WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

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Saint Mary’s, Saint Michael’s and Ss John & Ailbe: 16th February 2025 ~ 3rd before Lent
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COLLECTS AND READINGS
Collect for the week: Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of
sinful humanity: Give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise;
that, among the many changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are
to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Old Testament: Jeremiah 17: 5-10

Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength,
whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when
relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed
are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted
by water sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay
green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious
above all else; it is perverse— who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart to
give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.

Psalm 1 (BCP p.594)

Blessed are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, ♦︎ nor lingered in the way of
sinners, nor sat in the assembly of the scornful.
Their delight is in the law of the Lord ♦︎ and they meditate on his law day and night.
Like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither, ♦︎
whatever they do, it shall prosper.
As for the wicked, it is not so with them; ♦︎ they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement, ♦︎ nor the sinner in the
congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, ♦︎ but the way of the wicked shall perish.

Epistle Reading 1 Corinthians 15: 12-20

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection
of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has
not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even
found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not
raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been
raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also
who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people
most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have
died.
 Gospel: Luke 6: 17-26
He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great
multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear
him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were
cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of
them. Then he looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
kingdom of God. ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled ‘Blessed are you who weep
now, for you will laugh. ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you,
and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your
reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. ‘But woe to you who
are rich, for you have received your consolation. ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ‘Woe to you when all speak well of
you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Post Communion Prayer: Merciful Father, you gave Jesus Christ to be for us the bread of life, that
those who come to him should never hunger. Draw us to our Lord in faith and love, that we may eat
and drink with him at his table in the kingdom, where he is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.

HYMNS
Saint Michael’s 56 649 667 281
The Cathedral 630 10 324

Services are recorded and may be viewed online on www.churchservices.tv/limerickstmarys and

www.saintmaryscathedral.ie within the following 90 days. After that time recordings will be destroyed; however, exceptions
may apply and recordings could last longer if the Cathedral requires it. Occasional services may be
recorded and will be advertised on www.churchservices.tv and www.saintmaryscathedral.ie other
Cathedral communication channels. If you would like further information on a particular event, please
contact the Cathedral office. If you do not wish to appear in the recording, please advise Churchwardens
who will guide you to an area which will not be filmed and will make arrangements for you to receive
Holy Communion there. NRSV (Anglicized Edition), copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America; Material in this service reproduced
from BCP under licence © RCB 2004; One License Number: A738650; Use QR code to donate to Saint Mary’s online.

SERVICES & EVENTS

Date Time Event Venue
9.30 Holy Communion Ss John & Ailbe, Abington
Sunday 16th
10.00 Moring Prayer St Michael’s
3 before Lent
11.15 Holy Communion The Cathedral
Monday 17th 10.30 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
Tuesday 18th 10.30 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
Wednesday 19th 10.30 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
Thursday 20th 10.30 Holy Communion The Cathedral
Friday 21st 10.30 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
Saturday 22nd 10.30 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
 10.00 Morning Prayer Ss John & Ailbe, Abington
Sunday 23rd 10.00 Holy Communion St Michael’s
2 before Lent
11.15 Morning Prayer The Cathedral

THIS WEEK’S NOTICES

(Where attachments are mentioned, hard copies are available through the parish office upon request)

Sunday Club: The club meets this Sunday in the Cathedral from 11.15am. All children are welcome
to attend.

Childrens & Families Ministry: The Spring Newsletter came out this week. View it as an online
magazine by clicking here: https://bit.ly/CFMSpring25 or you can download the PDF here:
https://cfm.ireland.anglican.org/spring-2025-newsletter/

Lovebirds Concert on Saturday 22nd February with Eve Stafford. See brochure attached for details.

Free lunchtime concert in the Cathedral: A lunchtime concert will be held on Tuesday 25th
February Alona Kliuchka (cello) and Irina Dernova (piano)
The next Lunchtime Concert will be held on Wednesday 5th March, Colette Delahunt (soprano) and
John Doyle (tenor) with Irina Dernova (piano).

The Evergreens: The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 25th February.

World Day of Prayer: "I Made You Wonderful" is the theme of this year's service which has been
prepared by the Christian women of the Cook Islands. There will be a service in Villiers Square
on Thursday 6th March at 11.00am and in Christchurch, O'Connell Street on Friday 7th at 7.30pm. Each
service will be followed by light refreshments. All are Welcome so please come along to one of the
services.

Wanted: The Dean is looking for a sponsor/donor for a Bookcase and Music stand for the Cathedral.
Please speak to him for further information.

Sunday Club: If any post primary children would be willing to help with children’s activities, please
speak with the Dean. Sunday Club meets during the 11.15am Service in the Cathedral on the First and
Third Sundays of the month with vacation breaks. Normally on the First Sunday of the month it takes
the form of Godly Play. It is open to primary school going children. Pre-schoolers are welcome if
accompanied by a career and the assistance of post primary schoolers would be greatly appreciated.

Batteries for Barretstown: Now that Christmas is over, we are sure there are plenty of spent
batteries around from Christmas tree lights, toys, etc., etc, - please remember the people in
Barretstown will be very grateful to have all these dud batteries collected and deposited in the battery
recycling tubes at the back of all the churches. Remember by recycling the batteries here, you are
helping on two fronts (1) contributing to the Limerick City Parish environmental project and (2) helping
raise money for Barretstown. Thanking you in participation for your support.

Whist Drives:
Villiers Square - Saturday 22nd February @ 7.15pm
St Michael's Church Hall - Saturday 8th March @ 7.30pm
An Abhainn: The winter edition has now been published, with thanks to the Editor (Jeanne). You
may request an electronic version or hard copy by contacting the Cathedral office (see contact details
below)

Choir Supervision: The Dean and Organist are looking for volunteers to help with supervision (a
panel of adults that can be present in the room to adhere to Safeguarding guidelines) of the Junior Choir.
Enquires to either individuals.

Sunday Club: If any post primary children would be willing to help out with children’s activities, please
speak with the Dean. Sunday Club meets during the 11.15am Service in the Cathedral on the First and
Third Sundays of the month with vacation breaks. Normally on the First Sunday of the month it takes
the form of Godly Play. It is open to primary school going children. Preschoolers are welcome if
accompanied by a carer and the assistance of post primary schoolers would be greatly appreciated.

Cycles of prayer: Porvoo: Church of Ireland: United diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe; Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Denmark: Diocese of Roskilde. Anglican: The Church of Bangladesh.

Remembrance Book: Billy Macken, Frank Prendergast and Denis O’Malley.

Prayers for the Sick: Terry Gibson, Martin Hogan, Jerry Murphy, Sarah B, Mary Alicia Downes,
Kathleen Leddin, John Sparling, Pat & Mary O' Donnell, Patricia Bourke, David, Elayne and Hilary
Noonan, Hazel, Mac, Dean Sandra Pragnell, Pashcal and Karine Egan. NOTE: If you wish to place a name
on the list, please email it to [email protected]. Under GDPR please ensure you have the
consent of the named person(s). For confidentiality reasons the clergy would appreciate NOT being asked on
the status of people. Whilst we appreciate people are showing care and concern, it can compromise the
relationship between pastor and parishioner. Thank you.
ROTAS
16 Feb
th 23nd Feb 2nd Mar 9th Mar
REFRESHMENTS
St Michael’s Tony O’Connell Ruth Lillie O’Connell tbc tbc
Karen Wilson & Evelyn
Cathedral Cathedral Jemimah Egbulam Liz Lynam
Sloane
READERS
St Michael’s Bernard Amaeze Annabelle Griffin Stephen Fairbrother Tracey Lyttle
Cathedral Noreen Ellerker David Thompson Paul Cabel Tamasin Plowman

CONTACT DETAILS
The Very Rev’d Niall J.W. Sloane (Dean): The Deanery, 7 Kilbane, Castletroy
Email: [email protected]; Tel: 061-338697. Day off: Friday
Clergy Emergency Number: Tel: 087-3524046. (Strictly Emergency Calls Only).
The Parish Office: Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Bridge Street, Limerick, V94 E068.
Email: [email protected]; Tel: 061-310293. www.lcp.limerick.anglican.org
Limerick City Parish ~ Weekly Newsletter – Deadline for notices 12 noon every Wednesday.
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