The highlight of our 150th anniversary celebrations takes place this Sunday, July 8th, with A Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving.  It is taking place to the day and to the hour –  11.30am – of the service held to dedicate St Paul’s Glenageary 150 years ago on July 8th, 1868. Celebrant: The Ven. Gordon Linney (Rector 1980-2004) Preacher: The Vey Rev Gregory Dunstan: Dean of Armagh and a former parishioner.

An amazing gross total of €31,994 was raised by this year’s Summer Fair. Once the expenses incurred in staging the event are paid, the final total is expected to be well over €30,000. Congratulations to the hard-working Fair committee, led by Dominic Galvin, to all the stallholders and also to everybody who contributed in any way to the great success of the day.
 It was a success not only in financial terms, generating considerable funds for the parish but also as a community event for all ages. The fine weather this year enabled people to  sit and socialise within our church grounds in an atmosphere of tangible good will. As one visitor was heard to declare: “This is a great event.”

Flyers and raffle tickets are being distributed around the parish. Please look out for them and spread the word about what promises to be a great family day out on Saturday, May 26th from 10.30am-2.30pm.

The Rev Canon Susan Green, who is Chaplain of Kilkenny College and a former parishioner, will preach at the 10.30am Parish Communion service this Sunday, May 13th, as part of our 150th anniversary visiting preacher series. There will also be Sunday Club for the children.

Seeds for St Paul’s Sunflower Growing Competition will be given out at an Eco Service this Sunday, May 6th, at 10.30am to mark Rogation Sunday. Families are asked to encourage children in particular to have a go at nuturing the tallest flower possible. In our worship we will be asking for God’s blessing on new crops and for a fruitful season in growth. During this our 150th anniversary year, we’re reflecting both as a community and individuals on how we can reduce our destructive impact on the Earth and live in closer harmony with nature.

A new parish council, known as the Select Vestry, was appointed at our parish AGM, or Easter General Vestry, on Sunday, April 15th. All members of the outgoing committee were reappointed, while two new members were added. They are as follows:
Chairman: The Rev Gary Dowd
Secretary: Margaret Woods
Treasurer: Alan Lowther
Rector’s Churchwarden: Geoff Barry
People’s Churchwarden: Rita Dalton (representative of rota that also incudes: Robert Barklie, Deborah Burke, Robbie Grier, Karene Hilton, Penny O’Brien, John White and Meg Wood)
Rector’s Glebewarden: Paul Hatton
People’s Glebewarden: Frank Gunning
Also: Roxanna Allen; Fiona Arnold; James Danaswamy; Mary Heseltine; William Earley (new); Joe Harvey; Stuart Robertson; Sheila Wayman; Lynn Wiley; Meg Wood (new).

At the 10.30am service this Sunday, April 15th,  the Ven Gordon Linney (photographed below), who was Rector here from 1980-2004, will be the first in a series of  preachers with a link to the parish invited back for St Paul‘s 150th anniversary year.
Our Easter General Vestry (parish AGM) will be held in the Parish Centre after the service. It’s a chance for all parishoners to reflect on the past year, hear about some future plans, vote for a new Select Vestry (parish council) and express views on any aspect of parish life.
 

The Annual Easter General Vestry (Parish AGM) will take place in the Main Hall of the Parish Centre after the 10.30 am service on Sunday, April 15th. The past year will be reviewed, some future plans outlined and a new Select Vestry (parish council) elected for 2018-2019. All are invited to come and listen, vote and speak.

As is now the tradition in this area, the five local Church of Ireland parishes are combining  for the evening services of Holy Week, rotating through the different churches. Here is the full schedule – all services in St Paul’s unless otherwise stated.

Monday, March 26th
Holy Communion 7.15 am
Combined Evening Service, Holy Trinity Killiney, 8pm. Preacher: The Rev Gary Dowd
 
Tuesday, March 27th
Holy Communion 7.15 am
Combined Evening Service, Christ Church Dun Laoghaire, 8pm. Preacher: The Rev Bruce Hayes
 
Wednesday, March 28th 
Holy Communion 7.15 am and 11 am
Combined Evening Service, St Patrick’s Dalkey, 8 pm. Preacher: The Rev William Olhausen
 
Maundy Thursday, March 29th
Holy Communion 7.15 am
Combined Evening Service 8 pm St Paul’s Glenageary. Preacher: The Rev Ása Björk Ólafsdóttir O’Hanlon
 
Good Friday, March 30th   
“One Hour at the Cross”  A service of hymns, readings, meditation, prayer and silence, 2 pm
Combined Evening Service, St Matthias Killiney/Ballybrack, 8 pm
 
Saturday, March 31st
The church will be decorated for Easter from 9.30 am.  All offers of help or donations of flowers and foliage would be most welcome. (Harriet Greenlee 087 224 7195)

Easter Sunday, April 1st
8.15 am Holy Communion (One)
10.30 am Parish Communion followed by egg hunt in church ground
No service at 7 pm

The annual Daffodil Day Coffee Morning and Raffle in aid of the Irish Cancer Society is on this Friday, March 23rd, from 10.30 am-12.30 pm in the Parish Centre. If you can help in the running of this event by baking, donating a raffle prize etc. your contribution would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Pamela at the Rectory, tel: 2801616.