Greetings to you all.
The clocks have moved forward and spring is here. The days are longer and there’s more blue skies and sunshine than we’ve had before. As nature springs into life may we have every confidence and assurance that God is faithful. He promises in scripture not to put us through anything that he isn’t sure we can endure. I hope that through our Lenten journey we have taken the opportunity to draw closer to God so that as we journey into the future we may be even more conscious of His presence with and in us. May we continue to pray for each other, study scripture and love as Christ would have us love. May the Lord continue to bless us as we seek to be faithful to our calling as loving children of God.
Yours in Christ.
Ivan.
Ballymoney National School: The School in Ballineen recently received exciting news when they were selected as a Changemaker School by DCU. The DCU Changemaker Schools, established in September 2020, is a network of 19 innovative primary schools on the island of Ireland who were chosen for their
pioneering work in the development of the skills of empathy, creativity, leadership and teamwork. This social innovative initiative has one powerful yet simple ambition – to support students as Changemakers. A Changemaker is someone with the skills and confidence to lead change in their home, school and community.
Ballymoney National School first drew attention because of its’ creative approach to supporting its pupils during the pandemic. The students had daily zoom lessons for up to three hours per day so they were not isolated from their peers and they did not fall behind in their school work. They had a baking week with daily videos to instruct them and they created a ‘Bottle Top Mural’ out of 12,400 plastic bottle tops. The collaborative artwork was originally intended to help to keep the two classrooms to feel connected to
each other, but it ended up involving the parents, parishioners and wider community of Ballineen and Enniskeane. Since then, many other schools, youth groups and tidy towns groups from around the country have copied them and created similar murals, reusing thousands of plastic bottle tops.
Ballymoney National School is the only Church of Ireland School in the network. It is a small, rural school with 29 pupils. They were independently nominated to join the network, there was an initial interview with the directors of the programme, a school visit followed and members of their Board of Management and parents were interviewed. Being nominated for the network was a very proud moment for the school, it acknowledges the huge contribution that the whole school community has made to the culture of the school with empathy at the core of their daily interactions. Pupils’ voice is very evident in their school and they have an effective system of distributed leadership where everybody is included. Joining the network is a wonderful opportunity for the school to network with other creative and positive schools and to learn from their innovative ideas. The DCU Changemaker Network is shortlisted in the Best Outreach Education Programme Category at the Education Awards. Visit www.dcuchangemakernetwork.com for more information.
Leading up to the Easter holidays and our PTA were busy organising a Community Easter Egg Hunt in aid of The Irish Red Cross Crisis Appeal for Ukraine. The sun has been shining and the pupils have been outside painting a new mural inside their shelter under the guidance of Mrs. Quin. It is a mural of a bookshelf that represents all the pupils’ interests and subjects in Ballymoney. The school garden is a busy place with lots of seeds being planted in the polytunnel and in the raised beds. We have been helping the Tidy Towns committee to plant native Irish trees in the Butterfly Garden in Ballineen. As part of our work towards an active flag, we are all running one kilometre each morning to get fitter.
Baptism On April 3rd Éabha O’Leary was presented for baptism by her parents Aisling and Seamus at St. Bartholomew’s, Kinneigh and received into the family of the worldwide church.
Confirmation April 24th was a very special day and the weather was kind for Katie Appelbe, Niamh Bennett and Anna O’Halloran as they were confirmed by the Bishop at St. Bartholomew’s, Kinneigh. They were supported by their families and friends. The bishop blessed their confirmation gifts from the union and these were presented by their sponsors. We wish them God’s blessing as they continue to worship and serve God in their lives.
Easter Vestry Elections
Churchwardens
- Kilmeen
- Incumbent’s Churchwarden: Mrs Elizabeth Kingston
- Vestry Churchwarden: Mrs Frances Stanley
- Kinneigh
- Incumbent’s Churchwarden: Mrs Dorothy Draper
- Vestry Churchwarden: Mrs Edith Draper
- Farranthomas
- Incumbent’s Churchwarden: Mrs Lilian Shorten
- Vestry Churchwarden: Mrs Shirley Shorten
- Glebe wardens
- Incumbent’s Glebewarden: Mrs Joanna Moore
- Vestry Glebewarden: Mr Colin Draper
- Officers (elected by the new select vestry)
- Honorary Secretary: Mr Graham Garland
- Honorary Treasurer: Mr Graham Garland
Select Vestry 2022 – 2023
Mrs Olive Bradfield, Mr David Bourne, Mr John Duke, Mrs Susan Eady, Mr Graham Garland, Mrs Marjorie Garland, Mrs Helen Kingston, Mr Harold Shorten
Fair Share Just a reminder that our liability for this is due by the end of May. The select vestry would appreciate if you could arrange to make your payment by Friday 25th May so that payment can be made on time to the diocese. Ways to make your payment:
- Details for bank counter service – Bank of Ireland, Account Kinneigh Union Sustentation Fund, Sort Code 962610, a/c No. 27034796. Kindly put you name for a reference. Cheques should be made out in the name of the account.
- Cheques by post to Graham Garland, Castleview, Derrymeeleen, Ballineen Co. Cork, O47 FK51 Again, made out to Kinneigh Union Sustentation Fund.
- Internet/Telephone or Electronic Banking – a/c Name as above, BIC – BOFIIE2D IBAN – IE35 BOFI 9026 1027 0347 96. Please enter your name as a reference.
- Hand your contribution, to any church warden or the union treasurer, or place the envelope on the collection plate/ basket at a service. Please mark on the envelope Fair Share and your name.
Condolences go to the family and friends of William Joseph Buttimer who passed away on 29th March and was buried in St. Bartholomew’s graveyard. A service of thanksgiving took place on 1st April in St. Bartholomew’s Church, Kinneigh.
Diocesan Mother’s Union on Tuesday 10th May a MU Festival Service will be held in St. Brendan’s Church, Bantry at 3.00pm. Followed by refreshments at the West Lodge Hotel.
Kinneigh Parish Mother’s Union met on 5th April and were joined by two ladies from Dunmanway. They learned an eco-friendly way of doing a flower arrangement without using an oasis. Each member made their own arrangement in a small bucket. A great night was enjoyed by all. A closing Eucharist service will be held in St. Paul’s Parish Centre, Ballineen on Tuesday 3rd May at 8.30pm. All welcome. We look forward to coming back together again in September, after the summer break.
Bandon Valley Centenaries On 28th April the bishop visited Kilmeen, Ballymoney, Kinneigh, Farranthomas and Killowen graveyards to pray and lay wreaths/flowers at the graves of those killed. He also visited Ballymoney National School.
Holiday cover the Rev. Cliff Jeffers will be in-charge from 9th May until 10th June whilst Rev. Ivan is away visiting his family in South Africa. Rev, Cliff’s contact details are 087 2390848 email: [email protected]
Ballineen Methodist Church are having a May Sale on Friday 20th May at 7.30pm in the Beda Hall. Cakes, plants, white elephant, books and teas. All welcome.
Select Vestry the next meeting will be on Tuesday 21st June in St. Paul’s Parish Centre, Ballineen at 8.30pm.
Ukraine (extracts from the bishop’s letter in the May Diocesan Magazine) “Understandably, Ukraine dominates the news and will do for some time. In terms of the economy, our commercial, agricultural and domestic life, as well as our community life, this war will affect us all and changes us. It comes on top of the Coronavirus Pandemic which persists and make significant demands on everyone also, not least those who are ill, and those caring for them. As a priority we continue to pray for peace and healing. Together with our fellow member countries of the European Union, Ireland is already receiving Ukrainian refugees who have nowhere to go. As of today, the number is approximately 21,000. It is predicted that this number will increase significantly.
Our primary function is to receive our neighbours and to do what we can for them. And you already are, in huge and generous measure, and I want to thank you. One parish is making a property available and is working with an immigrant support group. Three other parishes are furnishing a recently vacated house owned by Lapps Charity, and an extended Ukrainian family will move in soon. There has been an immense response to the need for the Kingston Charity Trust to refurbish houses to accommodate refugees – voluntary labour, materials, a large cheque from one parish and very generous donations from individuals within and outside the Diocese. The Diocesan Board of Education has agreed to make the recently closed Desertserges National School available to the Department of Children. That Department has responsibility for oversight of the accommodation for refugees. The greatest need continues to be accommodation and suitable sites/land and temporary housing. I have set up a Ukraine Support group in the Diocese and our Diocesan Media Officer is developing a Ukraine Support section on our Diocesan website. It is all quite chaotic at the moment, as the impact has been sudden. Along with accommodation, key challenges are the trauma experienced by Ukrainians, language, school placements, communications between agencies, and much more. We are on a learning curve of engagement. The learning curve also shows us how we are capable of responding to a crisis such as this. This poses a challenge. We need also to ask ourselves how we can channel the same energy into other persistent concerns in our society, such as housing, homelessness, direct provision, reform of the health service and refugees from other places. Our response to this is not “instead of” all those things, it is “as well as.” We know the answer Jesus gave to the lawyer who asked him “Who is my neighbour?” Our response to the parable Jesus told goes to the very heart, in our day, of how we respond to the commandment Jesus gave us to love God and to love our neighbour”.
