Killiskey

 Partly due to the Covid19 crisis, it took a record time to form a government, from the general election in February to the formation of the three-party coalition in June. Going into government posed a huge dilemma for the Green Party members: would they enter government and, almost certainly, fail to keep to all their manifesto promises or would they join and be in a position to exert as much pressure as possible on the other two, less environmentally conscious, parties. Now, being in power, there is definitely a stronger green agenda than there would otherwise have been, including commitments to: reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7% annually; ban the importation of fracked gas; improve public transport, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure; introduce a Climate Action (Amendment) Bill within 100 days of the new Dail; increase carbon tax to €100 per tonne by 2030. Perhaps now is a good time to introduce more sustainable living practices and establish green companies while the economy, so devastated by the pandemic, is being re-booted. This approach should benefit all members of society.

Please pray for:

*The Archbishop and clergy of the United Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough

* Those who were recently baptised in Nun’s Cross church

* Safety in our church and parish shop

* The smooth re-opening of churches in Rwanda

* Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan to prevent destruction and loss of lives and to live in harmony for the good of their people.

* The witness of our church and church members in our local community

* Constructive discussions between the EU, UK concerning new trading relationships

* Those developing plans for the re-opening of schools

* Conscious consideration of what we have learnt during the health crisis which might improve our lifestyles

* All involved in care ministries, including hospital staff and social workers

A retiring collection will be organised in support of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) at the back of Nun’s Cross church on 2nd August. Please try and support this worthy cause.

Details of the re-opening plan have been posted to the website and on Facebook. It
has also been sent by email to those who receive newsletters. If you would like a
copy, please ask Rev Ken.
Sunday Services are now returning to Nun’s Cross church. They will be recorded
and posted on Facebook so that those who are unsure about coming back to church
as yet may view them online.
The Wednesday evening service, held jointly with Wicklow Parish, will continue to
ben held online via zoom. A link is provided in advance on the parish website,
together with the service leaflet.
If you would like service leaflets delivered to you either by email or to your home,
please contact Rev Ken

The July/August edition of the Church Review will be published online. Lesley Rue
will organise to send these out by email. If you don’t have email, please let her
know (087-2810478) and she will organise a printed copy to be delivered to your
home. The September edition will revert to being printed.

Advice is awaited from the Department of Education and Skills concerning the reopening of schools in late August/September. A plan to re-open Nun’s Cross NS
will be developed based on this advice by the Board of Management.

The incredibly dry and often sunny weather experienced since early March allowed
many in Lockdown to appreciate the joy of gardening. For some, it was an
extension of their normal spring-time ritual, for others it was a newly acquired
activity. The satisfaction of watching flowers grown from seed come into bloom
and of eating one’s own produce cannot be overestimated and it is hoped that
people new to gardening will continue this practice in future years. Seedlings,
however, need water. Rainwater can be collected from house, garage and shed
rooves. This prevents excessive use of water, from wells or mains, and also
rainwater is often better for plants than tap water. Many predict longer, drier and
hotter summers in the future due to climate change, so water collection will
become increasingly important. So, too, will water preservation. When running a
tap for hot water, the cold water can be saved into watering cans; ditto unused
jugs of table water, water bottles etc. Water saved in basins from showers can be
used to wash clothes, then to flush toilets or water flowers. Water saving sounds
extreme to some, but will become a way of life if wells run dry and mains supplies
are interrupted, as happened in the 2018 drought.

Ruth Gyves is a Diocesan Lay Reader and Assistant Lay Pastor in Holy Trinity
Rathmines. She has written a booklet for anxious times which brings together
scripture and prayers in an accessible manner. The booklet is easy to keep close
and read throughout the day and has proved to be a great source of comfort and
hope to many people of all ages. If you would like a copy, please let Rev Ken