The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) was formed in 2005 and meets regularly throughout the year to discuss and advance the pastoral needs of the parish. The council aim to assist the Priest in the running of the Parish. Should you have any concerns or queries, you can contact the PPC through the parish office at assumptionhowth@gmail.com.
Parish Liturgy Group
The Parish Liturgy Group meets regularly to help plan and prepare liturgies for the various Church seasons such as Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. An aim of the Liturgy Group is to increase the active participation of parishioners in all liturgies and to promote a greater understanding of same. Further information on this group can be found by emailing assumptionhowth@gmail.com.
Parish Ministries
Ministers of the Word
Volunteers proclaim the readings and lead the prayer of the faithful during Mass and other liturgies. A rota is prepared bi-monthly. Training sessions are arranged from time to time.
Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
As the priest is the “ordinary” minister of the Eucharist, those who volunteer to assist in distribution of the Eucharist at Mass are referred to as extraordinary minsters of the Eucharist. Training is required for this role.
Music Ministry
Music is a very important element of all liturgy and we encourage congregational participation in singing during our Masses. We have musicians, solo singers and choirs who perform as part of Masses and other liturgies.
Welcome and Hospitality group
This group organise regular tea and coffee mornings and other social events to allow parishioners and newcomers to meet and chat in an informal setting.
Parish Collectors
We have a group of dedicated volunteers who arrange the gathering up of collections during Mass and ensure all monies received are stored in the safe. A small team then organise the counting and banking of all monies.
Floral Art Team
For all those interested in flowers and art we have a dedicated team who ensure our sanctuary area and the whole church is beautifully decorated with flowers and plants appropriate to the liturgical season. The team ensure all arrangements are maintained throughout the days and weeks.
The church gardens in front of the main door are also maintained by volunteers.
We thank all those parishioners who continue to assist in all areas of parish life. More volunteers are always welcome!
Parish Finance Committee
The Parish Finance Committee oversee all aspects of the parish’s finances. The committee issues the financial statements for the parish each year.
Parish Finance Committee Members : –
Darragh Richardson (Chairman)
Fr. Gerry Tanham
Caoimhin O’Laoi
Suzanne McCann
Billy Morgan
Here are the Receipts & Payments data for Year ending 21/12/2021
A copy of this or more detailed accounts can be requested by contacting the Finance Committee at assumptionhowth@gmail.com.
Parish Youth Group
The Parish Youth Group is a voluntary group which aims to foster a sense of community within our younger parishioners. The group had successfully run a Transition Year programme for 13 years. Transition year students from Howth and Sutton parishes were invited to join monthly meetings. Within this programme, students participated in community activities such as carol singing, visiting the HSE Kilrock House facility and hosting a tea and coffee morning for retired parishioners.
Due to the pandemic the 2019/2020 TY programme was halted in March 2020.
The group hope to return soon with a programme for teenagers in the parish.
Church Hall Development Group
This group has two key objectives:
- Looking to the Past: Refurbishment of our Church now 120 years old (built 1899). The group is tasked with ensuring the completion of essential works identified in a 2017 survey of the building.
- Looking to the Future: Develop plans for the provision of improved facilities which will provide a welcoming space for parishioners and parish activities.
Reform And Renewal
The Howth Parish Reform and Renewal Group (the R&R group) was formed in 2010 following the publication of the Murphy and Ryan Reports into clerical sex abuse and abuse in institutions run by the catholic church. The aim of the group is to provide a forum where people can discuss issues impacting on the future of our church, in particular how reform can be achieved and how the lay faithful can be enabled to play a full, meaningful role in reforming the church. Group meetings are publicised in the Parish Newsletter and are open to everyone.
Eucharistic Adoration
Eucharistic Adoration is an hour spent in silent meditative prayer before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar. It is a time for quiet peaceful reflection in the Lord’s presence; a time to share with him our needs and concerns for ourselves and for those whom we love. Participants follow their own choice as regards the form of their silent prayers, meditation, spiritual reading / Lectio Divina, rosary etc., etc. Further information is available in the PDF below..
Weekday Adoration takes place throughout the year at the Sacred Heart (right hand side) altar in the church at the following times.:
- Tuesdays from 11 am to 12 pm and from 3 pm to 4 pm..
- Wednesdays from 12 pm to 1 pm and from 1 pm to 2pm.
Additionally on the Sundays of Advent and of Lent, there is Adoration from 3 pm to 4 pm followed by Evening (Vespers) Prayer and Benediction (ends 4:20 pm).
Adoration leaflet WEB 2023-03-10
Christian Meditation
The parish Christian Meditation group meets weekly at 7.15pm on Tuesdays.
“Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.” This core teaching of Jesus occurs in slightly different forms in all of the four Gospels and twice in Matthew.
But what does it mean “to lose one’s life”? And if we knew what it meant, how do we do it?
The great teacher, John Main, was a Benedictine monk of Ealing Abbey. He was born in London of Irish parents in 1926 and died in Montreal in 1982. He revivified a tradition of prayer that has existed in the Church since the earliest times and he insisted that the call to prayer was for every Christian, not just for those living in monasteries or convents. The tradition of prayer that he taught was Christian Meditation. He believed that Christian Meditation was the route to losing one’s life and to finding it again in God. His teaching is so attractive that there are now over 3,000 groups, in over 100 countries, following his practice.
Groups meet weekly to meditate together and members of groups follow the practice daily in their lives. There is no point in trying to describe Meditation and how it leads to “losing one’s life” or, indeed, “to finding one’s life” in three or four sentences. Only practice can adequately explain it.
So, if you are interested in finding a way to enrich your life, come and join others on the journey of Meditation. More information from Barbara Farrell in the Parish Office. Tel 01-839 7398 or email assumptionhowth@gmail.com