In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. These were the final words spoken before Paul Mulcahy was baptised by immersion in the river Blackwater at the Mall beach in Youghal yesterday afternoon-10th April 2011.

Paul (who lives in Ardmore) was following in the footsteps of his own father Philip, who himself was
baptised back in September. This was the second time the local Baptist church have had a baptismal service in Youghal. Mervyn Scott simply outlined that their understanding from the New Testament is that people believed in Jesus Christ first, then got baptised and belonged to the church!

Earlier at a short service held in the beautiful glass foyer of the Mall Arts Centre, Paul had spoken of how he had trusted in Jesus Christ as his Saviour back in October and wanted to demonstrate that inward change by being baptised in the way that Jesus had commanded. The tide was a little far out, but the water was not as cold as in September and everyone returned to the Mall for refreshments.

Related post: Click here http://www.youghalonline.com/2010/09/27/an-historic-day-as-local-baptist-church-celebrates-history/

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THE CRIB IN ST. RAPHAEL’S CHURCH, YOUGHAL has always been a place to visit for the people of the town and surrounding areas and much work has gone in to the building of this magnificent structure by the staff of St. Raphael’s Centre. Fr. Joe McGuane will celebrate Christmas Day Mass and Christmas Carols will be sung by The St. Raphael’s Staff Choir. The Crib at St. Raphael’s will be open to the public from Christmas Day onwards between 10am and 5pm. Please come along and say a prayer.
Photo Michael Hussey www. YoughalOnline.com

The staff who work at the centre have dedicated many hours on the decorating of The Nativity scene for the adoration of the birth of Jesus by the people of the town. Youghal people in times past fondly remember praying at the crib and taken a strand of straw from the Manger as a memento of this most Holiest occasion on the birth of Jesus. Many churches leave the manger empty (without the baby Jesus) until Christmas Day to reflect that Jesus has not yet been born before then.

YoughOnline.com would like to wish a happy and holy Christmas to everyone here in the town and also to those abroad who tune in to our website. Happy Christmas!

Christmas 2010—Youghal Parish

Christmas Liturgical Ceremonies

MASSES

CHRISTMAS VIGIL  FRIDAY 24th

7.30p.m.          Our Lady of Lourdes Church

7.30p.m.          Holy Family Church

7.30p.m.          St. Mary’s Church

Night Mass

11.30p.m.        St. Mary’s Church

CHRISTMAS DAY      SATURDAY 25th

9.00am            St. Mary’s Church

9.30a.m.          St. Ita’s Church

10.00am          Our Lady of Lourdes Church

11.00am.         Holy Family Church

12 noon           St. Mary’s Church

SACRAMENT OF PENANCE /CONFESSIONS

Thursday 23rd:               10.30—11.00am                          Our Lady of Lourdes Church

Friday 24th:                    10.30—11.30am                          Our Lady of Lourdes Church

Friday 24th:            11.00—1.00pm                                     St. Mary’s Church

Readings for Christmas Eve / Christmas Day Click Here

Additional info: Courtesy of www.youghalcatholicparish.com

YOUGHAL PRIEST FR. JOHN KEANE will undertake a charity walk on Youghal beach on Monday December 27th in a bid to raise urgent funds for a new posting in Liberia. The 50 year-old clergyman is a popular and familiar figure to east Cork and west Waterford parishioners, from Ballymacoda to Lismore and all points in between and support for his missionary work has long been active and generous in the region.

Fr. Keane spent three years to late 2009 in Equador but says that eventually struggling with Spanish, especially at administrative level, was seriously impeding his work. Following a year’s sojourn in Youghal, during which he was treated successfully for a back ailment, he has volunteered to serve a poverty-ravaged parish in west Africa. “I was encouraged by a Cork born colleague to assist,” he reveals. “It’s a strongly Christian country, with a large Catholic population but vocations never took off there.”

The priest will be based in the capital Monrovia from next January and while not yet fully au fait with the details of his new posting, he describes it as within the biggest of three large dioceses in the region. Additionally, he is conscious of the legacy of poverty left by Liberia’s 1989-1996 civil war that claimed 200,000 lives and displaced a million people. The country’s current population is circa 4,000 on a land mass of 43,000 sq miles.

Liberia’s adult literacy rate is estimated at 55.5%, while 68% of the population live below the poverty line.
An estimated 35% of Liberians are malnourished, only 28% are fully immunized, just 25% have access to safe drinking water and only 36% have access to proper sanitation. Sustained economic growth is also hindered by inadequate roads, water, sewage, and electrical services.

Fr. Keane will hope to replicate the food and nutrition projects he established so successfully in Ecuador, thanks largely to donations from east Cork and west Waterford. “It’s important to bring Jesus into people’s lives as a friend and protector but it would be hypocritical to do so in church only and to walk out and say bye-bye, see you next week,” comments the plain-speaking priest. “So yes, I will be at trying very hard to practice what the Bible preaches, not just repeat it.”

The fundraising walk departs the front strand promenade at 2 pm for the round journey of six miles to Pilmore and back. Sponsorship cards are available from the priest at Kilcoran Road (086-8332105) or from Anne Murray, Golf Links Road (087-2807618; 024-92947).

On Sunday last (September 26th 2010) a little piece of local history was made in Youghal as the Baptist community held their first “Believers’ Baptism” at the Mall Beach.
Pic: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com Email: news@youghalonline.com

A short service was held in the forecourt of the Mall Arts Centre where the the two people getting baptised (Viki Nagy & Philip Mulcahy) told their stories of how they had come to trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Based on Christ’s command to His followers to be baptised in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew Ch 28v16-20), it was at their own request that they were now being baptised. Following the service, Philip and Viki were baptised by full immersion (only for a few moments!) in the sea.

Based on Romans Ch 6v1-10, the Baptist community are simply seeking to follow the pattern that Jesus taught, the Apostles practiced and the Early Church believed. In the Scriptures people “came” to Baptism, they were not “brought”. In simple terms, they believed in Christ for their salvation, were baptised to give an outward demonstration to that belief and then they belonged to the body of believers living in their locality. As they emerged from the water (which was a little cold!) it was good to know that there was tea, coffee and refreshments waiting in the wonderfully versatile Mall Arts Centre which were enjoyed by all present!

CLICK ON VIDEO TO SEE THE EVENT

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Issued by the Youghal Baptist Church
Click on image to start a slide-show of the event