Aughaval Group of Parishes

Illumination, A Sacred Opus Heartfelt thanks on behalf of the congregation of Holy Trinity Church, Westport (Westport-Dugort Union of Parishes) and the Aughaval Group of COI Parishes, to everyone who came along on Friday evening, 30 May, to this stunning concert, held in support of HTW repairs. The congregation of Holy Trinity have been out of their usual place of worship since 27 January for reasons of safety following damage internally, to the ceiling, as a result of Storm Éowyn. In the meantime St Mary's Church Westport and Fr John Kenny have welcomed the Holy Trinity congregation warmly and with remarkable hospitality, and we continue to be deeply grateful to them for providing a safe and friendly sacred space, including for this fundraiser concert. Enormous thanks are due, then, to Kathy Fahey for getting in touch way before the storm and offering to bring 'Illumination', inspired by the Northern Lights/ Aurora Borealis , to Westport for the purpose of raising funds a...

Inter Faith Conference 2025 Dialogue of Friendship: Listening Well to Build Communities  The title of this year’s Church of Ireland Inter Faith Conference was Dialogue of Friendship: Listening Well to Build Communities  This conference was organised by the COI's Inter Faith Working Group in partnership for the third year running with Faith in Sanctuary Ireland. The report which follows was written by the Diocesan Communications Officer for Dublin and Glendalough, Lynn Glanville, and can be found on the D&G and Church of Ireland websites.  Change the World One Conversation at a Time – Dialogue of Friendship Conference:  “Don’t try to change the world, change your circle of influence.” This was the key message from Dr Ebun Joseph who spoke as part of the Dialogue of Friendship: Listening Well to Build Communities conference in Dundrum Methodist Church on Saturday May 17. Dr Joseph urged participants to tackle racism and injustice one conversation at a time through ...

  The Sixth Sunday of Easter: Rogation Sunday 25th May 2025 Blessing the Fields on Rogation Sunday at Hever, Kent, in 1967 by Ray Trevena Wikipedia,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13090404 The 6th Sunday of Easter is known traditionally as Rogation Sunday. Rogation Days were special days of prayer before Ascension Thursday. The prayers were for God’s blessing for the fields to bear fruit.  The priest and people would walk through their fields praying and blessing their crops.   The sequence of Rogation Days leading up to Ascension encouraged communities to prepare for God’s new creation of heaven and earth.   Hymns *695 - God of mercy, God of grace *S30 - Don't build your house on the sandy land  *97 - Jesus shall reign where'er the sun  *549 - Dear Lord and Father of mankind    Collect Two O God, you have prepared for those who love you  such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such...

                             This weekend in the parishes You are warmly invited to the following services and events: Sat 23 May: Evening Prayer, 7pm in Turlough Church Sunday 24 May: - 10am, Morning Prayer, Christ Church Castlebar, followed by tea in the church - 12 noon, Holy Communion, Holy Trinity Westport congregation (in St Mary's Church, S Mall), followed by tea in Carrowbeg House - 12 noon, Westport (HTW) Sunday Club, starting in the service in St Mary's Church (South Mall) and moving next door to Carrowbeg House - 3pm, Evening Prayer, St Thomas's Dugort, Achill, led by Parish Reader Benita Stoney Sunday Club Team: Paul, Steffi, Shirley, outside Holy Trinity National School, Westport Midwest Radio This weekend's Religious worship service on Midwest Radio is from the Aughaval Parishes and will be aired at 9.00am on Sunday (25 May).  https://www.midwestradio.ie/ Today's gospel      ...

Community Radio Castlebar (CRCfm) interview  On Monday 12 May Anne Marie Gibbons of CRCfm interviewed Revd Suzanne Cousins and esteemed musician and composer Kathy Fahey, about an upcoming musical event, ‘Illumination’. Poceeds of this much-anticipated concert will go towards Holy Trinity Church (Westport) restoration and repairs, with the present state of closure of the church in mind and efforts to bring about its reopening.  ‘Illumination’, t he stunning 'Sacred Opus', was composed by Kathy Fahey and is sponsored by Port West. T he performance (approximately 90 minutes) will take place on Friday 30 May in St Mary’s Church, Westport, on the Mall.  You can listen to an extract of the interview or the full interview, about the event and about the church, its history and status and current predicament, at the links below.  Our sincere thanks to Kathy and her guests Anne Marie herself and Andrew Gavin, to Vocalessence Choir and Mayo Concert Orchestra, to Port West...

  Saturday 3 May was a special day in Castlebar, not just because of Mayo Day (Friday 2 May) and Weekend, nor because of Mayo Pink Ribbon Cycle, but on account of a wedding in Christ Church on the Mall. The Marriage of Graham Potterton and Jayne Tuthill of Carbury, Kildare, took place in the church which was tastefully decorated and wonderfully full to the brim with happy people - family and friends of the bride and groom. The bride’s mother, Mrs Hazel Tuthill, played the organ, backed by the string quartet which welcomed the truly beautiful bride and enriched the service also at later points. The service was led by the couple’s own rector, the Revd Alan Melbourne (pictured with Esther), officiating, who with the bridal party, family and guests, was welcomed warmly.  The church and churchyard looked pristine in the sunshine, overlooking the Mall, a fitting venue to receive the bridal party and guests and to offer refreshments after the service.   We wish Graham and Jayne...

  Friday 2nd May took a number of us, thanks to Mayo County Council, to beautiful Inishturk for the official opening of the Inishturk helipad, by the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and the Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary TD. We took the ferry from Roonagh Pier in perfect weather conditions and were welcomed warmly some 30-40 minutes later by the wonderful islanders who led the way to the Community Centre for introductions and inspiring speeches, some traditional music, and refreshments. Congratulations to the dedicated team who saw the project through to its completion and this memorable celebration.  Here are a few photos of the event, below. Irish Coastguard crew with Minister Dara Calleary TD   Speeches in the Community Centre   Minister Dara Calleary TD Fr John Kenny, St Mary's Church, Westport Revd Suzanne was delighted to meet another Co. Down woman! St Columba's Church Fr John, Keira Keogh TD, Revd Suzanne See also...

  Eastertide Letter to the Aughaval Group of Parishes Alleluia, the Lord is risen!  1 st  May 2025 Christ Church, Castlebar, in the April sunshine Dear friends,   Resurrection Greetings in this Eastertide season when we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and with it our personal spiritual resurrection, along with promised future “resurrection of the dead” and the reconciliation of all things (see, e.g., Colossians 1: 20).  We can think of the Resurrection of Christ also as that which one Contemplative thinker and writer,  Brian McLaren  (in Centre for Action and  Contemplation; see cac.org) ,  refers to as “the resurrection of the world”. He asks….    “What might happen if every Easter we celebrated the resurrection not merely as the resuscitation of a single corpse nearly two millennia ago, but more—as the ongoing resurrection of all humanity through Christ? Easter could be the annual affirmation of our ongoing resurrection...