ENNISKERRY

PARISH OF POWERSCOURT WITH KILBRIDE.

Re-opening Church HSE Guidelines: We are delighted to be coming together in some shape or form this Sunday. Lockdown has lasted a long time and no doubt there are many who wish for the company of others and their community of faith, participating in the worship of God beneath the one roof. However, this return poses as high a sense of caution as there is a sense of risk. Ensuring your Safety: Our remit, as Rector and Select Vestry is to ensure that the buildings you will occupy will be sanitised and marked out to adhere strictly to the HSE protocol and to the Return to In-Church Worship Protocols specifically put together by the house of Bishops and Church House in booklet form. Changes to Services: Our Services will take on a different shape on our return to church. A reduction in time that people are together in an enclosed space reduces the risk of infection and so shorter services are now planned (20 to 30 minutes in duration) for Phase one of our re-opening with the use of recorded music between or beneath readings and prayers. To facilitate the above, the service times are planned to run as follow: 10 a.m. – Short Service of Worship in Kilbride; 11 a.m. – Short Service of Worship in Powerscourt; midday – Short Service of Worship in Powerscourt. The extra Powerscourt service on Sunday Morning is implemented to cater for the restrictions in the amount of people the church can facilitate at any one service. We are awaiting direction regarding Holy Communion Services and the singing of hymns under present circumstances. During Phase one of our Return to church both churches will not open during the week. What Will a Church Service Look Like?: Outdoor markings will be used (where necessary) at a 2m distance between individuals or family groups within the church car parks. Parishioners as asked to adhere to the social distancing regulation when awaiting entrance into the churches. If a queue has formed at the markers, please wait in your car till the Warden on duty indicates. A Hand Sanitizer will be placed inside the door of the church for use upon entering the building. Allocated places will be marked by a coloured card and service sheet within the pews selected by the social distancing requirements. Please fill in your name and telephone number on this card with the pen provided. These cards will be collected after each service and placed in a dated envelope. It is important that we recall who was present at every service in case Covid-19 is detected. A One-Way System will be in place to reduce risk. We would be grateful if all who attend could take direction from the stewards as to how they exit the church buildings. We request that you select the next available seat closest to the front of the church. People from the one household are welcome to fill an entire pew. Following the service we request that each person/family exits the church carefully maintaining distancing, one by one, from the front forward, through the allocated door. There will be only one reader (apart from the Rector) at each service. A place will be reserved for the reader within the front pew of the church to reduce movement. Readers are asked to read from their sheet as hard surfaces such as lecterns are to be avoided. Adhering to Social Distancing restrictions St Patrick’s Church (Powerscourt) will hold 25 individuals per service. (This will increase if families attend. Each family will have a full pew). St Brigid’s Church (Kilbride) and its attendance numbers will fully fulfil the distancing requirements. Who should attend? Running alongside the careful preparation of buildings is the equally important task of protecting individuals who may be at high risk.

We would also request that anyone who is displaying symptoms of Covid-19 or who thinks they may have been in contact with someone with Covid-19 should not attend church services till they have been medically advised that it is safe to do so. Online Services: As you are no doubt aware, a large and varied range of Church Services are available online. Our own Short Service of Worship has been warmly received and will continue into the future. It has been a pleasure to involve creativity within these services to take church outside the building and my thanks to all those who, thus far, have taken part in the readings and short reflections alongside those who have submitted photographs for use in these Services. Our thanks also to Helen Beardsley, who is keeping us all in song with her Sing. Videos of favourite hymns. Together we all make a great team. In Summary: I understand completely that some of the advice adhered to by the Church of Ireland, in keeping with HSE guidelines, may prove difficult and hurtful to some parishioners who wish to return to regular worship. Please be advised that these decisions are taken for the protection of all within our family of faith, particularly those most vulnerable, and be heartened by the knowledge that further restrictions may be lifted in the near future. My prayer now is for you all. I pray that you may know God’s presence in all places and that he surrounds you and protects you at this time. May God guide you in wisdom and self-care as we step forward, albeit cautiously into a new future for church. With every blessing, The Rector.

ST MARY’S CHURCH

Parish Website: The parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary has its own website. Please check out ‘Enniskerryparish.ie’ for the latest information about our parish.

Masses Update: The Archbishop of Dublin has announced that everyone is dispensed from the obligation to physically attend Sunday Mass for the duration of the present emergency Weekday Mass is now broadcast by RTÉ NEWS NOW at 10.30 a.m. and also through EWTN, Radio Maria, channel which can be found in Saorview and Channel 210. Mass from Knock Shrine is broadcast each day at midday; Rosary at 7 p.m. and Mass at 7.30 p.m. on knockshrine/watchlive; Mass is also broadcast by web-came from St Mary’s Pro Cathedral Dublin. For a list of churches broadcasting Mass by web-cam go to dublindiocese.ie/ list-of-churches-with-webcams-towatch-listen-to-daily Mass/or go to massonline for details of Masses in Ireland and Britain. St Mary’s and St Mochonog’s Church will be open for private prayer each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – please remember to adhere to social distancing requirements. Up to 25 immediate family and close friends may now attend a funeral but social distancing must be observed. While churches and houses of worship were permitted to open last Monday, social distancing protocols will still remain in force, and when the Diocesan guidelines for Masses facilitate the resumption of Masses at can be implemented by St Mary’s Parish Pastoral Council, details of the resumption of Masses will be announced on the parish website which is constantly updated.

Outreach: Two support groups have been set up by local volunteers to help people who are isolated due to the present crisis and need help with food shopping, prescription and medication collection. Parishioners, who would like to volunteer are asked to call Melanie Corrigan at 083 3642439 for further information.

HISTORY SOCIETY

Monthly meetings of the Enniskerry History Society, are scheduled to resume in October if permitted to do so. Further information about the Enniskerry History Society available from John Callan at 01 2867853.

ENNISKERRY LIBRARY

The library re-opened today (Wednesday) for browsing and borrowing and is open on Wednesday only between 1.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. but borrowers can still order/reserve books online at – smmulligan@ wicklowcoco.ie or call 01 286 4339. Books can also be renewed online.