Swift symposium; Past choristers’ evensong; Diocesan synods; Cork Clergy conference; Ordination 60th anniversary; DUFEM Godfrey Day lecture; Prisons Week; Cuts prompt Protestant schools to seek talks; Extract from “Quo Vadis? Collegiality in the Code of Canon Law” by Mary McAleese; Brady to go as new cardinal is lined up; Sinn Fein opposes abortion change; Abortion clinic ‘to be regulated’
Swift symposium
On the afternoon of 20 October the Eleventh Dublin Symposium on Jonathan Swift will be held in St Patrick’s Deanery at 2pm. The theme will be ‘International Currents in Swift Studies’ and will feature speakers from the USA, Poland, Taiwan and England. Registration details may be had at 01–4539472 or dean@stpatrickscathedral.ie
Past choristers’ evensong
All past call past choristers of Christ Church Cathedral Dublin are welcome to attend a workshop on 20 October directed by the Cathedral Musical Director, Ian Keatley, followed by Evensong. The rehearsal will begin at 2pm with the service following at 5pm. Enquiries may be emailed to pastchoristers@ccd.ie
Diocesan synods
Last Saturday the Kilmore, Elphin & Ardagh Diocesan Synod was held in the Bush Hotel, Carrick–on–Shannon and on Tuesday and Wednesday evening the Dublin & Glendalough Diocesan Synod will take place in Taney Parish Centre. The Cashel, Ossory & Ferns Diocesan Synod will be held on Wednesday in Piltown Agricultural College.
Cork Clergy conference
The Cork, Cloyne & Ross Annual Clergy Conference will be held from Wednesday to Friday in Ballylickey where the speaker will be the Church Times columnist, Canon Giles Fraser.
Ordination 60th anniversary
The Rector of Rathmines, Canon Neil McEndoo, was the preacher in St Stephen’s church, Lower Mount Street, Dublin, where, in the context of the harvest thanksgiving the 60th anniversary of the ordination of the Revd Alístair Harrison to the priesthood was celebrated. A former chaplain in the RAF and in the Missions to Seaman, Mr Harrison served as curate in St Ann’s & St Stephen’s from 1983 until his retirement in 1992.
DUFEM Godfrey Day lecture
On Thursday evening at 8.30pm the Godfrey Day Memorial Lecture , under the auspices of DUFEM, will be given in Long Room Hub, Trinity College, Dublin, by Dr Gareth Jones, Principal of SKH Ming Hua Theological College in the Anglican Province of Hong Kong & Macau. His lecture on’ Multiculturalism and Christianity in East Asia’ will be preceded by Choral Evensong in the College Chapel at 5.15pm.
Prisons Week 18–24 November 2012
Prisons Week 18–24 November 2012 is a Christian initiative to pray for, and raise awareness of, the needs of prisoners and their families, victims of crime, prison staff and all those who care.
The theme for this year is ‘Taking the Path to Life’ – a hope rooted in the Psalm 16:11 You show me the path of life. In your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures for ever more.
The organisers state, “Prisoners need the support of churches & fellowships to move away from a life of crime and take the path to life – they need our hope, faith, love and support in order to do this. These can, in surprising ways, disarm even the most hardened offender. During this week, it is particularly fitting that we keep faith with those whom our society typically overlooks or ignores.”
Further information and downloads about Prisons Week 2012 are available from the website: www.prisonsweek.org
Cuts prompt Protestant schools to seek talks on offering free education
Independent – Three Protestant schools have approached the Department of Education about changing their fee-paying status, the Irish Independent has learned.
The move has been forced by cuts in state support for the country’s 55 fee-paying schools, expected to continue in December’s Budget.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn is likely to further reduce the number of teachers the State funds in fee-paying schools, currently costing almost €90m a year in salaries.
Critics of the cuts say they will drive more pupils out of fee-paying schools and ultimately cost the State more to support them in ‘free education’.
Protestant fee-paying schools have been particularly badly hit by the cuts because their pupils are drawn from a wider socio-economic base than a typical Catholic fee-paying school.
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/latest-news/cuts-prompt-protestant-schools-to-seek-talks-on-offering-free-education-3255617.html
The opaque incoherence of a church in crisis
Irish Times – an edited extract from Quo Vadis? Collegiality in the Code of Canon Law by Mary McAleese. It is published by Columba, €19.99. It will be launched in Dublin next Saturday by retired chief justice Ronan Keane
Church teaching on clerical celibacy, the ordination of women, gay marriage and the admission of divorced and remarried Catholics to the sacraments is not necessarily an expression of the views of Catholics generally, as opinion polls in Ireland have …
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/1013/1224325214680.html
Brady to go as new cardinal lined up
Independent – The Vatican is set to make Cardinal Sean Brady pay the price of the recent scandals surrounding him by announcing his successor within two months.
The Vatican and the Papal Nuncio, Dr Charles Brown, are advancing plans to replace Dr Brady as Primate of All Ireland.
It’s all part of an effort to finally put two decades of scandal behind the church here.
Senior Vatican sources said his successor — most likely to be a bishop from abroad — will be named before Christmas.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/scandalhit-brady-to-go-as-new-cardinal-lined-up-3258009.html
Sinn Fein opposes abortion change
BBC – Martin McGuinness says his party remains opposed to any liberalisation of the law on abortion in Northern Ireland ahead of the opening of NI’s first private abortion clinic.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19930422
Abortion clinic ‘to be regulated’
BBC – Health Minister Edwin Poots is taking legal advice to determine how to regulate Northern Ireland’s first private abortion clinic.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19938889