CHURCH OF IRELAND NOTES
For Saturday 19th August 2000
From: The RCB
Library
Email: RCB Library
Parking Problems for Worshippers
Many Church of Ireland people do not have the good fortune to see
copies of the Church Review which is the monthly diocesan
magazine of the dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. Most have their own
diocesan magazine which satisfies their needs. However, as the diocesan
magazine which reflects aspects of the church life in the Irish capital
city, Church Review does, from time to time raise issues which
may have a wider relevance.
In the current issue, the Vicar of St Ann's has voiced his concern
about the effect on his congregation of the proposal by Dublin
Corporation to introduce additional parking restrictions on Sundays. St
Ann's, and the other city centre churches, draw much of their
congregations not from the locality but from the suburbs. Members of
families, who once lived in the city but are now resident in the
suburbs, faithfully travel into the city centre each Sunday and by doing
so contribute to the vitality of central Dublin. Some are inevitably
elderly and infirm and would find it difficult to walk distances, while
for others the regular cost of parking would be a disincentive. In such
circumstances such congregations might dwindle and perhaps die, thereby
diminishing the life of the city.
This is not, of course, solely a concern of the Church of Ireland as
other religious denominations are also likely to be affected. However,
it is likely to bear down hardest on the protestant minority which has
worked hard to maintain its city centre churches not only as places of
worship but as important parts of Dublin's streetscape and cultural
landscape.
It is difficult to believe that Dublin Corporation needs the revenue
or that the flow of traffic on Sunday morning requires additional
parking restrictions. A derogation from this proposal for Sunday morning
churchgoers would be a welcome and generous gesture from the Corporation
to the Christian communities who are anxious to maintain their presence
in the city centre and to contribute to the renewal of Dublin.
Tomorrow (Sunday) RTE will broadcast Morning Service from the
Church of St John the Baptist, Agherton, Portstewart, where the rector
is the Revd Patrick Rooke. The services in Christ Church Cathedral,
Dublin, will be sung by the Choir of Olverton Church, Gloucestershire,
while in Co. Kerry the Bishop of Cork, the Rt Revd Paul Colton, will
preach at the Rose of Tralee Festival Service. In Farahy Church, near
Mitchelstown, the annual Elizabeth Bowen commemoration will be held when
the address will be given by Dr Eibhear Walshe, Lecturer in English in
University College, Cork.
Next week, beginning on Monday, the Choir of Oriel College, Oxford
will sing evensong in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. The exception to
this will be on Wednesday when at 6.30 pm the choir will give a concert
in the cathedral entitled "A Celebration of English Choral Music
from the 20th Century". The programme will include works by Vaughan
Williams, Stanford, Howells and Leighton.
The Bishop of Cork has announced the appointment of Ms Sybil Fuller
as Diocesan Communications Officer for Cork, Cloyne and Ross. Ms Fuller,
who is the daughter of the Ven. J.A. Ennis, a former Archdeacon of
Kilmore, has recently retired from teaching in Bandon Grammar School.
Applications are invited for the Archbishop of Dublin's Course in
Theology which is a two year programme of study leading to a deeper
understanding of the Christian faith. The course is divided into six
units of six weeks, one night a week, and includes assessment. Details
may be had from Dublin clergy and applications should reach the Dublin
Diocesan Office by 22 September.
Church of Ireland Notes appear in the Irish
Times whose web site may be found at http://www.ireland.com/ |
