Irish Times Notes24 Dec 22

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Christmas

Christmas is almost upon us. For many it will be a happy time but not for all. The Archbishop of Dublin, who chairs the General Synod’s Church and Society Commission, has endorsed the Irish Government’s new appeal for offers of unoccupied properties to provide temporary homes for people from Ukraine who are seeking shelter and a welcome in Ireland. More than 60,000 people have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine, and most are in need of safe and secure accommodation.  This new call aims to make use of unoccupied houses, apartments or holiday homes to provide accommodation on a temporary basis. Under the new programme, local authorities are appealing for offers of houses, apartments, or holiday homes for use as temporary accommodation for those arriving from Ukraine.

Elsewhere, Christian Aid has reported that the climate crisis has increased the risk of hunger during Malawi’s annual lean season. As the nights draw in, we start to be filled with the hope of Christmas and we’ll enjoy that special, once–a–year meal with our loved ones. The joy of Christmas dinner is something that families in Malawi love too. Sadly, many families in Malawi will struggle even to put their staple food of maize porridge on the table. That’s because December falls during one of the toughest times of the year – the country’s ‘hunger season’ which is getting worse due to the climate crisis. Extreme weather means that the old year’s meagre harvest runs out several weeks before the new harvest is ready. If you wish to make a donation, please visit caid.ie/ChristmasAppeal

This evening (Saturday) at 4pm RTÉ Radio 1 will broadcast the Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols from St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin.  Dean William Morton and the Cathedral Choir will celebrate the birth of Christ with the traditional mixture of readings and carols old and new. The Master of the Music is Stuart Masterson; the organist is David Leigh.  In St Fin Barre’s cathedral, Cork, at 4.00pm, there will be a  Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

By tradition the bishops preach in their diocesan cathedrals on Christmas Day. The new Bishop of Cashel, Ferns & Ossory, the Rt Revd Adrian Wilkinson, who has more cathedrals in his united diocese than any of his episcopal colleagues will be preaching in Christ Church cathedral, Waterford, at 10.00 a.m. The new Bishop of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe, the Rt Revd Michael Burrows, who has responsibility for the largest diocese in the Church of Ireland, will preach in St Mary’s cathedral, Tuam, at noon. Christmas Day is also one of the few days in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, when the preaching is allocated to the Dean and so the pulpit will be occupied by Dr William Morton at the Christmas Festal Eucharist at 11.15am.

BBC Radio Ulster’s Morning Service for Christmas Day will be a celebration of Christmas Day with music from the New Irish Choir and Orchestra, directed by Jonathan Rea. The service will be led by the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Revd George Davison.

At 12.10 pm RTÉ 1 will broadcast the Archbishops’ Christmas Message. The Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland Archbishops of Armagh and Primates of All Ireland, Archbishops Eamon Martin and Archbishop John McDowell, will offer their traditional message, of peace, faith and love. This year, they have travelled to Dundalk, where their focus is on the challenges presented by the cost of living crisis and the invasion of Ukraine. This message can also be heard on RTÉ Radio 1 at 1.05pm.