Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
New History of St Macartin’s
A new book charting 400 years of history of St Macartin’s cathedral, Enniskillen, ‘St Macartin’s Cathedral – At the Heart of the Community’ will be launched by the Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Revd John McDowell, in the Cathedral Hall, Enniskillen, next Wednesday, evening.
This book, with 42 chapters, records the establishment and development of the Church of Ireland parish of Enniskillen and its church, which since 1923 has been St Macartin’s cathedral. The church was established as part of the plan for the plantation of Ulster. The building is closely associated with the Cole family of Enniskillen and the Royal School and contains the regimental chapel of the Inniskillings. Some 400 pages of text are enlivened with 500 photographs.
The author, Sam Morrow, has served as a member of the select vestry of Enniskillen parish continuously since 1968, and is a trustee and member of the Board of Governors of Enniskillen Royal Grammar School. He is also the author of a history of the parishes of Clabby and Tempo.
A rowan tree has been planted by Mr Morrow in the grounds of St. Macartin’s cathedral to mark the launch of the book. The rowan tree leaves and berries are symbolic of the name Macartin meaning “Son of the Rowan Tree”.
Tomorrow (Sunday) on RTE 1 television and RTE radio 1 Extra, at 11 am, the Revd. William Bennett, Rector of Newcastle and Newtownmountkennedy with Calary, Co, Wicklow, will lead a Service of Remembrance, with a choir and congregation. In St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, the Remembrance Day preacher will be Canon David Oxley. Evensong at 3.15pm will be followed at 4.30 by Evening Prayer in Irish in the Lady Chapel.
On Thursday the Bishop of Cork will attend the official opening of Kinsale Community School, by President Michael D, Higgins, and will join with Bishop Fintan Gavin in an ecumenical blessing of the school. In the evening, in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, the Feast of St Laurence O’Toole, Patron Saint of Dublin, will be celebrated at Evensong at 6pm.
The Season of Advent begins on Sunday, 1st December, and so starts a new liturgical year and a fresh cycle of daily Scripture readings. Church of Ireland Publishing has announced that Sunday and Weekday Readings 2020 is now available. This annual booklet is compiled by the Revd Kue Rue and is designed to help worship planners and lesson readers know the appointed readings for Sundays and weekdays. It is also beneficial for those who wish to follow a personal course of Scripture readings which is tied in with the Church calendar.’ It may be obtained from the Church of Ireland’s online bookstore (https://store.ireland.anglican.org) or from Richard Ryan at the Book Well, Belfast (email: info@thebookwell.co.uk; mobile: 07581 143 596). The price is £3.50/€4 per booklet. For further information on Church of Ireland Publishing, visit www.cip.ireland.anglican.org
‘Restoring the Woven Cord’– a retreat for Advent for clergy and lay people – will be hosted by the Commission on Ministry at the Dromantine Retreat and Conference Centre, Newry, Co. Down, between 28 and 30 November. The speaker will be Canon Michael Mitton who works as a freelance writer, speaker, retreat leader and spiritual director. He is a canon emeritus of Derby Cathedral and has written a number of books, including A Handful of Light, Dreaming of Home and Seasoned by Seasons. A revised version of his book Restoring the Woven Cord was published earlier this year. For further details and a booking form, please contact Judy Peters (judith.m.peters@gmail.com) or Catherine Smith (catherine.smith@rcbcoi.org).
Published in the Saturday edition of The Irish Times