Newsletter July 2023

Parish website:  www.traleedingle.ardfert.anglican.org           Email: stjohns.ashestreet@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/Tralee-and-Dingle-Group-of-Parishes-680304582052423/

Rev Jim Stephens @ 087 0529107

Guides, Volunteers, Tourism in St Johns.

It has been mentioned in previous newsletters that we are planning on opening St Johns for a few hours during the weekends so that visitors may have access to the beauty, history and peace of St Johns. Many thanks to those who have volunteered, and more are welcome even if you can only offer a few days here and there, if so, please contact Olive.

There will be a short meeting on the 6th July at 7.30pm to prepare for the summer opening.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY!!

Our "HELLO SUMMER" event will take place on July 30th.  We will begin with a family service in St. John's at 10.45am.  This will be followed by a "bring your own picnic" lunch in Teach an tSolais.  This promises to be an enjoyable event providing an opportunity for families and friends from all of our churches to come together to share fellowship.  There will be facepainting and lots of fun for kids.  Everyone welcome.

 

School End of term and graduation service

This was held in the church on the 21st June and it was followed by a bar-b-que in the school grounds afterwards. The young people did most of the service and it was lovely to hear the school choir in song again.

Best wishes to those who are moving on to new schools in the autumn and to the staff as they take a well-deserved break over the summer months.

The service in the church was followed by a Bar-be-que in the school grounds, which was prepared by Collette and Mary and enjoyed by The Children, Staff and Parents.

 

Retirement.

Patricia Fitzell retires this summer from her position as Vice Principal of St Johns parochial school in Tralee where she has served all her teaching career after graduating in 1982.

Patricia was a hardworking, faithful and dedicated member of the staff and has served with four Principals and many other colleagues in that period.

A presentation was made to her on the 22nd June, at which she was joined by the Board of Management, former colleagues and clergy.

We wish her and her family well in her retirement and thank her for all the young lives that she impacted upon so generously for the better during her long and generous teaching career.

 

  

Coffee Morning.

A presentation of 650 was made to the Bumbelance charity following the Wednesday morning service. This was the proceeds from a coffee morning held sometime, which was hosted by the Ashe Hotel and organised by the Rev Phyllis Jones. The great grandchild of our late parishioner Patricia Touhy who is currently undergoing treatment was transferred to hospital in Dublin using one of these special ambulances.

 

Congratulations:

To Robert and Susan Blennerhassett in Camp on the birth of their first grandchild Siún to first time parents Alan and Margaret in Cork.

 

Graveyard Services.

These services continue, a large crowd gathered in Kilflynn Church grounds on the evening of the 14th June. It was followed by tea and conversation in the Church afterwards.

More services will follow during the month.

St James Dingle, A service will be held on the feast of St James, the 25th July to remember all those who are buried in the grounds and to give thanks for all the work that has been done in the burial grounds in the last two years.

 

Parishioners in Hospital

If you or someone known to you is in any of the hospitals in Tralee, please let me know.

At present and because of GDPR the hospitals are not allowed to give patients names.

I will only be too happy to visit, as part of my job is to provide pastoral care to Church of Ireland patients in the hospitals. UHK and the BONS.

 

Eoin Duignan Concerts in St James Dingle

These concerts run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights in St James Church Dingle and they begin at 7pm

 

The Knots Prayer’

Dear God, please untie the knots that are in my mind, my heart and life. Remove the ‘have not’, the ‘cannot’ and the ‘do not’. Erase the ‘will not’, ‘may not’ and ‘might not’ that may find a home in my heart. Release me from the ‘could not’, ‘would not’ and ‘should not’ that obstruct my life. And most of all dear God, I ask that you remove from my mind, my heart and my life all of the ‘am not’s that I have allowed to hold me back.

Help me to be the beautiful person you have created. Amen

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