Broadcast Of Archbishop’s Enthronement; NI Protestant population continuing to decline; The Priests perfect their Christmas carols; St Nicholas’ Carrickfergus open for prayer at Christmas; 3Rock’s Essential Rocks Christ Church Cathedral; Community Gospel Choir Concert in Lisburn Cathedral; Mariners’ Church featured in New Life for Churches in Ireland; NI pupils best in Europe at maths
Radio Broadcast Of Archbishop’s Enthronement
BBC Radio Ulster will broadcast the Service of Enthronement for the new Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, The Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, from St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh on Saturday 15 December 2012 from 3.00pm.
It will be available on Medium Wave 1455.
The service is one of Choral Evensong and the address will be given by the new Archbishop after his enthronement.
Census figures: NI Protestant population continuing to decline
BBC News – The latest census figures for Northern Ireland show there has been a continuing decline in the Protestant population.
The census reveals 48% of the resident population are either Protestant or brought up Protestant, a drop of 5% from the 2001 census.
45% of the resident population are either Catholic or brought up Catholic, an increase of 1%.
7% say they either belong to another religion or none.
The highest proportions of people who neither belong to, nor have been brought up in a religion are in North Down (12%), Carrickfergus (10%) and Ards (9.4%).
One of the reasons for the decline in the Protestant population is that it is an older community with higher mortality.
Other factors include migration and the increase in the number of those who define themselves as not having any religion.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20673534
The Priests perfect their Christmas carols
News Letter – The Priests know how to deliver an excellent Christmas concert of carols, hymns and popular festive numbers. Father Eugene O’Hagan, Father Martin O’Hagan and Father David Derlargy have returned from their American tour and are preparing for Christmas concerts at the Millennium Forum, Londonderry and Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.
“We have to sing the Christmas carols that everybody knows and loves,” says Father Delargy. “You have to bring out all the old faithful carols. But we’ve tweaked the repertoire from last year to bring in some new things.
“Eugene and Martin are tenors and then I have a slightly deeper voice, a baritone. I love the Little Drummer Boy, which is a song we recorded with Shane McGowan two years ago; it suits my range very well.”
When The Priests released their eponymously-titled album back in 2008, they could have had little inkling of what was about to happen to them. The racking up of an awful lot of air miles, three albums released, three million records sold, three Classic Brit nominations, one Guinness World Record, a book, countless TV appearances and playing innumerable concerts around the world to audiences that have included the Irish President, the British Royal Family and the Pope. It’s fair to say they have made their mark.
Christmas With The Priests will feature much-loved classics such as Ave Maria, Pie Jesu and Amazing Grace, Ding Dong Merrily On High, O Come All Ye Faithful, Sussex Carol, Silent Night and a host of other hallowed songs.
“We completed a concert tour of America earlier in the year,” confides Fr Delargy. “We did 12 dates and it went extremely well, We started out in New Orleans, then up to Houston and Dallas in Texas, we went to Rhode Island, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Abany, Chicago, Boston and then Toronto. It was demanding – there were long flights between some of the dates – so it was tiring, but amazing too, an experience you wouldn’t want to miss.”
The priests work in their respective parishes when not touring and recording, and the profits made from their music career go to charity.
“We don’t meet and rehearse too often because we know a lot of this material pretty well,” confirms Father David; and they would, having sung their way through a substantial number of Christmases.
“We are very respectful of each other’s different areas of expertise,” he adds, when asked if they experience creative differences. “We are three fairly strong personalities as well, we all have something to say and we certainly don’t always agree. Sometimes we just have to agree to differ,” laughs Fr Derlargy, “that’s the Christian way.”
The Priests certainly know how to make the most joyful of holy rackets.
Christmas with The Priests, December 21, Millennium Forum, Londonderry (028 71 264455 or www.millenniumforum.co.uk) and December 22, Waterfront Hall, Belfast (028 90334455 or www.waterfront.co.uk)
St Nicholas’ Carrickfergus open for prayer at Christmas
People living in or visiting Carrickfergus are invited to take some time out from the chaos of the Christmas rush to be still in God’s presence.
St Nicholas’ Parish Church will be open for quiet prayer and reflection 12:30–2pm every weekday (except Thursday) from Monday December 17 to Friday December 21 inclusive.
“Come and enjoy the warmth of our decorated church and time with God at this special time of year,” said St Nicholas’ curate the Rev Peter Ferguson. “We invite all to embrace this opportunity to stop and give Him thanks for Jesus, God’s greatest gift.”
Parents are encouraged to bring their children along as there will be a special prayer and craft area by the church’s unique Santa Claus stained–glass window, and the church will also be open on Saturday December 22 from 9.30–11am especially for parents
and children.
3Rock’s Essential Rocks Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral pulsated to a different beat than usual when it played host to the ninth Essential – a Christmas event with a twist. Organised by Dublin and Glendalough’s 3Rock Youth team, the event attracted hundreds of (mostly) young people from all over the country. As they filed into the cathedral, they were greeted by dance music and a spectacular light display. When the show got underway the internationally renowned band, the Rend Collective Experiment took over and got everyone to their feet for a rocked up version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
The event’s MCs were Susie Keane of 3Rock and fire–breathing youth worker, Stephen Byford, who was taking a night off setting himself alight. During the evening the pair interviewed Lisa Fitzsimons of Compassion Ireland and Jonny Somerville of Urban Soul. Lisa outlined Compassion Ireland’s child sponsorship programme which she said aimed to “get children living in extreme poverty out of extreme poverty and give them hope and a future”. She said that sponsorship costs €30 per month but encouraged people to gather together in groups to sponsor a child. Jonny highlighted the work of Urban Soul which takes place in Dublin during the summer when young people aged 15 to 18 years take to the streets for three days to do voluntary work. He said: “As someone once said ‘faith without action is dead’. Urban Soul is a means to put my faith into action”.
3Rock’s director, Greg Fromholz, addressed the gathering on the subject of fear. He spoke of the different fears people might have but said: “fear is terrified of love. We were created for more than fear. We shouldn’t live our lives afraid of shadows like a child… we were created to shine”. He thought of Mary’s fear and courage when faced with the news that she would give birth to the Light of the World. “Do you believe you were created to shine or are you just here to exist? If we choose to courageously engage in the lives that we lead, we will affect change,” he stated.
Community Gospel Choir Concert in Lisburn Cathedral
Belfast Community Gospel Choir entertained a capacity audience at a Christmas Concert in the newly re–furbished Lisburn Cathedral last friday. Led by Marie Lacey, the choir sang gospel classics, upbeat feel-good songs and Christmas carols including ‘O holy night’ and ‘In the bleak midwinter.’ The event was organised by Lisburn City Centre Management.
Mariners’ Church featured in New Life for Churches in Ireland
Afloat – New life for Churches in Ireland – Good Practice in Conversion and Reuse is the title of a new multi-authored publication. Among the diverse range of 17 case studies is the former Mariners’ Church, Dun Laoghaire, , which as the National Maritime Museum of Ireland was officially reopened in June by President Michael D. Higgins.
http://afloat.ie/resources/book-review/item/20503-mariners%E2%80%99-church-featured-in-new-life-for-churches-in-ireland
NI pupils best in Europe at maths
Northern Ireland is the best performing education system for primary maths in Europe, and the fifth best in the world for reading, according to international research. The region was also highly rated in global rankings for primary reading – being placed fifth in the world and second in Europe, behind Finland. NI also surpassed England, which was placed ninth in global maths and 11th in world primary reading rankings.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20678866