ST. ANNE'S PARISH: The Parish Office: The Parish Office is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. St. Anne's Resource Centre is open from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday.

Those requiring Baptism / Confirmation certificates or application forms for Baptism can obtain them during the above hours. Please note that the Parish Office is the only place where certificates and application forms can be processed.

Blessings: If you would like a priest to call by and bless your home, Fr. Michael O'Dwyer will be available to do so. To arrange, please call the Parish Office at 282 2277.

Confirmation dates: On April 17 students from St. Anne's National School and Rathmichael will be confirmed and students from Scoil Mhuire on April 24.

First Confessions: First Confessions for Scoil Mhuire children making their first Holy Communion will take place tomorrow night (Thursday) at 6 p.m. in the Churcn.

First Holy Communion: First Holy Communion for St. Anne's National

School takes place on May 8; for Scoil Mhuire on May 15 and Rathmichael on May 16.

Parish Radios: More parish radios to receive the parish radio link have now arrived in St. Anne's Resource Centre. If anyone would like to sponsor a radio for an elderly or housebound person, their donation would be very welcome. The actual cost of a radio is €35.

Adoration: Meditation and Adoration for young people from 3rd to 6th class takes place next Tuesday from 2.45 to 3.45 p.m. in St. Anne's Resource Centre.

Wednesday Night Prayer: All are invited to the weekly meetings of this Group which take place at 8 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) in St. Anne's Resource Centre and on Wednesdays March 24.

PPC meeting: Matters discussed at the recent March meeting of the Parish Pastoral Council included the following.

Child Protection: The parish was represented by 4 parishioners at a recent one –day conference on Child Protection held by the Archdiocese. The Parish is pleased to report that not only it is in full compliance with Diocesan Guidelines but is in many instances ahead of many other parishes. A regular review of procedures will ensure that the Parish will continue rigorously to observe best practice.

Grouping of Parishes: In line with Diocesan policy plans are being drawn up to rationalize parish structures and under these proposals St. Anne's Parish will be grouped with the parishes of Ballybrack and Loughlinstown and an to plan for this future development the parish pastoral councils will meet later this month to discuss how best this can be achieved. Parishioners will be kept informed of these developments.

Lent: The PPC had planned a number of events to assist us in our spiritual journey through Lent. A Reflection Corner has been created beside the statue of the Pieta at the back of the Church.

There will be assisted meditation after the Saturday 6.30 p.m. evening mass throughout Lent; reflections of St. Luke's Gospel , which was recently distributed throughout the parish, will be issued to parishioners, and we are all urged to make the message of the gospel a reality in our everyday lives. (Last Sunday parishioners were urged to take a copy of the Gospel and to pass it on to someone in the parish).

Nails will be distributed on Palm Sunday and everyone is encouraged to carry them around with them during Holy Week and to place them on the Cross on Good Friday. A Táize Mass will be celebrated on Good Friday night around the Cross.

Themed Masses: There was a discussion on the celebration of the various events in the life of the Church and in our own lives. Details of these themed Masses will appear at a later date.

Transition Year Programme: Planning continues on the development of this initiative to offer a personal development module to TY students attending school near Shankill.

Parish Picnic: It was decided to hold the Parish Picnic again this year as all the families who attend last year's one said that it was great family day out. The date in either of June or July will be selected shortly.

Coffee After Mass: Parishioners are reminded that they have invited for coffee ( and refreshments for children) after the 10.30 a.m. mass on the Third Sunday of the Month as it is an excellent opportune to make new friends and too make our parish into a real parish community. We hope to see your all there on Sunday March 21.

AOB: The Gospel Choir concert was deemed a great success by parishioners and many suggested that the local school choirs were so impressive that we should consider perhaps of having a concert given by the three pri-

mary schools in the parish. Work on this suggestion is in progress and parishioners will be kept informed of developments.

Invitation: The PPC invites and welcomes suggestions and comments from parishioners.

Stations of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross will be held outdoors again on Good Friday (April 2) at 12 Noon.

Needed are actors, Narrators, Stagehands, Choirs, Stewards, Costume Makers and anyone who feels that they can help in any other way. There will one cast this year to act out all the stations. If you or your child would like to take part, please contact the Parish Office on 01-2822277 as soon as possible.

This year the Stations will be staged on the grounds around Shanganagh Park House. There will be a meeting for anyone who would like to get involved in the organisation of this special event on Friday at 10.30 a.m. in St.Anne's Resource Centre.

PHONES WANTED

Recently Scoil Mhuire installed a new interactive whiteboard which was made possible through the donations of old mobile phones boosted with some cash donations.

So far students and teachers have collected 500 old mobile phones and they have now embarked on a campaign to collected another 300 so that they can install another whiteboard. This Sunday they will have a collection box in St. Anne's Church for old phones.

The translation of old mobile phones into whiteboards is possible through the good offices of the Jack and Jill Foundation. So if you, or any of your family and friends have old mobile phones lying around the house, please donate them to this very good cause.

Old mobile phones can be left into St. Anne's Parish Office in St. Anne's Resource Centre or dropped into the school directly after Sunday or at any time.

RATHMICHAEL COI

Worship Services: Services for this Sunday (The Fourth Sunday in Lent) - Mothering Sunday - are 8.30 a.m. Holy Communion, 11 a.m. Family Service followed by Coffee afterwards in the Erck Hall and 7 p.m. Holy Communion - lector Phoebe Otway Norwood.

Easter Vestry: This will take place after the Sunday March 21 11 a.m. Morning Prayer Service in the Erck Hall.

Kisiizi Hospital Endurance Cycle: On Saturday morning the Kisiizi 6 Hour Test of Endurance Cycle took place in the Burton Hall of Rathmichael School to raise funds for the young people that Rathmichael Parish supports in Kisiizi in South West Uganda. The object was to raise the maximum amount of funds for the young people in Kisiizi.

Teams taking part included Team Kampala, The Silverbacks, Team Kisiizi and Team Entebbe. Those who did not fancy taking part in the cycle had the opportunity to call into the Burton Hall and watch the action while enjoying coffee and cake.

The organisers extends their thanks to all those who supported this vital fundraising event for Kisiizi in any way.

Kisiizi Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in Uganda and is church run with a very large input from the Church Missionary Society. Most of the very exciting development and expansion there has been financed from Irish funds and David Barrett an Irish civil engineer from Killiney is supervising the reconstruction.

If cycling is not your 'thing', then please call into the Burton Hall on the day and have a coffee and cake and watch the excitement. All the proceeds will go towards the upkeep of 15 orphans maintained by Rathmichael Parish in Kisiizi.

Mums and Toddlers Group: The Rathmichael Mums and Toddlers Group meets on Wednesdays between 10.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. in the Erck Hall beside Rathmichael Church. All mums, babies and toddlers are welcome. For further information call Sandra Griffin on 087-6332133.

Alpha/In-Between Book Group: For March the book under discussion will be 'We need to talk about Kevin' by Lionel Shriver.

Spring Sale: The will be a Spring Sale in aid of Kisiizi Hospital, Uganda from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday March 20 in the Burton Hall, Rathmichael National School.

RATHMICHAEL NS

At the end of January Rathmichael National School was assessed for its 6th Green Flag with this one for the first phase of Green Homes.

Assistant Environmental Awareness Officer Dean Holmes, who visited the school for this assessment was very impressed by what he was presented with by the Rathmichael Green School Committee and he subsequently wrote: "I have to say that Rathmichael parish School has to be one of the finest examples of how a green school programme can benefit a school and th children involved. The 3D Green Home, water butts, planters and graphs stand out and I have made specials mention of them in my report."

The School is pleased to report that it will be receiving its 6th Flag in the not too distant future. The school has also been short listed for the 2010 Green Awards - this is the second time that the school has been nominated for these awards and it is great honour to have reached so far.

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Last Wednesday night local historian and Rathmichael Historical Society member James Scannell was the guest presenter for the monthly meeting of the Rathmichael Historical Society in Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill.

James presented his illustrated talk 'From Horsedrawn Trams to LUAS' in which he traced the evolution and development of the Dublin tram system in Dublin City and the surrounding areas from the 1870's through to electrification in 1896.

In the 1930's the DUTC opted to switch from tram to bus operation concluding the last trams to Dartry in 1948, Dalkey in 1949 and the Hill of Howth in 1959. The presentation also covered the evolution of bus services from the 1920's to the present time as well as the arrival of the LUAS system.

Tonight ( Wednesday) members of the Society which is twinned with the Ballybrack and Killiney Historical Society will be attending the lecture at 8 p.m. in The Parochial Hall of SS Alphonsus and Columba Church, Church Avenue (off Killiney Hill Road, by John Lennon, who is also a committee member of the Rathmichael Historical Society on ' The Irish Postage Stamp'. All welcome to attend. Admission of €3 includes refreshments.

The next meeting of the Rathmichael Historical Society takes place on Wednesday April 7 at 8 p.m. in Rathmichael School, Stonebridge Road, (Dublin Road), Shankill, when John Lennon will present his lecture on 'St. Naithi's Church, Dundrum'. All are welcome to attend with members of other local history societies especially welcome.

BOOK SALE

The April First Saturday Book Sale which supporters the Shankill Old Folks Association and Meals on Wheels takes place between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday April 3 in the Shankill Old Folks Association Day Centre, Lower Road, Shankill.

Donations of books, CDs and DVDs are always appreciated so make a point of calling in on Saturday as you never know what you might find.

NIGHT AT THE DOGS

Valeview Shankill Schoolboys FC are in the process of organizing a trip to Shelburne Park Greyhound track on Saturday March 27. It is hoped that this should be great family outing and will coincide with the Irish visit of the Club's German soccer friends who were visited last year. If you are interested in going call Brendan Yates on 087-2279586 or Tim Cullinane on 0872181086.

TABLE QUIZ

Tomorrow night (Thursday) Hospice Ireland will hold a table quiz at 8pm in Brady's Pub in the Main Street. Tables of 4 are €40. There are lots of great prizes to be won.

AIB BETTER IRELAND

Shanganagh Community Development Project is proud and delighted to announce that it is a finalist in AIB's Better Ireland Awards. In order to win your votes are badly needed. Please go to www.betterireland.ie , choose Bray branch and select C or text Bray followed by C to 51303.