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Theme for 2024 ~ Transformation - Now!
Mothers' Union is an international Christian charity that seeks to support families of all faiths and none through practical outreach, prayer and advocating family friendly policies within both government and public life.
By supporting marriage and family life, especially through times of adversity, we tackle the most urgent needs challenging relationships and communities.
Our members are not all mothers, or even all women, but are single, married, parents, grandparents or young adults who are just beginning to express their social conscience.
For all 4.1 million members in 83 countries what Mothers' Union provides is a network through which they can serve Christ in their own community through prayer, financial support and actively working at grassroots level in programmes that meet local needs.
International Widow's Day 2024
International Widow's day takes place on Sunday 23rd June. All Ireland Mothers' Union has recorded a service to mark the day and it will go live on our YouTube channel at 10.00 a.m. on Sunday 23rd June. Please click on the link below to access the service and our thanks to all involved in putting this service together.
Shopping online?
A quick reminder that Amazon
will donate 0.5% to Mothers’ Union if you shop through
smile.amazon.co.uk and select Mothers’ Union
as your preferred charity to support.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/240531-0
A quick reminder that Amazon
will donate 0.5% to Mothers’ Union if you shop through
smile.amazon.co.uk and select Mothers’ Union
as your preferred charity to support.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/240531-0
If you don’t shop at Amazon but shop at M & S, Argos, and Next etc.,
you can also support Mothers’ Union on your next shop. https://www.giveasyoulive.com/join/mothersunion
The brilliant Axel Scheffler has produced a book about Covid-19 Coronavirus just for children
https://nosycrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Coronavirus_INS.pdf
https://nosycrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Coronavirus_INS.pdf
Do you know of somebody who is cocooning or caring for someone vulnerable, Age Action and the Irish Red Cross are giving grants to people in the Republic of Ireland to help ease the problems faced by those who have to social distance. Spread the word
https://www.ageaction.ie/how-we-can-help/age-action-and-irish-red-cross-covid-19-hardship-fund
https://www.ageaction.ie/how-we-can-help/age-action-and-irish-red-cross-covid-19-hardship-fund
The Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland has put together a super comprehensive booklet providing advice for people who have experienced a bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
Two other booklets are also available in this series – one dealing with practicalities and the other a children’s story helping children to cope with the death of a loved one.
These excellent resources can be downloaded at https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/covid-19-bereavement-resources
Click on the symbol below to access our BLOG.
This contains all our latest news.
Click on the link below to view a video of
Mothers' Union in Ireland
Newly Elected Worldwide President
Kathleen Snow
Accepting the role of Worldwide President of Mothers' Union, Kathleen commented “This is humbling, and a great honour. I look forward to working with members and staff to continue to build God’s Kingdom through Mothers’ Union. I am particularly excited that, as we carry forward the torch in January, we will be building on the firm foundations of our transformational programme work.
Just this week we are starting a new campaign, speaking up to right the injustice which means that, still today, 765 million adults cannot read or write, 2/3rds of them women, meaning they are unable to read medicine bottles, register the birth of a child, vote or ensure they get the correct change in the market.
We are calling for women’s literacy to be a priority. Being literate empowers women to be part of society and take ownership of their lives.
I look forward, in fellowship with members around the world, to continuing to do God’s work by serving the most disadvantaged in our communities, remembering that, with God, all things are possible”
Newly Elected All Ireland President
Kay Clarke
All Ireland Mothers’ Union announce the election of Mrs Kay Clarke (Diocese of Derry and Raphoe) as Provincial President. Mrs Clarke will succeed the current President, Mrs June Butler, in January 2025. She is the wife of The Revd Canon Robert Clarke, rector of the parishes of Edenderry and Clanabogan. They have two married daughters and two grandsons. Mrs Clarke recently retired from teaching IT. She has been very involved in Mothers’ Union for over 35 years and is currently the All Ireland Faith and Policy Unit Coordinator. In this capacity, she was instrumental in introducing ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ to Mothers’ Union members throughout Ireland earlier this year. Mrs Clarke is also a member of the Church of Ireland Marriage Council and is part of the diocesan Safeguarding team. She has been a great advocate in raising awareness of domestic abuse through the 16 Days and Rise-Up campaigns.
Speaking of her appointment, Mrs Clarke said that she was honoured and humbled to be elected to the post of Provincial President. She acknowledged the work and commitment of the whole All Ireland Trustee Board and said that she looked forward to working with this team, serving Mothers’ Union members and communities at home and worldwide. While exploring new approaches, she plans to remain true to Mothers’ Union’s strong legacy of Christian care for families and uphold everything in prayer.
Zonal Trustee ~ Zone I ~ All Ireland
June Butler
June Butler has been elected to serve as Zonal Trustee in Zone I for 2025-2027 to succeed Iris Suitor, the current Zonal Trustee.
June comes to this role with a wealth of experience in Mothers' Union as she is just about to complete her second term as All Ireland President and has also served three years previously as a Zonal Trustee for All Ireland.
June is a parishioner of Saintfield Parish in Down Diocese and has held many different roles in Mothers' Union in the Diocese as well as being actively involved in church organisations and committees.
Within Mothers’ Union, June is particularly engaged with matters of policy and has attended the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women on many occasions as part of the MU delegation.
As All Ireland President June has also served on many different committees in Mary Sumner House.
Congratulations to all of the new Trustees that have been elected to serve on the Worldwide Board of Mothers' Union.
CONTACT DETAILS:
The Administrative OfficerThe Mothers' Union OfficeSt. Michan's ChurchChurch StreetDublin 7Tel: +353 87 337 4090 / 087 3374090Website: www.mothersunion.ieFacebook:
Public GroupYouTube:
FOOD is a basic necessity for all of us and during current times we all want to do our best to ensure we provide for our families.
Unfortunately, not all families can afford to stock up in case of emergency, in fact for 1000's of families across Ireland, north and south, daily food poverty is a harsh reality.
Breakfast clubs and free school meals, where they are available, are a lifeline for many of these families.
Sadly, with the continuing cost of living crisis many families continue to struggle to feed their family.. They need our help now more than ever!
How can you help? ~ Keep donating to community food banks; help local initiatives in your area to distribute food packages to those in need or if you can’t find such an initiative in your area maybe consider starting one!
When we all find ourselves facing the unknown, the smallest act of kindness can mean the world to someone in despair.
Prayer for December 2024
Winter Prayer: God’s Timing
(from the MU Blue Christmas Service)
God of all seasons and senses,
grant us the sense of your timing
to submit gracefully
and rejoice quietly
in the turn of the seasons.
grant us the sense of your timing
to submit gracefully
and rejoice quietly
in the turn of the seasons.
In this season of short days and long nights,
of grey and white and cold,
teach us the lessons of endings;
children growing, friends leaving,
loved ones dying, grieving over,
grudges over, blaming over, excuses over.
teach us the lessons of endings;
children growing, friends leaving,
loved ones dying, grieving over,
grudges over, blaming over, excuses over.
O God, grant us a sense of your timing.
In this season of short days and long nights,
of grey and white and cold,
teach us the lessons of beginnings;
that such waitings and endings
may be the starting place,
a planting of seeds which bring to birth
what is ready to be born—
something right and just and different,
a new song,
a deeper relationship, a fuller love—
in the fullness of your time
of grey and white and cold,
teach us the lessons of beginnings;
that such waitings and endings
may be the starting place,
a planting of seeds which bring to birth
what is ready to be born—
something right and just and different,
a new song,
a deeper relationship, a fuller love—
in the fullness of your time
O God, grant us a sense of your timing.
(Author: Ted Loder, in Guerrillas of Grace)
As we come to the end of 2024 we pray -
As the times of time wash over the shores of life,
bless us with the joy of living.
As we sift through the shifting sands of our lives,
bless us with understanding.
As the seasons of budding and fruiting come and go,
bless us with thankful spirits. Amen
(Mothers’ Union Prayer Diary 1st September)
PRAYER ROTA 2024
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD
Commissioning of June Butler
All-Ireland President Mothers' Union
Letter from June ~ All-Ireland President ~ December 2024
Dear Member and Friends,
As we approach Christmas and 2025 looms large on all our horizons, I would like to end this year by thanking our members across Ireland for allowing me the privilege of serving in the role of All Ireland President for the last six years, since Jan 2019. It has been a time of complexity and change, but also of joy, and these years have given me such wonderful opportunities to serve God in ways I never would have imagined possible.
Inevitably, like all of life, there have been good and less good times and during those six years the lowest times without doubt were during Covid pandemic – unable to meet, unable to fulfil the “normal” MU duties, with no administrator in post there was a mountain of administration to be tackled including cancelling many events, but out of necessity we all soon mastered the IT platforms of Zoom and Teams and had opportunities to do business and meet colleagues two dimensionally, if not “in the round”. As we know, with every cloud there comes a silver lining and we saved MU considerable funds through not travelling to meet, we could hold impromptu meetings as necessary and could conduct a range of business matters and on-line worship, sometimes in the evenings, from the comfort of our armchairs! We also learned that we could employ a range of ways to support our members and really began to appreciate the concept of loneliness which we have continued to try to tackle in all our communities.
As we emerged into something akin to normal life, there were for me many really memorable times …. the annual Getaways when we had could spend quality time with others while learning about the wide dimensions of God’s love for us, the important services (especially the rededication of Annabella Hayes grave in August 2021 and recommissioning of the Mothers’ Union Chapel in Christ Church Cathedral in October 2024), the Changing the Story conferences in September 2023 and all our work on making a difference to the lives of those who have been affected by Domestic abuse……
However, for me, there is no question about the very best times - it has been meeting members and worshipping and singing hymns – all MU together! It was especially great in 2021 when, to raise funds for our “Mums in May” project initiative, we undertook our “21 in 21” challenge across the island – many members tackled and were sponsored to complete 21 of whatever was their passion - I walked 21 kilometers in every diocese. I progressed from walking around my home town of Saintfield with only one close friend, as then permitted by the regulations, to walking with loads of members around cities, along riverbanks, beside the sea and even up the odd hill! I walked in places of which I had never before heard and saw some fabulous scenery, visited some wonderful churches – both large and small – and above all met and worshipped with a huge number of members. These were joyful occasions and we raised considerable funds for MU into the bargain – well over £20,000.
I hope I have ended my term of office on a high note (no pun intended!). In 2024, rather than hold the monthly MU Holy Communion service in Dublin, we rotated it around all the dioceses and that gave me more opportunities to worship with members in their own area. Also, the Mums in May fundraising initiative was what we termed the “Big Hymn Sing” - doing just that in every diocese. Not only has the singing been magnificent and many church and cathedral roofs have been in chronic danger through the impact of voices lifted in praise, but we have learned SO much about the origin of the hymns and their tunes. In addition, there has been the bonus of being able to spend time with members after each service – just connecting, chatting, listening, learning about them their highs and lows…….and of course reconnecting with old friends and making new.
As I pass the baton of MU AI President to my friend and colleague Kay Clarke, I know the role, as well as every member in Ireland, will be held in her caring and capable hands. However, I am not disappearing from the MU stage completely as I have been appointed as the Trustee to represent Zone I (Ireland) on the MU Worldwide Board for the next three years. That will lead to new horizons, and very different MU different work, and I am always conscious of that important verse from Jeremiah 29:11
“'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’”
I am confident that whatever the future may bring for me I will try to do the best I can so that the ethos of Mothers’ Union can prevail and flourish throughout Ireland and across the world. Also, I will carry with me the values which our Lord brought into this world at His birth and which we celebrate at this Christmastide – peace, joy, love, trust and kindness. During these six precious years I have always tried to promote these values and with God’s help I will continue to do so. Above all, I know we will be held in His hands and His plans will prevail, as we all journey onwards in the name of Mothers’ Union
May I wish you God’s richest blessings for Christmas and for 2025.
With love,
June
Click on the image below to view a video created for
The Annual Gathering 2023 in York
Click on the link above to view the video recorded to celebrate
Annabella Hayes Day 2024
Click on the image to download a new leaflet produced by
Mary Sumner House
Loneliness Leaflet
Click on the image below to download a copy of
The Loneliness Leaflet
RESOURCES
For lots of Resources on the main website click on the link below
Cost of Living Leaflets
Scan this Qcode to bring you to a Go Fund Me Page for
Mothers' Union Changing the Story
Click on the image below to access the members Update from
Mary Sumner House
Click on the image below to access a PowerPoint Presentation
for Mothers' Union Worldwide
International Widow's Day 2024
International Widow's day takes place on Sunday 23rd June. All Ireland Mothers' Union has recorded a service to mark the day and it will go live on our YouTube channel at 10.00 a.m. on Sunday 23rd June. Please click on the link below to access the service and our thanks to all involved in putting this service together.
"Sweet Treats" Armchair Quiz
Thank you to everyone who purchased our Quiz Book in aid of "Mums in May" 2024.
Thank you to all those who completed the "Sweet Treats" Armchair Quiz in the Centre of the publication. The winners were drawn at All Ireland Council in Christ Church and their prizes were awarded when Bev Jullien visited Ireland on Saturday 2nd November.
Congratulations to our three winners:
- Liane Armstrong
- Jackie Higgins
- Noelle Grothier
Click on the image of the Quiz Book to see the answers.
Click on the image above to
read all about the Getaway weekend 2024
Annabella Hayes Prayer
Written by
Eleanor Orr, Leader of Loughgall and Grange Mothers' Union in the Diocese of Armagh.
Dear Lord, we thank you for the life and service of our Mothers’ Union founder in Ireland, Annabella Hayes.
As she showed her willingness to serve, may we serve.
As she devoted herself to helping others, might we do the same.
As she used her faith to overcome her tragedies, help us to trust in you.
As she set an example of love and gratitude, may we emulate these qualities.
As she cared for all families, may we follow her example.
Just as she lived her life for you, may we always do the same. Amen
Eleanor Orr ~ Winner of the Annabella Hayes
Prayer Competition
being presented with her prize by Debbie Davidson
Diocesan President of Armagh Diocese M.U.
Mothers' Union
Showing Solidarity with the people of Ukraine
We are asked to stop at 7pm each evening and pray for the situation and the people in the Ukraine.
The following prayer in a time of war in the Ukraine has been provided by the Church of Ireland’s Liturgical Advisory Committee for use in parishes.
O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world:
We commend to your merciful care the people and government of Ukraine
that, being guided by your providence, they may dwell secure in your peace.
Grant to their leaders and all in authority,
wisdom and strength to know and to do your will.
Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness,
and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve their people;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All Ireland Holy Communion Services
2024
Mothers’ Union Holy Communion Service
December 2024
Thursday 5th December 2024
@ 11.15a.m.
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
(Dublin & Glendalough Diocese)
(Christ Church Place, Wood Quay, DUBLIN D08 TF98)
(The Service will be live streamed ~ Click on the link above and then go to the Lady Chapel)
The Irish Hospice Foundation Bereavement Support Line is a national freephone service
1800 80 70 77
It is available from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Friday.
Many people have experienced and will experience the death of someone they love during the COVID-19 pandemic. It may have been a COVID-related death or a death from other causes. People may also be finding a previous bereavement more difficult at this time. While we may be seeing reductions in the number of deaths connected to COVID-19, we know that people’s pain and grief does not diminish as quickly. In the face of such loss and trauma, the Irish Hospice Foundation Bereavement Support Line, in partnership with the HSE, has been launched to provide connection, comfort and support in these exceptional times. COVID-19 restrictions have changed the traditional ways we mark our grief. For the moment, it is not possible to come together as we did traditionally, resulting in additional challenges for those who are bereaved.
Click on the images to download a poster and information sheet & leaflet:
The Mothers’ Union Prayer
Loving Lord,
We thank you for your love so freely given to us all.
We pray for families around the world.
Bless the work of the Mothers' Union
as we seek to share your love
through the encouragement, strengthening and support of marriage and family life.
Empowered by your Spirit, may we be united in prayer and worship,
and in love and service reach out as your hands across the world.
In Jesus' name.
Amen
We thank you for your love so freely given to us all.
We pray for families around the world.
Bless the work of the Mothers' Union
as we seek to share your love
through the encouragement, strengthening and support of marriage and family life.
Empowered by your Spirit, may we be united in prayer and worship,
and in love and service reach out as your hands across the world.
In Jesus' name.
Amen
Portrait of
Mary Sumner
Reference and administrative information
Republic of Ireland:
Mothers’ Union in Ireland is recognised as a Charity by the Revenue commissioners, 5161.
Registered charity number- 20007331 (Charities Regulatory Authority).
Republic of Ireland:
Mothers’ Union in Ireland is recognised as a Charity by the Revenue commissioners, 5161.
Registered charity number- 20007331 (Charities Regulatory Authority).
Northern Ireland:
Not registered with The Charity Commission NI as a single entity.
Instead individual diocese have been registered separately.