Irish Times Notes11 Apr 20

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Easter like no other

As Lent comes to an end and Easter beckons we can reflect on a truly remarkable Lenten season. For many people Lent now means little or nothing and even for the faithful it has, for many, become only symbolic. A period of abstinence from alcohol, chocolate or some similar self–indulgence rather than a season of penitence and preparation. But this year it has been truly penitential for we have been required to abstain from that which is most important – gathering for public worship.

And so tomorrow (Sunday) will bring an Easter Day like no other in living memory. An Easter Day when parishioners cannot meet together to proclaim the glorious Resurrection and cathedral worshippers cannot gather too listen to the Easter sermon of their bishops. Easter Day, like Christmas and Pentecost, is one of those feasts when traditionally Christians fulfilled their sacramental obligations by receiving Holy Communion. And still, today, churches are full at Easter as people wittingly and unwittingly, continue to take part in this ancient ritual.

But although this Easter will be very different, worship will still be offered. As the Covid–19 pandemic has developed so too has the Church’s response to it. Events which were once social have now become remote. More and more parishes and cathedrals are streaming Sunday worship and as an example of what is possible Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, posted its list of Holy Week services. These reach their climax this weekend with this evening (Saturday) Easter Vigil with Renewal of Baptismal Vows at 9pm and tomorrow (Sunday) the Easter Day Eucharist at 11am.

St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, has opened a digital Book of Condolences to assist people bereaved as a result of the Covid–19 pandemic. The digital Book of Condolences is available at www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/book–of–condolences and provides the option for messages to be shared or kept private, according to the wishes of those signing the book.  This is available for people from all backgrounds and nationalities.

Other ways of maintaining the life of the faithful have been initiated and developed on–line – Bible classes, daily readings and prayer. The Bishop of Clogher, in a pastoral letter, has commended the daily recitation of the General Thanksgiving and a prayer for health care workers.

On the Church of Ireland website there are listings of worship options and these lists are regularly updated.

For those in search of an international dimension, the Anglican Communion News Service has a weekly posting of news and prayer. In addition, as many provinces of the Anglican Communion have suspended public worship, the Anglican Communion Office is putting together online services for Sundays with contributions from around the world.  An Easter Sunday service will be available from 7pm (Greenwich mean time) this evening (Saturday). The readings and sermon were recently recorded and most of the songs were recorded before the Covid–19 pandemic at several cathedrals around the world. The Anglican Communion Office will continue to publish services each week during the lockdown and the latest video will be available each Saturday evening at www.anglicancommunion.org/worship

Outside of worship the Church is also increasing its efforts to keep in touch. Diocesan magazines have been made available on–line while this month’s Church of Ireland Gazette has been made freely available at https://gazette.ireland.anglican.org

The Gazette has decided that printing the May edition would be inappropriate. It is not an essential activity and it does not want to place local parochial distributors in a position whereby they feel they have to go out to deliver it. So the May edition will also be available free on the website and this will be the policy for the foreseeable future.