Notices for February 8th, 2026
Services for February 15th 2026, Sunday before Lent
Holy Communion at:
9.30am St Paul’s Church, Collooney
10.45am Holy Trinity Church, Ballisodare
Noon Emlaghfad Church, Ballymote
Collect for Today
Almighty God,
you have created the heavens and the earth
and made us in your own image:
Teach us to discern your hand in all your works
and your likeness in all your children;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit
reigns supreme over all things, now and for ever. Amen.
The Marthas
The Marthas are meeting again on Tuesday Feb 10th at the home of Mary Bourke from 8.00pm.
Christianity in the Middle East
Friday 13th – Saturday 14th February. Rev Frank Bernadi is the Church of Ireland Council for Mission’s Visitor for 2026. He is the Rector of St George’s Anglican Church in Tunis, Tunisia. The community he leads has an English speaking congregation and a local Arabic speaking congregation mostly made up of Muslim background believers. His wife Anne leads an economic empowerment initiative, addressing social needs around employment and job training.
On Friday evening join us for desserts and coffee in Calry Rectory from 7 pm and hear some of the fascinating history of the church in North Africa and learn about what is happening today.
On Saturday 14th February St John’s Cathedral will be open 10am – 4pm for a unique Prayer Experience in conjunction with SAT-7 revealing stories of faith from across the Middle East and North Africa, with some beautiful picture boards. Rev Frank will lead prayer at different points in the day but specifically at 12 noon and 3.30 pm. Feel free to pop in for a few minutes and explore.
Confirmation
A United Confirmation Service for the Sligo churches will take place on May 10th. Any children or adults seeking confirmation this year should ask Andrew for a form. The Bishop usually likes candidates to be in Secondary School at the time of confirmation. Preparation will take place after Easter this year and will most probably be done on Zoom. Please let Andrew know if this presents any difficulty.
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday occurs on February 18th. There will be a service of Holy Communion in Holy Trinity Church, Ballisodare at 8.00pm.
Life for Purpose
CIYD, in association with Alpha Ireland, are organising Life on Purpose. This is a four week course for any older Christian teenagers (TY and up) who are thinking about how to live out their faith. The sessions will touch on service, mission and evangelism. These courses are in response to a need by rural parishes with one or two young people, in order to help disciple them.
They are running two groups: Sunday at 5pm and Monday at 8pm. These will begin on the 22nd and 23rd of February and run for four consecutive weeks. Some promotional materials are attached and a trailer for the sessions can be found here. https://youtu.be/ctDVUQabygs?is=vdWehvVyhSPPuWI0 (direct link from our website Notices section.
Interested young people can email Luke at Luke@CIYD.org to sign up or to ask any questions.
Prayer
Please remember in your prayers parishioners who are in hospital, or resident in our care homes.
Leaving a Gift for the Church in your Will
Legacy gifts or ‘gifts in will’ are an important source of income for churches, allowing us to make long-term plans. They are also a way of enabling you to continue to support the church after you’re gone.
By remembering us in your will, you can help ensure the church’s presence will continue to benefit many generations to come.
Further details on how to do this are on our website along with answers to some of the questions you may have. A paper version can be provided on request.
Irish Hospice Foundation
Bereavement Support Line available Mon-Fri, 10.00am-1.00pm 1800 80 70 77
Bank Transfers and Standing Orders
If you would like to make donations via bank transfer or by standing order please contact the Rector or the local treasurer who will provide appropriate details.