Irish Times Notes11 Mar 17

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

New Editor for the Gazette

The Church of Ireland Gazette has been an integral part of the life of the Church of Ireland for over 150 years carefully chronicling the many local manifestations of the Church’s witness, analysing matters of concern and keeping its readers abreast of developments in the Anglican Communion and the worldwide Church.

Founded in 1856 as the Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette, the paper was initially a monthly but adopted a weekly format in 1880 and in 1900 it changed its title to the Church of Ireland Gazette.

As the longest running Church of Ireland publication the Gazette is a vital source for information of the Church’s past and its files, which are held in the RCB Library, are regularly consulted by academics, local historians, genealogists and the simply curious. However, many of the issues are fragile and a programme has been developed by the Library to make them available digitally which will not only conserve the originals but make the information in them more readily available to a wider readership. So far, the Gazette for the years 1911–23 is available via the Church of Ireland website, and work is continuing to expand this digital resource.

Of course the Gazette, like other similar publications depends to a significant extent of the energy and integrity of the editor. The Gazette has been well served in living memory by Cecil Copper, Houston McKelvey, Gilbert Wilson and Andy Willis, and notably by W.B. Wells, who provided a first hand account of the events of Easter Week, 1916.

The current editor, Canon Ian Ellis, has been careful in his stewardship of the Gazette, preserving the paper’s independence, fearless asking difficult questions from those  in authority and, at the same time ensuring, as far as resources permit, the Gazette’s eclectic coverage of the life of the Church at home and abroad. Canon Ellis will retire from the editor’s chair next month and a successor is being sought. Applications should be sent to Church of Ireland Press, 3 Wallace Avenue, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, BT27 4AA by 31 March.

This morning (Saturday) morning, from 10am to 12.45pm in Monkstown parish church, Co. Dublin, John Rowntree, organ advisor, choir director at Douai Benedictine Abbey, Berkshire, and director of music at St Mary’s Parish Church, Douai, will lead a session on the topic Singing in Community – and How! Details at: www.churchmusicdublin.org/living–worship

Tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon the Archdeacon of Dublin, the Ven. David Pierpoint will represent the Archbishop at the blessing of the shamrock in DIT, Grangegorman, while in St Patrick’s cathedral, Armagh, there will be an organ recital by Neale Agnew at 4.15pm.

On Monday the second in the series of candle–lit film evenings entitled ‘Sun, Sea and Soil: Our Planet in the 21st Century’ will be held in the Music Room of Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, at 6.30pm. Koyaanisqatsi, a cult American film examining the relationship between humans, nature and technology will be introduced by film writer and critic, Daniel Fitzpatrick.

On Thursday evening at 7.30pm in St Mary’s church, Carrigaline, there will be a celebration of the Eucharist in Irish at 7.30pm when the preacher will be the Bishop of Cashel, Ferns & Ossory who is Patron of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise. On St Patrick’s Day, the Primate, Dr Richard Clarke, will be the celebrant at the Eucharist in St Patrick’s cathedral, Armagh, while in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, the Dean, Dr William Morton, will preach at the Patronal Eucharist. In St John’s church, Sandymount, there will be a bi–lingual Eucharist at 11am.