I hope this finds you well and safe. The longer the current restrictions go on, I know the harder it will be to adhere fully to them – please continue to be strong and resolute in this regard and to trust the advice and directives given by the experts. Take heart – this too shall pass!
I will be broadcasting morning service at 10.30am on Saturday.
Please do keep in touch and if you would like prayer suppport for yourself or a loved one, let me know.
Covid-19 (Coronavirus) – Guidelines for Attending Services
Please note that for the foreseeable future, Holy Communion will be administered in one kind only, i.e. the bread. Only the Celebrant will receive from the Chalice. The celebrant will use hand sanitiser before administering the bread.
The ministers will not shake hands with people as they leave the church, as is their custom, but will remain available at the door to greet and converse with people.
If you have symptoms like a cough, sneezing or a fever, you should refrain from attending services and avail of the televised or streamed services instead.
As per all the HSE guidelines, good hand and respiratory hygiene is essential to prevent the widespread transmission of the virus.
As the situation evolves and new guidelines/directions are given by the HSE, decisions will be made about whether certain events will go ahead or be postponed. Please note that there will be NO service in St. Patrick’s Nursing Home, Baldoyle, until further notice. Please continue to pray for all who are affected in any way by this outbreak of Covid-19.
Clontarf Parish retreat 2020
‘Journeying in Faith – a Walk with Christ’, led by Rev. Cecil Hyland on 27th-29th March at Mount Saint Joseph’s Abbey, Roscrea, County Tipperary.’
Cost €160 (includes full board, reception, retreat and course book)
Contact the Rector for more details – closing date for bookings 28 February.
Who let the Dads out?
Who Let the Dads Out? returns on Saturday 25th January from 10-11.30am upstairs in the Parish Centre, for all dads and their pre-schoolers. Join us for banter, fun and rasher sandwiches!
Revision of Register of General Vestry
Each January the membership list of the Parish – the Register of the General Vestry – is revised. Anyone aged 18 or over who is a member of the Church of Ireland and who lives in the Parish or regularly attends services and who is not already on the register should contact the Rector.
The registered members of the parish, along with the clergy, constitute the general vestry, which meets annually to hear the Rector’s report and to elect the churchwardens, the glebewardens, and the members of the Select Vestry.
Celebrating our Global Parish Family
Over the past few years our parish has become wonderfully diverse with members from all around the world.
This Pot Luck Supper on Saturday 9th November from 6pm to 8pm will include food and music and a chance to celebrate our unity in Christ and to stand up against racism or xenophobia. Admission is free but everyone is asked to bring food to share from their country of origin – including Ireland!
Tearfund Pedal Against Poverty
Thank you to all who have contributed to Tearfund’s Pedal Against Poverty campaign by donating to parishoner Dave Lynch’s sponsored cycles throughout the Summer. Dave successfully completed his astounding 1,800km target over July and August with the 150km Boyne Valley Tour last Saturday.
The idonate web page is still open for anyone who would like to make a donation or alternatively, Dave will have a sponsorship card with him at church on Sunday 8th September. You can read about Tearfund’s Self Help Ethiopia project here.
Sunday Club returns on 8th September
Sunday Club returns on 8th September at 10:30am in the Maxwell Room in the Parish Centre. Age appropriate Gospel-based lessons, crafts, prayers and songs for your child from age 4 up to enjoy while you enjoy worshipping in church.
Rector’s holidays
The Rector will be on holidays from 23rd July – 6th August.
Contact Rev’d Anne Lodge at 086 3736995 or Mark Acheson at 087 9674885 in case of emergency.
Rector’s address at the 2019 General Vestry
[Remarks by Rev’d Robinson at the General Vestry on 8th May 2019.]
I’m glad of this annual opportunity for us to reflect on the past twelve months in the life of our Parish, and to thank the myriads of people who work, often in the background, to ensure the smooth running of our worship and witness.
2018 was a very busy year which in addition to all our usual events, saw the addition of a Choral Competition promoting the performance and enjoyment of hymns and religious songs. Our church is a wonderful venue and having now held two such competitions it is great to see the popularity of this event continuing to grow. Next year we plan to introduce a special category for parish choirs. Thanks are due to Nicole Robinson, for instigating and organising the competition; and to the large team who look after the staging, lighting and catering on the day.
We also held our second Ecumenical Conference, which was well received by all who attended, despite disappointing numbers. It is our hope to continue this conference, perhaps bi-annually, and will be trying to secure some funding to subsidise its running. On a practical level, ecumenism continues to be at the forefront of our mission, with participation in the Good Friday Walk of Witness, the Easter morning Sunrise service, The Pentecost Peace Walk, along with the regular Bible studies led by Fr. Martin Hogan and myself. The clergy of the six different parishes meet for lunch throughout the year, and I am welcomed to participate at the First Holy Communion and Confirmation services of the Roman Catholic children attending Greenlanes National School- all good work in building up the Kingdom of God in Clontarf.
I’m delighted to say that 2018 was our most successful Autumn Fair to date, clearing over €20,000. This remains our primary annual fundraiser and it takes a mammoth team effort to get such a result. The success of last year was due in part to an increase in raffle ticket sales, and in spite of the fact that many of our usual helpers were away on the weekend of the Fair. The cost of such success was many exhausted bodies by the time the tidy up was completed that night. For your information, the Autumn Fair always takes place on the last Sunday of September – I would genuinely appeal to you therefore to mark it down in your diary now and do you best to be available to help over the course of the weekend- a large team of able bodied helpers makes a huge difference to the viability of what has become a major community event in Clontarf and its environs.
During this past year we have increased the number of opportunities for spiritual growth and development – something which must remain a priority of any parish. In addition to the weekly prayer group, monthly Healer Prayer group, and regular Bible studies, we now hold regular Quiet Days and parish Retreats. These are times of fellowship and gentle reflection and are to be commended to all to seek to deepen their relationships with God, and to find the peace and quiet which often escapes us in the busy daily routines of our lives.
In 2018 we also welcomed the Rev’d Professor Anne Lodge as part of our Ministry Team. Anne works in the self-supporting ministry and despite an already demanding schedule has generously offered her time and considerable talents to us a Curate.
This too is an exciting development as we seek to reach an ever-diversifying audience with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Once again last year we were blessed in this parish with a large number of baptisms, fourteen in all since our last Easter General Vestry Meeting- and we will continue to encourage those families to engage with the life of the local church. We had two weddings in our beautiful parish church in 2018: Russell Clancy and Charlotte Atherton who came over from England to be married here in August, and Andrea Finnegan and Neil O’Briain who were married in November.
Sadly, the last thirteen months have seen a much higher than usual number of funerals in this parish, and we have lost some faithful servants and stalwarts. Tonight we remember with thanksgiving the late David Appleyard, Molly Reynolds, Olive Jackson, Bruce Maxwell, Olive Poff, Violet Dawkins, Sam Warner, Ted Jones and Edna Clark – all of whom have passed away since our last Easter Vestry meeting – I ask you to keep a few moments silence in their honour…
While each of these deaths represents a particular loss to this parish and of course a much bigger loss to the families concerned, I must make special mention tonight of Bruce Maxwell, who has been by my side at every Easter General Vestry meeting I have had since coming to this parish in 2013. Not only was Bruce the Honorary Secretary of the Select and General Vestries, but among many other parish roles held through the years, he was instrumental and integral to the design, building and running of this wonderful parish centre. The Select Vestry and myself were anxious to acknowledge his immeasurable contribution in some way, and so tonight, with the agreement of the Maxwell family, I am pleased to announce that we are renaming the Meeting Room in this Parish Centre, the Maxwell Room, as a perpetual witness to his legacy.
At this point I would also like to acknowledge with gratitude the support and sympathy shown to me by all of you since the untimely death of my dear sister Gwyn last August – despite our grief, the girls and I are blessed to be surrounded by such love: thank you.
I also want to take this opportunity to say a public ‘thank you’ to the many people who give of their time and talents to keep the parish running so smoothly.
To that end, may I take this opportunity to thank in particular:
- My colleagues, Anne Lodge and Mark Acheson, for their assistance and support in worship, ministry and administration.
- Our outgoing churchwardens, Olwen Lynch and Ziva Newman, for their dedicated and efficient service in their respective roles (Olwen over two years), and also those who filled in for them when they were absent. I also want to thank the team of volunteers who look after set-up and welcome at the 8.30 Sunday morning services- Tom Waller, Damien Peat, Ronan & Jennifer Kelly, Denis Henderson and Philip Godden.
- Our outgoing Glebe wardens, Jonathan Boyle and John Davis, who are always on hand to help sort out any problems related to the rectory or church grounds, along with Jonathan’s continued oversight of the church.
- Our organist, John Rowden, our reserve organists, Sandra and Stephanie Maxwell.
- The members of the outgoing Select Vestry for their care of the fabric, furnishings and finance.
- Our outgoing Honorary Treasurer Nadine Watters for her consistent dedication and expertise in keeping our accounts and ensuring we are compliant with the charity’s legislation, and also to Albert Adamson who looks after the lodgements so efficiently.
- Trevor Garrett, for his invaluable work in the Parish Centre and the Church, and for all the events to which he contributes so much- what a wonderful ambassador he is for this parish
- Jonathan Boyle, who has taken over the lion’s share of the work of the PCMC.
- The members of the Needs Group, under the leadership of Mary Cunningham, who take on much of the planning and the practical work around most of our parish events.
- Sunday Club leaders: Elma Jackson, Helen Rosaldo, Heather Hunter, John Davis, Jean Acheson, Derek Shaw, and Martin & Lisa Murphy – we have more leaders now than previously and their ministry is greatly appreciated by our young families.
- Wendy Walker, Vimal Raj, and Mark Acheson, who along with myself, coordinate and run the youth activities. However, we have been struggling with low numbers and the future of the youth club will very much depend on a greater degree of engagement from our teenagers.
- Cathy Atkin, Principal, Greenlanes NS, for preparing the school children for Family Services and Helen Rosaldo, who marshals the children in the church.
- All who read the lessons week by week; Albert Adamson, who coordinates the Readers’ rota, and Shirley Davies, Olwen Lynch, Albert Adamson and Ziva Newman who help administer the Chalice at Holy Communion as needed.
- Those who decorate the church and keep it adorned with flowers, especially Iris Acheson, Heather Hunter, Sheena Harper, Maureen Dixon & Hazel McCullagh. Also thanks to Iris for keeping the fair linen beautifully laundered, one of those tasks that just happen invisibly in the background.
- The Ladies who dust the church each week on a rota basis and their coordinator, Sandra Maxwell.
- Those who provide refreshments after church, and Dorothy Godden, co-ordinator. We will need to get a rota in place for the Summer months, so a request will be going out in due course.
- Jill & John O’Neill for all their help with catering special events (cue a plug for the parish breakfast next Sunday), and all who supply homemade traybakes and sandwiches when required. Our hospitality is acclaimed far and near.
- Sandie Stirling, stewardship recorder
- Hazel Garrett, who administers the columbarium
- Charles Kinch, car parking attendant for funerals
- Officers and those who help to run all the parish organisations including BB, Guides, Prayer Groups, Badminton Club, Tennis Club, Indoor Bowls Club, Table Tennis Club, Mothers’ Union & Whist Drives.
- Lynn Boyle for producing the weekly Notice Sheet and Brendan Teeling for maintaining the website.
- Arthur Parkinson and Ciara Burns for their work alongside myself on the Safeguarding Trust Panel
- Ryan Ashley & friends who lead the music worship at our monthly Evening Praise services.
- All who help run all the various events that make up our varied spiritual, social and fundraising calendar.
That is indeed a long list, and a lot of people – we are incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful team of willing helpers. However, we do need to make sure that the load is spread, and so we are always grateful of new people coming on board, particularly for events which require set up and clean up.
Three has also been a distinct if unintentional trend for this to become an increasingly female dominated parish in some regards. We currently have a female rector, a female curate, two female churchwardens, a female treasurer, and a 13-4 ratio of women to men on the outgoing Select Vestry. This is in stark contrast to the opposite kind of gender imbalance I encountered when I arrived – so I want to encourage all you men to step up and play your part in ensuring that this parish continues to be an inclusive community, to which everyone relates, where all people are equally valued, regardless of age, gender or any other labels society may chose to put on us.
Finally, I want to thank my two daughters, Nicole and Danielle, for their help and support, love and laughter, and for always, always keeping me humble!
I truly feel so blessed to be the Rector of Clontarf – this is my 6th Easter Vestry here, and I still can’t believe my luck to have been appointed to this wonderful parish. I pray that together we will continue to go from strength to strength and to shine as a light in this community, reflecting the glory of our risen Lord and Saviour.
To God be the glory. Amen.