Another summer has flown past and now all the autumn activities are swinging into action.

Looking back

• Arthur and Shirley’s wedding on 2^nd July at Skibbereen was a wonderful occasion and very much a West Cork celebration with plenty of farming talk as well as a huge family gathering.
• The following day at Kinneigh we held an act of remembrance during the Eucharist for Sarah Duke on the first anniversary of her death – but also remembering all those whom we love who have died. Instead of a sermon, Ivan Shorten and Dorrie Draper spoke briefly of their personal memories of Sarah. Instead of intercessions, the Rector led a mediation, which was followed by a superb Breton piece of music played on the harp by Tomas Riedmüller. The music resonated around the church in a most beautiful way.
• At the Rectory a lot of light has now entered the front garden by the careful removal of five leylandi at the side of the house and one in the front.
• A work party – Albert Ross, Frank and Richard Jennings and Graham Garland did a magnificent job on securing the tower at St Mary’s Desertserges against pigeons. The absolute mess that had to be cleared away each week in the entrance had gone beyond a joke and was something of a health hazard.  (Pigeons are still there but higher up and can no longer enter the tower and porch.)
• Other small works have been undertaken at the various churches. Betty Kingston painted the handrail by the steps at Kilmeen and beautifully renovated the offertory table. Billy Duke and John Anderson have repaired windows and undertaken other useful jobs at Kinneigh. I’m sure other people have also undertaken a variety of tasks, maintaining our high standard in this parish. Thank you to all concerned.
• 28^th July saw the baptism of Jayde Victoria Cars. It was good to welcome all her family from England.
• The night of 30^th July was the Parish Barbeque at the Rectory. Thank you to all who helped make this fun occasion such a success. The food was wonderful; thank you to the cooks.  There was an extraordinary range of ages, from baby Graham Shorten to Barney Coombes (in his nineties), where all were present and happy together. The quiz was won by Rose Shorten and Jonathan Readman.
• Edward Damery is now in Upton Nursing Home and is doing very well.
• David Bourne has been doing a Grand Tour of Co. Cork on many Sundays taking Morning Prayer or the Service of the Word in churches where clergy or other readers are away.

Looking forward

·        At the time of writing we are still preparing for the Summer Joy Club Week at Dunmanway. The plans for a local ongoing monthly Joy Club in the Ballineen area are still in the pipeline.

·        The schools and the various organisations are in different stages of restarting and planning ahead

·        The main Harvest Festival service for this Union will take place at St Bartholomew’s Kinneigh on Sunday 2^nd October at 10.30am. This will be a shared service where we welcome everyone especially our Methodist friends from Ballineen church. We are invited to their celebration the following night at the Methodist Church. Our guest speaker is Jennifer Sleeman who has helped to set up the FairTrade awareness in Clonakilty.

Back