St Brigid’s Day this Saturday, February 1st, heralds the start of spring. Here are a few key dates for the rest of the month
9 Sunday Club, during the 10.30am service of Parish Communion
11 Meeting of the Select Vestry
20 Film Night 8 pm Meeting Room
26 Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Early morning Holy Communion service at 7.15 am in addition to usual service at 11 am. HC at 7.15 am and 11 am on each Wednesday throughout Lent.
The Train, a film set in 1944 France about one man’s mission to save art treasures from going to the Nazis, will be introduced by Philip Molloy at the Parish Film Night this Thursday, January 23rd, at 8pm in the Parish Centre. Directed by John Frankenheimer, it stars Burt Lancaster and Paul Scofield. All welcome but book a seat by emailing here. Free admission but small donations on the night to defray costs are welcome. There will also be Film Nights on February 20th and March 19th.
Sunday Club, for children aged four and upwards, usually meets on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. Children are encouraged to come into the church for the start of the service at 10.30 am before leaving for Sunday Club during the singing of the second hymn (after approx.15 minutes). The Sunday Club dates for between now and the summer are as follows: January 26th; February 9th; March 8th and 22nd; April 26th; May 10th and 24th and, finally, June 14th.
January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany, marks the end of the Christmas season and is traditionally the day to take down all the decorations and to remember the visit of the Three Kings to Bethlehem. In Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries Dia de los Reyes is a big day for giving presents to children. Here in Ireland, of course, it is also Nollaig na mBan -a day for women to party after their festive labours. Whether you are celebrating one or all three – enjoy!
Meanwhile, if you’ve made New Year resolutions to try something new – there’s weekly indoor bowls (davidpain53@gmail.com), badminton (paindi@gmail.com) and choir (richarca@tcd.ie) right here for a start, as well as monthly whist and film nights. You’d be very welcome at one and all.
All are invited to gather at St Paul’s at 11.45pm on New Year’s Eve for a short, informal act of worship to mark the turning of the year and to hear the church bells welcome in 2020. Bubbles and nibbles will be served.
Our First Eucharist of Christmas at 11.30pm on Christmas Eve is a reflective but joyful service that precedes the crowded excitement of Family Worship in St Paul’s at 10.30am on Christmas Day. There is also a service of Holy Communion at 8.15am with music. Everybody is most warmly welcome to any service.
This Sunday, December 22nd, there will be an all-age Christingle service at 10.30am in the Main Hall of theParish Centre and at 7pm a traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight in the church. All are welcome to both.
Christingle is a short, informal, hands-on service ideal for all the family. Christingles are made from an orange decorated with red tape, sweets and a candle. Each element of a Christingle has a special meaning and helps to tell the Christian story. The service will be followed by the visit of a very special guest, if he is not too busy!!! Please keep the morning free and bring the family along.
Those attending the Christingle service are invited to bring along suitable hats, scarves or gloves (new or second hand) for adults, which we will pass on to Trust. A charity based in Dublin City Centre, Trust provides clothing for those who live on the streets. Your gifts will help to keep these people warm over the dangerous winter months.
If you are attending the Nine Lessons and Carols service, PLEASE exercise care at all times with your candle. Try to hold it as straight as possible throughout the service, keep the drip mat in place and avoid splashing any wax on either the furniture or the floor as it is very difficult and time-consuming to remove it. PLEASE do not give lighted candles to young children.
The retiring collection at this service will go to The Capuchin Day Centre.
There will be a Christingle service in the Main Hall of the Parish Centre on Sunday, December 22nd at 10.30 am. This is a short, informal, hands-on, all-age service ideal for all the family. Christingles are made from an orange decorated with red tape, sweets and a candle.
Each element of a Christingle has a special meaning and helps to tell the Christian story. The service will be followed by some seasonal refreshments and we hope to welcome a very special guest, if he is not too busy!!! Please keep that morning free and bring the family along.
Those attending the Christingle service are invited to bring along suitable hats, scarves or gloves (new or second hand) for adults, which we will pass on to Trust. A charity based in Dublin City Centre, Trust provides clothing for those who live on the streets. Your gifts will help to keep these people warm over the dangerous winter months.
Our parish countdown to Christmas starts with the Advent Carol Service in St Paul’s this Sunday evening, December 1st, at 7pm. It’s a joint service with St Patrick’s Dalkey, and the combined choirs of both will lead the music, under choir directors Caroline Barnes and Matthew Breen. Advent music is some of the loveliest written for a season during the church year, so take this chance to come along to listen, to sing and to reflect on the accompanying readings.
The comedy drama Tootsie, starring Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange and Bill Murray, will be shown at the Film Night, this Thursday, November 21st at 8pm in the Parish Centre, introduced by film critic Philip Molloy. Hoffman dons a dress to play an actor who pretends he’s a woman to get a part in a hospital TV soap. Released in 1982, it is directed by Sydney Pollack. Let us know if you can come by emailling stpaulsdub@gmail.com
