Canon Mark Gardner Tel: 01 454 2274 Mobile 087 266 0228
Email: markgardner300@gmail.com
Diocesan Lay Reader: James Kilbey
Parish Reader: Cletus Ogbata
Organist: Olesia Borsuk
Review Distribution: Margery Bell Tel: 01 4542067
Website: stcatherineandstjameswithstaudoen.ie
St Audoen’s Cornmarket, 10.00 Eucharist (every Sunday). During works(until Christmas) no music, access through the Visitor Centre. Cars may be parked between Francis Street and Christ Church.
St Catherine & St James, Donore Avenue, 11.30 Service of the Word (Eucharist on the first Sunday of the month). Organist, Olesia Borsuk. Cars may be parked in the Churchyard.
Diary Dates
Monday 2 December 12.50 School Assembly in Church, led by Second Class, theme, Advent. Friday 20 December 10.15 School Carol Service in Christ Church Cathedral. Sunday 22 December 11.30 Parish Carols in the Church of St Catherine & St James. Services on Christmas Day will be at the usual Sunday times.
Pastoral visit
We were delighted when the Archbishop visited the parish at the beginning of November, celebrating and preaching in both Churches. One of the men from the Rectory, who doesn’t normally attend church, was very impressed with his sermon. The Archbishop wrote ‘Thank you very much for affording me the privilege of worshipping with you and your people in both churches today. They were quite different experiences yet both equally delightful. Thank you and everyone for a most inspiring morning.’
St Audoen’s Cornmarket
With the end of our season, guides Benedetta, Dee, Paula & Jessica (not forgetting Ralph & Pat) bid ‘au revoir’ from St. Audoen’s Church Visitor Centre. This is always a sad time for the guides as the exhibition is packed away and the visitor centre is left empty; not just empty of artefacts, books, lights and music, but empty of people visiting this inspiring National Monument. In 2024 the visitor centre celebrated its 25th anniversary and, coincidentally or not, we were lucky enough to have former colleagues from all of those intervening years drop in and share their memories with us. We also had more visitors this year than ever before, with a total of 42,491 people coming through our doors in just under 8 months (that’s an average of over 180 visitors per day, if anyone’s counting). We’re very grateful to each visitor for helping us to break all previous annual records. Our thanks are also owed to Canon Mark Gardner, churchwarden Tom, organist Olesia, the bellringers and the congregation of St. Audoen’s Parish Church for allowing us access to their half of the building (not to mention the continued use of their electricity to power our exhibition over recent years while we await repairs). Their kindness and generosity greatly enhances the experience of all of our visitors. The parish church is itself undergoing some major repairs at the moment, and we look forward to the unveiling of its spruced-up interior in due course. Nevertheless, a Service of Eucharist will continue to be held in the church at 10am each and every Sunday, and all are welcome to attend. We don’t know when St. Audoen’s Church Visitor Centre will reopen, so please keep an eye on our Heritage Ireland webpage ( https://heritageireland.ie/…/st-audoens-church-visitor…/ ) for updates. Please note also that our telephone, email and social media accounts are not monitored while the visitor centre is closed. Until next time, as the original builders of St. Audoen’s Church might have said, “Now tyme is that I wende.”
Heritage Ireland OPW – Office of Public Works
Iveagh Markets
Work to save Dublin’s Iveagh Markets from collapse will finally get under way in the new year, following the installation of infrastructure to make the building safe for workers. The Edwardian structure on Francis Street, which is at the centre of a legal dispute over ownership, has been vacant for 30 years and has over the last decade declined into a ruinous condition. Dublin City Council is seeking tenders for “essential repairs” at an estimated cost of €11 million to stabilise the building to “prevent further deterioration of the protected structure” and “safeguard the structure for future use”. The council last year agreed to undertake structural safety works to the building, previously in its ownership and has recently completed the initial phase to make the building safe for more comprehensive repairs. Next year work will start on extensive repairs to the roofs, parapet, and large roof lights; stabilisation of an inward leaning parapet of the northeast corner; stabilisation of Diocletian-style arched windows in the Dry Market; protection and securing of windows/doors; securing of structural columns which have been exposed; management of vegetation to ensure it does not further compromise the buildings. This work is expected to take between 12 and 18 months, but it will not make the building ready for reuse or public access.
