Today's Gospel, 24 Jan, plus Thanks and Notices

 Please scroll down for notices.


Today's Gospel    Mark 3:20-21

And the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat.When his [Jesus'] family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’


Scared Space

You can find a gentle prayer guide and devotional thought here:

https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2026-01-24



Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who by one means or another supported the Service of Thanksgiving for the Reopening of Holy Trinity Westport in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. A joyful, prayerful and uplifting time was had, both at the church and over tea in Carrowbeg House. 

Special thanks to Bishop Michael for a pertinent and encouraging sermon which impressed on us the importance of patience, as is demonstrated by the long road towards ecumenical understanding between the churches. (See 'Key dates in the history of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity', below.)



Bishop and clergy, after the service
Missing from photo: Fr Tony King and Canon Val Rogers






Services for the remainder of this weekend in the parishes:

  • Saturday, 7pm in Turlough Parish Church - Holy Communion/ The Eucharist
  • Sunday, 10am in Christ Church Castlebar - Morning Prayer
  • Sunday, 11.30am in Holy Trinity Westport - Holy Communion/ The Eucharist
  • Sunday, 3pm in St Thomas's Dugort, Achill - Holy Communion/ The Eucharist


Confirmation

If you or young person is interested in exploring Confirmation please contact the Rector. The first Confirmation class will be on Saturday 24 January from 10-11am in the Rectory, Westport, with Bishop Michael.  



 

Key dates in the history of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

(as published by WPCU and CTBI)

 

c. 1740 In Scotland a Pentecostal movement arose, with North American links, whose revivalist message included prayers for and with all churches.

 

1820 The Revd James Haldane Stewart publishes “Hints for the General Union of Christians for the Outpouring of the Spirit”.

 

1840 The Revd Ignatius Spencer, a convert to Roman Catholicism, suggests a “Union of Prayer for Unity”.

 

1867 The First Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops emphasizes prayer for unity in the Preamble to its Resolutions.

 

1894 Pope Leo XIII encourages the practice of a Prayer Octave for Unity in the context of Pentecost.

 

1908 First observance of the “Church Unity Octave” initiated by the Revd Paul Wattson.

 

1926 The Faith and Order movement begins publishing “Suggestions for an Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity”.

 

1935 Abbé Paul Couturier of France advocates the “Universal Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” on the inclusive basis of prayer for “the unity Christ wills by the means he wills”.

 

1958 Unité Chrétienne (Lyon, France) and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches begin co-operative preparation of materials for the Week of Prayer.

 

1964 In Jerusalem, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I prayed together Jesus’ prayer “that they all may be one” (John 17).

 

1964 The Decree on Ecumenism of Vatican II emphasizes that prayer is the soul of the ecumenical movement and encourages observance of the Week of Prayer.

 

1966 The Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity [now known as the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity] begin official joint preparation of the Week of Prayer material.

 

1968 First official use of Week of Prayer material prepared jointly by Faith and Order and the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity.

 

1975 First use of Week of Prayer material based on a draft text prepared by a local ecumenical group. An Australian group was the first to take up this plan in preparing the 1975 initial draft.

 

1988 Week of Prayer materials were used in the inaugural worship for The Christian Federation of Malaysia, which links the major Christian groupings in that country.

 

1994 International group preparing text for 1996 included representatives from YMCA and YWCA.

 

2004 Agreement reached that resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity be jointly published and produced in the same format by Faith and Order (WCC) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (now Dicastery) (Catholic Church).

 

2008 Commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. (Its predecessor, the Church Unity Octave, was first observed in 1908).

 

2017 Marking the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the materials for the Week of Prayer in 2017 were prepared by Christians in Germany.

 

2025 Marking the commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council of the Church, held in Nicaea, near Constantinople in 325 AD, the materials were prepared by the brothers and sisters of the monastic community of Bose in northern Italy. 

 

 

Coming up this year:

2026   800th anniversary of St Francis of Assissi

 

St Brigid's Cross-making fun workshop

Sat 31 January 2026, 11am - 1pm, in Christ Church Castlebar. This is a free all-age event. All welcome. Contact: John Browne or Jen McCormack - numbers on request.

  

Last year in Castlebar                           


Inter Faith Learning through Scriptural Reasoning 

An opportunity to learn about Fasting in three traditions: Jewish, Christian and Muslim. Tues 3 Feb, 7.30- 9.00pm, online. 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scriptural-reasoning-perspectives-on-fasting-tickets-1979860140978?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

This event is organised by the Church of Ireland's Inter Faith Working Group 
and is highly recommended. 




New Year Social and Fundraiser for HTW repairs:

Table Quiz
Friday 20 February 2026, in the 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. Please note that sponsorship from local businesses is invited and will be greatly appreciated!





CONCERTS to look forward to:

  • A partnered concert by Cór Mhaigh Eo and a visiting choir from Competa (near Malaga), Spain, in Holy Trinity Westport, on the afternoon of Saturday 18 April. 
  • A Social and Fundraising Event for St Thomas's Dugort is being planned for Friday 24 April, details to follow. 


A note on behalf of Westport Children’s Choir

"We have 18 children from the Westport Children’s Choir travelling in March from Mayo to Carnegie Hall in New York to perform the world première of Cristian Grasse's new choral suite, alongside several other international children's choirs. 
We currently have a monster spring raffle with lots of great prizes from local businesses, which we will be raffling on St. Valentine's Day, Saturday February 14th, 2026. All support is greatly appreciated." 
To donate, please go to the link, below.





Regular Service Pattern 
in the Aughaval Parishes
(Subject to change)
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 Sundays of the month.

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; 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

May-September inclusive
- Services weekly at 3pm. Evening Prayer/ Holy Communion



Inishbiggle 

Next service in Holy Trinity Church, Inishbiggle - to be announced



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

https://us05web.zoom.us/j/83306729968?pwd=mVKnDXWs7Npn3aCnRPykJbJK7THANM.1






Giving towards the upkeep of the churches

The work and upkeep of the churches requires ongoing funding to meet costs. Each of our Church of Ireland parishes has charity (CRA) status - please see note below. 

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 
Regular giving can be by means of the weekly envelope system (-information on request), or by standing order. 


Tax refund on donations
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 for your help, and bless you +



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



If you would be willing to contribute to the fundraising efforts to cover the cost of the repair work to the ceiling of 'HTW', completed on 16 Jan, please contact Hon Treasurer, Babs Strutt (bstrutty@gmail.com), or use the Westport-Dugort  QR code. All help is gratefully received. 
Thank you for all donations and support received to date. 


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 Diocesan Secretary, Mrs Lorna Sharpe at limerickdiocsec@gmail.com, or Assistant Diocesan Secretary, Mr Damian Shorten at admin@tka.ie. They will be happy to help you and to answer your questions.




Go raibh maith agaibh go léir!  

A sincere expression of thanks at the start of 2026 for financial support and generosity, plus information - please see here:

https://aughaval.tlk.ie/2026/01/expression-of-thanks-go-raibh-maith.html





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


Popular posts from this blog

In memoriam: Linda Bourke

Image
  "Safe in the arms of Jesus." It is with great sadness that we share with you the news of the death of our friend and sister in Christ, Linda Bourke, faithful Westport parishioner (Holy Trinity Church), on Sunday 9th March, peacefully in Mayo University Hospital.  May she rest in peace and rise in glory.  Notice and arrangements can also be found here:   https://rip.ie/death-notice/linda-bourke-mayo-westport-587759 The death has occurred of Linda Bourke, Riverside, Clogher, Westport – peacefully.   Predeceased by her parents Alex & Frances & infant sister Elizabeth.   Deeply regretted by her sister Iris, extended family, relatives, neighbours, friends & her Westport Country Market Community.   AT REST   Reposing at McGing's Funeral Home (F28 RX58) on Tuesday (Mar 11th) from 11:30am until 12:30pm. THE PUBLIC QUEUE FOR ENTRY INTO THE FUNERAL HOME WILL NOW BE FROM THE SHOP STREET DIRECTION.   Funeral arriving to Holy Trinity Cemeter...
Read more

Return to Inishbiggle, Sat 15 February 2025

Image
  It was especially joyful for a few of us from mainland Mayo to step foot again on Inishbiggle on 15th February, having been prevented by the weather from sailing on our last attempt at the end of November 2024. While on this occasion it was lashing in Limerick, wet in Westport, and raining cats and dogs in Castlebar, the sun was splitting the clouds gloriously on the approach to beautiful Biggle. Also uplifting was to arrive at the church and on entering to find it looking, if not transfigured, transformed - for example, with its newly-stripped and repolished pews, clean floors, doors, harmonica and walls, and a close-to-spotless vestry into the bargain. Hats off and enormous thanks to the church wardens for the hours of painstaking work - truly a labour of love for this precious and important place of gathering and worship, emanating from a sincere love for God and his people, of all faiths and persuasions. Holy Trinity Inishbiggle conveys the message “Come on in! There’s plenty...
Read more

Inishbiggle: Images, and an article on the history of the Church of Ireland on the island

Image
  A few more images taken on Inishbiggle on Sat 15 Feb 2025, thanks mainly to Jim Waters, Westport, and an informative article (2013), below, by Patrick Comerford, on the history of the Church of Ireland on the island.  You can read the full unedited article, with images, here:  http://www.patrickcomerford.com/2013/05/a-history-of-church-of-ireland-on.html .  Shared with thanks to the author.     The freshly decorated interior and beautifully restored pews A history of the Church of Ireland on Inishbiggle  You can read this informative article  by Patrick Comerford,  in full, unedited, with images, here:  http://www.patrickcomerford.com/2013/05/a-history-of-church-of-ireland-on.html From a lecture by  Patrick Comerford  in Holy Trinity Church. Inishbiggle Island, given on Sunday 6 May 2013, as part of a guided walk on Inishbiggle Island led by Sheila McHugh during the ninth Annual Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend 2013. It wa...
Read more