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Exciting News

A real highlight of Holy Week will be the visit of the Omagh Waterford Peace Choir on Maundy Thursday in Holy Week. This is a great opportunity for us to hear one of the best choirs in Ireland. Later in the year they are due to sing at the Waterfront and the Oddessy in Belfast. We will be holding this special service in Swanlinbar at 8 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity that we are unlikely to have again. We encourage all our parishioners to come along as well as any other folk who have not got their own service to go to. .

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Holy Week Services

This year we will be marking Holy Week with a special series of services and events, launched at a united morning service in Corrawallen on Palm Sunday. Each evening between Palm Sunday and Good Friday a themed event or service will be held as we move from church to church in our group of parishes.
On Palm Sunday evening we will be in Newtowngore for a reflection on the Passion, moving on Monday to Kildallon for a Question Time panel answering your questions on faith and life. Tuesday will see us in Ballyconnell learning about the persecuted church throughout the world while Templeport will host a healing service, with Revd Eric McGirr on the Wednesday evening. On Thursday we will have the visit of the Omagh - Waterford peace choir to Swanlinbar (made even more significant given the events of recent days) and our services will conclude with a rededication of our Baptismal Vows on Good Friday evening in Kinawley.
Each day, those who wish to, can join in a prayer walk as we move from church to church. This does not mean that we will spend the whole time praying, but that we will pause each mile or so along the way for a short Bible reading or prayer. The first walk is between Corrawallen and Newtowngore on Palm Sunday, leaving Corrawallen Church at 4pm. We will leave Newtowngore on Monday at 4pm, Kildallon on Tuesday at 6pm, Ballyconnell on Wednesday at 4pm, Templeport on Thursday at 4pm and Swanlinbar on Good Friday at 5pm. The intention is to pray for God's blessing on our parishes and on all the individuals and families living in them over the coming year.
Holy week culminates in our Easter celebrations which will begin on Easter Eve and continue on Easter Sunday morning as detailed on page 12 of this Newsletter.
I hope that you will be able to join in as many of our Holy Week events as possible, making this an Easter to remember.

Slan agus beannacht

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Holy Week Panel Night

On Monday 18th April at 8 pm in Kildallon Church we will be giving a panel of invited guests the opportunity to answer questions of faith that we might have. It should be a helpful night. To help us prepare for the evening it would be helpful to have most of the questions in advance. So if you have a burning question about faith, scribble it down and give it to Brendan or Richard.

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‘The Persecuted Church’

We have invited a speaker from the Christian charity ‘Open Doors’ to speak with us on ‘The Persecuted Church’ at 8 pm on Tuesday 19th April in Tomregan Church Ballyconnell. Open Door has worked for many years with Christians in many nations who suffer persecution.

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Good Friday for Children and Young Families

Good Friday is perhaps the most important day in the church year. We are very keen therefore that children are able to be a part of the activities. We will therefore be holding a special morning for children (and parents if they want to stay) From 10.30 - 12 noon in Ballyconnell Parish hall. Along with some other fun activities, parents and children of all ages are invited to have some hands on fun making hot cross buns and remember what Jesus has done for us.

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Easter Daybreak Service!!!

For the early risers a service at dawn!
The good news is Easter morning should be warmer this year! Sunrise is however earlier! So for those who are hardy and awake we will again be welcoming the glory of Easter resurrection at sunrise on a hillside on Easter morning. We will have a short service with hymns reading and talk. As last year the venue will be near the end of the Gortalughany scenic route - about 1 mile out of Swanlinbar on the Enniskillen Road just past Cassidy's Cross, 1st turn on the left signed Gortalughany. We will park at the new Clements house from 5.30 am.. This will give us time to walk the ½ mile up to the venue where we pray for a wonderful view! Sunrise is around 6.05am. Those unable to walk the ½ mile up can be taken via minibus to the car park at the top. Our planned venue is 100 yards from this. Refreshments are available after the service at the new Clements house.

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Music Honour

On a different note, congratulations also to Lorraine Spotten on obtaining Honours in her final Grade 8 exam in opera singing, both in English and foreign languages from the Royal Irish Academy of music.

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Celebrations

A big Congratulations to Linda Kells and Ross Kingston who got engaged on Thursday 17th March (an easy date to remember for future!)
It's a bit windswept looking but the photo was taken where Ross proposed at Castle Murray, by St. John's Point, Dunkineely, Co. Donegal (by the sea).
Click on the thumbnail for a larger version which should open in new window..

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Charity Runners

Rhoda Berry and Linda Dolan are running the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon in Dublin on Monday, 6th June 2011 in aid of Friends of Cavan Oncology Unit, Cavan General Hospital. All monies raised will be used to ensure the cancer patients attending Cavan General Hospital get the best possible treatment and care.
Anyone wishing to sponsor them in aid of the above charity, please contact any member of the Berry Family, Cornacrum, Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, 049-4333574..

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Irish Blood Transfusion Service

Help Us To Help Others
The opportunity to give blood will arise at Crananhan Suite, Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell on Monday 11th April from 5.00pm - 8.30pm. It is important that we remember that many patients in hospitals need our blood and this need never ceases. There is a need for more people to donate blood.

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Click on the image for a larger version which will open in a new window

Letter from Edoh Clemence

Edoh writes to the Swanlinbar Kildallon Sunday Schools:

Thank you so much for the Christmas Card you sent me. May God bless you and children of Swanlinbar Kildallon Sunday Schools.
My whole family and I are very glad of you. We also wish you a Happy New Year 2011. How do you plan the New Year?
Pray God to protect my family and me.

Love Edoh

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Bereavement

It is with great sadness we remember David Cowan following his recent and tragic death.
We give thanks to God for his life and bring before our Lord our prayers for all David’s family and friends.
We thank God that He is able to look at the whole of our lives and knows our confusion and pain.
In trust we say God understands and knew David best of all.

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Community Notice - Get your Free Preschool at Clever Clogs

Clever Clogs Montessori is one of the very few preschools in Cavan to qualify under the new government EVVE scheme for a higher level of grant in recognition of the higher levels of qualifications and experiences of our staff. To avail of the few remaining places or for any further information please contact Paula Donohue on 049 9527965 up to 2 pm or on 087 9174098 at any time. Clever Clogs can provide for all your day care/ pre-school needs in a very professional caring homely atmosphere. Crèche address is: 21 Doon Heights. Ballyconnell.

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Bishop’s Ken’s 10th Anniversary

A number of parishioners from the group attended the Bishop's 10th anniversary celebrations. Both the service in Kilmore and more recently the anniversary dinner in the Bush Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon were both meaningful and very enjoyable occasions.
Click on the thumbnails for larger versions which should open in new windows.

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Please Could You Contribute to future Newsletters?

If you have a digital camera or a camera on your mobile phone please take photographs of your local parish activities. We would love to hear from you or, just send your photos to the group office.
If you have any submissions for the Monthly Newsletter or the weekly Newssheet please contact the church office. The Newsletter is usually published on the second Sunbday of the month and copy needs to be in the office at least a week before. Telephone. 049 9527705. Email:

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Time for a Smile!

Seeing is Believing

Henry Ford once asked a young car engineer to name his chief ambition in life. The young man said it was to become very rich, everything else was secondary.
Sometime later Mr Ford gave all his employees a small package. When the young man opened his he found a pair of metal rimmed spectacles but in place of the lenses there were a pair of silver Dollars.
Put them on Mr Ford requested, the young man did. “Now, what do you see?” Mr Ford asked.
“Nothing” the young engineer replied, “the money blocks out everything.”
“Maybe you should rethink that ambition of yours!” Said the famous car maker and walked away.

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1 after Service type indicates Traditional 2 after Service type indicates Contemporary
After the United Services there will be a cup of tea in the Church or local hall