Irish Times Notes16 Dec 17

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Carolling

Despite the best attempts of Advent preachers the Christmas carol season is well and truly upon us and the days ahead offer a bewildering choice for singers and spectators.

Today (Saturday) in Dublin Ecumenical Carol Singing will take place at 2.30pm outside St Ann’s church, Dawson Street. The event will support the Black Santa Sit Out at St Ann’s and the Live Animal Crib at the Mansion House. The music and singing will be led by a choir from St Agnes’ Community Centre for Music and the Arts. Seasonal Readings will be given by The Lord Mayor, Canon David Gillespie (St Ann’s), the Revd Rosemary Lindsay (Methodist Church), Dr Iva Beranek (The Church’s Ministry of Healing: Ireland), Geoffrey McMaster (Diocesan Council for Mission) and Ms Anne Griffin (General Manager, World Meeting of Families 2018). All are invited to come and join in the singing as the Christmas season near. The event is organised by the Diocesan Council for Mission and the Archdiocese (Office For Evangelisation & Ecumenism).

This afternoon (Saturday) at 4pm St John’s Church, Park Avenue, Sandymount, will host their Carols by Candlelight at which a collection will be taken up for Merchants’ Quay, Ireland, while this evening (Saturday) the Mornington Singers will present ‘Noel. A Feast of Beautiful Christmas Carols Old and New’ in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, at 8pm.

Tomorrow (Sunday) in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, there will be a Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at 3.15pm for which tickets are not required. In St Ann’s church, Dawson Street, at 7pm the Archbishop of Dublin will preside at the Dublin Civic Carol Service at which the Lord Mayor and civic leaders will read the lessons and later at 7pm St Mary’s cathedral, Limerick, will host Carols for the City with the Mayor of Limerick and representatives of groups from the city. In St Nicholas’ Collegiate church at 4pm the Galway Civic Carol Service will be held.

In Christ Church cathedral on Monday evening at 8pm the Archbishop of Dublin will preside at the Diocesan Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, and, in contrast, on Tuesday evening the cathedral will host a Taize style service for ‘A Quiet Christmas’. A frantic week ends in Christ Church on Thursday and Friday with the Dublin Ukelele Collective & High Hopes Choir Christmas concerts each evening at 8pm,

At St Anne’s cathedral, Belfast, the 41st Black Santa Sit–Out is underway and to make sure everyone knows that the charity appeal is going ahead as usual, it has produced its own video. Starring Dean’s Vicar Canon Mark Niblock and Cathedral Sexton Mark Geddis, with a special guest appearance by Dean–Elect, the Ven Stephen Forde. The video can also be viewed on the cathedral’s Facebook and Twitter pages. The 2017 Sit–Out will end around tea time on December 23 as Christmas Eve this year falls on a Sunday. Donations can be made on the steps of the Cathedral during the course of the sit–out, by post (download Black Santa Flyer 2017) or online via its website. Canons of the Cathedral and other staff, dressed in the usual black attire, look forward to greeting everyone on the Cathedral steps each day whatever the weather. The Dublin Sit–Out at St Ann’s church, Dawson Street is also under way and on Wednesday in Ballinamallard the annual Sit–out will led by the Ven. Brian Harper, Rector of Magheracross, and the Revd John Beacom, Minister of Ballinamallard Methodist Church. Donations will be made to Abaana Children’s Choir and Air Ambulance.