Aughaval Group of Parishes

  A note from the Rector and the Grouped Parishes' Youth and Children's Team: Dear friends, In light of the seriousness of the weather warnings from Met Eireann and icy road and walking conditions, and for the sake of everyone's safety, we have decided to postpone the All-age Christingle event planned for tomorrow (4th Jan) and to hold it instead next Saturday, 11th Jan, conditions allowing, at the same time of 11am - 12.30pm, in Holy Trinity Church, Westport.  We hope this will not cause too much disappointment for the children and that the change of plan will enable more of us to come along and enjoy the event next weekend.  Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to seeing you soon. Keep safe and warm!

  This Weekend in the Parishes  -  Sat 4 Jan ,  All-age Messy New Year Christingle, 11am - 12.30, in Holy Trinity Westport. Information: Steffi 089 941 8165 or Shirley 087 638 8503.  Please note , we are keeping an eye on the weather forecast and will confirm early on Saturday morning if the event is going ahead.  Services this weekend:  Sat 4 Jan, 7pm, Turlough, Evening Prayer Sun 5 Jan, 10am in Christ Church,  Castlebar,  Feast of the Epiphany  (transferred ) Sun 5 Jan, 11.30am, Holy Trinity,  Westport,  Feast of the Epiphany  (transferred ) Next service in St Thomas's Dugort, Achill: Sun 12 Jan, 3pm Next service in  Holy Trinity, Inishbiggle: to be confirmed -  Sunday Club,  12 January , starting in Holy Trinity Church, Westport at 11.30am. For all children of school age.  Info Steffi +353 89 941 8165 or Shirley +353 87 638 8503.    -  New Year Table Quiz, Fri 7 February , 7.30pm ...

  In the liturgical calendar, 1st January is the called The Naming and Circumcision of Jesus .  What a strange thing for us to celebrate on New Year's Day, or at least, the latter part of the Feast/Day! Saint Joseph with the Infant Jesus, Guido Reni, c 1635  Wikicommons, p ublic domain h ttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Joseph_with_the_Infant_Jesus_by_Guido_Reni,_c_1635.jpg   The significance of the circumcision of Jesus can be variously understood, not least, in Christian thought, that it means that God chose, when entering the world in the Incarnation, to do so as a Jew and as a male and to submit Godself to Jewish customs and traditions. This, of course, is a mystery. We can speculate and theologise but we cannot know why God chose it to be so. We cannot know  the mind of the Divine but Christians accept this, God's choice. We accept it in faith and in light of the conviction based on the authority of   Scripture, Tradition and Reason   ...

  The Gate of the Year Dear Friends, At the close of the year and the threshold of another, a prayerful good wish for a Happy New Year to each and all - a continuation of the Blessing which we have been sharing during this Christmas season, and a well-known poem, The Gate of the Year (below).   Blessing May the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the perseverance of the wise men, the obedience of Joseph and Mary, and the peace of the Christ child be yours this Christmas [and New Year]; + and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen. I said to a man who stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."  And he replied, "Go out into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way. So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me t...

  You are warmly invited to join Bishop Michael (pictured, July 2023) on Wed 1st January at 10.30am in Holy Trinity Church, Westport, for a New Year's Day Service of Holy Communion, an opportunity to mark the incoming of 2025 with personal and shared prayer and thanksgiving and to recommit ourselves to God's love and service. This will be a short service followed by tea/coffee. All welcome.   

  You can access the bulletin here, containing the day's lectionary readings, Collect and notices.  https://www.scribd.com/document/809406506/Bulletin-for-the-Aughaval-Parishes-Christmas-IC-29-Dec-2024 A  missing notice on the bulletin is that bishop Michael will be presiding at Holy Communion on New Year’s Day in Holy Trinity Westport, at 10.30am. He would love to have your company if you can make it. Followed by tea/coffee.  Bishop Michael Burrows addressing the children of Holy Trinity National School,  in October 2023, during his Peregrinations.

  Christmas-New Year Letter from the Rector     Dear Friends,              ‘Emanuel, God with us’ I hope at this Christmastime that, whatever your circumstances, you are experiencing the “comfort and joy” of the good tidings of God’s coming to us and dwelling with us in our Lord Jesus Christ.    Sincere thanks  Sincere thanks to everyone for all the behind-the-scenes work in the churches and parishes in preparing for the many Advent and Christmas services and events which took place, and especially to those who helped with the children’s activities, Crib services, music and readings. We were especially blessed in the area of music this year, with magnificent musical contributions from many gifted artists.  See:  https://aughaval.tlk.ie/2024/12/magnificent-music-brought-depth-and.html   Scripture, Comfort and Joy  This time of year can be difficult for many people. We hold in love and prayer all who are ...

Christmas Day visitors to Westport, Rachel and Jonathan Services this weekend, which includes a ‘fifth Sunday’ (in the month): Sat 28 Dec, 7pm in Turlough Church, Evening Prayer Sun 29 Dec, 10am in Christ Church, Castlebar, Morning Prayer Sun 29 Dec, 11.30am in Holy Trinity, Westport, Holy Communion, followed by tea/coffee  Next week: Wed 1 Jan 2025, 10.30am, Midweek Holy Communion, with Bishop Michael  Sat 4 Jan, 11am – 12.30pm, ‘Messy New Year Christingle Sat 4 Jan, 7pm in Turlough Church, Holy Communion We'd love to have your company!  

We were truly blessed to have so much professional input to our Christmas services this year in the parishes, including singers James Kilbane ( James Kilbane Music ), David Durham (see https://mayomalevoicechoir.ie/david-durham/ ) and Hubert Francis (see https://hubertfrancis.com ), Chris O'Malley (Westport Festival of Chamber Music), and organists John Dexter and Siobhan Kilkelly. Sincere thanks to them all for the musical depth and sparkle that they brought to the services.  In the Service of Nine Lessons & Carols in Holy Trinity Westport, we were delighted again this year to have the Choir of St Mary's Westport sing for us and with us (sincere thanks to Dan Delaney), and that our own Barbara Sheppard ( Parish Reader, Westport) brought a beautiful rendition of Don Oiche Úd i mBeitheal  accompanied by Chris O’Malley and Westport Traditional Irish Musicians.  See also: https://www.facebook.com/AughavalParishes/posts/pfbid0uBUerDk8UFFPpYqPnxXaS92wpBMErM5hKzXDAhLVeU8KMh...

  Today, 26 December, we celebrate Stephen, who was a deacon in the New Testament church in Jerusalem and the first Christian martyr.   St Stephen, by Giacomo Cavedone, 1601 Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7934119 You can read the account of Stephen's speech/ sermon and his martyrdom, in Acts chapter 7, and more about him here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Stephen   Acts 7 (NRSV, Oremus) Then the high priest asked him, ‘Are these things so?’   2 And Stephen replied: ‘Brothers  and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, “Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.”  4 Then he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living.  5 He did not give him any of it as a heritage...

  Turlough Crib Service 2024 Holy Trinity, Westport St Thomas's Dugort Christ Church, Castlebar,  Christmas morning, 2024

  Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Christmas Eve, Feast of the Nativity (Christmas Communion): 7pm in Turlough Parish Church, and 11pm in Holy Trinity Westport.  Christmas Day, Feast of the Nativity (Christmas Communion): 9.30am in Christ Church Castlebar, and 11am in Holy Trinity Westport. You're welcome!

  This is Steffi and Paul, a.k.a. Mary and Joseph (see Crib Service, 22nd December, below), who last weekend celebrated the first anniversary of their wedding which took place in southern India. Steffi and Paul lead the Sunday Club children’s ministry in Holy Trinity Westport, and we are blessed to have them! Let's pray for them in their lives and ministry. 

Christmas Services of Holy Communion (The Eucharist)  in the Aughaval Parishes: - Sunday 22 December, 3pm in St Thomas’s Dugort, Achill - Christmas Eve, 24 December, 7pm in Turlough -  Christmas Eve, 24 December,  ‘Midnight Christmas Communion’, 11pm in Holy Trinity, Westport - Christmas Day, 25 December, 9.30am in Christ Church, Castlebar and 11am in Holy Trinity Westport All are welcome to come and celebrate the Nativity and God's great gift to us all.

Watch Bishop Michael’s message here  or, follow this link:  https://youtu.be/ynypD1-KvI0?si=A8iD1FTE7azeg--5 .       

  Holy Trinity Westport Crib Service, 22 December 2024  Children gather round the manger, with Mary and Joseph The third of this year's Crib Services took place on Sunday morning, 22 December, in Holy Trinity Westport. Children (and adults!) had been invited to attend dressed in simple Nativity costume (- dressing gowns, towels, tea towels, etc.) or to borrow a costume from the Nativity dressing-up box which had been placed in the church for the occasion. We were delighted that the 'cast' included: two angels, a donkey, two wise men, Mary and Joseph, and of course, the baby Jesus. The service included eight short readings telling the Christmas Story, and parts of nine carols. (See below for details.) There was a sense of joyful worship and remembrance, and refreshments were enjoyed in the church after the service.  Our thanks to everyone who contributed or supported by one means or another. Next service in HTW: Christmas Eve Holy Communion, 11pm; Christmas Day Communion, ...