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Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Funding church maintenance

A recent visit to Rouen provided an introduction to its three magnificent gothic churches – the parish church of St Maclou, the abbey church of St Ouen and the cathedral of Notre Dame. By an accident of history these buildings, like all other French churches, have, since the Revolution, been owned and maintained by the state while, on a day to day basis, they continue to be administered by the religious congregations which use them. By a different accident of history the Church of Ireland has custody of a large number of churches and cathedrals which are of historical and cultural significance. While it is undoubtedly a privilege to worship in such places their maintenance is an awesome responsibility for a minority community.

There is some state funding for historic structures and there is also funding support from central church funds. Applications are currently being invited from the Marshal Beresford’s Fund and the Church Fabric and Development Fund which are held towards the building or repair of churches or chapels. Completed application forms must be returned to the Representative Church Body by either 1st March or 1st October for the relevant half–year. If a parish is awarded a grant, it will be allocated from either the Marshal Beresford’s Fund or the Church Fabric and Development Fund and not from both funds. Application forms and guidelines are available from the Parish Resources section of the Church of Ireland website. Completed forms and supporting documents should be sent to Mr Ian Walshe, Property Department, Representative Church Body, Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6, D06 CF67. (Tel: 00353–1–4125 619; Email: ian.walshe@rcbcoi.org). The next deadline for receipt of applications is 1st October 2017.

However, much of the funding for church maintenance is still raised locally and fund raising events are heavily dependent on cross–community support. For example, the parishioners of St Matthias’s church, Ballydehob, have just completed extensive repairs to the roof and internal structures of the church which was opened in 1829. In support of this there will be Flower Festival in the church today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday) which will be open from 11am until 7pm. The festival will close with a service in St Matthias’ tomorrow (Sunday) evening at 8pm. Elsewhere there will be festivals, fetes and sales throughout the summer months. Whilst theses are enjoyable community events, they are demanding in their organization and uncertain in their outcome. Perhaps it is time to begin a conversation about the French solution.

Today (Saturday) the Hubert Butler Memorial Lecture will be delivered in St Canice’s cathedral, Kilkenny. The speaker will be Eva Hoffman and there will be an introduction by Olivia O’Leary.

Next Sunday (20th August) on RTE 1 television at 11 am, a service celebrating the work of lay people, organised by Canon Barbara Fryday, Rector of the Clonmel union of parishes, and Margaret Hawkins, Communications Officer for the Diocese of Cashel, Ferns & Ossory will be broadcast. 35 lay people, including lay readers, who participate actively in the parish, diocesan and national life came together to prepare the service. In Dublin the choir of the Christ Church cathedral group of parishes will sing at the Eucharist in the cathedral while in St Patrick’s the services will be sung by the choir of Pinner parish church.

‘Summer Music in Sandford’ continues on Friday in Sandford parish church, Ranelagh, where at 1.10pm there will be a piano recital by Derek Moylan who will play works by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Debussy.

 

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