May those who sow in tears The Sheaf reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of Monthly Magazine of joy, carrying their sheaves. Carlow Union of Parishes Psalm 126: 5-6 (Church of Ireland) & Carlow Methodist Church Carlow Union of Parishes

Rector: Rev. David White May 2018

Email: [email protected] T: 059 913 2565 Day off: Monday Diocesan Website: www.cashel.anglican.org Parish Facebook: www.facebook.com/carlowunion

Carlow Methodist Church

Minister: Rev. Paul Maxwell

Email: [email protected] T: 059 9132445 Day off: Saturday Church Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarlowandKilkennyMethodist Methodist Church in Ireland: www.irishmethodist.org

We welcome items for publishing in this monthly magazine. If you wish to submit an item please send it to Rev. David by the third Friday of the month for publication in the fol- lowing calendar month. Thank you.

The Sheaf Easter Day 2018

Dates for May: Carlow Methodist Church Monday 14th: Athy Road, R93 RW31 Church Council Meeng, 8 pm Thursday 17th: Meet the Minister Circuit Execuve Meeng, 8 pm, Kilkenny Rev. Paul Maxwell has been the Methodist minister in Carlow for the last three and Special Collection for May half years. He is also the minister of Kilken- ny Methodist Church. Paul is married to World Development & Relief Nicola and they have two children, a boy and girl aged 7 and 4 ¾! He is originally from Bangor in Co. Down and apart from his family, his big passions in life are Liverpool FC, Ulster and Ireland World Development & Relief is part of Rugby, good quality coffee and the hit TV the Methodist Church in Ireland's (MCI) mission in drama NCIS. Outside of the church Paul is a board member of Carlow Women’s Aid the world. Established in1970, WDR undertakes and a coach of the U8’s soccer team at work to tackle poverty & injustice through commu- GRS Utd. nity development with its partners. Members of MCI are directed to give 1% of their income (post-tax) to WDR. This level of giving continues to be an aspiration. Our vision is that Sunday Services in May every person’s God-given potential is fulfilled. We believe that genuine and long-term partner- All Services are at 10 am with tea following the ship is the best way to achieve effective communi- service. ty development. We consider partners to include the WDR Committee, people in the organisations Sunday 6th May : Preacher: Rev. Paul Maxwell. implementing plans on the ground, supporters, Theme: Resurrection Appearances: The Road to volunteers and local people who contribute skills, Emmaus knowledge and time to transform their own com-

Sunday 13th May: Preacher: Rev. Paul Maxwell. munities. Other relevant bodies, such as local au- Theme: All-In Mission. Update on the recent thorities, and individuals may also be involved. Methodist Mission Conference Effective and mutually beneficial partnerships are built upon trust, transparency, accountability and Sunday 20th May: Preacher: Rev. Paul friendship. This relational approach speaks of our Maxwell. Theme: Pentecost Christian values. Sunday 27th May: Preacher: Rev. Paul Maxwell. Currently WDR partners with 15 organisations Theme: Methodist World Development and around the world. Relief Sunday To find out more information please find the fol- lowing website: Who we are? http://methodistworlddevelopment.org/ Carlow Methodist Church is situated on Athy Road be- side the Courthouse and opposite the County Council Offices. There has been a Methodist community in Car- low since the mid 1700s. We meet for worship every Sunday at 10 am and always end our service with tea and coffee and fellowship in our hall.

The Sheaf Easter Day 2018

Carlow Union of Parishes Carlow N.S. Congratulations to Matthew who came Staplestown · St. Mary’s · Urglin first in the School History Project Com- petition run by Carlow Historical and Sunday Club Archaeological Society. He completed an excellent project on St. Dympna’s Hospi- Thank you to Carolyn Good and the Easter Bunny for organis- tal. Congratulations to all the winners ing the Easter egg Hunt. It was great fun and rewarding in a and many thanks to all who bought tick- chocolaty kind of way! Sunday Club will be meeting in St. ets for the Easter Raffle. The money Mary’s on Sundays 20th May and 17th June. Shortly we will be raised will go towards funding a work- appealing for new Sunday Club leaders who would like to help shop in the Visual for Rooms 4 and 5 with the organising and planning of events. With a wider panel next term. Ms. Marie McDermott Walshe of talent it would mean that the work doesn’t fall to the same people all the time. Rev. David. Sacred Triduum Good Friday in Carlow is always a remarkable day. What happens here is unlike anything I have experienced in any other place. That Christians from so many different traditions Easter Flowers come together in prayerful witness and solidar- This year after all the terrible weather it would have been en- ity in such a way, is something we should real- tirely understandable that the amount of blooms in the churches ly treasure and not take for granted. Once would be a little reduced. However, it seems that the opposite again, we were joined in St. Mary’s by Rev. was the case. Huge thanks for all the effort in all three churches. Paul Maxwell and members of Carlow Meth- After not having flowers for Lent it was wonderful to have such odist Church for a ‘Service of the Word’ before an explosion of colour and scent on Easter Day. It really made we walked to the Old Town Hall to meet pa- the liturgy feel even more festive and celebratory. In a recent rishioners of Killeshin Union and St. Clare’s edition of The Irish Times (9 April) Fionnuala Fallon wrote: ‘If Graiguecullen. At the Courthouse we met pa- you love gardening, then you probably also love growing flow- rishioners from Askea Catholic Church and we ers. But as for picking them? Let’s just say that I have countless all walked together the final leg to Carlow Ca- gardening friends who would rather cut their arm off than pluck thedral for ‘Christians around the Cross’. After a handful of blooms from their beautifully tended borders. Even the busyness in the Cathedral, at around 10 pm the mere sight or sound of a secateurs slicing through a succu- Bishop Denis leads the Stations of the Cross lent flower stem is enough to make them wince.’ Her solution with a smaller congregation and some just to this quandary is have a designated flower garden just for cut- come for this time of prayer. At each picture ting. So, as we grow fruit and vegetables for harvesting we of each stage of Jesus’ journey to Golgotha he could also grow flowers in a similar way. gave a reflection and some prayers. At one of Perhaps this could be an idea for the next stage of the develop- them he referred to the beautiful cloth which ment of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan at each of our churches. hung on the cross in front of the sanctuary. It’s called the ‘Garment of Suffering’. It was some- thing which I had admired earlier in the even- World Day of Prayer 2018 ing and wondered about it. I had been thinking This year we had to change our date due to on the richness of the colours and how much the dreadful weather. There was a great turn time and effort and talent had gone into its cre- out for this World Day of Prayer which, as ation. Over the weeks previous, he told us, we know, is a global ecumenical movement people were invited to bring a piece of cloth to led by Christian women who welcome others the Parish Centre. Each piece of cloth could to join in prayer and action for peace and have been a piece of clothing belonging to justice. This year's theme was chosen by the themselves or a loved one which represented women of Suriname and is: All God’s Crea- aspects of suffering, bereavement, loss, depres- tion is Very Good! based on Genesis 1:1-31. sion, addiction, illness or loneliness. The com- The service took place in Tinryland Catholic pleted garment then would be a rich symbol for Church. With the change of date the Rector the Easter Triduum and was draped around the was not able to attend but we were delighted Cross on Good Friday. At the Vigil service on to welcome back our friend Rev. Helen Ox- Easter Eve it was burned in the Paschal fire. ley who gave a very insightful address on the The suffering represented in the cloth panels topic. Thanks to Mrs. Rhoda Shirley and was consumed with the flames of the Easter fire and completely transformed. Rev. David. Mrs. Evelyn McFadden for organising this service.

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