Seasons of Blessing – Lessons from Lockdown
St Canice’s Church in Eglinton, Derry diocese, has produced a new book celebrating some of the things which have helped get people through lockdown.
On Wednesday afternoon, its Rector, Rev Canon Paul Hoey, presented a copy of ‘Seasons of Blessing – Lessons from Lockdown’, to Bishop Andrew Forster, who had written an introduction to the book and contributed a short piece, extolling the benefits he got from his daily walks with the dog.
Bishop Andrew was visibly impressed by the book. ‘Seasons of Blessing’ is a varied feast, including reflections and verses from scripture, observations by parishioners and members of the wider community, poems, recipes, cartoons and photographs. “Some items will make you laugh,” Canon Hoey writes in the preface, “some will inspire you to try something new, and some will invite you just to sit and be still and to know that, whatever you face, you are never alone.”
The book has been produced to raise funds for the St Canice’s Hall Restoration Appeal, which aims to replace the hall destroyed in the August 2017 flood. Copies cost £7 each and are available from St Canice’s Church – email stcaniceschurch@outlook.com or ring the Rector on 07712 873322.
Dalkey Christmas Trees sale to Support People Living in Direct Provision
The Dalkey Inter–Church Migrant Support Group was formed following a series of talks in Lent 2017 on the subject of migration. Arrangements were made to support families in Direct Provision in Mosney and several trips were arranged to places of interest including Dublin Zoo. In 2020/21 support is being provided to young people to study at third level.
The group includes parishioners from the Parish of the Assumption, St Patrick’s Church of Ireland and the Quaker Community in Monkstown. Funding for the group’s activities comes from donations and fund raising.
US Catholic bishops not sure about Biden
Are US Catholic bishops considering saying President-elect Biden is unwelcome at the communion rail? They’ve formed a working group on Biden’s position on abortion.
Episcopal priest Richard Balmer writing in the LA Times:
On Nov. 7, the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, José Gomez, archbishop of Los Angeles, congratulated Biden and Kamala Harris, and five days later so did Pope Francis. Then last week, Gomez wasn’t so sure. On Tuesday, at the end of the national meeting of the American bishops, he declared that the president-elect’s support for abortion rights presents the church with a “difficult and complex situation.”
News reports suggest that the bishops may want to deny Biden, a lifelong Catholic, access to the sacrament of Holy Communion, much the way that conservative bishops declared John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, unwelcome at the communion rail in their dioceses. Gomez has set up a task force to consider the matter. No one is yet calling this a threat of excommunication, but that effectively is what the bishops are considering.
Back in 2016, the same U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops rushed to congratulate Donald Trump after his presidential victory, even before the results were certified. This year, at least one member of the conference, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, refused to acknowledge Biden as president-elect after the race was called.
Advent Reflection from the Archbishop of Dublin
Archbishop Michael Jackson’s reflections for Advent begin on Advent Sunday, November 29. You will find the first reflection on the Dublin & Glendalough YouTube Channel on Sunday morning – link below. Subscribe to the channel to make sure you don’t miss the rest of the series which continues each Sunday and concludes on Christmas Day.
[[] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJQH1IpNHCI2ue7S782OlFw ]
RTE Broadcast Service from Christ Church Bray
The Revd Baden Stanley will lead an Advent Reflection Service from Christ Church Bray to be broadcast on the RTÉ News Now channel this Sunday, November 29, at 2.15pm. You can find RTE News Now on Saorview – channel 21, Virgin – channel 200, Sky – channel 578, Eir – channel 500 and on the RTÉ Player.
Mothers’ Union Service to highlight Gender Based Violence
Mothers’ Union in Dublin & Glendalough will hold a Service of the Word for 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence on Sunday November 29 on YouTube. The service will come from St Brigid’s Church of Ireland, Castleknock, Dublin 15 and will be available on the CMC Parish YouTube channel from 10am. See link below.
The speaker at the service will be Ms Ifrah Ahmed, who will talk about Female Genital Mutilation. Ifrah is an Irish citizen, Gender Advisor to the Prime Minister of Somalia and has set up the Ifrah Foundation whose aim is to eradicate FGM in Somalia and influence other governments in Africa to do the same. According to AkiDwa there is estimated to be 5,790 cases of women who have had FGM living in Ireland.
[[] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4GE2QH5nUxy5CdRZqoMrA ]
Online Services in Dublin & Glendalough
You can see a list of services, reflections and events for the first week of Advent here –
[[] https://dublin.anglican.org/news/2020/11/27/advent-week-1-services-reflections ]
Catholic Bishops’ weekly faith podcast
Faithcast is the weekly faith podcast from www.catholicnews.ie, the news source for the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The weekly podcast features interviews, news and stories of faith from the Catholic Church in Ireland. This is something that could be easily embedded as a permanent link or home page feature on your website. For more on the podcast see www.catholicbishops.ie/faithcast.
Pointers to prayer
Merciful God, bless those working with perpetrators of gender-based violence. Give them your wisdom and resources to bring about lasting transformation of lives.
Righteous God, help those who administer justice for victims and survivors of gender-based violence to make decisions with integrity and compassion. Amen
DR Congo: Goma Diocese – Following the death of Bishop Desire, pray for his wife, Mama Claudaline Muhindo, his four children and for the many others who saw him as a father figure. Pray for the peace and reconciliation projects that Bishop Desire worked so hard to establish.
Creator God, thank you that we are all made in your image, and equally loved by you. Open our eyes to see your face in those of our sisters and brothers.
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