Church Ministry Groups

Altar Servers

We currently have about ten regular servers in the parish and their ages range widely, both boys and girls. Normally they are recruited from fifth class onwards but this may change to include members of fourth class who show an interest.

The Altar Servers are trained and supported by Patricia Kelly. They hold a weekly meeting on a Wednesday evening at 5pm.

During this meeting they receive training and their serving assignments for the coming weekend.

Our Servers serve at the 8:20am mass during the week and also at the Sunday masses.

Other duties would include:

First Communions

Confirmations

Weddings

Funerals

It's not all hard work for the servers as Patricia organises outings and treats for them. They are also invited to take part in the Knockadoon week for servers which take place once a year, usually in July.

Aim

The Aim of working with the servers would be to give them a grounding in the Faith, a love of Jesus, teaching them Reverence, Respect and Responsibility and to make them aware of what is involved in Church Celebrations.

Lectors

Our team of Lectors (Readers) proclaim the Word of God as recorded in the Scriptures at our masses and celebrations throughout the year.

Dolores Morrisson is the Co-ordinator of this team and she distributes the readings to the readers each month.

The readers work to a monthly rota and the rota is available on the Notice Board in the church and also in the Sacristy.

The readers are encouraged to read in such a way that those listening will receive the message of scripture. They should feel supported and built up and that they are helped in some way by what they hear.

The Word can touch people in very many ways and therefore it is important to get the message accross.

There are many guidlines for readers and many books have been written giving advice and instruction. Courses are also available for new readers or experienced reasders looking to gain more knowledge about their ministry.

The key guideline would be:

Believe what you read and face the microphone.

Eucharistic Ministers

Our Eucharistic ministers are commissioned at the start of their ministry to bring the Body and /or Blood of Christ to their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Mainly our Ministers carry out their ministry at the public masses throughout the week and at the Sunday masses, but they are not limited to this.

Hosptial Visitation to distribute Holy Communion is another role which they fulfill. This is very important as it creates a link between the patients in hospital and the parish. The ministers can update the priests as to who is in hospital and how they are doing.

On the First Friday of every month Ministers call to members of the community who may be sick at home or housebound. This can be very important to the communicant as it means that they can receive the Eucharist more than once a month.

Aim

To give service to the community by bringing the physical presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament to their brothers and sisters and to help them grow through communion.

Folk Group

St Aengus Parish Folk Group

Mark Murphy, former leader of the Folk Group, died tragically in April 2008. The folk group was discontinued shortly after his death.This article serves as a tribute to his work throughout the years.

There have been several Folk Groups in existence since the church was opened. The last edition of our parish Folk Group was formed in July 2000. The Group sang at their first mass on 10th August 2000.

The group was made up of some very talented musicians both instrumentalists and vocalists, as our regular mass goers on a Saturday night will confirm.

The group practised very hard on a Tuesday night in the church from 7:30pm – 10pm preparing music for the coming weeks and seasons in the church year, and try very hard to match the music with the theme or the readings of the day. The group then has a further practice before the 7pm mass on Saturday’s beginning at 5.30pm.

It is fair to say that the group has developed a well earned reputation in the greater Tallaght area, having been invited to sing with many other groups’ though-out the Deanery. The group was also invited to sing at the Dublin Central Drugs Awareness Remembrance Service in Sean McDermott St., Where they appeared along side the one and only Christy Moore.

In July 2003, some of the group members went on pilgrimage to Taize in France, where they experienced the beauty of the Taize style of prayer which combines repeated chants and meditations and indeed have used Taize music during there Music Ministry in the parish.

Sadly, Mark Murphy died on 5th April 2008. There are some photos of his work in the gallery section. Sometime later the Folk Group disbanded due to other commitments.

Senior Choir

The Senior Choir sing at 12 Sunday Mass.

They also sing on special occasions such as Christmas and Holy Week and other special events.

Their singing adds greatly to the celebration of our Liturgies.

Anyone is welcome to join. Please contact the Director, Francis Smith, after Sunday Mass.

Altar Flower Group

The group decorates the Church for special Feasts and through the year with flowers.