The following is the full list of announcements for Remembrance Sunday next week across the Parish and the local area. This is also in video format at the bottom of this page if you prefer.
St. Luke’s Mullaglass annual Remembrance Sunday Service will take place on Sunday 8th November at the earlier time of 9:30am.
This Service is, as always open to all. As we are fortunate to have a large church, there are still plenty of available pews.
It will be a Service of Morning Prayer, with an act of Remembrance at our Roll of Honour.
This service will be livestreamed on YouTube, and will remain on YouTube, available to watch at anytime.
Poppies from the Royal British Legion are available in the Church Porch. Please consider donating. The Royal British Legion will not be able to fundraise as effectively this year, and so if you see a Poppy appeal box, and can afford to do so, please consider giving a small donation.
BESSBROOK & NEWRY CENOTAPHS
Acts of Remembrances will be going ahead in Both Bessbrook & Newry however both have been adapted due to the current situation we find ourselves in.
BESSBROOK
This year there will be no parade on Remembrance Sunday from the Legion Hall to the Cenotaph. However, we will still remember those who made the supreme sacrifice by having a short service and laying of wreaths. These numbers will be restricted due to the current regulations in place.
Other organisations who wish to lay a wreath will be given a time slot to do so, however, they will not be part of the short service.
The Legion Hall will not be open on Remembrance Sunday after the service at the Cenotaph.Please follow social distancing at all times.
The Legion has advised members of the public to keep safe, and if possible to stay at home on Remembrance Sunday.
NEWRY
Much the same as Bessbrook Cenotaph, a short service will take place at the cenotaph, with groups of around 10 laying wreaths, one after the other.
Again people are asked to stay away if possible, and if they are in attendance to follow all guidelines, keep their distance and stay safe.
BALLYMOYER – DRIVE IN REMEMBRANCE SERVICE
The Service at Ballymoyer Church of Ireland will be a drive-in Service, at 11:30am at the Church Grounds.
ONLINE
Rev. Alan Synnott, along with Rev. Chris Broddle (Both former Army Chaplains) will be recording an Online Remembrance Sunday Service which will be available on this website, along with YouTube this Sunday.
BESSBROOK AND BELLEEK
Both Bessbrook and Belleek’s services will be at their normal times of 11:30am and 1:30pm respectively.
The Northern Ireland Executive have introduced new measures to counteract the COVID Crisis in Northern Ireland.
Places of worship will remain open with a mandatory requirement to wear face coverings when entering and exiting. This will not apply to parties to a marriage or civil partnerships.
Northern ireland executive office
Masks are also compulsory during the singing of hymns.
The church advises each parishioner to wear their mask for the entirety of the church service. But at the very least your mask must now be worn; before entering the church, during the singing of hymns and when leaving the building at the end of the service.
We thank you for your patience and for following the new guidance. By following the rules we can ensure that Mullaglass church remains open, unlike our Brethren in the Republic of Ireland.
Masks will be made available by the church for those who do not have one to hand.
For a list of the full measures in place click below:
St. Luke’s Mullaglass had a very successful, understated harvest on Sunday 4th October.
Harvest Offering Envelopes are now available in the church porch. If you would like to donate this year, please take an envelope and return at any point during October.
If you are unsure about returning to church, the Treasurer, Michelle continues to leave a collection bucket at her house on the Armagh Road each Sunday from 1pm – 5pm.
The treasurer asks if you could write your name on the envelope so that the church can claim gift aid on your donation.
Gift aid adds 25% to the donation, which last year was worth £100 extra to our Harvest Appeal.
On Sunday 4th October, at 10am Mullaglass celebrated Harvest in a paired down celebration due to COVID-19.
Social distancing, masks and sanitiser were all still present, and there were no guest speakers but Harvest worship continued none the less.
The church was beautifully decorated by Gloria and Judith, with arrangements in the Sanctuary as well as at both sides of the church and the baptistry.
The service was Morning Prayer Two, conducted by Rev. Alan Synnott.
Three hymns were sung softly; Hymn 43 Holy is the Seedtime, 37, Come ye thankful people come and hymn 47, We plough the fields and scatter. The Psalm for the day was Psalm 19.
The service was also livestreamed and a copy of this can be found on YouTube by clicking here.
Harvest continues in the Parish with the following Services:
There has been an update on the advice from the Diocesan Office on Face Masks at Church
The Church of Ireland, along will all major Christian Churches in Northern Ireland have released a joint statement urging all congregation members where possible to wear face masks during church services.
“At this time, both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland, the governments have not formally made mandatory the wearing of face coverings at services of worship. This is, in part, due to the fact that as churches we are committed to maintaining 2 metre physical distancing between household groups and strict adherence to all government guidance on hand hygiene, cleaning, ventilation etc.”
“It, however, remains our responsibility to ensure that our services of worship are safe places for all who join with us. It has become increasingly clear that the wearing of face coverings, in conjunction with hand washing etc., is likely to reduce the spread of coronavirus, thus helping to protect others. Their use is therefore one way in which we can evidence protection for the most vulnerable, support for our health workers, and practical love for our neighbours.”
The Diocesan office has confirmed that face coverings are currently not mandatory and remain optional for those attending Church on a Sunday.
As our church is social distancing to 2m apart, face masks are not legally required. However a parishioner is more than welcome to wear one if they so desire.
Masks will be made available for all parishioners, they can lifted on your way in, as you sanitise your hands in the porch. If you do use one, remember to take it with you and dispose in the bin on the way out.
Parishioners are also reminded that face masks are now compulsory for most public indoor settings where a purchase would normally be made such as shops, or take-aways without indoor seating. Please remember to keep your mask with you at all times when out and about and keep safe!
The Select Vestry has decided that our church here at Mullaglass should reopen for in-church worship on:
Sunday 26th July, at 10am
This is great news, and a time to rejoice to have regular worship back in the church building, however this will not be back to normal.
The service will be different. There will be social distancing, some pews will be blocked off, there will be set seating.
Different practices will have to be put in place to ensure everyone’s safety.
Further details will be revealed closer to the time.
For those that are still shielding, or do not feel comfortable being in large crowds indoors, the video services posted on the church website will continue so that everyone has a chance to worship comfortably and safely.
