Kilmore Care of Creation Group wish Canon Mark Lidwill a grace-filled and joyous retirement!

The Kilmore Care of Creation Group, Bishop Martin Hayes, Rev. Faith Sithole, Canon Billy Stafford, parishioners and the local and wider community gathered to plant a Crataegus Laevigata / Paul Scarlet native tree on the grounds of Urney Church, Cavan to give thanks for
Canon Mark’s many years of service.

Unbeknownst to many who arrived to witness the tree planting and join in the liturgical, sacred music, and table fellowship celebrations, a Fagus Sylvatica Atropurpurea / Purple Beech tree stood tall and vibrant on the grounds nearby. This very tree was planted to mark the beginning of Canon Mark’s service to the parish and wider community 34 years ago.

One couldn’t help but partake in the wonder and awe of this beautiful, bountiful and abiding tree which has value in and of itself and which also provides a host of benefits for nature and people. It certainly symbolises the fruits of Canon Mark’s labour during his years of service. We pray, that the Crataegus Laevigata / Paul Scarlet tree planted to mark his retirement, reaps and sows a hundredfold and that this too will symbolise all that Canon Mark has yet to experience and share with all those who are graced to be in his company.

Some facts about the Paul Scarlet Crataegus tree that you may wish to know:
* The red haw is a Crataegus Laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' | Crimson Hawthorn Tree.
* It is both ornamental and native to Ireland.
* This is an especially beautiful tree with bright pink double flowers, glossy leaves in May and attractive scarlet haws in autumn.
* It is one of the first trees to flower in Spring.
* It is a small tree, robust and stands up well to pollution.
* It is a great choice for wildlife, birds and insects
* It’s the tree that gives everything.
* In Christian mythology, it is known as a sacred tree.

It is said that the crown of Christ was made of Hawthorn. It’s no wonder, that this is the tree that gives everything!

And here are some more reasons why this is an ideal tree to plant at home, in the workplace, educational settings, place of worship, public spaces. etc.:

 For Birds:
 Hawthorn berries (haws) are a favourite food source for many bird species, including blackbirds, redwings, and thrushes.
 The berries are rich in antioxidants and can last into the winter months, providing crucial food when other sources are scarce.
 The dense, thorny branches of hawthorn offer shelter and nesting sites for birds, making them a valuable part of the ecosystem.
 The hawthor’s leaves are also a food source for caterpillars of many moth species, which in turn provide food for baby birds in spring.

 For Insects:
 Hawthorn flowers are a source of nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinating insects.
 The foliage supports many caterpillar species, which are a food source for birds.
 Hawthorns are also used as food plants by the larvae of a large number of butterfly and moth species.

 Other Wildlife:
 Hawthorns are important for other wildlife, including small mammals like dormice, who eat the flowers, and hedgehogs, shrews, and wood mice who find shelter in the dense thickets.
 The berries are also eaten by migrating birds and small mammals.

When I Am Among the Trees by Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the
beech, the oaks and the pines, they give off such hints of gladness. I would almost

say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself, in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves and call out, “Stay awhile.” The light flows

from their branches.

And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say, “and you too have come into the world to

do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine.”