St. Macartin's Cathedral

Scott Elliott Appointed Curate
We congratulate Scott Elliott who has been appointed Curate to Limerick Cathedral and who will be ordained on Sunday 8th June at 7.30pm.
To support Scott the minibus will take those who wish to travel to Limerick for the service. If you wish to secure one of the sixteen seats available, please put your name on the sheet in the Cathedral porch. The minibus will leave the Cathedral Hall car park at 1.00pm and stop en route for refreshments, please bring your own packed lunch. An evening meal will be provided in Limerick.

Bishops’ Appeal - Myanmar Earthquake
.Following the devastating earthquake last Friday (28th March) in South East Asia in which over two thousand lives have been lost, the Bishops’ Appeal Advisory Committee is sending emergency assistance of €10,000 (currently equivalent to £8,400) to Christian Aid’s appeal for Myanmar. Bishops’ Appeal envelopes are available in the porch if anyone would like to make a contribution.

Appeal for Books for Oxfam Charity Shop
Oxfam Charity Shop would appreciate donations of books. If you can help, please leave at the shop, 29 Townhall Street, Enniskillen.

Mid Week Services Every Thursday
at 11.00am – Holy Communion

Sunday 25th May - The Sixth Sunday of Easter
9.00am – Holy Communion
11.00am – Morning Prayer (1)

Mothers' Union: Christian Care for Families.
Mothers’ Union is an international Christian charity that seeks to support families of all faiths and none through practical outreach, prayer and advocating family friendly policies within both government and public life. By supporting marriage and family life, especially through times of adversity, we tackle the most urgent needs, challenging relationships and communities. Our members are not all mothers, or even all women, but are single, married, parents, grandparents or young adults who are just beginning to express their social conscience. For all 4.1 million members in 83 countries, what Mothers’ Union provides is a network through which they can serve Christ in their own community through prayer, financial support and actively working at grassroots level. At St Macartin’s Cathedral, we aim to have a warm welcome for all and endeavour to assist in the work of the Church both in Enniskillen and overseas. We support the work of Messy Church and see this as a vital outreach to young families in our community! Please come and join us. All welcome.

St Macartin’s Mothers’ Union Officers
Branch Leader: Jenifer Johnston
Secretary: Adele Moore
Treasurer: Maud Shaw
Overseas Representative: Valerie Watson
Committee Members: Stephanie Hall, Christine Halpin, Stephanie Hamilton, Hazel Hunter, Avril Kee, Estelle Latimer, Margaret Owens, Susan Spratt and Jeanette Wilson.

Adult Confirmation
A service to confirm adults will take place in the Cathedral on Ascension Thursday (29th May) at 7.30pm. Adults throughout the Diocese are welcome to be confirmed at this service – please contact the clergy or the Parish Office and a member of the Clergy will contact you.

Messy Church
The date of the next Messy Church is to be announced here. Messy Church is open to all children of primary school age and their parents and guardians. To ensure there are enough resources and food for participants, you must contact Gwyneth Blair as soon as possible to book. Please text Gwyneth on 07753522324 or email, gwyneth.blair@gmail.com.
Messy Church is held on the third Thursday of each month from 4.00-6.00pm. The rule is: no child without an adult, and no adult without a child. Now that we’re in a new school year, we are looking forward to meeting new friends! So even if you’ve never been before, even if you or your children aren’t parishioners of the Cathedral, you are very welcome to join us!

Messy Church is one of our key ministries to children and families. It does "just what it says on the tin". lt's Church, so we meet together and worship God through Bible stories and songs. And it's messy! There‘s always glue and glitter, food and fun. Messy Church is open to all children (whether church members or not) of primary school age (but younger children are also welcome) and their parents and guardians.
The rule is: no child without an adult, and no adult without a child.

Even if you’ve never been before, even if you or your children aren't parishioners of the Cathedral, you are very welcome to join us. Messy Church takes place on the third Thursday of each month. However, this will require more helpers!
Could you help with:
Music and singing
Crafts and activities
Basic food preparation and serving
Set-up/tidy-up
If so, please contact the office, letting us know if you have special requirements such as accessibility.

Book Bags for Families with Young Children
There are book bags available in the porch, with activities for young children, for during church services. All families are welcome to take a bag to their pew to help keep the youngest members of the congregation occupied if necessary.

Holy Baptism
If any families have children or adults not baptised, please speak to the Dean. If desired a private baptism can be arranged for adults and older children.

St Macartin’s Cathedral History Books
These are available from the Churchwardens in the Vestry immediately after services or from the Cathedral Office, and still at the launch price of £20 per book.

Emergency Relief Fund
A new fund has been opened to help Cathedral parishioners who were affected by the recent flooding and to build up a reserve to help others in the years ahead. Donations at any time are always welcome.

Men’s Group
The next meeting of the Men’s Group is yet to be announced.

St. Macartin's Knitting Group - “The Knitwits”
This is open to anyone who would like to knit socks - learner and experienced knitters are equally welcome. Yarn, needles, sock patterns and guidance will be provided. For further information contact Claire Holmes: claire.holmes4@gmail.com
This popular club meets in the Cathedral Hall. The Sock Club starts at 2pm and the general group at 3pm, ending at 5pm. New knitters are welcome - as are male knitters!

Sunday Lights and Café (Sunday School). Here we use interactive and creative forms at teaching to help the children learn about the Christian faith (telling Bible stories, discussion, songs, games, and crafts). The children leave during the 11.00am service after the singing of a family hymn for their own activities, and will attend and take part in monthly Family Services.

Sunday Lights Leaders
There is still room for people who are interested in taking on this role on a rota basis

Marie Curie Companion Volunteers
Marie Curie wish to recruit companion volunteers in this area to provide emotional and practical support to people living with a terminal illness, from diagnosis to end of life. You need to be 18 years of age or over, able to visit people in Northern Ireland, have good listening skills and some knowledge of IT. Full training will be given. For more information, contact 02894 331 868 or belfast.mail@mariecurie.org.uk.

Foyle Hospice Extends Services
The Foyle Hospice Community Specialist Palliative Care Team is a group of trained nurses who provide professional palliative care expertise and support to patients and their families in the comfort of their own homes. This service is now available across the Western Health and Social Care Trust area.

For further details on all of the services provided by Foyle Hospice, visit www.foylehospice.com or call 028 71610798 to speak with a staff member.

Fermanagh Rural Community Initiative (FRCI)
FRCI are now running courses for the REAP programme formerly ASPIRE. Not Working and looking to move into work or education in 2024? To check if you are eligible for this FREE support contact the REAP programme on 02866326478 for further information.

Family Services (usually the last Sunday of the month at 11am)

The key to understanding these services is thinking about them as “family time” (the family of the Church), not as time for the children with the adults present. It is an all-age time - all are welcome to attend these services!

Bell Ringers
Bell ringing practice takes place on Wednesdays at 7.00pm. If you would like to help with bell-ringing please speak to any ringer or contact the Cathedral Office. You will be very welcome.

Diocesan Magazine.
The latest edition of the Diocesan Magazine is available. Copies have been named and left in the Cathedral porch. Please collect.

Connect Fermanagh
Connect Fermanagh is based in Fermanagh House, Enniskillen and is an organisation which connects lonely people with volunteers who provide a telephone befriending service which provides support to individuals feeling lonely or isolated across Fermanagh. They seek to promote positive wellbeing for those they call, help them feel connected to their community, valued as citizens, and prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation. They wish to recruit both service users and volunteer callers. For more information please contact Breige McRory on 663203230, 07949954512 or email info@connectfermanagh.org.

Erne Flower Arranging Society
Erne Flowers meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm in the Eniskeene Room, Cathedral Hall. Annual membership is £35 per year, visitors £10 per night. The next meeting is on Wednesday 6th September. New members are very welcome..

Tuesday Drop-in
Every Tuesday afternoon from 2.00 to 6.00pm, the Hilliard Room in the Cathedral Hall will be open, where people can chat, study, read the newspaper, knit, and drink tea and coffee, saving money by reducing energy usage in our homes. You are welcome to make use of the tea
and coffee making facilities in the adjacent kitchen. On the last Tuesday of each month, the Tuesday Club will meet in the Hilliard Room at 2.00pm, and you would be welcome to join them.

Choral Scholarships

If you have the talent and interest, you can help to form an integral part of St Macartin's Cathedral Choir, Enniskillen, and benefit from our new choral scholarships. The Cathedral Choir sings at the weekly Sunday morning service at 11.00am, and occasionally at additional services throughout the year. Once or twice a year the choir visits churches and cathedrals further afield, to sing. Each year, commencing in September, St Macartin's offers up to ten Choral Scholarships; ideally at least two of each voice part (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass). It is useful, but not essential, for potential Choral Scholars to have relevant experience of singing in a choir, for example a church, school or community choir. For all Scholars, good sight-reading skills are desirable. All Scholars are obliged to take lessons from an approved professional vocal tutor of their own choice, or from the Cathedral's designated vocal tutor, Mr David Robertson. Application forms can be requested from the Cathedral Office by telephoning 02866322917 or emailing enniskillen@clogher.anglican.org. The cost of this programme is £6,300 as the students get £630 each towards the cost of the singing lessons. If you would like to support this very worthy scheme donations would be very welcome.

Parish Visiting

We would appeal to parishioners to let us know if you are unwell - or if you know someone who is unwell. We can arrange some form of contact to be made, depending on what is possible at that time. Please let us know if you would like to be added to our prayer list, as the clergy will remember you in their personal devotions and during the intercessory prayers at our services. If you know of someone who would value this service, or if a parishioner has had a close bereavement please also inform Beth in the office. It is not recommended that you tell one of the clergy at the Cathedral door on a Sunday morning for there is every possibility they could forget in the midst of shaking hands with 300 people! A little written note handed to them is a safer option.

Hospital Visiting

Please let us know if you are admitted to hospital. We can arrange some form of contact to be made, depending on what is possible at that time. Please let us know if you would like to be added to our prayer list, as the clergy will remember you in their personal devotions and during the intercessory prayers at our services. Do not rely on the hospital system to inform the clergy, as this may not happen.

Help or queries

Should you require anything please contact the Dean (028 6632 2465), the Curate Assistant (028 6625 1256), or the Parish Secretary (028 6632 2917).

St Macartin’s Cathedral History Books

These are available from the Churchwardens in the Vestry immediately after the service or from the Cathedral Office, and still at the launch price of £20 per book. These would make ideal gifts for family members and friends, especially those who were baptised, confirmed or married in the Cathedral, and for those who have had relatives buried from the cathedral.

Lesson Readers

Would you like to read a lesson at the 11.00am Sunday morning services on a rota basis? If so, please contact the office to add your name to our list.

Knit and Natter
Enniskillen Library hosts a Knit and Natter session every Wednesday from 2.00-3.30pm. If you like to knit or crochet, and love to chat, come and join the fun!

The Car Park

An extended car park, accommodating an additional 30 cars, is an extremely valuable addition in the island town of Enniskillen where parking space is at a premium. Access to the car park is limited to those who are authorised to use it - otherwise it would become a free public car park. Entry and exit from the car park is controlled by barriers. The access barrier is activated by car users who possess an activation fob. The issue of these fobs is being carefully controlled and is only be available to parishioners and others authorised by the select vestry. There is a £25 charge (£250 for non-members) for each fob (renewable yearly) which not only reflects its cost but also includes an allowance to cover anticipated maintenance. The car park barriers are open for all regular church services, including weddings and funerals. It is also open in the evenings to accommodate the many organisations which use the facilities for evening events.

Daily Hope

Daily Hope is a free phone line of hymns, prayers and reflections for those who don’t have access to the internet at home. Just call 0800 804 8044 from a UK mobile or landline and select your preferred option.

Diocesan Magazine
If you are a subscriber, your copy will be available in church on Sundays or Thursdays, orcan be collected from the Cathedral Office during the week. If you used to purchase your copy in Eason’s Bookshop, spare copies (£1.50) will also be available in the Cathedral back porch or from the Cathedral Office.

Mid Week Holy Communion Thursdays at 11.00am
A Service of Holy Communion is held each Thursday at 11.00am. Those who usually attend the early Sunday morning and Sunday evening services should consider (if not working) attending the Thursday service, as it is much quieter than the 11.00am Sunday morning service. The 7.00pm services can no longer be held to comply with the recommended guidelines.

Prayer Books

Do you have a Prayer book in your home? If not you should have! We are a Prayer Book church and the Prayer Book should not just be on those shelves at the back of the church for use on Sunday, but there should be a copy of a Prayer Book in every home. Everything in it is biblically based and it is a vital tool to every-day living, for daily prayer, and for nourishment and for enriching our daily walk with God. As you leaf through the Prayer Book you will find services and prayers for daily use, and for every situation and worry in life. It is a marvellous resource so use it! Copies are available from the Cathedral Office for £20.00 and would make an ideal Christmas gift!

Old Pound Coins

The old one pound coin has gone out of circulation. Many of you will still have some in your pockets or purses! The bank will still accept, them but rather than make a trip there, you could if you wish, donate them to the Cathedral Fabric Fund. A glass jar is available in the Cathedral Porch to make your donation which will be very much appreciated.

Cathedral Garden of Remembrance

With the increased number of people choosing cremation, the church has created a Garden of Remembrance at the back of the building. You can see a memorial stone there on which will be engraved names of committals and also a summer seat for relatives to have a private and quiet area in which to remember. This may be of particular interest to certain parishioners who may be willing to help finance this project. It may also be of interest to former Cathedral parishioners who have moved away from the area (maybe overseas and large cities where cremations are more common) and may want the Cathedral grounds to be the resting place for their ashes. Please make this widely known and donations would be gratefully received towards this project - ‘The Cathedral Garden of Remembrance Fund'.

Adoption

Family Care Adoption Services is presently seeking to recruit adoptive families for babies and young children. For a free information pack, please contact it on 028 71368592 or 028 90691133, Monday to Friday 9am-1pm, or e-mail anne.ohagan@familycaresociety.co.uk

Donations in lieu of flowers

The Church can benefit greatly from donations made in lieu of flowers at the time of a death or the anniversary of a death. Please keep this in mind, and we acknowledge with grateful thanks all who have contributed in this way in the past.

"Our Daily Bread" Bible Reading Notes

Each Sunday all three readings from the Revised Common Lectionary are printed on a Parish Bulletin. The Psalm and Collect are also listed. Make sure you get this sheet each week (If for some reason you are not out - get someone to take one for you). Please keep it and use one of the readings or psalm each day throughout the week with your private prayers.

Copies of Our Daily Bread (Bible Reading Notes) are available free of charge at the back of the church. Please take one and you will find an order form included so that you can order them and have them sent directly by post to your own home. These will make the reading of the Bible easy, enjoyable, interesting and relevant to every day life.

‘ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path’ Psalm 119

Presentation Hymnals

Presentation editions of the Church Hymnal are an ideal gift for confirmations or for special seasons in the Church calendar, including Christmas. Bound in soft burgundy leather cover and with gilded pages, it contains over 700 hymns - but the light pages ensure that the book itself is not overly bulky. The edition is now on sale for the reduced price of £10 until next Easter. It is an offer not to be missed!

Choir Practice

This takes place on Wednesday evenings in the Cathedral commencing at 7.30pm (but check before attending!). New choir members are most welcome, currently tenor or bass singers would be particularly encouraged to consider joining. Please contact Glenn or Jayne.

Bell Ringers

Fewer than a dozen parish churches in Northern lreland have towers with peals of eight or more bells where campanologists can exercise their skill. Enniskillen is one of these, and the peal of ten bells is rung in changes each Sunday and on special occasions. Practice takes place Wednesdays 7.00-8.00pm and new ringers will be warmly welcomed to send out the call to worship on Sunday!

Bowling Club
Everyone is welcome for fun and fellowship. For more information, contact Maud Shaw - 02866322133 or Mobile 07720081175.
Entries and general enquiries to Maud Shaw - 02866322133 or Mobile 07720081175.

BEAVERS
Beavers meets on Mondays from 6.30 pm to 7.45pm. This is for all children aged 6 to 8 years.

CUBS
Cubs meets on Mondays from 6.30 pm to 7.45pm. This is for all children aged 8 to 10 1/2 years.

SCOUT GROUP
The scouts group meets on Mondays from 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm. This is for all young people aged 6 to 15 years and they will join a worldwide organisation of over 300 million members preparing young people to develop as active members of their Community. They will take camping and outdoors to a new level and for some to an international level. For all sections the gaining of badges and awards is a large part of the programme and there is the opportunity to gain the Chief Scouts’ award and the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

RAINBOWS
Rainbows meets on Tuesdays from 6.30pm to 7.30 pm. This is for all girls aged 4yrs to 6yrs and they will enjoy learning new games, craft work and going on outings as well as making new friends with other Rainbows in Fermanagh.

BROWNIES
Brownies meet on Tuesdays 6.30 to 7.45pm. This is for all girls aged 7yrs to 10yrs (P6) and they will enjoy completing badge work, going on outings, craft work, participating in joint activities with other Brownie units throughout Fermanagh and going on Pack Holiday.

GUIDES
Guides meet on Tuesdays from 6.30pm to 7.45pm. This is for all girls aged 10years (P7) to 15years and they will enjoy completing badge work, completing Duke of Edinburgh award, craft work, camp holidays and taking part in activities with Guides throughout Fermanagh and Northern Ireland.

BOWLS
St Macartin’s Bowling Club re-entered the Churches League and with this new found enthusiasm we are appealing for new members, men, women, boys and girls to join in the fun and fellowship of bowling. It is an excellent means of socialising and meeting new friends. Wednesdays from 10.30am-12.00 noon (Morning Bowls) and 7.30-10.00pm (Evening Bowls)