Today's Gospel in Lent, 16 March

 

Please scroll down for today's gospel, notes and notices.


St Patrick's Day

St Patrick's Day, 17 March, will be celebrated in our grouped parishes with a special service in Holy Trinity Westport at 10am, to give thanks for our patron saint. Tea/coffee to follow. Fáilte! 

Please note. There will be no Midweek Holy Communion service this Wed (18 March). The Online Prayer and Bible Reading will take place as usual, at 8pm. Link below.


Benita Stoney, retiring from Select Vestry service after 25 years 
and 8 years as Hon. Secretary, was presented with flowers on Sunday 15 March
by the new Rector's Church Warden, Shirley Larkin.


Today's Gospel    John 4:43-54

When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honour in the prophet’s own country). When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.

Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum.When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  

Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’ The official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my little boy dies.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.  

As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, ‘Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.’ The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.



Sacred Space

You can find a gentle and helpful prayer guide here:

https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2026-03-16



Christian Art

https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-4-43-54-2026/



Notices

St Patrick's Day   Tues 17 March, 10am, The Eucharist, in Holy Trinity Westport, followed by tea in the church. 


Turlough Easter Vestry Meeting,  21 March, after 7pm service, in the church.


The purpose of the Easter Vestry meeting (the Annual Meeting of the General Vestry) is twofold:

1. The presentation of the previous year's accounts (2025); and

2. The election of a new Select Vestry for the year ahead (2026 - 2027).


In a Triennial Year the following appointments are also made:

- A Diocesan Synodsperson plus a Supplemental; and

- A Parochial Nominator, plus a Supplemental.


All are welcome to the meeting and those whose names are on the General Vestry Register are entitled to vote. 


If you wish to nominate someone for Select Vestry membership or for one of the above appointments, the individual must give their consent in advance. 

Further information, please contact us: email aughaval@tuam.anglican.org. 



 Confirmation Prep Session 3,  Sat 21 March, 10am in the Rectory.

School Service, for Holy Trinity National School, Tues 24 March (time to be confirmed) Service in Lent Holy Trinity Westport. Family and friends are invited and welcome.  

Wed weekly at 10.30 am  Holy Communion in Holy Trinity Westport, followed by coffee in Cornrue. PLEASE NOTE, no service on 18 March. 

Wed online prayer 8pm. Link on WhatsApp group or on request, 0838003233


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, Sun 29 March, 10am. 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 Pebble'. 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

 

Tuesday in Holy Week, 31 March

        - 8pm Compline in the Rectory

 

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

 

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.  


Fresh opportunities to serve, Holy Trinity Westport

    Clean Team, Flower Team, Welcome and Hospitality Team

If you are willing to help on the Clean Team or on the Flower Team, please contact Barbara Shepphard (number on request). Flowers are next needed on Easter Day.

If you are willing to help on the Welcome and Hospitality Team, please contact Shirley Kitterick or Mary Farr (number on request). 



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.)
  • A Social and Fundraising Concert for St Thomas's Dugort, Friday evening, 24 April. Details to follow. 
  • 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. 
  • Louisburgh Concert: Wed 27 May, 7.30pm in Holy Trinity Westport
  • 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, their upkeep, ministry and mission 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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