The Parish of Saint Catherine & Saint James with Saint Audoen
Canon Mark Gardner (Editor) Tel: 01 454 2274 Mobile 087 266 0228
The Revd Martha Waller (Curate-Assistant) Tel: 01 868 1655
Email: markgardner300@gmail.com
Review Distribution: Doris Brooks Tel: 01 453 0887
Website: cja.dublin.anglican.org
Service times every Sunday
10.00 Eucharist, St Audoen, Cornmarket. (Parking in Francis Street is free on Sundays)
11.30 Eucharist (and Sunday School, in term time) St Catherine & St James, Donore Avenue. (Family Service and Church Coffee, usually Second Sundays, but not in December)
First Wednesday of the Month
10.30 Service of Wholeness and Healing, with Laying-on of Hands and Anointing.
Diary dates
Sunday afternoon 6 December Church of South India Carol Service
Sunday afternoon 13 December Estonian Lutheran Carol service
Tuesday morning 22 December School Carol service
Lessons & Carols 11.30 Sunday 20 December, Church Coffee and mince pies
Christmas Day services will be at the usual Sunday times
A month in Review
A review of the month that is past must include thanks to all those people, mostly volunteers, who facilitated one major event after another in the life of the Church of Ireland in the city of Dublin. The Ven David Pierpoint invited me to take part in the service on All Saints Day in the evening, the annual festival of the Parish within the Christ Church Group, a very happy event, supported by the Parish choir and a large attendance. The service for Wholeness and Healing took place in the middle of the first week of the month, which is our current pattern. Having that service on a Sunday morning has been something of a new departure, but has been well received. The regular Church of South India service was conducted by the Revd Dr Jacob Thomas on the first Saturday.
On Remembrance Sunday the Archbishop celebrated at St Audoen’s Church and at the request of the Churchwardens, Valerie Thomas and Margaret Lawton, dedicated the War Memorial from St Matthias’ Adelaide Road. When that Church was closed, amid great controversy, the memorial was taken out of the Parish and placed in Christ Church Leeson Park. Canon Dowse received much hostile criticism for the closure of St Matthias. I remember when he said to me, bitterly, in the Garden Flat of St Patrick’s Deanery (which at that time served as a Rectory for St Peter’s Aungier St), ‘wait till the Parish empties out, and they blame you!’ They had certainly blamed him, as some still can remember. Now that the memorial has returned to the Parish from which it came, by kind consent of the congregation of Christ Church Leeson Park, I hope that there may be a healing of memories. The brass has been placed on the wall close to the Dowse memorial.
The Archbishop then celebrated at the Church of St Catherine & St James and dedicated the War Memorial from St Pater’s Aungier St in the Baptistery, at the request of the Churchwardens, Isabel Gray and Valerie Halford. 35th Dublin Donore Avenue St. Teresa’s Scout Group were present, and a youthful bugler played the Last Post at the Act of Remembrance. The new Administrator of Dolphin’s Barn, Fr Fergal MacDonagh, brought a poppy wreath and read the Epistle, and the Parish Priest of St Teresa’s, Fr Cormac McNamara, read the Gospel. Monsignor Dan O’Connor preached the homily. The Sunday School children joined the congregation for the Archbishop’s blessing, sitting in the choir stalls, and tea and coffee were provided.
Mark Gardner
Merchant’s Quay Ireland Night Café
A Harvest Gathering was recently held in the form of a musical evening and fundraising event to support MQI Night Café on 16 October at St. Audoen’s Cornmarket. The speaker was Tony Geoghegan, CEO of Merchant’s Quay Ireland, who gave us a wonderful outline of the work of the Night Café which up to 60 clients attend each night. John’s Lane Choir sang, with their Musical Director Pauline Masterson and the Organist of John’s Lane Ann McNulty. Their Choral programme for the evening was extensive and beautifully sung. We were greatly supported both in the ringing of the bells and in the provision of security cover outside on the ateps by the bellringers of the centre city hub of Christ Church Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and John’s Lane. Tea, coffee and a wonderful supper were provided in the OPW Visitor Centre by some of their guides and also members of both St. Catherine & St. James and St. Audoen’s. We are very grateful to the OPW Guides for their most kind and generous gift of donations made to them, to add to the charity collection. Many thanks to all who contributed on the night and since then, to bring the total amount to €800.00 which has been given to MQI Night Café.
Martha Waller
Good News Stories
Ruhama have recently moved office from All Hallows in Drumcondra to Cork Street. Over the past few months a number of vulnerable women have had some great personal breakthroughs and successes — here are just a sample: Housing: With the support of our Housing and Welfare Officer a client secured private accommodation. This area of work has been an increasing challenge with rising rents, increased demand and caps for rent allowance not keeping up with the commercial rental market. Employment supports: A woman has secured part time work experience for the first time in her life. She feels very proud to be getting up in the morning and going to what she calls ‘normal work’. Repatriation: With the support of casework a woman returned home safely to her country of origin after being trafficked to Ireland. Befriending: We offer a befriending support for women who are experiencing social isolation. One of our clients who said that she was feeling very lonely has relayed to us that she is loving meeting her befriender and gets great joy and satisfaction from this service. Addiction: One of clients experienced a very significant milestone in being drug free for one year!
