Today's Gospel, Thurs 23 April. Bread from heaven

 

Welcome!

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


Worship this weekend in the Aughaval Parishes

Saturday 25 April:
  • 7pm, Turlough Church, Evening Prayer, led by Alan Cousins (Diocesan Reader-in-training)
Sunday 26 April:
  • 10am, Christ Church Castlebar, Morning Prayer, followed by tea
  • 11.30am, Holy Trinity Westport, The Eucharist/Holy Communion, followed by tea
  • 3pm, St Thomas's Dugort, Achill, The Eucharist/Holy Communion



The Gathering of the Manna
by James Tissot, painted between 1896 and 1902
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8849141


Today's Gospel    John 6:44-51

[Jesus said,] 

No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.  

Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’


Sacred Space

You can find a helpful prayer guide here:

https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2026-04-23


Christian Art

You can find a helpful reflection here:




Notices and information
Subject to change

Youth and Children's Ministry: 

  • Video, 'Earth Day for Kids'

https://youtu.be/0yTuVn2XtRU?si=sS8AwV23vnV2Cjt7


  • Sunday Club  

Our next Sunday Club get-together will take place on 10 May, starting in the service at 11.30am in Holy Trinity Westport. Information: Steffi Jabaraj,  +353 89 941 8165

End-of-Year event for all the children of the Aughaval Group of Parishes will be on Sat 20 June. Please save the date! Details to follow after Planning Meeting. Planning meeting: Tues 5 May at 7.30pm 


  • Confirmation preparation

Our next two sessions will be on Sat 23 May and Sat 6 June at 10am in the Rectory, Westport. Parents, please see Confirmation WhatsApp Group for notes and resources.  



Contemplative Prayer and A Time to Heal: 'Be Still & Know'

Sunday 24 May, 3pm in St Thomas's Dugort, Achill

You are warmly invited to this special event run by the Church's Ministry of Healing, Ireland (CMHI). Approximately an hour and a half long, including tea in St Thomas's Hall. Info., aughaval@tuam.anglican.org.
     


April is Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. If you or someone close to you is affected by autism and would like to help us make our churches (- Christ Church Castlebar, Turlough Church, Holy Trinity Westport, and St Thomas's Dugort, Achill) more autism-friendly, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please drop the rector a line at aughaval@tuam.anglican.org or call us.


April is Autism Awareness Month
Banner at Carrowbeg House (St Mary's Church), Westport

Concerts in Castlebar and Westport  
  • Louisburgh Concert: Wed 27 May, 7.30pm, a fundraising concert for Holy Trinity Westport, in Holy Trinity Westport. Please spread the word!
  • Carra Singers, concert Thur 4 June at 7.30/ 8pm, in Christ Church, Castlebar. 
  • Bella Capella, Sat 6 June in Christ Church, Castlebar. Details to follow.
  • Blue Jazz Festival 'Gospel Hour' Service, Sun 7 June, 11.30am in Holy Trinity Westport. Bring your family and friends along for this uplifting time. 


Goethe Choir, Dublin

  • Westport Children’s Choir end-of-year concert, Sat 20 June at 2pm in Holy Trinity Church, Westport. Come along, enjoy the music, and encourage Eriko and the children at the close of a very special year which included the choir performing in Carnegie Hall, New York. Congratulations to all! 
  • Westport Comhaltas Concert, Sat 20 June, in Holy Trinity Westport. Details to follow. 
  • Scoil Acla Annual 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. 


Thank you!
Thank you to Cór Mhaigh Eo and Coro de Cómpeta (Spain) and to everyone who supported the Voices of Iberia & Eire concert on Sat 18 April, in Holy Trinity Westport. You can listen to an extract from the (wonderful) concert here:


The cushion rentals on the day raised €206.40 towards Holy Trinity repair funds.  



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, followed by tea/coffee.
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, followed by tea/coffee.
- Wednesdays at 10.30am, Midweek Holy Communion, followed (from 29 April) by coffee (from 11.05am)  in the Clew Bay Hotel. 


Dugort, Achill 

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

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

Services are followed by tea/coffee occasionally. 


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 and restoration 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) 

*Westport-Dugort Union of COI Parishes are registered as a charity with the Charities Regulatory Authority under the Tuam, Killala and Achonry charity No. 20015237 and the Revenue Commissioners No. CHY 7241.

If you are able and willing to contribute to the fundraising efforts towards the next stage of repair works to 'HTW', or if you would like information on the project, 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). 

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)

*Turlough Parish Church is registered as a charity with the Charities Regulatory Authority under the Tuam, Killala and Achonry charity No. 20015237 and the Revenue Commissioners No. CHY 7241. 



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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