Aughaval Group of Parishes

  Sincere thanks to everyone in the community and the parishes who supported the recent fundraising events for repairs to Holy Trinity Church, Westport.  The Table Quiz (7 Feb 2025), hosted by the Clew Bay Hotel, raised 1000 euros. The Concert by Dublin Choral Union (3 March 2025), hosted by St Mary's Church Westport, raised 6,659 euros. A prayer of thanks  For  vibrant voice and music  and  the joy of fun with friends,  for resources joyfully shared, we give you thanks, O Lord, for these, knowing each gift reflects your face of love.   Amen. 

    Welcome to the Aughaval Parishes The Third Sunday in Lent, 23rd March 2025   “A man planted a fig tree…”  (Luke 13:6) Hymns 646 - Glorious things of thee are spoken 576 - I heard the voice of Jesus say 647 - Guide me, O thou great Jehovah   Collect  Merciful Lord,  Grant your people grace to withstand the temptations  of the world, the flesh and the devil  and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.   This collect may be said after the Collect of the day until Easter Eve: Almighty and everlasting God,  you hate nothing that you have made  and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:  Create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we, worthily lamenting our sins  and acknowledging our wretchedness,  may receive from you, the God of all mercy,  perfect remission and forgiveness;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.   The First Readin...

  This weekend, 21 – 23 March: Friday at 11am – 1pm:   Christ Church Castlebar, Open for drop-in visits Friday at 7.30pm: Westport Rectory, Lenten Movie Night with short study based on the Lent course, ‘ Christ and the Chocolaterie ’. Please let us know if you plan to come along.   Sat at 7pm: Turlough, Service of Holy Communion Sunday 10am: Christ Church Castlebar, Morning prayer followed by tea/coffee Sunday 12 noon: Holy Trinity Westport  meets in St Mary’s for Service of Holy Communion, followed by tea/coffee in Carrowbeg House.   Sunday 3pm: St Thomas’s Dugort,  Achill, Holy Communion

  Today's gospel touches on the subject of rejection and out of how Christ's rejection came the Cross and Resurrection, the means of our salvation and healing and the salvation of the world. Collects Almighty God,  you show to those who are in error the light of your truth  that they may return to the way of righteousness:  Grant to all those who are admitted  into the fellowship of Christ's religion,  that they may reject those things  that are contrary to their profession,  and follow all such things  as are agreeable to the same;  through our Lord Jesus Christ. Almighty and everlasting God,  you hate nothing that you have made  and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:  Create and make in us new and contrite hearts  that we, worthily lamenting our sins  and acknowledging our wretchedness,  may receive from you, the God of all mercy,  perfect remission and forgiveness;  through Jesus Ch...

  Today's gospel reading, 17 March  Luke 5:1-11 Once while Jesus  was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.  When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell...

  Bringing Mark to Life: A Creative Exploration of the Gospel of Mark   Palm Sunday sculpture: Jesus enters Jerusalem   Wednesday 9 th  April, 6 – 8pm  Unlock your creative voice while engaging with the Gospel of Mark. Rich in detail, Mark’s simple narrative is recognized as the foundational work for both the Gospel’s of Luke and Matthew. What about Mark’s writing so inspired others? And can his work inspire us today?  Through conversation, fellowship, and creative writing prompts, workshop participants will explore how key points in Mark’s storytelling can be understood through their own creative lens. Participants may create poetry, songs, short scenes or essays – which will be woven into sections of Mark’s original words thus creating a unique contemporary expression of the Gospel of Mark. The full work will be shared as part of the Palm Sunday liturgy on Palm Sunday, 13 April, at 10am in Christ Church Castlebar. The workshop is offered free of charge an...