Aughaval Group of Parishes

Today's gospel and prayer resources  In today's gospel Jesus continues to prepare the disciples for his departure and absence and the coming of the Holy Spirit to them and to the world in a new way.    A prayer from the Church's Ministry of Healing The gospel       John 16:5-15 But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate  will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about  sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. Scared Space...

Services today, Sunday, in the Aughaval Parishes:  Castlebar, 10am,  followed by tea Westport (in St Mary's), 12 noon, with Sunday Club, and followed by tea Dugort, Achill, 3pm Christ taking leave of the Apostles  from the Maesta   by Duccio di Buoninsegna,  1308–1311 Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7922656 John 14:23-29 Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate,  the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, an...

  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      ...

  This weekend in the Aughaval Parishes: Sat 10 May: - 7pm, Evening Prayer, Turlough, led by Roslyn Potter, Parish Reader Sunday 11 May: - 10am, Holy Communion, in Christ Church Castlebar, with prayers led by one of our church children - 12 noon, Holy Communion, Westport congregation (in St Mary's Church, S Mall), followed by tea in Carrowbeg House - 3pm, Holy Communion, in St Thomas's Dugort, Achill Welcome to the Aughaval Parishes The Fifth Sunday of Easter, 18th May 2025   Hymns are from this group: 321 - Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty  525 - Let there be love shared among us  499 - When I needed a neighbour, were you there 432 - Love is his word, love is his way     Children’s memory verse song:  Beloved, let us love one another   https://youtu.be/N9C1tAYgWBw?si=f_pnWqaP1s9-Ds2m   Collect Two Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son  overcame the old order of sin and death to make all...

Today's gospel: 17 May 2025 The gospel      John 14:7-14 [Jesus said] If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask m...

On Sunday 11 May, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, 'Good Shepherd Sunday', it was a pleasure to welcome to St Thomas's Dugort visitors from Finland (pictured) - from the Evangelical Lutheran Church - as well as from St Alban's and Huddersfield, England, and a party from 'Solid Rock' fellowship church in Drogheda. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Finland, like the Church of Ireland, is a member of the Porvoo Communion. 'Porvoo' is a fellowship of 15 Anglican and Lutheran churches throughout Europe. Among this year's speeches at this year’s Church of Ireland General Synod, reference was made to the importance of our Porvoo Communion relationships, and in light of this it was particularly good to make new Finnish friends and learn about their experience of church and faith in their own context. At St Thomas's Dugort, Achill Porvoo You can learn more about the Porvoo Communion here: https://porvoocommunion.org/ "The Porvoo Communion is a communio...

This weekend (10-11 May) there were tragic drowning accidents at Newport Quay, Co Mayo, and on Lough Swilly, Donegal. Also, a young Spanish student died in a road crash in Waterford. In our church services we prayed for the families and communities in their shock and grief. Here are some prayers (from the Church of Ireland's online resources), below, which may be helpful for us to use at home as well as when gathering. Photo:  Inishturk angel, at St Columba's Church Prayers for Use in Cases of Sudden and Unexpected Death God of hope, we come to you in shock and grief and confusion of heart. Help us to find peace in the knowledge of your loving mercy to all your children, and give us light to guide us out of our darkness into the assurance of your love, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For the Bereaved God our strength and our redeemer: you do not leave us in this life nor abandon us in death. Hear our prayer for those in despair, when days are full of darkness and the future s...

"My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand." (John 10: 27-28)  BULLETIN The Fourth Sunday of Easter 11th May 2025 Good Shepherd Sunday     Hymns    365 - Praise to the Lord, the Almighty    655 - Loving Shepherd of your sheep 644 - Faithful Shepherd, feed me                                          528 - The Church's one foundation   Collect  Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life:  Raise us, who trust in him, from the death of sin to the life of righteousness,  that we may seek those things which are above, where he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen. ...