Church Review Notes March 2015

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. (Service of the Word, or Family Service, Second Sundays only)

Wednesdays
11.00 Eucharist or (third Wednesdays) Service of Wholeness and Healing, with Laying-on of Hands and Anointing.

National Children’s Choir
St Catherine’s NS has been involved with this project since 2001, and I can personally attest that it is (1) educationally extremely worthwhile – the children learn to sing several beautiful, if often challenging, songs in two-and three-part harmony, no small feat! (2) genuinely amateur in nature and run by volunteers in national schools up and down the country; (3) completely honest and above board – not a scam! and (4) a project unique to Ireland. I understand that many of you have other charities that you support, or are not in a position to support any charities at the moment, and I’m not asking anyone to contribute, but just letting you know that the option is there and that it’s a good cause. If anyone wants to become a “Friend”, you can send in your cheque and I will send them off together with my own contribution (putting my money where my mouth is!). Or you can send it individually.
April Cronin

A Chairde, the National Children’s Choir was founded in 1985 to mark European Year of Music. As an organisation it does not receive any government funding and is dependent on ticket sales and a nominal affiliation fee for revenue. In recent years this revenue stream has proven insufficient. In the present economic climate our efforts to secure financial support for the National Children’s Choir have proven unsuccessful, thus leading to the ‘Friends of the National Children’s Choir’ initiative. We have designed a tiered ‘friends system’ with subscriptions ranging from €50 to €1,000, with proportionate benefits accruing. We would be grateful if you could forward the attached information and form to any individuals or businesses in your local area who you think might be in a position to support the National Children’s Choir. Likewise, you may wish to forward it to your general parent body and Board of Management should you deem it appropriate to your school context. Many thanks for your continued support. Le dea-ghuí, PR Committee.

The Church of South India
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ. We are ever grateful to Canon Mark Gardner and also extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to all the Members of St Catherine and St James’ for all your kind help and support to our congregation. Our Church Annual Meeting and Election of New Office Bearers was held on 7 Feb 2015 (Saturday) after the Holy Communion Service at the Church. The meeting decided to call our Church ” HOLY TRINITY CSI (MALAYALAM ) CONGREGATION, DUBLIN, IRELAND and also elected New Office Bearers for 2015 to serve Church Organisations as Coordinators of Choir (Secretary), Women’s Fellowship, Sunday School Teachers, Kids Club Coordinators and Cottage Prayer Meetings. Official contact persons in this year are, Vice President, Matthew Oommen (Mob.0879867617), 2. Churchwarden John Uthup (Mob.0879615327), Church Secretary, Koshy Varghese (Mob.0872988778). Thanks once again for all your kind support and blessings to our church.
Koshy Varghese
Something overheard
In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?” The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.” “Nonsense” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?” The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.” The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.” The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s not like it is here.” The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover if there is life, then why has no-one has ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness.” “Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.” The first replied “Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?” The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.” Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.” To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re quiet and you really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”
The Vicar of Christ Church, Dun Laoghaire, the Revd Ása Björk Ólafsdóttir

Signs of progress
An old house in Mill Street is being re-roofed, a new distillery is being built nearby in Newmarket by Teelings, close to the ruins of St Nicholas without and St Luke; and a micro-distillery is being constructed in St James’ Church, James Street. The door has been open for the first time in many years. While we would prefer an old Church to be restored as a place of worship, like St Catherine’s Thomas St, it’s good to see an end to the dereliction of St James. What next?