Irish Times Notes25 Feb 17

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Spring Issue of SEARCH

The spring issue of SEARCH edited by the Revd Dr Ginnie Kennerley will appear this week.

Migration and the care of immigrants has become an explosive issue and a major challenge not only to Christians, but to all the communities of the developed world and their governments. SEARCH has four articles on this theme, led by Dr David Shepherd of TCD, with a version of his autumn lecture for BACI. This is followed by Peter Cheney’s recent experience in Malta, Tiffy Allen’s Places of Sanctuary initiative to help local people help immigrants in Dublin and the editor’s thoughts on the outsider as bearer of God’s blessing.

The debate on the Eighth Amendment could be considered an even trickier challenge. Paul Loughlin has an article on the history of the debate on TV leading up to the 1983 referendum and Bishop Kenneth Kearon offers a consideration of the ethical imperatives.

The Revd David Tuohy SJ and Canon Horace McKinley contribute reflections on the Dublin & Glendalough ‘Come & C’ project, and the Revd. Daniel Nuzum of Cork University Hospital explores the development of healthcare chaplaincy in partnership with colleagues the Revd Anne Skuse and Kathleen Keaney.

Finally, Belfast–born Professor David Hempton, Dean of Harvard Divinity, provides a reflection on the pluralist calling of Divinity Schools today, and, from church historian Dr Henry Jefferies of Derry, there is an exploration of the ways historians have analysed the different responses to the Reformation in England and Ireland.  This last should prove a tempting foretaste of the SEARCH Colloquium planned for 22 April on the legacy of the Reformation – Ecclesia Semper Reformanda.

Thirty–seven students will be attending the Church of Ireland Theological Institute this weekend as two–year training course begins. Nineteen men and women from seven dioceses will be embarking on the one–year Foundation Course programme, whilst eighteen will start the fifth cycle of Reader training lasting two years. The weekend entitled ‘Fit for the Purpose’ takes as its theme a biblical and personal exploration of various matters to do with vocation. The main facilitators are Canon Christina Baxter, former Principal of St John’s College Nottingham, the Rev Jenny Corcoran, Senior Distance Learning Tutor at St John’s, and Rev Canon Dr Maurice Elliott, Director of CITI.

This morning (Saturday) at 11.30am in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, there will be a memorial service for Bishop Samuel Poyntz who was Bishop of Cork from 1978 until 1987 and Bishop of Connor from 1987 until his retirement in 1995.

Tomorrow (Sunday), the Dean of St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, Dr William Morton, will preach in the cathedral while in St Patrick’s cathedral, Armagh, the GFS Diocesan Festival Service will be held at 3.15pm.

The Bishop of Clogher brings his Reformation Roadshow to St Macartan’s cathedral, Clogher, on Tuesday evening while in Dublin the Christ Church Cathedral Past Choristers’ Association will host a table quiz in the cathedral crypt beginning at 7.30pm – details from Victor Coe at pastchoristers@christchurch.ie

On Thursday the Armagh Robinson Library will take part in a joint event with the Armagh local libraries and the Cardinal O’Fiaich Memoral Library to mark World Book Day.

Women’s World Day of Prayer takes place on Friday. This is a worldwide ecumenical organisation whose purpose is to promote prayer and understanding amongst women. Its motto is ‘Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action’. The theme for this year, chosen by the women of the Philippines, is ‘Am I being unfair to you’.

Choral Compline resumes in Sandford parish church, Dublin, on Friday evenings at 7.30pm.