Today's Gospel in Lent, 28 March, plus notices. The Plot

 Please scroll down for today's gospel reading, devotional resources and parish notices, including for Holy Week and Easter.



Join us this weekend for Palm Sunday worship:

Sat, 7pm in Turlough

Sun 10am in Christ Church Castlebar

Sun 11.30am in Holy Trinity Westport


Monday of Holy Week: 

Monday on the Mountain - meeting at Murrisk carpark at 11am for a gentle walk to the St Patrick statue and prayers. All welcome.



Today's Gospel    John 11:45-56    The Plot to Kill Jesus

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. 

So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, ‘What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.’ 

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.’ He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to put him to death.

Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, ‘What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?’



Christian Art

You can find a reflection on this gospel and a (17th century) painting at this link: 

https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-11-45-56-2029/


Sacred Space

You can find a short prayer guide at the link below:

https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2026-03-28





Notes and Notices

Holy Week and Easter

Eve of Palm Sunday, Sat 28 March, Turlough 7pm. All children and young people are in invited to be part of a Palm Sunday procession at the beginning of the service.

Palm Sunday, 29 March: Castlebar at 10am and Holy Trinity Westport at 11.30am. All children and young people are in invited to be part of the Palm Sunday procession.


Monday in Holy Week, 30 March

- 11am, Monday on the Mountain, 'Patrick, Prayer and Pebbles'.  Meet in Murrisk carpark for a gentle walk to the St Patrick statue, and prayers. Suitable for all ages. 

- 8pm  Compline in Christ Church Castlebar

Wed in Holy Week (‘Spy Wednesday’), 1 April

    - The Eucharist, 10.30am in Holy Trinity Westport

    - Wed Online Prayer, 8pm. Link below

Maundy Thursday (2 April)

    - Last Holy Communion until Easter Day, with Washing of Feet and Stripping of the Altar. 7.30pm in Holy Trinity Westport

 Good Friday (3 April): 

- 12 noon in HTW    The Last Hours     A reading of the Passion Narrative

- 3pm in Christ church Castlebar    The Last Hours  The Passion Narrative 

- 6pm Good Friday Ecumenical Walk of Witness, starting from Holy Trinity Church, Newport Road, Westport at 6pm and concluding at St Mary’s Church, South Mall. All are invited and welcome, from any church tradition or none.

- 8pm  Good Friday Tenebrae in Christ Church Castlebar


Holy Week and Easter,
at HTW


Easter Day (5 April), Easter Holy Communion:

- Castlebar 10am        

- Holy Trinity Westport  11.30am  (Please be aware that the start of this service may be delayed by a few minutes.)

- Achill   3pm  

 

Easter Monday (6 April):  Easter Communion on Inishbiggle 

Meeting at Doran's Point Ballycroy at 9.30am for 10am departure by curragh to the island. If you wish to reserve a place, please contact Revd Suzanne (0838003233). Details to follow and on request.  



Cost of Living

In light of the rise in fuel costs due to conflict in the Middle East, the Church of Ireland’s Church and Society Commission wishes to highlight the cost-of-living hub on the Church’s website:


The hub can be found at https://www.churchofireland.org/resources/659/responding-to-the-cost-of, and includes details of helplines, price comparison websites and helpful information. 




Spring, Summer and Late Summer Concerts 
(Subject to change)
  • Cór Mhaigh Eo and a visiting choir from Competa (near Malaga), Spain, in Holy Trinity Westport, on the afternoon of Saturday 18 April. (Time tbc.)
  • PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED OF NECESSITY: Fundraising Concert for St Thomas's Dugort, Friday 24 April.
  • Louisburgh Concert: Wed 27 May, 7.30pm in Holy Trinity Westport
  • Bella Capella, in Christ Church, Castlebar, Saturday 6 June. Details to follow.
  • Blue Jazz Festival 'Gospel Hour' Service: Sunday 7 June, 11.30am in Holy Trinity Westport. 
  • Goethe Choir, Concert in Holy Trinity Westport, afternoon of 13 June at 3pm.
  • Westport Comhaltas Concert, Sat 20 June, in Holy Trinity Westport 
  • Scoil Acla Recital Concert: evening of Wed 29 July, in St Thomas's Dugort. Details to follow.
  • Westport Festival of Chamber Music: Concerts on Friday (evening) 11 Sept, Saturday (afternoon) 12 Sept, and Sunday (afternoon) 13 September, in Holy Trinity Westport. Details to follow from WFoCM. 



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 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 

As announced. The next service in Holy Trinity Church, Inishbiggle, will be on Easter Monday, 6 April. Contact us for details. 


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 link or 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 and bless you +



Westport-Dugort Parishes: includes Holy Trinity Church Westport, St Thomas's Dugort, and Holy Trinity Inishbiggle


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

If you are able and willing to contribute to the fundraising efforts towards the next stage of repair works to 'HTW', please contact the Rector (aughaval@tuam.anglican.org) or the Hon Treasurer (bstrutty@gmail.com), or use the link or Westport-Dugort QR code (above). All help is gratefully received. 
Thank you for all donations and support received to date. 



Christ Church, Castlebar  


Christ Church, Castlebar  
(Info. Trevor Ardill, Hon. Treasurer - contact details on request)

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




Turlough Church of Ireland Parish Church

https://www.idonate.ie/cause/TurloughChurchofIreland

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, 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 for financial support in 2025 towards the churches and their upkeep can be found here:

Pastoral care and enquiries:  

Rector: Revd Suzanne Cousins 
Aughaval Group of Parishes, 
United Dioceses of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe, Church of Ireland 
Tel. +353 83 800 3233 
Email aughaval@tuam.anglican.org

Aughaval Parishes' website  aughaval.tlk.ie

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

 

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