Irish Times Notes31 Mar 18

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Communications Competition

For the Church, Easter is the ultimate ‘good news time’ and so it is an appropriate occasion for the Central Communications Board to announce details of its annual Communications Competition. Entries are invited from Church of Ireland parishes, dioceses and affiliated organisations, in the categories of Diocesan Magazine, Parish Magazine/Newsletter, and Church of Ireland affiliated organisation Magazine/Newsletter. Quality of presentation, strength of content and outreach potential are once again to be the standards of excellence against which entries will be judged. The closing date is Friday, 27 April. Winners will be announced at the General Synod which will be held in the Armagh City Hotel on 10–12 May 2018.

Magazines and newsletters are important for the exchange of news and views in Church communities and printed media continues to play a vital role within the life of the Church of Ireland. The Central Communications Board has decided to alternate between print and websites/digital media from this year onwards, and this year’s competition will focus on print media.

An entry form for the competition may be had from Peter Cheney, Church of Ireland Press Office (by email: press@ireland.anglican.org or phone: from NI 028 9082 8882, from RoI 048 9082 8882). One recent copy must be sent in hard copy with the entry form to Peter Cheney, Press Office, Church of Ireland House, 61–67 Donegall Street, Belfast, BT1 2QH.

Tomorrow (Sunday) morning an Easter Day All Age Communion Service with the Rector of Kilternan, the Revd Rob Clements, and the parish choirs and parishioners will be broadcast on RTE 1 television at 11.25 am. There will be early morning services in a number of locations including a Dawn Service in the Derry See House Quiet Garden, an Easter Morning Dawn Eucharist celebrated by Bishop Michael Burrows at the lakeside at Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois, at 6.15am, a Dawn Service in God’s Acre, Carrickmacross, at 6.45am,and a Sonrise Service in Powerscourt Old Church, Enniskerry, at 6.58am. By tradition the bishops will preach in their diocesan cathedrals. In St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, the preacher will be the Dean, Dr William Morton, and in St Anne’s cathedral, Belfast, the Dean, the Very Revd Stephen Forde will preach.

On Easter Tuesday, Belfast Cathedral will host the ‘Biggest Easter Egg Hunt in Belfast’. The Cathedral invites families to call in from 11am until 3pm so children aged 0–12 can explore all the Cathedral’s nooks and crannies in the search for those hidden eggs. In addition, there will be an Easter Trail inside the Cathedral, and arts and crafts to stimulate young minds. Entry will be £2 per child, with a prize for all successful egg hunters while adults will be free to look around or relax while the children are occupied with the serious task of egg hunting.

A new series of free lunchtime concerts will begin next Wednesday at 1.15pm in St Mary’s cathedral, Limerick. In the opening recital Sarah–Ellen Murphy (alto) and Peter Barley (piano) will perform works by de Falla and Brahms.

On Friday evening at 7pm St Katharine’s church, Dunlambert Park, Belfast, will host the first performance in Ireland of a dramatized staging of Handel’s Messiah by the Merry Opera Company which has already completed eight tours in Britain – St Katharine’s is part of the group’s 2018 tour. Tickets are available from the rector, Canon William Taggart, on 07933 588355. They can also be bought online from the Merry Opera Company website. A limited number of seats will be available on the night.