Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from The Irish Times
New Issue of Search
The spring 2004 issue of the Church of Ireland journal Search has appeared. This is the first issue to be edited by Canon Ginnie Kennerley, Rector of Narraghmore, who has succeeded the Dean of Killaloe, Dr Stephen White, in the editor?s chair.
Much of the journal is given over to articles which discuss aspects of the identification of identity in Ireland. Leaslaoi O Briain, Honorary Secretary of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise, reflects on ninety years of the work of the Irish Guild of the Church while Alan Titley from the Irish Department in St Patrick?s College, Drumcondra, discusses aspects of the Irish-Gaelic tradition. Dr Johnston McMaster from the Irish School of Ecumenics in Belfast, writes on ?Ulster-Scots Identity: Fact or Fiction? and Canon Gary Hastings, Rector of Westport, reflects on his own journey from a narrowly defined cultural identity in protestant east Belfast and his discovery of another part of his identity, through the media of traditional music and the Irish language.
Elsewhere in the journal Elizabeth Oldham, from the Department of Education in Trinity College, Dublin, writes about curriculum overload, and Dr Kenneth Milne, who chairs the European Affairs Working Group of the Church in Society Committee, brings readers up to date with EU developments and the place of the Church of Ireland in these debates.
Finally Bishop Samuel Poyntz discusses the history and development of clerical societies in Ireland and the church library structures which supported them. Despite the decline in both he remains an advocate of ?clericals? as valuable forums for sharing burdens, for spiritual challenge and for intellectual stimulation.
Search is available from the Religious Education Resource Centre, Holy Trinity Church, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6, and the annual subscription, for three issues, is Euro15.
This evening, Easter Eve, the two cathedrals in Belfast, St Anne?s and St Peter?s, will join together for an Easter Vigil service in St Anne?s. The service will include scripture readings and praise, led by the choir of St Anne?s and the boy choristers of Down and Connor who are based in St Peter?s. The highlight of the service will be the renewal of baptismal vows. Another ecumenical initiative has been organized by the clergy and congregations of all the churches in the Killiney and Dalkey area of Co. Dublin. Sonrise, will be an ecumenical Easter Day service at daybreak, 6.34 am, on Killiney Hill.
On Easter morning RTÉ will broadcast Choral Eucharist from St Carthage?s Cathedral, Lismore, The setting will be the St Carthage Mass, composed by the cathedral?s organist, Jan Van Putten, and the celebrant will be the Dean of Lismore, the Very Revd Billy Beare. Easter is one of the occasions when, by tradition, the bishops preach in their diocesan cathedrals, and, according to a more recent tradition, the Dean of St Patrick?s occupies the pulpit of the national cathedral.
On Friday the Roscrea Spring Conference begins at Mount St Joseph Abbey, Roscrea, and continues until Sunday. The theme of the conference is genealogy and family history and among the speakers will be Mr. Julian Walton who has worked extensively on Church of Ireland archives in Waterford Cathedral and on the diocesan libraries of Waterford and Cork. Details of the conference may be had from Mr. George Cunningham.
The Mothers? Union has announced the retirement of Mrs. Margaret Mahon from the post of All-Ireland Secretary. During twenty-two years in office, Mrs. Mahon oversaw significant changes in the society and worked with five presidents and many colleagues throughout the dioceses.
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