Irish Times Notes02 Dec 17

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

St Patrick’s Christmas Tree Festival

St Patrick’s Cathedral is synonymous with the celebration of Christmas, with its rich music in the historic setting of the much loved building.

This year the cathedral will bring its celebrations to a new level and bring the magic of Christmas to even more people with a Christmas Tree Festival which will run throughout December and until the end of the first week in January. It is the first festival of its kind in the inner city and the innovative and imaginative event will see local businesses, organisations and groups contribute a decorated Christmas tree or wreath. Through sponsorship provided by generous donations the cathedral will engage with people of the community and enhance the social fabric of the church while at the same time raising funds to replace the roof of St Patrick’s Cathedral to ensure the building is available to be enjoyed for generations to come.

The Christmas Tree Festival was launched yesterday (Friday) evening and Christmas Festival Family Nights will be held on the evenings of December 20 to 22 after Evensong with the Cathedral open to the public from 18.15 – 21.00 free of charge on these nights. The trees and wreaths will be displayed throughout the building. There will be a Christmas gift shop open during this period. Keep up to date with the festival at www.stpatrickscathedral.ie

Today (Saturday) the Archbishop of Dublin will attend the enthronement of the Most Reverend John Davies as Archbishop of Wales in the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, Brecon.

Tomorrow (Sunday) marks the beginning of Advent and thus the start of a new church year. In Dublin there will be Advent Processions in both Christ Church and St Patrick’s cathedrals while in Derry the Bishop of Derry & Raphoe will preside at the Advent Processions in St Columb’s cathedral. In St Patrick’s cathedral, Killala, there will be a Diocesan Advent Carol Service at which the Ven. Stephen McWhirter will be installed as Archdeacon of Killala & Achonry while in St Canice’s, Kilkenny, there will be a Re–commissioning of Readers and Service of Light at which Canon Brian O’Rourke will also be installed and admitted to the Chapter. An Advent Carol Service will take place at 5pm at St George’s Parish Church, High Street, Belfast.

On Wednesday evening at 7pm the Archbishop of Dublin will preside at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute Advent Carol Service in Kill o’ the Grange parish church, by kind invitation of the Revd Alan Breen. There will be a sequence of carols and readings, and the evening will end with mulled wine and mince pies. All are very welcome and the student body will be glad to greet friends old and new.

With the beginning of Advent so starts a new liturgical year and a fresh cycle of daily Scripture readings and to meet this need Church of Ireland Publishing has again published Sunday and Weekday Readings 2018. This annual booklet is compiled by the Revd Ken Rue, and may be obtained from Richard Ryan at the Book Well, Belfast (email: info@thebookwell.co.uk; mobile: 07581 143596), or from Heather Jestin, Church House, Rathmines (email: heather.jestin@rcbcoi.org; telephone: +353 (0)1 412 5621). The price is unchanged from previous years at £3/€4 per booklet.

Next Saturday, 9 December, the Mornington Singers, directed by Orla Flanagan, will present ‘Noel. A Feast of Beautiful Christmas Carols Old and New’ at 1pm in St Ann’s church, Dublin, and they will sing again on Saturday 16 December in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, at 8pm. Details at www.morningtonsingers.org