Diocesan News
Casual conversation leads to something special
At the end of November, the Ven Canon Craig McCauley, Rector of the Virginia Church of Ireland Group of Parishes in Co. Cavan and Archdeacon of Kilmore Diocese, was having a conversation with his daughter Laura, a second year Business Studies student in Dublin City University. They were reflecting on how hard the year had been and how much she as a student had lost out on and how much as communities we had missed in 2020 and will miss at Christmas. They both agreed it would be lovely to do something to bring the church community and wider community together in a safe way.
Laura casually remarked to her dad that he had been thinking about doing a Christmas Tree festival in the Church of Ireland grounds in Virginia for a while now and maybe this year was the year to do it. Encouraged by Laura and his wife Vida, Craig sounded out some parishioners and members of the wider community who were cautious but enthusiastic about the idea.
Within 10 days, 52 Christmas trees were delivered to the Rectory and a week later the trees were up in the church grounds. Craig reached out to local businesses, organisations, sporting groups and church groups with the idea and invited them to sponsor and decorate individual trees along the grounds which became known as the ‘Avenue of Light’.
The response was instant and humbling, said Laura and Craig, within a week all 52 trees were sponsored and within another week they were creatively decorated and ready to be lit. So great was the response nearly €6,000 was raised for 3 local charities – St. Vincent de Paul, Willow’s Cafe Food Hampers and Virginia Cancer Care.
At the top of the church grounds were three focal points. A ‘Tree of Remembrance’ filled with names on wooden discs made by Craig’s son Matthew of those who have died and who are missed at Christmas, and a ‘Not Home for Christmas Tree’ again filled with names of those who we aren’t able to see at Christmas who can’t travel home, are shielding, are in nursing homes or in hospital.
At the heart of the Avenue of Light was a life size crib put there by the local scouts with a simple sign of hope under the crib which simply says: ‘The Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us.’
Over the lead–up to Christmas and during the Christmas period many, many people have come and visited the ‘Avenue of Light’ in a safe manner. It has been the talk of the town, something positive to focus on and shows how a casual conversation can lead to something special amidst a difficult and challenging year for all.
This is the journey from start to finish of the ‘Avenue of Light’ in the grounds of Virginia Church of Ireland, including a walk through in daylight and at night:
Diocesan Communications Officer, Kilmore, Elphin & Ardagh
Mrs Jenny Horner
042 967 5822
dco@kilmore.anglican.org