There was a virtually packed house in the Church of Saints Columbanus and Gall, Milltown on Wednesday 18th January. This gathering was to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2012. As we gathered, a recording of the Bass recitative from Handel's Messiah - 'Behold I tell you a mystery' was relayed over the sound system, a wonderful way to set the tone for the evening.
Following the opening hymn and entrance procession, in which members of several faith communities participated, the welcome and introduction were given by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.
The homily was given by Archbishop Michael Jackson, in which he challenged us to continue to work towards unity despite the differences that we face.
After the service, there was an opportunity for all of us to mix and mingle over refreshments in the parish hall. Given the number of people in attendance, Christian Unity would appear to be an important issue, certainly for those there that evening.
Back by popular demand, St Philip's was again host of a Table Quiz, which has now turned out to be an annual event, on Thursday 19th January. Whilst first and foremost a fundraiser for the parish, this occasion is also, and importantly, a wonderful social opportunity for the members of our grouped parishes and friends.
The format was made up of a wide range of general knowledge questions. For the most part, the answers are lurking in the brain somewhere, retrieval when needed is the problem! Each team/table was made up of 4 people and incidentally, some teams gave themselves very 'inventive' names!
Halfway through the evening cocktail sausages and snacks were served and raffle tickets sold. Liquid refreshments were available also throughout the evening. The general consensus was that a superb time was had by all those in attendance!
Thanks, as always, to all those who worked to make this event happen. A special thanks to McKay Asset Valuers and Auctioneers who again sponsored 1st prize and to our anonymous donor for 2nd prize- congratulations to the winning teams!
Check out our photo gallery of recent events!