Irish Times Notes29 Apr 17

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

General Synod in Limerick

This year the General Synod will, for the first time be held in Limerick and will begin in the South Court Hotel next Thursday, continuing until Saturday. The business will be preceded by a celebration of the Eucharist in St Mary’s cathedral at which the preacher will be the Bishop of Limerick, the Rt Revd Kenneth Kearon, In a departure from previous practice the daily devotions will be led by a Synod Chaplain who, this year, will be the Dean of Killaloe, the Very Revd Gary Paulsen.

In addition to the consideration of the annual reports of the RCB, the Standing Committee and its various committees and commissions, the Synod will be asked to debate proposed legislation on a number of issues including clergy pensions, a requirement to keep confirmation registers, and a proposal for lay and ecumenical canons for Christ Church cathedral, Dublin.

One new feature for this year’s General Synod will be an informal session on the second day which will celebrate ministries undertaken by parishes to their local communities. This will include contributions highlighting the Rathkeale group of parishes’ social cohesion project and Lisburn Cathedral’s foodbank and Christians Against Poverty centre.

The General Synod’s website is now live: https://synod.ireland.anglican.org/2017/general-synod-2017 and has all the relevant documentation, Reports and information, including a summary of business done, will be posted daily during Synod. In advance, you can also access the Bills Pamphlet and explanatory memoranda: https://www.ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/pdf/Synod/2017/Bills/Bills2017.pdf
and the List of Motions: https://www.ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/pdf/Synod/2017/Motions2017.pdf

There will be an audio broadcast during Synod and a Twitter feed using the hashtag #coigs. This hashtag will also be used for Facebook and Instagram as well as other social media outlets.

Those who know Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, will be familiar with the portraits of Archbishops that hang there. The present collection will soon be enhanced by a new painting of Archbishop Walton Empey by Olivia Bartlett. This has been commissioned by the Friends of Christ Church and will be unveiled by the Dean tomorrow (Sunday) in the presence of the former Archbishop and his family, and following the 11a.m. Cathedral Eucharist at which the preacher will be Archdeacon Gordon Linney.

In St Paul’s church, Mountmellick, there will be an Easter ‘Songs of Praise’ tomorrow (Sunday) morning. In the evening, at 8pm, there will be a ‘Songs of Praise’ service in St Fiacc’s church, Clonegal. The address will be given by Emma Rothwell, School Chaplain in Wilson’s Hospital and Diocesan Youth Officer for Meath & Kildare, and the collection will be divided between Wicklow Hospice Care and Church Funds.

From next Monday until the end of September, St Brigid’s cathedral, Kildare, will be open to visitors on a daily basis from 10–1pm and 2–5pm.

In Kells parish, Co. Kilkenny, the ‘Pictures at the Priory’ event will be held once again over the May bank holiday weekend, from next Monday until Wednesday. A portion of the profits will be given to Amber, the Kilkenny Women’s Refuge. Artists exhibiting this year include William Grace and John Flinn. Varied paintings, craft stands and sculptures can be viewed inside and outside the Priory and there will be opportunities to win lots of great raffle prizes and bid for one of the Kevin Fennelly sculptures being exhibited.

On Wednesday morning the Archbishop of Dublin will attend the annual 1916 commemoration at Arbour Hill. In the afternoon, accompanied by two ordinands from CITI, Ian Mills and Rebecca Gildea, he will participate in the Dublin Council of Churches’ Church Forum Day at the Lutherhaus on Adelaide Road.