There will be a service of confirmation in St Paul’s on Sunday, March 9th at 3 pm (time to be confirmed). Candidates must attend an introductory evening in the parish centre on Wednesday, January 22nd, at 7.30 pm.  At least one parent of each candidate should also attend this introductory evening.
Classes will take place on the following Wednesdays: Jan. 29th, Feb  5th, 12th 19th, 26th, and Mar 5th.  Each class will begin at 7.30 pm and will last for one hour.  There will be a rehearsal in the church on the evening of Saturday 8^th March (time to be confirmed). This will be followed by a short vigil service to which parents, godparents and family members are also invited.  All classes are compulsory.
If you have not already indicated that you wish to be a candidate for confirmation this year, please contact the Rector immediately.  e- mail garydowd@eircom.net

Thank you to all those attended our church services over the Christmas season. Special thanks to our choir director Derek Verso and to Matthew Breen organ scholar and Ciaran Smith musician.  Thanks to the choir for their outstanding contribution to our worship and for their time, preparation and hard work.
Thanks to the readers at the carol service. To those who contributed towards providing the poinsettias in memory of loved ones and to the dedicated and talented group of people who decorated the church so beautifully for the festive season under the direction of Harriet Greenlee.  Thanks to Geoff Barry and to all our church wardens and to Cynthia Gray and Joe Harvey for making sure the church was so warm and comfortable.
The collection at our carol service for the Capuchin Day Care Centre in Bow Street amounted to €1,675.50.  Thank you for your very generous response in support of such a worthy cause.
Rev Gary Dowd

Carol singing
Shortly before Christmas, the Badminton Club went carol singing in aid of Dublin Simon Community. We raised €525 and would like to thank those who contributed to this worthy cause, especially the residents of Silchester Park and St Paul’s Indoor Bowling Club. Your support was very much appreciated. Thank you.
Diana Pain

Book your seats now  for the St Paul’s Theatre Group show, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in January. Show dates:  Saturday 11th @ 3 pm; Sunday 12th @ 3pm; Thursday 16th @ 8 pm;     Friday 17th @ 8 pm; Saturday 18th @ 3 pm and 8 pm, in St Paul’s Parish Centre. Tickets: Adult €12 Child €8.  All tickets €12 on Sat 18th 8 pm show. Booking office NOW OPEN  086 057 1961

All are welcome to the St Paul’s  traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 22nd, at 7pm – the real start of Christmas! There will be a collection for the Capuchin Day Care Centre, Bow Street, in support of their work with the needy.
Mulled wine and mince pies will be served after the service in the Parish Centre, to ensure everybody goes home in the festive spirit.

Our annual gift collection for the National Children’s Hospital in Tallaght takes place next Sunday, December 15th, at the 10.30 am service.  The Sunday Club will also participate in this family service. All young people are invited to bring presents to church that morning and the following day they will be brought to the hospital so that they will be available for distribution at Christmas. Please wrap and put a note on the outside – boy/girl/either and approx age. NB For infection control purposes the hospital cannot accept soft toys, even if they are new.

Our annual, candlelit celebration for all ages during Advent, in preparation for Christmas, will now be held on Sunday, December 8th, at 5.30pm in the church. This “worship and wedges” event will be a short, informal service, with contemporary music led by Ciaran Smith, and sausages and potato wedges  served afterwards in the Meeting Room of the Parish Centre.  All very welcome. The 7pm evening service will take place in the church as usual.

It’s the first Sunday of Advent next Sunday, December 1st, and the first candle on the Advent wreath will be lit at the 10.30 am Service of the Word. There will also be Sunday Club, at which the children will be preparing for a Christmas presentation.

People of all ages are invited to our monthly Worship and Wedges this Sunday, November 24th, at the new time of 5.30pm. It will be held in the church and not, as previously advertised, in the Parish Centre. But sausages and potato wedges will be served afterwards in the centre’s Meeting Room. So do try to get along for this short, contemporary-style service, with a chance for families to socialise aftewards.
For anybody interested in singing or playing with Ciaran Smith’s band, there will be a rehearsal beforehand in the church at 4.30pm. He can be contacted on 087 226 0998.
Meanwhile please note that Evening Prayer will take place, as usual, in the church at 7pm.

Thank you to all who contributed last Sunday to the special Bishops’ Appeal collection for relief work in the Philippines, following the devastating typhoon.  There will be another opportunity to contribute to this fund at St Paul’s next Sunday, November 24th.  Archbishop Richard Clarke and Archbishop Michael Jackson have asked every parish to respond generously  in the face of such overwhelming need.

This month’s  Family Service  is at 10.30am in St Paul’s next Sunday, November 17th. (After this service, the Dun Laoghaire branch of the RNLI is selling Christmas cards and providing the coffee in the Parish Centre to raise funds).
 Worship and Wedges,  an informal act of worship with contemporary music, followed by a light supper of sausages and potato wedges, will be on the following Sunday, November 24th, at 5.30pm in the Parish Centre.