| Friday 5th February, 2010 You are here: Home - 5th February 2010 Index Page |
Front Page
Completion of devolution ‘crucial’ - Archbishop of Armagh
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| Archbishop Alan Harper |
In response to a Gazette request for an interview on the current situation in Northern Ireland, the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Alan Harper, last week candidly explained his views to the editor and also commented on inter-Anglican affairs. Archbishop Harper said that the completion of devolution in Northern Ireland with the transfer of justice and policing powers to the Assembly was "crucial", because without it the Assembly would collapse and there would follow "either elections or direct rule". He said it was important to be able to move on with the rest of the business of government, with "incredibly important issues remaining, such as on education and the economy". He added that Northern Ireland had just seen its 27th consecutive monthly increase in unemployment figures.
Editorial
Devolution
The scenes at Hillsborough last week as politicians came and went again and again, day and night, joined for two days and two nights by the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach, certainly had all the air of a crisis. So much depended on a positive outcome, as the Archbishop of Armagh has pointed out (report, page 1). Elections would not necessarily resolve any matters and direct rule would not be welcome in most quarters. Full Text
Home News
Ecumenical conference addresses young people’s attitudes to Church and life
By George Orr
The 44th annual Greenhills Ecumenical Conference took place recently at Our Lady’s College, Greenhills, Drogheda, on the theme of ‘Young people, Church and Change’. Each of the keynote speakers - Fr Leon Ó Giolláin SJ, a chaplain and student adviser at University College Dublin, and Brian McKee, a youth officer with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor - spoke of his particular experiences of working with young people.
New QUB chaplain sees post as ‘tremendous opportunity’
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| The Revd Barry Forde |
The Revd Barry Forde, the new Church of Ireland Chaplain and Dean of Residences at Queen’s University Belfast, has a legal background, having studied law at Dundee University before training for a year to be a barrister in the Legal Institute, which is part of Queen’s University. He practised law for three years before working for a financial services company. Mr Forde has been curate assistant of St Patrick’s and St Andrew’s, Coleraine, Diocese of Connor, since 2007.
Curate appointed Orange Grand Chaplain
The Revd Stanley Gamble, who is currently curate-assistant of the parish of Knockbreda, Diocese of Down, has been appointed Grand Chaplain of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland.
Institution
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Canon Mark Gardner (2nd right) is pictured prior to his institution as vicar of the St Patrick’s Cathedral group of parishes in St Catherine’s church, Donore Avenue, Dublin, with Archbishop John Neill (centre) and churchwardens (from left) Brian Honer, Isobel Gray and Tim Peed.
Co. Armagh Church of Ireland/Methodist churches unite in ‘gesture of friendship and fellowship’
St John’s parish church, Mullabrack, Diocese of Armagh, will be the setting for a special ‘Songs of Praise and Worship’ evening on Friday 12th February, at 8.00pm. The event, which will feature as special guests the renowned Portadown Male Voice Choir, is being organised to raise funds for Markethill Methodist church’s Building Fund.
Conference to explore faith and personal relationships
An evening conference - ‘Not just a one-night stand’ - designed to transform relationships and inspire personal confidence and a vision for God’s plan in life will be held in Orangefield Presbyterian church, East Belfast, on Wednesday 10th February, from 5.30pm to 10.00pm.
Douglas Hyde anniversary stamp issued
The Republic of Ireland’s postal service, An Post, has recently issued a 55 cent stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of the first president of Ireland, Douglas Hyde.
70th Anniversary
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Marjorie Quarton (centre) receives gifts to mark her 70th anniversary as a member of the choir of St Mary’s, Nenagh, Diocese of Killaloe. Looking on are other members of the choir.
Haiti Appeal
The Dean of Belfast, the Very Revd Dr Houston McKelvey, presents a cheque for £50,000 to Margaret Boden, Director of Christian Aid Ireland, towards the Haiti Relief Fund, the proceeds of one week’s donations placed in St Anne’s Cathedral’s ‘Barrel for Haiti’ in the immediate aftermath of the country’s earthquake. (Photo: Alan Lewis) (Since this presentation took place, donations have continued to come into the Cathedral’s barrel from businesses, offices, clubs, parishes and individuals, resulting in the collection of an additional £50,000.)
Institution
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The Revd Olive Donohoe (front row, centre) is pictured following her institution as part-time stipendiary priest-in-charge of the Stradbally group of parishes, Diocese of Leighlin, with Dean Robert Townley, preacher (left), and the Rt Revd Walton Empey. They are accompanied by (back row, from left) Canon George Cliffe, Bishop Michael Burrows and Archdeacon John Murray.
Inner-city Dublin school looks ahead to centenary celebrations
Lindsay Road National School, Glasnevin, Dublin, is preparing to celebrate its centenary later this year, with an anniversary weekend planned for Friday 25th/Saturday 26th June, although these dates have still to be confirmed officially. While the school was founded by the Presbyterian churches of the Clontarf area of inner-city Dublin, it was also common for the children of Church of Ireland families to attend.
Standing Committee prays for NI political situation
The Standing Committee of the Church of Ireland met in Dublin on Tuesday 26th January, as discussions taking place at the same time in Hillsborough Castle on political progress in Northern Ireland were reaching a critical phase.
Bishop Jackson agrees to interview
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Sunday Sequence programme last Sunday, the Bishop of Clogher, Dr Michael Jackson, told presenter William Crawley that he would give an interview to the Gazette on the subject of his Working Group’s submission to the Northern Ireland Office on the recommendations of the Consultative Group on the Past. However, he said he would first need to consult with central Church authorities, but felt there would be "very little difficulty".
World News
Panel in France recommends partial ban on Islamic veils
Six years after banning Muslim girls from wearing headscarves in public schools, French lawmakers appear close to a measure to ban women from wearing face-covering veils in some public spaces. Last week, a parliamentary commission delivered a long-awaited report recommending that women be barred from wearing the full veil in public institutions and on public transport. The bipartisan panel also recommended that foreigners who wear the full veil be denied French citizenship and residency. In an indication of the issue’s sensitivity, the panel did not call for banning the garment from private buildings or public spaces, such as streets.
Hope in Haiti, bishop’s aide says
The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti (www.egliseepiscopaledhaiti.org) faces at least three to six months of emergency response to survivors of the 12th January earthquake that left a large portion of the Diocese and nation in ruins, according to a priest at the heart of the Diocese’s response. In the midst of the challenges of aiding nearly 23,000 Haitians who are living in roughly 20 camps run by the Diocese, Episcopalians are assessing the damage to their Diocese and beginning to decide their rebuilding priorities, said Canon Oge Beauvoir.
Online archive opens the Reformers’ works at US seminary
Some surprises started unfolding when a team of Calvin Theological Seminary professors and graduate students recently launched the Post- Reformation Digital Library. Chief eye-openers included successfully tracking down rare Reformed theologians’ manuscripts once thought lost. Another revelation: 16th- 18th century theologians and philosophers were brutally honest about their doctrinal positions and emotions, including the well-known Reformer, John Calvin, who pushed the boundaries of good taste in a sermon about rowdy adolescents.
World News Feature
Anglican Communion’s ‘Bible in the Life of the Church’ project gets under way
"Our engagement with the Bible has several aspects to it - rather like the different parts of a house. The actual black print on white paper on which the words of the Bible are written resembles the front door of the house - our point of access and welcome. Then, as we enter the house, we find ourselves standing on Christ the Rock, who is the living foundation-stone of the whole building in which we are located. The walls that separate us, room from room, can be linked to the different contexts which we bring to our study and exploration of the Scriptures, which affect the shape and parameters of our reading. But overarching all, as a roof for the entire building, is the worldwide Church which both embraces and offers a generous boundary for our reading."
Letters to the Editor
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Bishop for Los Angeles Full Text
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Scruffy clergy Full Text
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Holocaust Memorial Day Full Text
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Famagusta link Full Text
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Used Christmas cards Full Text
Soap
Down at St. David’s
By Ted Woods
The advertisement for the vacant incumbency of St Saviour’s appeared quickly after Anthony’s resignation and subsequent institution to Killalawn. As a parish with potential, it created a great deal of interest amongst those clergy who had a heart and vision for development. It also created an agonising discussion in St David’s Curateage. "But you’re not three years ordained," protested Andrea, as Jonathan discussed the possibility of applying. "I know, but St Saviour’s is not dissimilar to St David’s and the experience I’ve gained here would be ideal for St Saviour’s." "Perhaps," said Andrea, still not convinced. "Anyway, aren’t nominators always looking for clergy with young families - and no, we’re not going down that route to get any parish."
Popular Culture
Attention: Deficit
Gareth Higgins
Terry Gilliam, Louis Armstrong, G.K. Chesterton, Adolf Hitler, Sophie Scholl, Erik Satie, Marcel Proust, Charles Chaplin, Dick Cavett, Anna Akhmatova and Albert Camus - eleven names, some more familiar than others. We may know Terry Gilliam as the least visible member of the ‘Monty Python’ troupe and as the director of artful weirdness in films such as Time Bandits, Twelve Monkeys and The Fisher King, but we may not have made the connections between his work and the recent attempts at facing the past in countries that have undergone dictatorships.
Life Lines
Dedicated followers of fashion
Ron Elsdon
Why, I wonder, did the worthy editor of this equally worthy newspaper choose to run in the issue of 22nd January (page 6) with the story from Sydney Diocese in Australia of ‘The Grumpy Bishop’? Apparently, Bishop Robert Forsyth is complaining that his clergy are a load of scruffbags. Admittedly, he doesn’t use this term, although he does resort to a piece of Aussie vernacular when he uses the term "daggy" which, I gather, is synonymous with ‘scruffy’. Well, I’ve never been to the land of Oz, so I’ve no way of knowing how incisive are the pronouncements of ‘The Grumpy Bishop’ on this subject; nor have I made any enquiries as to whether his clergy have had a good laugh at/with their boss or whether they have repented in sackcloth and ashes (but surely that would be just a tad ‘daggy’, wouldn’t it?).
News Extra
Bishop Ken Clarke ‘honoured and humbled’ by appointment as MU Central Chaplain
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| Bishop Ken Clarke and his wife, Helen, who is a former Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh MU Diocesan President and was recently elected to the MU Central Faith and Policy Unit Committee. |
The Archbishop of Canterbury has appointed the Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, the Rt Revd Ken Clarke, as Honorary Central Chaplain to the Mothers’ Union’s 3.6m members worldwide. Bishop Clarke will undertake his first pastoral role as Chaplain when the MU Worldwide Council meets in Derbyshire later this month. He will succeed the present Central Chaplain, the Rt Revd Richard Inwood, Bishop of Bedford, and be formally commissioned by Rosemary Kempsell, the MU Worldwide President, at a special service in Swanwick, Derbyshire, on Friday 12th February.
Leading Methodist renews appeal to Roman Catholic Church over shared Eucharist
The leading Irish Methodist laywoman and former President of the Irish Council of Churches, Gillian Kingston, has renewed her appeal to the Roman Catholic Church to allow the sharing of Holy Communion with other Christians at a planned Roman Catholic Eucharistic Congress to be held in 2012 in Dublin. Mrs Kingston was addressing the congregation in the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption in Booterstown, Dublin, at a service attended by both Archbishops of Dublin during the recent Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Appointment