy Communion on 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month.

- Evening Prayer on 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month.


Castlebar 

Sundays Weekly at 10am: 

- Holy Communion on 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month.

- Morning Prayer on 2nd and 4th.

Open church every Friday from 11am - 1pm.


*Christ Church Castlebar is a registered charity: Registered Charity No.  20206867


 

Westport     

- Sundays Weekly at 11.30am, in HOLY TRINITY WESTPORT (except on 11th and 18th Jan 2026, during repair works), Holy Communion or Morning Prayer

- Wednesdays at 10.30am, Midweek Holy Communion, followed by coffee in Cornrue. 



Dugort, Achill: October - April inclusive

- 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 3pm. Evening Prayer/ Holy Communion


Inishbiggle    As announced. The next service in Holy Trinity Church, Inishbiggle, will be in the New Year. 


Online Prayer and Bible Reading every Wed at 8pm, via Zoom.  Link:




Giving towards the upkeep of the churches


The work and upkeep of the churches requires ongoing funding to meet costs. 


For one-time donations: You can securely give towards these costs and the upkeep of the churches using your phone or electronic device using the QR codes (below) which will direct you to the parishes’ iDonate pages. 


Regular giving can also be by standing order. If you are a tax-payer, a tax refund on your donation can be made to your parish at no additional cost to you.


For help or more information, please contact one of the Hon Treasurers (contact details on request) or the Rector (details below), or see 


https://aughaval.tlk.ie/2025/11/giving-towards-upkeep-of-churches.html .


Thank-you and bless you +



Westport-Dugort Parishes
(Info. Babs Strutt, Hon. Treasurer - contact details on request) 



     Christ Church, Castlebar    
(Info. Trevor Ardill, Hon. Treasurer - contact details on request)
Christ Church Castlebar is a registered charity: Registered Charity No.  20206867     



Turlough Parish Church

(Info. Karin Shaw, Hon. Treasurer - contact details on request)


Charities Regulatory Authority (CRA) 

CRA status of the Aughaval Group of Parishes, United Dioceses of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe, Church of Ireland: 

    Christ Church Castlebar is a registered charity: Registered Charity No.  20206867

    Westport-Dugort Union of Parishes and Turlough Parish are in process of applying for their own CRA registration numbers. In the interim the parishes are included in the CRA registration of the TLK Diocese, as outlined below by the Diocese:

The United Dioceses of Tuam, Killala and Achonry is registered as a charity with the Charities Regulatory Authority under No. 20015237 and the Revenue Commissioners No. CHY 7241. The United Dioceses of Limerick, Killaloe and Ardfert is registered as a charity with the Charities Regulatory Authority under No. 20015688 and the Revenue Commissioners No. CHY 7327.  On 1st November 2021, the dioceses amalgamated to become the Dioceses of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe. The Diocesan Councils remain separate.


For further information on the above, please contact Mrs Lorna Sharpe at  limerickdiocsec@gmail.com, or Mr Damian Shorten at admin@tka.ie. 




Pastoral care and enquiries:  


Revd Suzanne Cousins 

Aughaval Group of Parishes, 

United Dioceses of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe, Church of Ireland 

Tel. 083 800 3233   

Email aughaval@tuam.anglican.org
Aughaval Parishes' Website  aughaval.tlk.ie

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AughavalParishes 


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