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Front Page
Adelaide School of Nursing of ‘critical importance’ - anniversary service hears
By Garrett Casey
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| Pictured following Choral Evensong in St Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin to mark the 150th anniversary of the Adelaide School of Nursing are (left to right) Canon Robert Reed, Precentor of St Patrick’s Cathedral; Archbishop Alan Harper; Yvonne Seville, Matron of the Adelaide Hospital, 1993-1998; Prof. Ian Graham; and Hilary Daly, Deputy Director of Nursing of the Adelaide Meath and National Children’s Hospital and President of the Adelaide Hospital Nurses’ League. |
The Adelaide School of Nursing celebrated its150th anniversary with a special thanksgiving service of Choral Evensong in St Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin on Sunday 15th November. Founded in 1859, the Adelaide School of Nursing is rooted in the Protestant ethos of the Adelaide Hospital (presently incorporated in the Adelaide, Meath and National Children’s Hospital located at Tallaght, Co. Dublin). Preaching at the service, the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Alan Harper, noted that the Adelaide "was and is a forthrightly religious institution", the motivation and ethos of which "significantly influences and significantly enhances the quality of the care given."
Editorial
Church Leaders
In his column last Saturday (14th November), under a headline declaring, ‘It’s time Church leaders caught themselves on’, the religion correspondent of the Belfast Telegraph, Alf McCreary, berated the leaders of the four largest Churches (the Church of Ireland, the Methodist, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic Churches) for being so concerned not to upset one another or their flocks by their joint-statements that they found difficulty in "producing anything which the public might actually read, and hopefully heed". He went on to suggest a more ‘muscular’ approach. Full Text
Home News
Co. Down parish ‘raises the roof’ in restoration project
Eglantine parish (Culcavey), Diocese of Connor, has just completed restoring the roof of its 134-year-old All Saints’ church, a listed building, set in rolling countryside between Lisburn and Hillsborough. After being closed for eight months to facilitate the restoration work, the church was recently reopened and rededicated by the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Revd Alan Abernethy, during a service of thanksgiving. The bishop also dedicated new carpet for the choir vestry, the gift of the parish’s Mothers’ Union branch.
Launch of second volume to encourage psalm singing
This time last year, a new publication produced by the Church of Ireland and designed to encourage more psalm singing in churches was launched and has since been well received. The publication contained simple musical psalm settings for all the psalms needed for the liturgical year. A second volume with fresh and engaging simple chants for the psalms for the coming liturgical year - beginning on Advent Sunday 29th November - has now been produced. The book sets out the psalms in a clear and easy-to-use manner.
Roman Catholic bishop speaks out
Speaking on RTÉ last week, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Killaloe, the Most Revd Willie Walsh, who is due to retire next January, said he was concerned about the "exclusion" of certain people by the Roman Catholic Church. He referred to people in "second unions" and homosexual people. He also expressed concern at Vatican restrictions on Protestants receiving Holy Communion.
Annual theological lecture focuses on finance and faith
The annual Catherwood Lecture in Public Theology will be held in Union Theological College Chapel, Botanic Avenue, Belfast, on Thursday 26th November, at 8.00pm. The speaker will be Paul Moore, former Head of Group Regulatory Risk at HBOS, who will speak on the topic ‘Finance and Faith: can mammon and the common good be reconciled?’
‘Big Prayer Book’ completes diocesan journey
By Annette McGrath
The ‘Big Prayer Book’ completed its journey around the Diocese of Down and Dromore when it arrived in Down Cathedral, Downpatrick, on Saturday 31st October for the 24-40 Prayer closing event. The Prayer Book contains all the written prayers of the Diocese during the recent season of continuous prayer that spanned all nine area deaneries (Gazette, 25th September, page 9). The service took as its theme ‘Light’ and there were several opportunities for participants to pray and share together during the evening, as they reflected on the 24-40 Prayer journey.
Church’s former Press Officer launches illustrated book on weather
A book on weather entitled Should I bring an umbrella? - Celebrating weather in photographs, written by a former Church of Ireland Press Officer, Alan Johnston, was launched recently in Down County Museum, Downpatrick, Co. Down. Mr Johnston, a native of Belfast, was the Church’s Press Officer from 1972 to 1983. He has lived and worked abroad in a range of exotic places, including the Middle East, Nigeria, Ethopia, Malaysia and Singapore, and has visited many more lands on holidays.
Rectory Blessing
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Pictured following the rededication and blessing of the rectory in Mullingar, Diocese of Meath, are (left to right) the Revd Alastair Graham, rector; Bishop Richard Clarke; and Olive Graham.
CIMS members urged to support local community regeneration
By Roddie Evans
An address to the Armagh Diocesan Synod by the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Alan Harper, was well reported in the 30th October issue of the Church of Ireland Gazette. A matter of some concern to the Archbishop was the needs of many communities, often described as ‘Hard to reach’ communities. He said that he wanted to see a society in which all communities had full access to all the benefits which society offered and where none were marginalized or felt neglected.
Famous hymn writer who linked faith and social justice
Dr Fred Kaan, who has been described as "one of the most greatly beloved and challenging hymn writers of the 20th century" and who was a minister of the United Reformed Church in England, died recently at the age of 80. His hymns are to be found in most English language hymn books and six appear in the Church of Ireland’s current Church Hymnal (nos. 414, 436, 496, 502, 507 and 541).
Book-signing
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Dr Harry Grindle (seated) is pictured at a book-signing of his recently-published memoirs, Reprise: An Irish Church Musician Looks Back, in the Good Book Shop, Belfast, with staff members (from left) Sally Shaw, Evelyn Lewis and Richard Ryan.
Mothers’ Union launches schools’ suicide project
By Craig McCauley
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| Pictured at the launch of ‘Never Alone’ are (left to right) Trevor Kingston, Julie Bradshaw, Canon Mark Lidwill, Vida McCauley, Padraig Corley (vice-principal, The Royal School, Cavan), Hazel Spears, Helen Clarke (MU Diocesan President), Isla Poyntz, Bishop Ken Clarke and Mike Edwards. |
The Mothers’ Union in Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh recently launched a pilot project in The Royal School, Cavan, entitled ‘Never Alone’. The aim of the project is to provide a tool for schools in the Diocese to help with the discussion of teen suicide, which is on the rise in Ireland, and to remind teens that, even though they might sometimes feel they are alone, they never are.
Organ scholarship awards presented and new scholars commissioned
By Robert Thompson
At a recent Choral Evensong in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, four scholars graduated from the Organ Scholarship Scheme organised under the auspices of the Dioceses of Down and Dromore and Connor. Sara Crockett (Ahoghill), Richard Brown (Orangefield), Simon Hanna (Seapatrick) and Mark Haffield (Ballyclare) received their certificates marking the completion of their three years’ tuition. The certificates were presented by the Rt Revd Dr Gordon McMullan, a former Bishop of Down and Dromore, who preached at the service.
New Derry and Raphoe Mothers’ Union President
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At its recent autumn Council meeting, Derry and Raphoe Mothers’ Union welcomed Kay Clarke (2nd left) as its new Diocesan President with effect from January 2010. She is accompanied by (from left) Helen Livingston (past President), the Revd Raymond Fox, Jean Fox (present President), the Revd Irene Lyttle (Chaplain) and Jennifer Given (Treasurer).
World News
Christian group probes global representation of women in news
Volunteers from 127 countries are assessing whether their national media has portrayed women and men in the news in a fair and balanced way. The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) said that on 10th November the volunteers were monitoring thousands of stories in hundreds of newspapers and news broadcasts. "The Global Media Monitoring Project is the largest research and advocacy initiative in the world on gender equality in news and journalism," said a statement from the Torontobased advocacy group, which promotes communication for social change.
Russian President condemns Stalin’s anti-religious persecution
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has denounced Stalinism’s religious persecution in a move seen as an offer of conciliation to the country’s faith groups. "Representatives of absolutely all religious confessions were subject to persecution," he said in his video blog, listing believers as a class that was subject to extermination along with intellectuals, workers, military officers and peasants.
African Churches want new international engagement on Sudan
Africa’s largest Church grouping is calling for urgent international reengagement on southern Sudan, saying resettlement programmes were failing and a fragile peace pact was being flouted. The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) said in a statement on 9th November that the undermining of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2005 between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and the government of Sudan, was a major threat to peace in the Horn of Africa.
Focus on the Porvoo Communion
Porvoo Primates and representatives meet in Porvoo, Finland
A report by John McDowell
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| Lithuanian pastor, the Revd Darius Petkunas, his wife, Inge, and their twin daughters |
"Every man fears becoming poor; Jesus dreaded any man becoming rich" - one of the remarks made in the group we were in, which was discussing a paper on the economic crisis and the world around us, given by the Rt Revd Olav Skjevesland, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway. The occasion was a meeting of the Primates and representatives of the Porvoo Communion, held in the little Cathedral town of Porvoo in southern Finland. The Porvoo Communion does not claim to be a great cosmopolitan institution which issues authoritative statements. The meeting in Porvoo was merely a group of believers coming together to share their experiences and to encourage one another (and one another’s Churches) in how to live out our Christian discipleship in the modern world, and, of course, to gather around Scripture and Sacrament - the living symbols of the Incarnate Word.
Letters to the Editor
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Protestant schools in the Republic Full Text
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Battlefield remembrance tours Full Text
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No Blessing on Songs of Praise Full Text
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Armagh See House Full Text
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Civil partnerships in the Republic Full Text
Soap
Down At St. David’s
By Ted Woods
Troubles, when they come, have a habit of seldom coming singly. And so it was for Steve and Fiona. Their trip to see Laura in Liverpool, far from allaying their fears and worries, only accentuated them. Laura was far from happy and had lost more weight than Fiona was happy about. While enjoying her course, she hadn’t made friends and the students on her floor, who didn’t mix with her, only accentuated her sense of loneliness and isolation.
Popular Culture
The best year at the cinema
Gareth Higgins
For me, 2009 has been the best year at the cinema this decade; here’s a preview of some upcoming releases. The newest version of A Christmas Carol, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring the many voices of Jim Carrey, is a visual feast, with astonishing 3D images bringing the story more alive than I’ve ever seen it. It’s an old story, of course; it was old before Dickens wrote it, but for a quick refresher course on how life is what you make of it - and that every single day offers the miracle of an opportunity to change direction - one night in the life of Ebenezer Scrooge is hard to beat.
Life Lines
Who are the history makers?
Ron Elsdon
This column is being written on the day after the 20th anniversary of the breaching of the Berlin Wall. If you watched the unfolding events on TV in 1989, and can recall the pictures beamed back to London by reporters such as Brian Hanrahan, then you may well remember realising that you were watching history in the making. Now think of that phrase, ‘history in the making’, and ask yourself: "If history was in the making, then who was making it?" Partly, of course, the government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), well-practised in dealing viciously with any who dared try to escape to the West.
News Extra
Theological Institute ordinands visit Dublin mosque
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| Ali Selim (right) fields questions from students from the Church of Ireland Theological Institute during their visit to the mosque at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland in Dublin |
A group of ordinands from the Church of Ireland Theological Institute (CITI) received a warm welcome when they paid a recent visit to the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland and the mosque in Clonskeagh, Dublin. The students included ordinands on the M.Th. course and second- and third-year students on the NSM (non-stipendiary ministry) course taking part in the November residential weekend at CITI.
No political agreement on 11+ transfer issue ‘disappointing’
Writing in the Belfast Telegraph last Friday (13th November), as one of a group of education experts outlining how the present school transfer stalemate in Northern Ireland might be solved, the Revd Ian Ellis - who is secretary to both the Church of Ireland Board of Education (Northern Ireland) and the Transferor Representatives’ Council (TRC) - said that it was the view of the TRC that "reform is necessary and that it should be possible with vision and consensus to move away from a high stakes test at age 11 to a focus on age 14 as a pathway decision point."
Schools row deepens
According to a report in the Sunday Business Post (15th November), the Republic’s Minister of Education, Batt O’Keeffe, has refused to meet the Bishop of Cork, the Rt Revd Paul Colton, over the ongoing Protestant schools funding row. The Sunday Business Post cited Mr O’Keeffe as objecting to comments by Bishop Colton which he, Mr O’Keeffe, considered to be personal attacks as well as untrue and unfair.
Death