A special november as all saints marks its 200 years
More than 300 people packed into All Saints Church, Mullingar, on Sunday last for the parish’s annual Thanksgiving service, which also marked the start of a month-long programme of events to celebrate the building’s bicentenary.
Former Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Lord Robin Eames, was the special preacher at the service, after which he hallowed and blessed the new Garden of Remembrance, which will facilitate the burial of parishioners who choose to be cremated.
Speaking on Sunday, Archbishop Lord Eames paid tribute to Reverend Alastair Graham and the large number of volunteers that have worked organising this month’s events. He also spoke of his delight at the role played by Fr Padraig McMahon, administrator of Mullingar Parish, at Sunday’s service.
Last weekend’s events, which also included a well attended lunch in the Greville Arms, marks the start of a busy month for the parish. This Sunday, November 9, the church is holding a special ecumenical Service of Remembrance to mark the centenary of WWI, a war which claimed the lives of some 10% of the male population of Mullingar. Ex-servicemen and women will be on parade at the service at which Bishop Richard Henderson is the special preacher. The service begins at 11.30am.
“It is an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to remember those who fought in the war,” Reverend Alastair Graham said.
Flower arranging enthusiasts from across Ireland are set to flock to Mullingar on the weekend of Friday November 21 to Sunday November 23 for the Mullingar Flower Festival, which takes place at All Saints Church.
For the three days of the festival, the church will house 28 floral depictions of popular Christmas carols. It is estimated that more than 5,000 flowers will be used in the arrangements.
Co-ordinated by Ethel Mitchell from Moate, the three-day event will include flower demonstrations from a number of renowned floral arrangers including Richard Halsam and Reverend Bill McMillan, a world-renowned flower arranger.
According to Rev Graham, Rev McMillan “is to floral arranging what Messi is to football”. The Flower Festival concludes with Songs of Praise at 7pm on Sunday 23, a service to be conducted by Rev McMillan. All funds raised over the three days of the festival will go to North Westmeath Hospice. “We have guaranteed the hospice a minimum of €10,000, but we are hoping to raise a lot more than that. The 5,000 flowers arranged in Christmas Carols will be a magnificent spectacle,” one of the organisers, Lorraine Hales, told the Westmeath Examiner.
The month of celebrations closes on November 30 with an ecumenical candlelit Advent Service.