Review
Survey finds immense support for Protestant schools
Press release – Protestant schools throughout the Republic of Ireland cater for a broad range of religious and cultural diversity, according to the results of a new survey due to be launched on Saturday March 3. The survey, entitled ‘Our School Community’, also found that parents actively choose to send their children to Protestant schools for academic, cultural and faith reasons.
The survey was carried out following the establishment of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Republic of Ireland by the Department of Education and Skills in April 2011. The questionnaire was distributed to parents of Junior Infant and Sixth Class pupils in all Church of Ireland schools and elicited a massive response with 85 percent of all schools responding. The results reflect the views of 2,143 families.
The questionnaire covered five areas including background information on the parents responding, their reasons for choosing the school, their expectations of the school, how well the school met their expectations and the religious beliefs of the parents.
“We wanted to gain accurate, up to date information on who goes to our schools,” explained Dr Anne Lodge, principal of the Church of Ireland College of Education and one of the designers of the survey. “We wanted to have a sense of what people expect from our schools and how those schools are meeting their expectations.”
More at – http://ireland.anglican.org/news/3970
170+ attend Bishop of Connor’s First Lent Seminar
Press release – More than 170 people attended the first of the Bishop of Connor’s Lent seminars on the topic of Gospel and Culture in St Peter’s Parish Church, Antrim Road, Belfast, on Tuesday February 28.
In his introduction, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy said that in thinking over his vision for the future, the word that emerged was ‘disconnections.’ He recalled growing up in East Belfast, when each activity outside of school was linked to the church. “My whole life revolved around the church, but over these last few decades that has begun to disappear,” he said. “Something has happened in churches and society that has caused this disconnection.”
Bishop Alan outlined the three strands identified in the recent survey of parishes in Connor Diocese. The first of these was the need to engage with culture. The second was empowering ministry, and the third was effecting change.
http://ireland.anglican.org/news/3971
Mothering Sunday Retiring Collection for Pact and Here2Help
Dublin & Glendalough – A retiring collection on behalf of Pact and Here2Help will take place on Mothering Sunday, March 18. Pact provides services in relation to adoption including a domestic adoption assessment service, an intercountry adoption assessment service, post placement reports and post adoption support services and a pre–adoption foster care service.
Under the new legislation applicants who wish to be assessed by Pact must first apply to the HSE and put their request in writing. A sample letter can be obtained from Pact’s offices. Pact’s Services are no longer restricted to the Protestant community.
The new post placement support service is available to couples who would benefit from practical advice and intervention to help deal with behavioural issues that may emerge with children adopted from abroad.
Here2Help (formerly Pact) has been registered to provide services which include crisis pregnancy counselling and support including free pregnancy testing, a birth parent adoption service, post–abortion counselling and support services, a school’s education programme and information and tracing services.
While both agencies may receive funding through the HSE, they also continue to rely on church support, fundraising activities, grants from trust funds and donations. They appreciate contributions to their collection on Mothering Sunday and the organisation thanks past supporters and urges them to continue their support for both agencies to continue the work, which began in 1952.
For further information contact Marion Lyons, PR/Fundraising Officer, Pact/Here2Help, Arabella House, 18D Nutgrove Office Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, (01) 2962200, marian@pact.ie.
Famine-era journal sparks interest in Irish cricket history
The Irish Times – C of I school takes part in unique event
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0229/1224312524564.html
Election of Dean of St Patrick’s – Media response
RTÉ News
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0228/stpatricks.html
The Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0229/1224312523511.html
Irish Baroque Orchestra at Christ Church Cathedral
The Irish Baroque Orchestra presents ‘The Suffering of the Virgin’ at Christ Church Cathedral today Thursday 1 March at 8pm
The acclaimed Irish Baroque Orchestra, directed by Grammy nomineee Monica Huggett, will present a beautiful and moving programme of works by Pergolesi, Vivaldi and Ferrandini during Lent 2012.
Entitled ‘The Suffering of the Virgin’, the programme includes a very fine instrumental work by Vivaldi alongside Pergolesi’s famous Stabat Mater (A hymn to Mary), and Il Pianto di Maria composed by Giovanni Battista Ferrandini (1710-91), from which the title of our touring project is drawn. This last work, a formidable and skilfully orchestrated cantata, was for many years attributed to Handel. However, ongoing suspicions about its authenticity coupled with further research has, in more recent times, reunited the work with its rightful owner.
The IBO will be joined by two of Ireland’s finest vocalists for this series. Countertenor Stephen Wallace, an internationally successful soloist and one of Ireland’s most accomplished performers, will be joined by outstanding soprano Mary Nelson, who hails originally from Belfast. The Irish Baroque Orchestra is generously supported by the Arts Council and Dublin City Council.
For further information and to book online, please visit www.irishbaroqueorchestra.com or call 01-4023518.
Norwegian Gospel Choir to perform in the Christ Church cathedral
This Saturday 3rd March at 1.15pm Rorvik Gospel Choir will be performing a lunchtime concert in the cathedral. The choir, who have recently released their first CD, have come all the way from Norway to cheer up all our Saturday afternoons with some of their rocking gospel numbers. Entry to the concert is included in the normal cathedral admission charge (6e adult, 4e senior, 3e student, 2e child, 14e family)
http://www.christchurchdublin.ie/NewsDetails/69