WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Saint Mary’s, Saint Michael’s, & Ss John & Ailbe

28th April 2024: The Fifth Sunday of Easter
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Collects and Readings

Collect: Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order
of sin and death to make all things new in him: Grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory; to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now
and in all eternity.
First Reading ~ Acts 8: 26-40
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from
Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a
court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to
Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then
the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the
prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone
guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was
reading was this: ‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does
not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is
taken away from the earth.’ The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this,
about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he
proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water;
and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the
chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized
him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no
more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the
region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Psalm 22: 25-31

From you comes my praise in the great congregation; ♦︎ I will perform my vows in the presence of those that fear you.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied; ♦︎ those who seek the Lord shall praise him; their hearts shall live for ever.
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, ♦︎ and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.
For the kingdom is the Lord’s ♦︎ and he rules over the nations.
How can those who sleep in the earth bow down in worship, ♦︎ or those who go down to the dust kneel before him?
He has saved my life for himself; my descendants shall serve him; ♦︎ this shall be told of the Lord for generations to come.
They shall come and make known his salvation, to a people yet unborn, ♦︎ declaring that he, the Lord, has done it.

Epistle Reading ~ 1 John 4: 7-21

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows
God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this
way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved
God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us
so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in
us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us
of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. God
abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe
the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in
them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because
as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with
punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those
who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or
sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from
him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

Gospel/New Testament Reading ~ John 15: 1- 8

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every
branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that
I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides
in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in
me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me
is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you
abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is
glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

Post-Communion Prayer: Eternal God, in word and sacrament we proclaim your truth in Jesus Christ
and share his life. In his strength may we ever walk in his way, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Hymns Saint Mary’s 492(i) 311 (t.41) 593(i)
Saint Michael’s 581 390 422 629
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: A-738650; Use QR
code to donate to St Mary’s online
Services & Events
Date Time Event Venue
Sunday 28th 10.00 Morning Prayer Ss John & Ailbe, Abington
The Fifth Sunday of 10.00 Holy Communion St Michael’s
Easter 11.15 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
Monday 29th 10.30 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
Tuesday 30th 10.30 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
17.00 Clean Up St Michael’s
Wednesday 1st May 10.30 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
13.15 Lunchtime Concert The Cathedral
Thursday 2nd 10.30 Holy Communion The Cathedral
20.00 Select Vestry Zoom
Friday 3rd 10.30 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
10.30 Morning Prayer The Cathedral
Saturday 4th
12.00 Car Show The Cathedral
NO SERVICE Ss John & Ailbe, Abington
Sunday 5th
NO SERVICE St Michael’s
11.15 Holy Communion The Cathedral
 THIS WEEK’S NOTICES
Services next weekend: Due to Riverfest (and the Great Limerick Run), there will be no service in St
Michael’s next Sunday. There will be a service in the Cathedral at 11.15am
Sympathies: We extend our deepest sympathies to Deirdre and her family on the death of her mother
Lauretta (Laurie), and we hold Laurie’s family and all who mourn her in our prayers.
Diocesan service: a service of choral evensong will be held in Saint Mary’s Cathedral on 12th May at 4pm
to celebrate ministry (lay and ordained) within the diocese. It is a liturgical way of giving thanks for all those
who aid ministry, whether in the form of serving on committees, preparing refreshments, cleaning a
building or leading services. Please join us for this service, which will be followed by refreshments.
Free lunchtime concerts in the Cathedral, all at 1.15pm: 1st May: Irish Chamber Orchestra
Academy. Music: Mendelssohn, Bocherini, and Vaughan Williams. 7th May: Konrad Cygal (tenor) and
Stefano Chiurchiu (piano). 14th May: Anabella Aparicio (soprano) and Joaquim Junior (tenor). 21st May:
Talk: Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness (ecclesiastical dress). 28th May: Talk: Worship the Lord
in the Beauty of Holiness (ecclesiastical stained glass). Further talks and concerts in June.
Installation: The bishop has appointed the Dean of Limerick, the Dean of Killaloe and the Rev’d Alex
Morohan (Ballina) to the chapter of Tuam Cathedral. They will be at 5pm on Sunday 16 June in Saint
Mary’s Cathedral, Tuam. All are very welcome to attend.
Health and Safety Notices: Saint Michael’s: the side aisles are not in use until inspections, remedial
works, etc are completed. Cathedral: on Sundays, the West door is closed at 11.30am (to avoid disruption).
After that time, please use the South West Porch Entrance.

Community Choir: Volunteers for the public performance on 31st May would also be hugely
appreciated to help set up and to be on the door. Please let Catherine know at
catherine@ministryofhealing.ie
Parish Clean-ups: Volunteers to help clean up St Michael’s on Tuesday 30th April from 5pmff will be
gladly welcomed.
Sponsor a flowerbed: In an effort to maintain flowerbeds around the Cathedral grounds, we are
exploring the idea of individuals/families (in memory of a loved one) either adopting a flowerbed (whereby
they take care of maintaining same) or sponsoring a flowerbed (making a donation of €200 per annum for
the upkeep & maintenance of same). For more information, please consult the Dean.
Havergal and Roxboro Schools Charity provides financial assistance to Church of Ireland families in
the United Dioceses of Limerick and Killaloe as they seek to meet education costs, mainly for second level
but also towards third level. If you would like to apply or re-apply, please bring a completed copy of the
attached application form to the Dean to discuss the potential for him to add his observations, which is a
pre-requisite for submission. The attached letter gives the closing date and return address for applications.
Riverfest Car Show: the second annual car show will be held in the Cathedral grounds, on Sat 4th May,
noon-4pm. Rare automobiles & motorbikes will be on show as well as other motoring memorabilia. Please
let the Dean know if you are available to help on the day as a steward or in another role.
Accommodation sought:
1) Rev Jimmy Ogwal is looking for accommodation from May onwards until Jun 2025, while he
completes his postgraduate research at Mary Immaculate College. A single room will suffice.
2) Family of 4 along with budgie and hamster are looking for a house to rent in Limerick City. Both
my husband and myself work and our daughters attend Villiers School and St. Michaels N.S. We
have been renting for the past 15yrs, so have all our own furniture, and take care of the houses we
have rented, cut grass, hedging etc. Please contact Julie Cade on 0833638026. Thank you very
much.
Limerick Bookfair: May 6th, 10 am to 4 pm, at LPYMA Hall, 97 O’Connell Street, Limerick. Admission
free. Join book dealers from across the country and discover a diverse selection of new and rare books
on local history, architecture, literature, and more.

Remembrance Book: Please remember those whose anniversaries occur at this time. Among
them: Freda Shorton, Honora Howes, Frank Tyrell, George Copley, George Copley, Patricia King, Vera
Fenton, Robert O'Neil, Joan Marsden, Edna Mc Elveen, Amanda Sophie Armstrong and Muriel Blenner
Hassett.

Diocesan cycle of prayer: the Bishop writes: “We remember all preparing for marriage, and all who
will marry in our churches especially this coming summer. We give thanks for marriage as a building block
of society , while also rejoicing in the rich variety of modern family life . We pray for all who work to
strengthen and support marriage (including as always the MU ). And we do not confine our prayers to
those whose choice is to marry in church ... we recognise that marriage today is celebrated in many
contexts and styles, all deserving of prayer. With humility and prayerfulness we also recognise that there
are those who would choose to marry or seek blessing in church, but who are not permitted to do so
given the church’s existing disciplines.” Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Church of Bangladesh.

Prayers for the Sick: Your prayers are asked for the sick in our community, especially, Emily; Mac; Alan
Kennedy; Zandra; Kathleen Leddin; Martha McDermott; Sandra Pragnell; Danny Stone; Josh Stone; Terry
Gibson; Sarah B; Cyril Foster; Patrick Hastings; Patricia Bourke; Jim K, Marie M, Gerry Grace, Mary Grace,
Liz Kaldor, Trevor Richmond, Martin Hogan, Garrett Ryan, BO’D, Sue Gibson, Denis O’Connell, John
Moore, Edel, Doris, Mary Catherine Finnegan, Jerry Murphy, Frank O’Connor, Baby Sloane O’Hanlon, and
John Sparling. NOTE: If you wish to place a name on the list, please email it to limerickcityparishnews@gmail.com. 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.
Rota of Readers & Refreshments
28th April 5th May 12th May 19th May 26th May
REFRESHMENTS
Saint Ruth Lillie
R & S Allen No service Sheila Cusack Tony O’Connell
Michael’s O’Connell
The K Wilson, E
Jemimah Egbulam Liz Lynam Keith O’Neill Brian Sheppard
Cathedral Sloane & C Smith
READERS
Saint
Margaret Schutz No service Tracey Lyttle Jeff McNamara Sheelagh Morrow
Michael’s
The
Catherine Smith John St George Keith O’Neill Heather Peirce Noreen Ellerker
Cathedral

CONTACT DETAILS
• The Very Rev’d Niall J.W. Sloane (Dean): The Deanery, 7 Kilbane, Castletroy
Email: dean@limerick.anglican.org; Tel: 061-338697. Day off: Friday
• The Rev’d Dr Leonard Madden (Curate-Assistant): The Curatage, 50 Ballinvoher, Fr Russell Rd
Email: curate@limerick.anglican.org; Tel: 061-302038. Day off: Monday
• Clergy Emergency Number: Tel: 087-3524046. (Strictly Emergency Calls Only).
• The Parish Office: Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Bridge Street, Limerick, V94 E068.
Email: cathedral@limerick.anglican.org; Tel: 061-310293. www.lcp.limerick.anglican.org
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