Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
In the Diocese of Down and Dromore there will a Festival Service at Down Cathedral at 11.45am, at which Simon Guillebaud will speak on the theme, ‘Radical Discipleship, Radical Mission’. Simon is the founder and International Director of the Great Lakes Outreach which is working to bring transformation to the people of Burundi in Central Africa. The author of several books, he has a large social media following and shares frequently on challenging and radical topics.
The day will begin with Holy Communion at St Patrick’s Memorial church, Saul, at 9,15am when the preacher will be Captain George Newell, Leadership & Mission Development Coordinator, New Wine Ireland. This will be followed at 10.15am by a Pilgrimage from Saul to Downpatrick for the Festival Service in Down Cathedral. Following the service there will be a wreath laying ceremony at the traditional site of St Patrick’s Grave.
In St Patrick’s cathedral, Armagh, at 10am there will be a celebration of Holy Communion in Irish and at 11am Sung Eucharist at which the preacher will be the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd John McDowell.
In St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, the Eucharist will be said in Irish in the Lady Chapel at 9.15am and at 11.15am there will be Choral Eucharist at which the preacher will be the Dean of St Patrick’s, Dr William Morton. At 6pm the Dublin Council of Churches will hold an ecumenical service for St Patrick’s Day – a gathering of the fourteen churches who are members of the DCC. The address will be given by the Revd Andrew Kingston of the Methodist Centenary church, Leeson Park.
The Bishop of Cork, Dr Paul Colton, will preside at the Civic Service and Choral Festival Eucharist in St Fin Barre’s cathedral which will be followed by an outdoor reception in the Cathedral forecourt as we continue to emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic. In remembrance of people who lost their lives due to Covid throughout the night before (from eve of 17th to morning of 18th) principal churches in Cork, Cloyne and Ross will leave their lights on to mark the occasion, churches in the diocese will be open for thanksgiving and prayers of remembrance from 10an until noon, and bells of the principal churches will ring at 11am. The Bishop will lead prayers of remembrance and thanksgiving at 11.05 am. in St Fin Barre’s cathedral.
Tomorrow (Sunday) at 3.15pm there will be a Festal Evensong in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, in thanksgiving for the completion of the roof project. All donors, anonymous and otherwise are invited to attend.
At the invitation of the Dean of Cloyne, the Very Revd Susan Green, the Irish Language Service of Holy Communion, organised by Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise during Seachtain na Gaeilge, will take place in St John the Baptist church, Midleton, at 7.30pm on Monday. A translation of the service will be available and a warm invitation is extended to all.
On Wednesday the Revd Robert Marshall will give a paper, via Zoom, to the Ecclesiastical Law Society on the Disestablishment of the Church of Ireland. The paper will examine the Irish, British and Empire contexts in which Disestablishment occurred and why the whole process turned out as it did. Those who are interested should register for the occasion (which is free) via this link.
Registrations close 24 hours prior to the event.
Published in the Saturday edition of The Irish Times