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2022 Newsletter – Issue 7

With Summer well and truly over, we can see the rhythm of the year move towards shorter days and an autumnal feel in the air. Despite the change in the weather, many people find Autumn an uplifting time of year, perhaps because of the wonderful…

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Feast of St Francis of Assisi

Today is the feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and nature. St Francis choose to leave a life of wealth and prosperity and came to see every part of creation, every creature, plant, element and person as his family. He understood…

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Christmas Craft Fair 2022

We are holding a Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday, 12 November 2022 from10am – 1.00pm Register your interest in taking a table by contacting: e: info@macfd.ie | t: 017979364

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Happy Rosh Hashanah

Happy Rosh Hashanah to our Jewish friends. May this new year be filled with abundant blessings for you. Read more here

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2022 World Car Free Day

Thursday, 22 September is World Car Free Day 2022. With carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases being the major causes of global warming, this day brings awareness to what we can all do to help the environment and to the benefits of using cars less…

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Season of Creation 2022

The Season of Creation is marked throughout the Christian world each year from 1 September until the feast of St Francis of Assisi on 4 October. It celebrates the joy of creation as well as encouraging awareness-raising initiatives to protect the natural environment. Drawing inspiration…

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Autumn/Winter Programme 2022

Click on the link below to view some of the events coming up this Autumn at the Margaret Aylward Centre. You can book here on our website – or call us on 01 7979364 or email info@macfd.ie 2022 AW Brochure  

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Review of Spring – Summer at the Centre

As we approach the end of the summer break, we have been reflecting on some of the great things that happened in the Centre over the past few months. We are so grateful for your support and friendship and are looking forward to seeing many…

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Donate Your Unused Wool

Have you any unwanted wool in your cupboard? All wool used for the benefit of others to arrange drop off contact the centre. From September | Tuesday – Friday | 10.30am – 3.00pm Tel: 017979364 | Mobile: 087 6649862 | Email: info@macfd.ie 

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St Patrick’s Day – Lá Fhéile Pádraig

Happy St Patrick’s Day from the Margaret Aylward Centre. As we celebrate the feast day of our national patron saint, there is value in reflecting on the relevance of Patrick’s story for us in 2022. Patrick’s journey was one of separation, imprisonment, slavery and fear….

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Day of Fasting for Peace

During a General Audience address on Wednesday, 23 February, Pope Francis invited everyone to make Ash Wednesday, a Day of Fasting for Peace in Ukraine. “And now I would like to appeal to everyone, believers and non-believers alike. Jesus taught us that the diabolical senselessness…

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The Hidden Dimensions of Poverty

In the run up to World Day of Social Justice on 20th February,  ATD Ireland, the Christian Brothers and Presentation Sisters collaborated with the Margaret Aylward Centre to create a series of workshops highlighting the Hidden Dimensions of Poverty. These workshops were hosted in the…

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Epiphany

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, marking the arrival of the Magi, or Wise Men to worship – and recognise – the infant Jesus as the Incarnation of the Divine. It is a feast which for many people marks the ‘end’ of Christmas,…

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2021 – Merry Christmas!

Dear Friends, As we journey towards Christmas, the days continue to get darker and the darkness of uncertainty and fear seems to be deeper than ever. But we journey towards a promise, the promise of a Light which will come into the world, which the…

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Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor!…

Cry of the Earth……..   Healthy Planet, Healthy People Petition. Among the challenges posed to us by Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ was to become more socially and politically active. The Healthy Planet, Healthy People petition, to be presented to world leaders at the forthcoming…

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Year of St Joseph

2021 has been dedicated by Pope Francis as a “Year of St Joseph” for which Sr Marie Dunne CHF has composed a beautiful hymn “Joseph Ever Faithful”. Click on the link below for a moment of reflection on St Joseph’s care and protection as we…

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Laudato Si Animators – The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations ….

Some of our Holy Faith sisters who worked in South Sudan in recent years will remember fondly Fr Tim Galvin, a Kiltegan priest from Brosna, Co Kerry, who has lived there since 1983. Fr Tim recently trained as a Laudato Si Animator and created THIS…

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As we emerge…

As we emerge from lockdown and begin to step out into the summer, its a good opportunity be grateful for all that we have been given. Had we been told in February 2020 that we were entering into more than a year of isolation, we…

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A Pentecost reflection

On Saturday 22nd May, we gathered before Pentecost to reflect on the guidance of the Holy Spirit with our friend and guide Donal Dorr. Participants logged in from across this island, England, Scotland, America, Australia and from parts of Asia and Africa too. Much like…

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Launch of a New Book Reflecting on Covid

Where is God in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic?How can church communities survive and even prosper in times of restriction?What will be the lasting effects on church life?A new book from Maynooth and published by www.messenger.ie offers a variety of reflections from the perspectives…

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The Irish Catholic Church Calls a Synod – Irish Bishops Ask for your Opinion

The Irish Catholic Church is holding a synod. This is  monumental event that everyone can participate in. Naturally as a Centre for Faith and Dialogue we want people to engage with, inform and form part of the conversation!! So we invite you to engage from…

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From Gloom to Zoom – Creating New Communities of Hope Online

When the centre closed in doors in early March 2020, we imagined that a 12 week closure might be the worst possible scenario. Our first thought was how we might support both facilitators and participants on our courses in this challenging time. We decided to do three things To change our…

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Deirdre Ni Chinneide – Crossing the Threshold of Hope

We were delighted to be asked to support Deirdre in a lovely project to share her music and spirituality with the world. Deirdre created a very special program, which you can watch back at churchservices.tv here: Watch

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Laudato Si, Bookclubs and Celebrations – Caring for our Common Home Online

In May, we teamed up with Jane Mellett, a Laudato Si Officer with Trocaire, to offer a book club on the fifth anniversary of the publication of this groundbreaking document. Little did we realise the partnership we had created!  The Margaret Aylward Centre has collaborated with Jane on 4…

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Thank you – Lent and Easter at the Margaret Aylward Centre

Huge thanks to all who participated so enthusiastically in our recent events. Looking back to the start of Lent we were still unsure how lockdown might affect us all and for many, energy was low. So, to gather in small and large groups for prayer,…

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#DareToCare – A Webinar Encouraging Engagement and Appreciation in Society.

Focolare Ireland recently invited Noirin, our director, to join Dr Lorna Gold (FaithInvest and Global Catholic Climate Movement), Jane Mellett (Laudato Si officer, Trócaire), members of the #DareToCare initiative and Folocare Ireland, to this lovely event in April 2021.The webinar is organised by Focolare Ireland…

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Marie Dunne CHF – Sharing Music and Healing Across Lockdown

Marie Dunne is ‘one of our own’ here in the Margaret Aylward centre – a Holy Faith Sister choir director, and composer of Liturgical Music amongst many other gifts. She is always a friendly, encouraging voice for us all, so we weren’t surprised when across…

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January 2021 – New Year, New Possibilities

As we begin again we want to offer our friends and community some gentle, encouraging events to lift our spirits. So we are delighted that Anne F O’Reilly has come together with Deirdre Ní Chinnéide to offer two courses for you, and that Martina Lehane…

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Advent and Christmas 2020

This year was like no other so of course our plans at the Margaret Aylward Centre were different too. We very much missed welcoming Sr Hilda and the Golden Wonders from Coombe for their annual party and we look forward to a time when we…

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The Digital Parish

We continue our Facebook series today here on The Digital Parish asking some questions of priests, religious, bishops, lay people, who have been using digital media before and during the Covid-19 pandemic to reach out online. As well as finding out how people are reaching…

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