You Tube Link for live streaming services: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw9yjPMe6ExEvlB8ycfktCg/videos?view=57
Dear parishioners and friends,
We wish you all a very happy New Year and hope and pray that 2021 will be a better year for everyone in the parish and in the country. Covid-19 and Brexit have had all sorts of unforeseen repercussions for us and this has even included our postal service which has been bizarre of late. On New Year’s Eve I received a Christmas card that was posted in Waterford 18 days prior to 31 December and a letter from a parishioner took 20 days to arrive to us also just before Christmas. I know also that last week’s service and letter did not reach most people on our postal list in time for Sunday and still has not appeared. Hopefully things this week will be a little better and this may arrive to you by the weekend.
The opening days of 2021 are an ideal time to remind us all of how we are operating in these continued weeks of lockdown and disruption. As we are not permitted to meet together for worship at present our Sunday morning service at 10:45 is being broadcast on You Tube and this may be accessed by using the link at top of the page.
A truncated version of the service may also be found on the parish Face Book page – Monkstown parish Church, Dublin.
The parish office is being staffed by Liz who is working from home and she is monitoring emails to the parish email address and doing her normal work from her home office. She may be contacted on 087 979 1072 also. I am also available at all times and can be contacted on the rectory landline, mobile or email. If you do not manage to reach me please do leave me a message and I will return your call.
Please don’t presume that I haven’t time to talk to you – I am delighted to hear from you and greatly appreciate hearing from you.
Valerie Duncan and Shirley Thornton are also available to provide help and to chat if you would like to talk to someone else in the parish family. All of us know that loneliness is one of the main difficulties we have been facing during our lockdown periods and we are here, working away on the ground, if you require support, information or just a chat. Please do continue to phone one another also and to check in with friends, family and other parishioners. These little gestures are really appreciated as we continue on this strange and often unsettling journey together.
We really appreciate your support of our annual appeal for the ‘Jig-Saw Centre’ in the Darndale Creche. We received a large selection of lovely new toys, books and games for the children and we will endeavour to get them over to Darndale when possible. Donations are still being accepted, as are unwanted Christmas presents, and may be left at Winton Lodge. If no answer at the door you may leave them in a waterproof bag beside the wheelie bins as I am never too far away.
We continue to thank you also for your generous financial support of the parish in these very difficult times. Thank you for your online donations and for sending us cheques and donations. Monkstown church may be closed for public worship but our work and ministry continues and our bills still have to be paid. Our parishioners and friends have been most generous and supportive and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for remembering our parish in these difficult times.
Please continue to take care of yourselves and one another and contact me if you need me.
With love, prayers and my very best wishes, Roy