Newsletter June 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

 

 

Honesty Table

The Honesty Table has been in place now in St. John’s for a number of years and continues to provide much needed funds for various projects in the parish.  It has enabled the upgrading of the speaker system in the church and the purchase of a roving microphone, the purchase of planters and plants for outside the church door and outside the Teach an tSolais entrance, purchase of gifts for confirmation children, flowers for Mother’s Day services, equipment for providing refreshments after services.  All these and many more, are in addition to the purchase of carpet for the entire church.  Mona Butler, who set up and continues to coordinate this initiative, wishes to express her thanks to the many people who so generously contribute items for sale and also to those who purchase items from the table.  Now as Summer begins, and fresh produce hopefully becomes more abundant, please continue to support this very worthy cause so that it may continue to benefit our parish.  

 

Graveyard Services.

Kilflynn church on Wednesday the 14th   @ 8pm

These grounds are kept in such good order by the community, and it’s wonderful to see how a church such as the one in Kilflynn can be reordered to serve the community in another way.

 

Exam Students, A prayer.

Lord, keep me calm so that I can write down all I know. Keep my friends calm too. Let me sleep each night so that I am refreshed and renewed for the next exam. Even if I struggle, I must always remember that there is a bigger picture of which these exams are only a small part . Most important of all, keep me focussed, guide me along, get me through the scary moments and make sure I attempt every question. Thank you for being my friend today and always. Amen

 

Community Champion Award

Congratulations to Danny Giles and all at DNG Giles on winning the Community Champion of the Year, in the Nationwide DNG Awards DNG Group.  As a locally owned third generation family business, DNG are rooted in the local community and they endeavour to support the many organisations that both family and staff are involved with.

 

 

 

 

Pentecost in Tralee

An All-age service was held in St Johns on Sunday the 28th May during which some of our congregation participated.  Balloons in the shape of tongues of fire that were sourced by Olive were presented during the service.

That wonderful reading from the Acts which is always read at Pentecost was read in Swahili, French, Dutch, Urdu, Irish and English. These languages represent the first languages for some of our parishioners and it was great to hear them read the scriptures in their own native language.

 

Blood Donations

Congratulation to all those who donate blood on a regular basis. On the news the other night a representative of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service Board mentioned that they were down to around just two days’ supply.

This reminded me of the interview that I heard one morning on Radio Kerry a few weeks back with Robert and Sandra Hoffman. They have been giving blood for many years. Robert has donated 118 pints and Sandra has donated over 80 pints. This generosity is reflected throughout the Hoffman family and serves as a prompt to those of us who may not have given blood recently to think again.

Congratulations to all in our parish who donate blood so generously.

 

Ballyseedy Graveyard

While it is wonderful to see our graveyard so beautifully kept and graves lovingly tended, discarding of rubbish in corners and in particular, adjacent to the main entrance is again becoming a problem.  When tidying graves please take the rubbish away. When debris such as old wreaths, plastic bags etc. is left, someone else then has the job of removing it and also has to cover the cost of disposal.   

 

 

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday reminds us that there are many things in our world and in our lives that we do not fully understand. Very often it is the difficult and sad stories that often make the headlines. Love and community lie at the heart of the what the trinity is all about. The Trinity reminds us that we are not in isolation but part of a community built on love in all its forms. Trinity and the word mystery go hand in hand, but there is no mystery about the difference God’s love and our love for one another makes in our world and in our lives.

The Canticle of the Sun , Abridged

 

Most High God,

all praise is yours, all glory, honour and blessings.

.

We praise you, Lord, for all your creatures,

especially for Brother Sun,

who is the day through whom you give us light.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,

 he bears your likeness.

 

We praise you, Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars,

in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

 

We praise you, Lord, for Brothers Wind and Air,

And for all weather by which life is sustained.

.

 

We praise you, Lord, for Sister Water,

so essential, precious and pure.

 

We praise you, Lord, for mother Earth,

who sustains us with her fruits, coloured flowers, and herbs.

 

We praise and bless you, Lord, and give you thanks,

and serve you in all humility.

 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend