Aughaval Group of Parishes

Monday 21 April 2025 Yesterday we celebrated Easter Day, Resurrection Day.  The gospel reading told us of the empty tomb of Jesus and of Mary’s encounter with the risen Lord. Today’s gospel continues the story.  Matthew 28: 8-15 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’ While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’...

  Anastasis ,  Chora Church/Museum, Istanbul,  Fresco, 1350.  Public domain  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9843517 The Gospel    John 20:1-9 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings ...

  Easter Eve/ Holy Saturday Easter Eve Service -         7pm in Turlough, early All-age 'Easter Vigil' and Easter Communion The gospel reading      Luke 24:1-12 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body.While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. No...

  Easter Communion Services The Easter story represents an important message of hope and joy which are for children too! Why not bring the children to church this weekend and let them hear the story in a way they will relate to and enjoy, for example, with extracts from the Rhyming Bible . Bob Hartman's Rhyming Bible Easter Communion Service times: Turlough Church  - Saturday 19 April, 7pm  Christ Church Castlebar - Sunday 20 April, 10am Holy Trinity Westport in St Mary's Church - Sunday 20 April, 12 noon, followed by tea and treats in Carrowbeg House  St Thomas's Dugort - Sunday 20 April, 3pm Holy Trinity Inishbiggle (weather permitting) - Monday 21 April, curragh leaving Dorian's Point Ballycroy at 10am.  (Please let us know by end of Sat 19 April if you wish to come along. Email aughaval@tuam.anglican.org.)  You’re welcome!

  Christ of St John of the Cross Salvador Dali, 1951, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow. John 19:17-42 So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew  is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth,  the King of the Jews.’ Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew,  in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, ‘Do not write, “The King of the Jews”, but, “This man said, I am King of the Jews.”   ’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written I have written.’ When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took...

  Maundy Thursday This evening's services in the parishes are as below. Why not come along to one? -  Last Holy Communion before Easter , 6.30pm  in St Mary’s. The Right Revd Michael Burrows,  Bishop  TLK, will  preside and preach. -  Tenebrae , 8pm in Christ Church Castlebar.   With musical contributions by Opera singer Hubert Francis and organist Siobhan Kilkelly. For all in the community.  Washing of the Feet    14th century Capella dei Scrovegni, Padua Public domain, photo by  José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro Wikimedia Commons https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Washing_of_the_Feet_-_Capella_dei_Scrovegni_-_Padua_2016.jpg : John 13:1-15 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him.   A...

  Tenebrae You are warmly invited to come and experience Tenebrae on Thursday in Holy Week (Maundy Thursday) in Christ Church Castlebar at 8pm. Tenebrae (Latin, “darkness” or “shadows”) dates back to the seventh or eighth century A.D. Since medieval times tenebrae has been the name given to the monastic morning and night-time services (Matins and Lauds) of the last three days of Holy Week.  Our partly candlelit version of the service is composed of Bible readings, music and song and poetic interjections, all capturing the last hours of Christ’s life, dramatising his Passion. It reminds us of the extreme price God in Christ paid to redeem us and the world.  Each part of the service brings us closer to the barrenness and darkness of a world without Christ. Yet darkness and hope are held in tension with the conclusion of the service and our shared anticipation of the Easter event to come! We are delighted again this year to welcome international opera singer Hubert Francis ...

  Wednesday in Holy Week Join the small group that gathers on Wednesday mornings in St Mary's Church Westport (South Mall) for Holy Communion at 10.30am.  Those who wish to may then enjoy coffee and chat in the Clew Bay Hotel (James Street, Westport) from 11am approx. Wednesday in Holy Week is also known in some traditions informally as Spy Wednesday , alluding to events as they unfold in today's gospel reading. Judas Iscariot retiring from the Last Supper,  by Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-1890) Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Matthew 26:14-25 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I betray him to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ He said, ‘Go into the...

  Last Supper Cathedral of Sancti Spiritus, Cuba by Anagoria - Own work, CC BY 3.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18890755 Today's gospel reading      John 13:21-33, 36-38 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’  So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.  After he received the piece of bread,  Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘Do quickly what you are going to do.’ Now no one at the table kne...

  Monday in Holy Week, at Croagh Patrick "Monday on the Mountain" Pilgrims on Monday in Holy Week, at Croagh Patrick. With thanks to Fr John Kenny for the photos and leading the group.

Thank you to everyone who brought the dramatised readings of the Palm and Passion liturgies to the Palm Sunday services in Turlough, Castlebar, Westport and Dugort, and special thanks to Kenn McLaughlin (Christ Church Castlebar) for the production. Here are two photos from Chris Church Castlebar and Westport  (Holy Trinity in St Mary’s, where Fr John Kenny played Jesus. Thank you also to the families who brought the children along to take part in the simple Palm Sunday processions. The children did great and are such important and precious members of our congregations and communities. 

  Holy Week and Easter Observances  Everyone is warmly invited. Palm Sunday, 13 April (also, Eve of Palm Sunday, 7pm in Turlough COI Parish Church) : The Liturgy of the Passion, with  The Mark Drama  which   is being organised by Kenn McLaughlin, Castlebar Parish, with others from across the parishes.  - Turlough Sat 12 April, 7pm in Turlough - Christ Church Castlebar, 10am on Sun 13 April - Westport, Holy Trinity congregation, 12 noon in St Mary's Westport, on Sun 13 April  - St Thomas’s Dugort, Achill, 3pm, with Palm Sunday Eucharist  Monday in Holy Week,14 April: - 11am, Monday on the Mountain.   Meet in Murrisk carpark for a gentle walk to the St Patrick statue, and prayers. Suitable for all ages.  -  8pm  Compline in Christ Church Castlebar Tuesday in Holy Week, 15 April   8pm Compline in the Rectory. Wed in Holy Week  (‘Spy Wednesday’),  16 April  -  The Eucharist, 10.30am , St Mary...

  Monday in Holy Week Jesus in the home of Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead, and an outpouring of love and devotion      John 12:1-11     Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.    But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial....