Today's Gospel, Wed 30 Sept.

 

 Welcome!  Please scroll down for today's gospel reading and notices.

This week in the grouped parishes:

Wed 30 Sept

  • Please note that, unavoidably, there will be no midweek service today in Holy Trinity Westport, or online. 

Fri 2 Oct
  • Blessing of a Marriage, James and Zara Weaver, 5.30pm, Holy Trinity, Westport
  • Quiz Night in aid of HTW restoration funds. 7.30pm in Clew Bay Hotel, Westport

Sat 3 Oct, Blessing of Animals, 2pm at Murrisk Carpark. (See below.)

Today's Gospel   Luke 9:57-62

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ 

To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ 

Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’


Jesus the Homeless
Sculpture by Timothy Schmalz, 2013
at Regis College, Toronto
CC0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78195011

Sacred Space

You can find today's prayer guide with a short helpful devotional thought here:

https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2026-09-30/


To help us pray
Let us pray for:
- The peace of the world...
- The people of the world, including those in distress and need due to war or disaster...
- The healing of the world and the Season of Creation (1 Sept - 4 Oct)...
- The family of diocesan clergyperson Canon Ruth Gill, whose funeral took place yesterday in Birr...
- Comfort and healing for all bereaved parents and families...

If you have prayer requests, please email us at aughaval@tuam.anglican.org.


Notices
Subject to change
In the Diocese

Diocesan Confirmation Day - Sat 24 Oct. For all those confirmed in 2026. See posters in the churches.

Diocesan Synod - Sat 17 October. 
All Diocesan Synodspersons are requested to attend. For any who can't attend, the Rector and Hon Sec of the parish ought to be informed (asap) in order to allow the Supplemental Synodsperson to substitute. Thank you.


In the Aughaval Parishes

Fri 2 October
  • Blessing of a Marriage, James and Zara Weaver, 5.30pm, Holy Trinity, Westport
  • Quiz Night in aid of HTW restoration funds. 7.30pm in Clew Bay Hotel, Westport

Sat 3 October 
Annual Blessing of the Animals, 2pm in Murrisk Carpark. Don't miss this heart-warming event. Come along, with or without a pet. You too will be blessed!



Sunday 4 October 
Harvest Thanksgiving, Castlebar 10am - Guest preacher, Diocesan Reader, Alan Cousins.  Preparation of the church - Sat 3 Oct. (Please contact for arrangements.) 

Sunday 4 October 
YOUTH PRAISE Night - for the Young and Young at Heart!
7pm in Holy Trinity, Westport. For all in the community. All welcome.
We are grateful to friends from Amazing Grace Fellowship who will kindly be providing the music and equipment and leading the praise. 



Remaining Harvest Thanksgiving Services
Sunday 4 October  
  • Castlebar Harvest 10am - Guest preacher, Diocesan Reader, Alan Cousins
Sunday 11 October  
  • Westport Harvest 11.30am - Guest preacher, Revd John Wesley
  • Dugort Harvest, Achill 3pm - Guest preacher, Revd Carole Reynolds

Sunday 11 October - NB change of date.
A special visit to Holy Trinity Westport by winning GAA Team member and Westport parishioner, Rory Brickenden, to the 11.30am service on Sunday 11th October, followed by tea. Please come along if you can for this extra-special occasion.




Turlough's Harvest Festival    You can find more photos from Turlough's Harvest Festival of Flowers (Sat 12 Sept) on the parish's new Facebook page ('Turlough Parish Church') or at this link, below:

https://aughaval.tlk.ie/2026/09/harvest-festival-of-flowers-at-turlough.html


Thanks

Thanks to all who made the Inishbiggle Harvest Thanksgiving Service and outing (26 Sept) such a joyful occasion, including our ecumenical friend, Fr Chris Ginnley (Ballycroy), and ferrymen Michael and John, all pictured.  



Thank you to everyone who supported the Youth Night Out - Bowling and Food - in Castlebar, on 25 Sept. The young people and the not-so-young-people(!!) had a ball, and a bowl! 


Thank you to everyone who supported and attended the (incredible) Chamber Choir Ireland, 'Forgotten Peoples', concert, conducted by Gabriel Crouch, in HTW on 24 Sept. And thanks to all who hired cushions or made donations towards the church repairs. The amount raised in cash on the evening was 145 euros and 65 cent. 




Present practical needs and opportunities to serve 
in the Aughaval Parishes

Help is invited in these specific areas:

Fundraising and Social
  • Westport-Dugort Union of parishes is in need of volunteers to help with Fundraising. This work has a strong social and community-orientated aspect to it
Maintenance 
  • Westport-Dugort Union of parishes is in need of volunteers to help with light and occasional tidying and maintenance work, in the church grounds and graveyards.
  • St Thomas's Dugort is in need of an indoor cleaning session. 
  • Holy Trinity Inishbiggle is in need of a party of volunteers to undertake an indoor cleaning session. 
Health & Safety

Westport-Dugort parishes are in need of people with an eye for H&S to help us meet safety standards at each of the churches and or churchyards. 


If you can give some time and energy to any of these areas, please contact the Rector (aughaval@tuam.anglican.org / +353 83 800 3233) or any of the church wardens - numbers on request:

- Shirley Larkin or George Keegan (HTW)
- Kirsty Sweet or Willem van Goor (St Thomas's Dugort)
- Tom Fabby or Tom Kitterick (Knappagh)

  Thank you.


Regular times of Services
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.

*Turlough COI Parish is a registered charity: Registered Charity No. 20207056.

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, September-June inclusive, at 10.30am, Midweek Holy Communion, followed by coffee (from 11.05am) in the Clew Bay Hotel. These gatherings are valuable and uplifting times of fellowship and friendship. You're welcome to drop in!

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, September-June inclusive  
Every Wed from September-June inclusive, at 8pm, via Zoom. A fresh link will be published ahead of the meeting.


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 - their own or that of the Diocese (of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe) - 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 +


QR codes and links
Westport-Dugort Union of Parishes
- includes Holy Trinity Westport, St Thomas's Dugort, and Holy Trinity Inishbiggle. 

https://www.idonate.ie/donate/cause/WestportDugortParishes


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.

Sponsorship invited: 
If you are able 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  

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


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 COI Parish is a registered charity: Registered Charity No. 20207056.

Congratulations, thank you, and well done to the Turlough CRA team who succeeded in obtaining this important status for the parish. 


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 is in process of applying for its own CRA registration number. In the interim the parish is 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  diocesansecretary@tlk.ie, or Assistant Diocesan Secretary, Mr Damian Shorten at admin@tka.ie. 


Pastoral care and enquiries:

Revd Suzanne Cousins, Rector, Aughaval Group of Parishes 
United Dioceses of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe, Church of Ireland  
Tel. +353 83 800 3233 / +44 77 1303 7447 
Email aughaval@tuam.anglican.org
Aughaval Parishes' website  aughaval.tlk.ie

Facebook page for the Aughaval group: https://www.facebook.com/AughavalParishes 
Facebook page for Holy Trinity, Westport  https://www.facebook.com/
Facebook page (new) for Christ Church, Castlebar: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592320012165

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