News
Announcements 19 March 2023:
1. All the women present today are welcome to take away a small token of appreciation from the Parish for all you do to make our shared life worth gratefully celebrating.
2. Continuing for every Wednesday thru Lent, from 7:30-8:30 pm in the Bank House in Ballydehob, (March15th, 22nd, 29th & April 5th) we meet to consider God’s Word for us. Using the Bible as a reference point, we will look at short passages from Scripture, exploring the deeper meaning within the text and the relevance these words bring to our lives today.
3. Mothers’ Union: Ballydehob/Aughadown branch, Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 22nd March @ 3pm in St. Matthew’s parish hall, Church Cross. We will begin by using the prayers for Lady Day (anticipating the 25th of March). At 3:30 pm Lorna Heart, who is a a carer and old persons development worker in the Mizen & Sheep’s Head Peninsula, will share information on caring for family members and older persons. Regardless if you are a Mothers’ Union member or not, all are welcome on the day, please come and bring a friend or neighbour. Contact Maria Swanton. should you have any questions. Mob. 086 1012152.
4. Welcome one and all to a pre-Ascension Day Sale meeting which will take place on Friday, 24 March at 10:30 am at Saint Matthias Church in Ballydehob. Come with your ideas and your willingness to organise and develop our efforts in reaching-out to the larger community.
Ballydehob Union of Parishes - Fair Share 2023
On behalf of the Select Vestry of Ballydehob Union, I am writing to thank all the parishioners who contributed so generously to the parish Fair Share Assessment Fund during the past year. The diocesan assessment for our union of parishes for last year was €49,132.
This was funded by:
Donations by our parishioners €32,752
CHY3 Tax Refund €8,917
Christmas, Easter and 5th Sundays €2,232
Dividends and bequests €1,910
Summer Sale on the Street €3,718
Total €49,529
As you can see, we managed to break even in 2021 which was greatly assisted by the Summer Sale on the Street in Ballydehob and I would like to thank all those who helped to man the stalls and provided baked goods and other items for sale. Another wave of COVID infection in November meant that the traditional Christmas Craft Fair had to be cancelled so we missed that opportunity to add to our fund-raising effort. Hopefully things will be better this year.
In 2022 the assessment and priorities funds will amount to €49,579, about the same as last year, but fortunately we have been given a non-repayable grant from the R.C.B. of €1,376 which recognises the difficult financial times that parishes have endured over the past couple of years, but it will still be a challenge to be able to pay our quarterly assessments of €12,205.
You can see that one of the most significant contributions to our fund is the tax refund which is paid to us by the revenue on behalf of parishioners who have paid Irish tax and donated €250 or more in a previous year and have given me a CHY3 enduring certificate along with their PPS number. The revenue will refund us 1/3rd of the amount which you have donated in a previous year at no cost to you.
I have placed a lodgment book in the Ballydehob Post Office with Bridie Roycroft for anyone who might like to make a donation and Bridie has assured me that your business will be totally confidential. Alternatively, donations may be handed to the Church Wardens or given to me at 2 Station Road, Ballydehob.
Once again, I would like to thank you very much for all you do to support our parish, and to wish you all a very happy and more cheerful New Year.
Yours sincerely,
Dermod O’Brien. Fair Share Treasurer
New YouTube Channel
From the Bishop
Dear Friends,
In the space of a very few short weeks, we in the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross have had to reinvent our worship and our pastoral care imaginatively and appropriately while mostly working from home. The church buildings may be closed but we, as the Church, are very much open, and doing what we are called to do in ways, old and new.
At an online meeting of the Clergy it was decided that we needed, in addition to many of the other things we are making of use of, to have a Diocesan YouTube Channel as a place where people can find in one place our worship and talks and messages, as well as encouragement. I set one up overnight, and the Reverend Robert Ferris has kindly been 'correcting what is amiss and supplying what is lacking.'
The YouTube link is a long an impossible one to remember or hand out link. With 100 subscribers we can get a memorable and usable link and with your help we can change this at no cost. So would you please click on the YouTube logo below, and then, in the top right of the screen, click 'subscribe'. If you do not already have a Youtube account it is easy to create one on the YouTube site.
By doing this simple 'click and subscribe' you will hugely increase the usefulness of the work we are doing and the availability of the resources which we will be publishing on YouTube, including in Holy Week next week and Easter.
Thank you for your help!
Dr Paul Colton
The Right Rev. Dr. Paul Colton
Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross
Saint Anne’s Hospital in Skibbereen: The residents of St. Anne’s Hospital Skibbereen would appreciate visits from Volunteers for social interaction, to read or discuss the newspaper, play cards, play bingo, sing a song, play the piano, assist with outings or be innovative in doing something new. For further details, you are welcome to contact Ms Tara O’Donovan, Clinical Nurse Manager, on Tel. 028-38132.
Cancer Connect is a brilliant initiative between West Cork Rural Transport and the hospitals in Cork City. A rare occasion of the left hand and the right hand actually working together. People who need radiotherapy have to receive a 10-minute treatment every day for 35 days. This radiotherapy can only be administered in The Regional Hospital in Cork, so a really tiresome daily trek is needed. The West Cork Rural Transport provide a daily mini-bus service from Goleen along the N71 to Cork which is free to any patient requiring this treatment. The really excellent part of this is that the Regional Hospital ensure that any patients from West Cork will receive their treatment between noon and 1pm.
A further service is now in place whereby patients requiring chemotherapy and other cancer treatments can avail of a private car and driver. The drivers of both services are volunteers, and so far more than 300 trips to Cork Hospitals have been provided. If you feel you can help with driving, once a month is all that is needed, please contact Helen on 027 52727. Or if you know of any patients who may find the service of use, please call Helen on 027 52727. The proceeds of the Pancake Day coffee morning were donated to this excellent service.
The Aughadown Church Hall If you know of anyone who is having a party, family gathering, wedding reception, children’s party, and are looking for a venue, please suggest the Church Hall at Church Cross. It comes with a well equipped kitchen; good parking; lots of space outside if you have youngsters wanting to run about and let off steam, and is very reasonable to hire.
The Aughadown Walking Group meets every Monday and Thursday at 10am at the GAA Community Hall at Church Cross. All are welcome to join the Group for a walk. The walk lasts about 40 minutes along local lanes, all of which are fairly flat and sheltered. It is not a route march, a race or over-strenuous, but an opportunity to get fit and socialise. There is no charge and for further information please call Brigid O’Brien on 38132.