DAILY NEWS

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South West Acute Hospital Chaplains’ hospital blessing

The Very Rev Kenny Hall (Church of Ireland), Rev Lorna Dreaning (Methodist), Rev David Cupples (Presbyterian) and Rt Rev Monsignor Peter O’Reilly (Roman Catholic) prayed at the entrance to the hospital for all staff, patients, those bereaved and the community at this time of crisis due to the increase of the Corona Virus, Covid-19.

Presbyterian minister’s service recognised

Former minister at Cookstown First Presbyterian Church Rev Dr Isaac Thompson was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to the community and Her Majesty’s Forces.

Rev Thompson paid tribute to many people who helped him in his work and ministry, and sees the honour as also for them.

A native of Coleraine, he was ordained as a minister of The Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1983, and was in First Presbyterian Church Cookstown, 1994-2017.

During his 23 years in Cookstown he was a member of the local Christian Aid Committee and served as its chairman for some years.

As a former school teacher for four years, he contributed to the field of education in his work on the Boards of Governors of both Cookstown High and Primary Schools.

In 1987, under the auspices of The Forces’ Committee of The General Assembly of PCI, he was commissioned in The Royal Army Chaplains’ Department and for the next eighteen years he ministered to HM Forces with a NATO role but with no operational role in Northern Ireland.

From 2005 he was a member of The Royal British Legion and was Branch President in Cookstown for a number of years until he left the area.

In 2014 he was appointed as one of Her Majesty’s Deputy Lieutenants for County Tyrone, the first Presbyterian minister to be appointed to that role.

Dr Thompson regrets that his wife, Anne, is unable to share in the honour bestowed upon him by The Queen because she died in February 2017.

Church goings–on in a diocese just outside Dublin revealed in new book

A retired Dublin rector writing in the safe-haven of retirement in North–East England has produced a novel entitled “Bishop”. Mercifully it is about a fictional bishop and church goings–on in the diocese of Danesford, just outside Dublin. The author is the Revd Ted Woods, a former Rector of Rathfarnham. Commended by Canon Cecil Hyland as containing ‘‘pathos, humour, disappointment and anger – all qualities we find in any community. I recommend it as a good read – a gripping story which displays Ted’s ability to involve the reader in the whole atmosphere of what is happening. One could have an idea about how it might end; but, like me, it is unlikely to be correct’” Ebook edition at £2.99 and a paperback edition at £7.99 are available from Beaten Track Publishing and Amazon.

Re-dedication of St Patrick’s Church, Drumshanbo

Sunday, October 4, 2020 was a red-letter day for Catholic parishioners in Drumshanbo when Most Rev Francis Duffy, Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois re-dedicated the recently renovated St Patrick’s Church which celebrates its 175th Anniversary this year.

This joyous occasion was tinged with some sadness because the participants and congregation had to be restricted to a total of fifty people due to the present Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

He was assisted by Fr. Frankie Murray, Drumshanbo, P.P. who also addressed the congregation, and by Fr Tony Gilhooley, CC, Longford, a native of Drumshanbo. Fr Tony delivered the homily, and Sr Helen introduced the Ceremonial Proceedings and read the Communion Reflection.

Bishop Duffy presented Carmel McGrath, the Church Sacristan since she succeeded her father, Tom Joe, in 1993, with the very prestigious Papal Medal, the Bene Merenti Medal, for, as Dessy Doyle wrote in his tribute to her, “In recognition of Carmel’s outstanding loyalty and dedicated service to church and parish.”

Church of Ireland Historical Society November meeting

The next meeting of the Church of Ireland Historical Society will be held on Saturday 7 November beginning at 11am.The first paper will be given by Professor Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, Emeritus Professor of History at NUI Galway, on ‘Saint Patrick, life and afterlife: an overview of 150 years of Patrician Studies’ and this will be followed at 12 noon by a research paper from Mr Noel Lindsay, a PhD student at Mary Immaculate University College, Limerick, on ‘The rejection of non–denominational education and the introduction of segregated education in Northern Ireland, 1921–30’.

After a lunch break, the conference will resume at 2pm when Dr Clodagh Tait, Lecturer in History at Mary Immaculate University College, Limerick, will talk about ‘The ghosts in granny’s attic: women and the material culture of the decline of the Church of Ireland’. The final contribution, at 3pm, will be from the social and cultural historian, Dr Aoife Bhreatnach on ‘Burying the poor: the Church of Ireland and the friendless dead, 1830–1930’.

The conference will be on held via Zoom video conferencing. If you wish to attend, you can register online. Members can sign up for free. Non–members are most welcome. They are asked to subscribe €10 to assist with expenses.

If you wish to become a member the annual subscription is €40/£40. This includes admission to the bi–annual conferences (at Armagh Robinson Library and Christ Church cathedral, Dublin), book discounts, and exclusive access to the Society’s thirty–five podcasts. Queries may be addressed to the honorary secretaries, Professor Alan Ford or Dr Miriam Moffitt, by email ([ secretary.coihs@gmail.com ]s. Alternatively, you can visit the society’s website for further details about the conference – [] http://churchofirelandhist.org

Still working for Habitat For Humanity

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 96 and 93, still working for Habitat For Humanity and making Earth a better place. A true President and role model.

First ever National Traveller Mental Health Day

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has said the increasing awareness in society of mental health issues is a positive development and that more spaces where people can talk about their mental health problems are needed. In his homily for Mass on the first ever National Traveller Mental Health Day,

Archbishop Martin said the initiative was vital for the members of the Traveller community and for the flourishing of that community. Some 11 percent of all Traveller deaths are by suicide.

However, the Archbishop said he did not wish to “look in gloom at those statistics” but wanted to focus instead on a message of hope. “There are ways out. Services are available. We can all help. Health and hope can be restored,” he said. The Archbishop said the growing awareness in Ireland of the challenge of addressing mental health issues included an awareness of how the current pandemic and the restrictions on human interaction inevitably affect people’s mental health.

“Our mission as a Traveller Christian community must be to create the space where people can feel the tender embrace of the love of God and where we ourselves bring that love concretely to those who are trapped in the burden of hopelessness.”

Well said

In America any boy may become President, and I suppose it’s just one of the risks he takes! – Adlai Stevenson

Pointers for Prayer

Please pray for Church Army key workers who are involved in distributing food and supplies; that they will have new opportunities to make connections with the people who visit.

Today we pray for children in west and central Africa. Unicef has warned that the closure of schools during the pandemic has led to millions being unable to access education, leaving children at risk of child marriage, early pregnancy and recruitment by local armed groups.

Homelessness – Today we give thanks for charities working to support rough sleepers and other homeless people during the pandemic. Homeless Sunday past stressed that a difficult winter lies ahead for those without a home or facing homelessness.

Tearfund NI – We have recently implemented a new project in Sierra Leone to help end cases of Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C). This will help to empower women in their communities, and sit alongside our other initiatives to reduce this horrific abuse. Pray for an end to FGM/C.

CMSI – Urgent prayer for Olo: Eight people, including four young women, have been taken from an archdeaconry within Olo Diocese by a team of armed men. Bishop Tandema of Olo Diocese, South Sudan asks for your urgent prayers for the abducted people, for the remaining Christians who are now living in fear and for wisdom for the Archdeacon of the area Ven. Justin Kembo.

God in creation


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