College fails to appoint new bishop of Meath and Kildare; Prayers for peaceful parades in the Shankill area; Belfast Archdeaconry meets for Vision Stategy update; New archbishop will return to Derry for St Columba events; New approaches needed to respond to Dublin’s intravenous drug users
College fails to appoint new bishop of Meath and Kildare
The Meath Chronicle – The Church of Ireland Episcopal Electoral College for Meath and Kildare, meeting today in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, failed to appoint a new bishop.
The decision now passes to the House of Bishops, which will meet in due course. The Archbishop of Dublin, The Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, who chaired the meeting of the Electoral College, said: ‘I wish to express my thanks to all concerned and undertake to now convey this information to the Secretary of the House of Bishops.’
The Electoral College meeting today, 28th May, was reconvened following the decision by Archdeacon Leslie Stevenson, who had been elected in late January, to decline the appointment in late April this year.
CNI notes – Bishops present: Dublin, Cork and Tuam who took part in the first meeting. Connor who was present at the first meeting was absent yesterday.
The assessor had determined that the meeting yesterday was a continuation of the first meeting. However it would appear that the first notice which was sent out summoning yesterday’s meeting had to be corrected to respond to the legal determination. This it is felt by some who were present at both meetings led to a reduced attendance yesterday of the college which has in the region of 64 electors.
After over five hours of deliberations and at least five ballots, the electors failed to give the required two-thirds majority to any candidate.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0528/453167-church-of-ireland-bishop/
Prayers for peaceful parades in the Shankill area
Shankill Ministry Fellowship is holding a Day of Prayer for peaceful parading in the Greater Shankill area this year.
The event will take place at Shankill Methodist Church, on the corner of Berlin Street, from 10am until 12 noon on Saturday June 1.
Prayer will be mostly in silence but each half hour there will be a short introduction by a member of Shankill Ministry Fellowship.
Refreshments will be served during the two hour period, and people are invited to come in for however long they are able and pray that parades in the Greater Shankill area will pass off peacefully.
Belfast Archdeaconry meets for Vision Stategy update
The first of three Archdeaconry meetings to update clergy on the Connor Vision Strategy process and to provide an opportunity for feedback took place in Cloughfern Parish Hall.
These are a follow up to recent clergy training day on engaging culture with guest speaker the Rt Rev Steven Croft, Bishop of Sheffield, held in Lisburn Cathedral. Engaging culture is one of the three strands of the strategy, along with empowering ministry and effecting change.
Clergy from all parishes in the Archdeaconry of Belfast were invited to attend the archdeaconry meeting on Wednesday May 22. They were welcomed with cream teas and refreshments before a short act of worship was led by the rector of Cloughfern, the Rev David Lockhart.
The Rev Barry Forde, chair of the Vision Strategy group, outlined the process so far and said the meeting was a chance for parishes to highlight areas in which they needed support and outline where the diocese could help. During the meeting, which was attended by the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, and Connor Parish Development Officer Trevor Douglas, clergy had the opportunity to discuss their concerns and aspirations within the realm of the Vision Strategy.
The meeting for the Archdeaconry of Connor will take place in Ballymacash Parish on June 6, and the final meeting for the Archdeaconry of Dalriada will be held in St Patrick’s Parish, Ballymena, on Thursday June 13. Both meetings will run from 10am–12noon.
New archbishop will return to Derry for St Columba events
Belfast Telegraph – Recently elevated Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin is to make his first official visit to his native Londonderry to celebrate St Columba’s Day.
A host of events are being planned to celebrate the 1,450th anniversary of the departure of St Columba to Iona.
These will centre around the Long Tower area of Derry where Columba founded his first monastic settlement.More at:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/new-archbishop-will-return-to-derry-for-st-columba-events-29304360.html
New approaches needed to respond to Dublin’s intravenous drug users
Merchants Quay Ireland has called for new approaches to respond to intravenous drug users in Dublin city centre for the benefit of drug users and the wider community.
http://www.thejournal.ie/new-approaches-needed-to-respond-to-intravenous-drug-users-926944-May2013/