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CARRIGROHANE UNION OF PARISHESCARRIGROHANE UNION OF PARISHESSt Peter’s, Carrigrohane St Senan’s, Inniscarra The Church of the Resurrection, Blarney

www.carrigrohaneunionofparishes.iewww.carrigrohaneunionofparishes.ie

SPANSPAN AprilApril 20112011

REVOLUTION IN THE MIDDLE EASTREVOLUTION IN THE MIDDLE EASTWith the Arab nations in turmoil with revolution in the air, there is a revolutionthat is still running its course since the first Easter as Michael Green de-scribes:

‘[The] church...beginning from a handful of uneducated fishermen and taxgatherers, swept across the whole known world in the next three hundredyears. It is a perfectly amazing story of peaceful revolution that has no paral-lel in the history of the world. It came about because Christians were able tosay to inquirers: ‘Jesus did not only die for you. He is alive! You can meethim and discover for yourself the reality we are talking about!’ They did, andjoined the church and the church, born from that Easter grave, spread every-where.’

So you are invited to join the revolution at all our Easter Services and thisyear things are a bit different with a:

GOOD FRIDAY WALK OF WITNESS IN BALLICOLLIG

INNISCARRA EASTER EVE SATURDAY SERVICESee inside for more information, and also how we are

CREATING AN EXCITING SPACE FOR ST SENAN’S,INNISCARRA

TAKE HOLD OF GODTAKE HOLD OF GOD (Matthew 21 v 21 -22)

The tragic events in Japan leave us with a variety of emotions:• speechless and heart broken for the Japanese people,• in awe of those involved with relief and rescue,• ignited by that basic of all instincts, prayer and lament; i.e. “Why, O why O Lord?”

We may wish God would do more to stop suffering. Here is a deep mystery which we do not understand. But aswe come to Holy Week and Easter we see that Christ’s response to suffering is to deal with it head on and then toembrace it himself. God weeps with us.

And in those days before he embraced the agony of the world on the Cross, he teaches the disciples to “Takehold of God” (Matthew 21 v 21 -22: The Message) and mountains will be thrown into the sea. And because it isrecorded before the cross, this is not a shallow “pray and it will be all right” as this verse can be trumped up tosound, but an invitation for disciples today to embrace the Kingdom life and experience the transformative powerthat Jesus knew, even in the face of the largest obstacles. Our imaginations are infused with the new possibilitiesthat God’s Kingdom brings.

It is the kind of praying that we are inviting everyone to engage with during the week of Sunday 3rd April to theSaturday 9th April when we once again stop all regular ministries and meetings and “take hold of God” as weMAKE SPACE FOR GOD.*

Prayer and lament maybe our basic instinct in times of crisis, but we need to move on and intentionally prayand go on the offensive and join Jesus’ Kingdom work here and now to seek His will and enabling in a tremblingworld. To know, in the words of the Easter Hymn:

Jesus lives; thy terrors nowCan no more, O death, appal us;Jesus lives, by this we knowNow the grave cannot enthral us.Alleluia

Wishing you all a joyful Easter, Ian

ALSO INSIDE THIS SPAN:

• Holy Week & Easter plans• Inniscarra Church

Development• Easter Vestry—

a shareholders’ meeting?• Allotments—an opportunity to

be seized?• Make Space For God• Connect 12 prayer points• Marriage Course Dinner Party• Carrigrohane Youth &

Church—an integrated vision• Easter Seniors’ Lunch

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SPANSPANHOLY WEEK & EASTERHOLY WEEK & EASTER: `Wednesday 20th April:12 noon, Holy Communion in the meeting room of the Parish Centre

followed by the Seniors’ Lunch at 12.45pm.Maundy Thursday:8pm, Blarney Holy Communion and Washing of Feet.Good Friday:12.00 mid-day Walk of Witness Ballincollig, RC Parish Church

Station Rd8.00pm, St Peter’s Carrigrohane – Good Friday reflection.

Easter Eve:8.00pm, St Senan’s Inniscarra – The First Service of Easter: Holy

Communion, Renewal of Baptism Vows, Paschal FireEaster Day:10am, Holy Communion with baptism, St Peter’s, Carrigrohane11.15am, Holy Communion, the Church of the Resurrection, Blarney

Please note the changes to the usual schedule for Easter in particular:

Good Friday: 12.00 mid-day Walk of Witness. We have been invited to join this “Stations of the Cross” which isprocessing around Ballincollig, commencing at the RC Parish Church on Station Road and to also lead two of thestations. This is a great privilege for us, so please come in your droves!!!

Easter Eve: We are going to hold the Inniscarra Easter Communion service on the Saturday evening at 8.00pm.For the ancient church this use to be the highlight of Easter when:• new converts were baptised so we are going to offer everybody the opportunity to renew their baptism vows• the Paschal (Passover) fire was lit to signify the power of the resurrection overcoming the darkness of death –we will begin the service outside around a fire.It was a night of joyful feasting—we will eat and drink with true Carrigrohane hospitality!

INNISCARRA CHURCH DEVELOPMENTINNISCARRA CHURCH DEVELOPMENT

CREATING SPACE TO GROW– GIFT DAYThe Select Vestry has agreed that we would hold a Gift Day to buildthe Extension for Inniscarra which will provide a toilet, a small meetingarea and kitchenette. This will be an invaluable resource, for whichthe Diocesan Property Committee has complimented us on our Vi-sion. Having now scaled down the size of the building, and with lowerbuilding costs, we hope to have it built from between €40 to 50,000* –about half the price of some of the earlier quotations. The Select Ves-try has agreed to release capital savings of €20,000 leaving us to findthe remainder.THIS WILL BE THE OBJECT OF THE GIFT DAY AND THIS ONLY!A letter and envelopes will be distributed in May with a focus of a

week from the Sunday 22nd to Sunday 29th when there will be one United Serviced in St Senan’s at11.30am followed by the annual Union Picnic/BBQ.Please pray about this significant venture for us as a Union of Churches.(* quotations for the work are being sought soon)

Attention All Musicians!After the Inniscarra Picnic on Sunday 29th of May we are hoping to provide informal musical entertainment

in the church. You don’t have to be brilliant but if there is anything you would like to play on piano, organ orany other instrument, solo or in groups, please get in touch. Wendy on 026 43777 or 087 2661564, orMatthew on 087 3107603.

Easter Senior’s LunchEaster Senior’s LunchHoly Communion in the meeting room of the Parish Centre at 12 noon on Wednesday of HolyWeek, 20th April—with Lunch served in the Centre at 12.45pm. Please take this opportunity toinvite friends along—and phone the office to book places by Monday 18th, if possible.



SPANSPANEASTER VESTRYEASTER VESTRY–– a Share Holders’ Meeting?a Share Holders’ Meeting?

It was interesting to see a record turnout at the recentGeneral Election. Was it just because of the anger pro-pelling voters to the polls? Or was it because prior to theelection we saw thousands taking to the streets in theArab world demanding democratic reform to satisfy theirneed for freedom and dignity – a basic human instinct.Now the Easter Vestry of the church may not exactly beon the same scale as those issues and a night out at any“annual meeting” doesn’t exactly compare to an eveningin the garden – yes, the clocks have gone back – or re-laxing in front of the screen… TV, lap top, mobile phoneetc. But when you consider there will be plenty of sum-mer days to get out into the garden, and a whole year towatch a screen of some kind, this is a really specialUNIQUE event! Am I overstating the case – well ofcourse, but not when you consider an Easter Vestry isan occasion:• To show our appreciation to those who serve as onthe Select Vestry, as wardens etc.• To consider a budget that runs to €200,000 - youcome as “share holders”!• The honour of serving by being nominated for thevarious posts…and yes it is time consuming but there isplenty of help at hand.• To discuss some of the developments taking placein the Union.• To gather together from across the Union.

So please read the notes below about the differentposts AND DO REMEMBER TO TRY AND MAKE SUREALL THE NOMINATIONS ARE FILLED PRIOR TO THEEASTER VESTRY ON THE 11TH APRIL (Parish Centreat 8pm). And this will mean that everyone can come tothe meeting knowing there will be no pressure to take ona role they are not ready for - I promise!

Over the past years we have developed a very efficientsystem of proposing names. It is as follows:Proposing names: Names should be proposed on the

forms provided. A name should be proposed and sec-onded, and the person being proposed should also signthe form, so that the General Vestry can be sure thatthey are prepared to stand. Any member of the GeneralVestry may be proposed for the Select Vestry.As well as the Select Vestry, churchwardens and glebe-

wardens need to be nominated. The members of theUnion choose one churchwarden for each church, andone glebewarden for the Union; and the Rector choosesthe others.Parochial Nominators have the task, along with Dioce-

san nominators and the Bishop, of forming a Board ofNomination to select a new Rector, should the incum-bency become vacant. They must be communicantmembers of the Church of Ireland. There are fourParochial Nominators to be elected, and four supple-mentalists.Members of Diocesan Synod attend and are free to

vote and speak the Diocesan Synod, normally held an-nually. This parish now elects six members of DiocesanSynod and six supplementalists.

You may nominate as many people as you wish!Forms and boxes are in the churches.

ALLOTMENTSALLOTMENTS–– AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEAN OPPORTUNITY TO BESEIZED?SEIZED?We have established ademand.We think we have aresource – the south fieldopposite Nangle’s on theModel Farm Rd.We just lack the vital linkfor us to really get movingon the question of provid-ing allotments as a com-munity resource.That is we lack SOMEONE to take initiative. And yes,we understand the pressures and lack of time manyfeel. But rather than let the idea die, please pray and ifyou are even remotely interested, please have a wordwith Ian or the office, and possibly we can make it acollective leadership, pooling expertise.

‘MAKE SPACE FOR GOD’‘MAKE SPACE FOR GOD’‘Prayer is living a life of total connectedness’—Henri Nouwen‘To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising

against the disorder of the world’—Karl Barth

From Sunday 3rd April to Saturday 9th April(special prayer focus: CONNECT 12;

the Inniscarra Extension;the Associate Minister for Blarney)

No Toddler groups or regular meetings this week.

Mon 4th—Thurs 7th 8.30-9.30am in St Peter’s—come andjoin as you can to be still in the silence, to listen to God, to

pray for the church and as we are led.On Friday 8th April the Parish Centre will be open from

8.30am with space for quiet prayer—ending in a evening of worship & prayer from 8-11pm

Please feel free to come and go as you can.Coffee available!

Saturday 9th—11am—Prayer walk around Ballincolligwith Bill Lane

A ‘P.S.’ for our Charity Giving 2010 list in lastmonth’s SPAN. Thanks to the

Big Toddle, €1201 was raised for Barnados.This year’s event will be on our own field between St Peter’s

and Nangle’s and be on 17th June.

Blarney Holiday Club Reminder:The new dates: Tues 26-Frid 29 July

with a leaders prep day on Mon 25

Youth Trip Away— Faith Mission Centre, Carhue,Bandon from Wed 27th—Sat 30th April. Please pray for

the young people & leaders.



CONNECT 12CONNECT 12 -- Connect inConnect inPRAYERPRAYER -- Connect NOW with theConnect NOW with the

following:following:

1) Thank God for the opportunities the mission will give.2) For Ken and Helen Clarke and all those involved in the mis

sion for guidance and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.3) Pray for increased involvement with existing community

organisations.4) That God may make himself known in meeting the needs of

the community.5) For the right venue(s).6) For financial and practical help.7) For everything we do to be centred on the person of Jesus.8) For transformed lives.

A Prayer …..Thank you Father that you sent your Son

to live and work in communities so that eve-ryone could see and know what you are like.

Help us now to go out in the power of the HolySpirit to make you visible. Amen.

SPANSPAN

Parish Contacts: Rector: Canon Ian Jonas – 4871106 email: [email protected] Office: 4877260 (Mon-Fri mornings) email: [email protected]

Youth Workers: Matt Gould: 085 1080067 Katie Gould: 085 1080030 email: [email protected] website: www.carrigrohaneunionofparishes.ie

We change the answer machine message at the beginning of each week—and include the times of the services for the following Sunday.

Regular check-ups help a car run smoothly and reduce the risk of break-down. The best sports professionals spend hours being coached andperfecting their technique. The greatest achievements in life take practice,training and dedication!

It is the same with marriage. A strong, loving and lifelong relationship does-n’t happen by chance—and we can all learn how to make even the happi-est marriage better.

...suits couples who have been married a little while or many years—orwho are living together. Sometimes people come along who are planningto get married.If you’re interested in finding out more—come along to the Dinner Partyon Saturday 16th April in the Parish Centre at 8pm—enjoy a full dinner withwine, watch an introductory video and we’ll explain how the course runshere. Phone the parish office as soon as you like to book in, but pref-erably by 8th April. If you’ve been on the course before we’d love to haveyou at the Party, just for the fun—and feel free to bring friends along whomight be interested. There’s no charge for this evening—there’ll just be abox for anyone to put a small donation towards expenses if they are able.

The seven session course is set in a lovely atmosphere, with desserts &coffee at candlelit tables for two while you listen to practical talks that areinformative and fun played on DVD. It’s more like a date than a ‘course’!!!

There is never any group work and you will never be asked to shareanything about your relationship with anyone other than your partner.

We enjoy running this every year—and look forward to welcoming ourguests for 2011!This year the course itself will run on Saturday evenings on May 7th,14th, 21st, 28th, June 4th, 11th & 18th.The cost for the course is €70 per couple which covers the books and therefreshments (but if that is a problem for anyone, please talk to us or to Ian in confidence).the Lanes & the Devoys!

Book Club:Apr 13th: ‘We Had It So Good’

by Linda Grant @ Helen’s

Sunday 10th—Friday 15th July 2011Belated Congratulations to CANON Ian!

Love & Congratulations to Martin Everett & Elaineon their recent engagement,

& Congratulations toMatt, Katie & Charlie Gould on the

birth of Noah Ronan on 18th March.

Bantry YMCA looking for bric-a-brac!A local charity shop in Bantry has given a donation towardsBantry YMCA’s PAKT programme. In return they are looking forany unwanted bric-a-brac ( BUT NOT CLOTHES).If you have any good quality items you would like to donateplease drop them into Ballincollig YMCA Unit 1 A InnishmoreIndustrial Estate, Ballincollig or give to Ivan Mc Mahon.

St Patrick’s Day—Giveaway—BallincolligGreat fun was had by 9 members of the parish as they workedtogether as a team, pumping balloons which seemed to disap-pear as soon as they were available to the folks in the crowdenjoying the St Patrick’s Day festivities in Ballincollig. Over 80balloons were given away, as well as 160 Fair Trade cakes.Thanks to all those who took part, and also to those who volun-teered with stewarding on the day.

Gail




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