Irish Times Notes11 Feb 17

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

New Parish Handbook

Since its earliest days the Church has been concerned not only with belief but also how that belief was expressed and how that expression was organized – the Pauline Epistles and the decrees of the early councils are ample testimony to that. As the Church developed institutionally so too did the concept of canon law with its myriad of lawyers and weighty tomes to provide guidance for the conduct of the faithful and not so faithful.

As in the past, so too in the present for as the Church must live and move within the confines of civil society so too it must constantly re–evaluate how it organizes its affairs. For many years guidance on these matters was to be had from J.L.B. Deane’s Church of Ireland Handbook, first published by the APCK in 1962 and in a revised edition in 1982. However, by the turn of the new century it was clear that Deane’s work was no longer adequate and the Literature Committee of the General Synod put in hand a process to provide a new guide.

This work has been revised, refined and augmented by the staff in Church of Ireland House and the RCB has issued it as a Parish Handbook. As befits the modern age this is an on–line resource which will readily lend itself to constant updating. 

The Parish Handbook is a manual to support select vestries, parish officers and all members of the Church in the administration and organisation of parish life. It explains how requirements of the Constitution relate to today’s parishes, offers solutions to typical parish issues, and provides clear guidance to select vestry members on what is expected of them and tools to help them in their role.  The Handbook is currently available online, organised by topic and available on a new section of the main Church of Ireland website, called Parish Resources. The guidance notes can be found under the relevant topic areas – e.g. Select Vestry, Parish Finance and Generous Giving – at www.ireland.anglican.org/parish–resources

This evening (Saturday) and next Wednesday and next Saturday evenings at 7pm in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, the Choir, Resurgam, directed by Mark Duley, will present ‘Luther 500’, a recital of chorales to celebrate the musical legacy of Martin Luther.

‘Some Aspects of the Reformation’ is the title of the Bishop of Clogher’s roadshow which will be held at 7.30pm next Tuesday in St Macartin’s cathedral, Enniskillen, while on Friday the Archbishop of Dublin will give an address at the opening of the Reformation Quincentenary Theological Symposium in Trinity College, Dublin, which has been organized by the Dublin Council of Churches.

Tomorrow (Sunday) at Evensong in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, Canon Horace McKinley, will be installed as Treasurer. Canon McKinley, who has been Rector of Whitechurch, Co. Dublin, since 1980, has been Prebendary of Dunlavin (the canon representing the Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough) on the cathedral chapter since 1991.

On Saturday 18 February the Cashel, Ferns & Ossory Environmental Committee will host ‘Inside Out’ a half day conference on how to save energy expenses and new ways to improve church environs. The speakers will be Ms Ruth Buggie (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland), Dr Una Fitzpatrick (National Biodiversity Data Centre) and Ms Alison Harvey (The Heritage Council) and a question and answer session will be chaired by Cllr Malcolm Noonan from Kilkenny Council. The conference will begin at 10am in Kilkenny College and admission is free. Details may be had from the Ven Andrew Orr at 087–4196051.