On Sunday, September 20th last, the now customary autumn service of prayer and thanksgiving was held in Saint Mary’s Church of Ireland, Littleton.
Two-Mile-Borris, Press Correspondent Mr Gerry Bowe Reports:-
The high church spire, which can be seen from all parts of the village, is a daily reminder of our local Christian heritage dating back to 1786. Great credit is due to the Church of Ireland community who despite structural damage, costly interior decoration followed by a fire have kept this building beautiful and safe for future generations.
The Venerable Robin Bantry-White, (Temporary Rector), welcomed members of the Moycarkey – Borris – Littleton parish with their recently appointed parish priest Fr Dominic Meehan. He also praised the work of former clergy that have over many years built good relations between the Catholic and Church of Ireland communities. He is looking forward to a joint celebration, on Good Friday next, in the Church of Our Lady and Saint Kevin’s.
The visiting preacher on the night was the Very Reverend Mairt Hanly, (Dean of Leighlin).
With a few rods and a piece of canvas he assembled a small tent to help us understand a passage from the Old Testament, (Leviticus 23:42). “You shall live in booths (tents) for seven days so that your generation may know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Sukkot, the Feast of Booths, is a seven day celebration observed at harvest time by Jewish communities worldwide. For a migrant nomadic people it was a seven day celebration of past blessings and a fruitful harvest.
Some people present on the night may have remembered that a previous rector the Reverend Ian Cruickshank, distributed chocolate smarties as a reminder of our duty of gratitude for the bits and pieces of our everyday lives. Words may be forgotten but the images of tent and smarties remain.
Others may have recalled that over twenty five years ago, Annie Cawley, one of Littleton’s saintly Traveller ladies, lived in a barrel topped wagon alongside the walls of Saint Mary’s Church. She had lived previously in a small canvas tent under the shade of a ditch in the nearby townland of Ballyerk. Her sincere “God bless you”, was felt by all who called. Like other members of her Traveller Community who had often travelled long, hard, lonely and hungry roads, she could understand at a much deeper level than most, the trials, hardships and blessings of her nomadic Jewish ancestors.
In the 1960’s members of the Dublin Bewley family of Quaker and Coffee tradition, provided free canvas to the Traveller Community for their tents and wagons.
In later years, Fr James Meehan, (no relation to Fr Dominic), helped provide them with caravans. This was a major move from tent to better conditions in a caravan. Many have since made their home in our wider parish area.
Our thanks to Diocesean Reader Mr Tommy Cooke who prepared a prayer of thanksgiving for the work of many hands that give us “our daily bread” at the table. He prayed God’s blessings on all who plough and till the fields, who sow and reap the crops, who process, pack, market, distribute, sell, flavour and cook our food.
In spite of changing weather patterns we can rejoice and give thanks for this years rich and bountiful harvest.
After the ceremonies it was time for tea and chat, chance to meet old friends and catch up on local news.
A final thanks to all who decorated the church and altar with fruits of the harvest and to those who continue maintaining this building in excellent condition for future generations.
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