South Dublin service marks UN climate summit,Sister Irene celebrates 60 years in Church Arm, Senator to speak inTCD Chapel series, Limerick diocesan interfaith study day, Mouth watering recipes and Healthy minds in Mid-Connor
South Dublin service marks UN climate summit
An ecumenical prayer service for the UN climate summit in Durban will be held in the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, Balally, Dublin 16 on Thursday 1st December at 8pm.
Christians of all denominations are encouraged to attend this service of reflection and prayer, which will focus on the theme ‘Discerning the Holy Spirit in the Life of Creation’.
Officiating at the service will be Mgr Dermot Lane PP, President of the Mater Dei Institute of Education, and Rev Elaine Murray, Vicar of the Kilkenny Group and Church of Ireland representative on Eco-Congregation Ireland (ECI).
Music will be provided by harpist Rev Anne-Marie O’Farrell, who performed in the Áras earlier this year, and the choir of Wesley College Dublin, RTE’s All Island School Choir of the Year 2011.
The service is being organised by ECI, an inter-denominational project that encourages churches to take an eco approach to worship, lifestyle, property and finance management and community outreach, Balally Environment Group and Three Rock Churches’ Environment Group (TRCEG).
TRCEG is an ecumenical initiative that sees seven churches working together in South Dublin on environmental issues. Two of the churches, Dundrum Methodist and Whitechurch Church of Ireland, received awards from ECI earlier this year in recognition of their environmental endeavours.
The theme of this year’s UN climate summit, which runs from 28th November to 9th December 2011, is ‘Working Together – Saving Tomorrow Today’. The discussions will seek to advance, in a balanced fashion, the implementation of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, as well as the Bali Action Plan, agreed at COP13 in 2007, and the Cancun Agreements, reached at COP16 last December.
“Now, more than ever, it is essential to act and pray to prevent runaway climate change,” says ECI chairperson, Catherine Brennan SSL. “Our abundant and beautiful planet, God’s creation, is in peril today from climate change. This wounded earth, the peoples of the developing world and future generations are most at risk.
“We need to reflect on the need to live in more sustainable ways and for a renewed theology of creation. We earnestly pray, too, for wisdom, courage and compassion for our world leaders as they meet for the crucial summit in Durban.”
For further information see www.ecocongregationireland.com
Sister Irene celebrates 60 years in Church Army
Sister Irene Lockett was commissioned as a Church Army sister 60 years ago on 28th September 1951. She was originally from East Belfast and worked as a Church Army Evangelist in England from 1951 until 1957. Irene then joined Church Army work in Kenya and served there with the Mothers Union and CMS before returning to Ireland in 1976 to join the home staff of CMSI working amongst children and schools until 1979.
After a period of leave of absence, Irene joined the staff of Willowfield Parish as Evangelist from 1983– 1987. Although getting on in years, Irene is still active sharing her faith with those in the Willowfield community, visiting older people, sheltered accommodation and joining in the activities of Willowfield Church.
A service of Celebration was held on 25th September and hosted by the Revd Canon David McClay in Willowfield parish where friends from CMSI, the Church Army and the parish gathered together to celebrate Irene’s ministry. Canon McClay interviewed Irene at both this service and a later service in Willowfield where Irene shared her call to ministry and challenged mainly younger people to hear what God would say to them.
On the actual anniversary of Irene’s Commissioning Canon McClay hosted a service of Holy Communion and again a number of friends from Irene’s years of ministry gathered together along with the majority of Church Army Evangelists working in Ireland. Captain Colin Taylor (Church Army Evangelism Resource Officer for Ireland and Scotland) says, “Irene is a remarkable women and continues to be an inspiration both to Church Army Evangelists and to many younger people in the Willowfield Parish. She continues her life’s work of sharing her faith in Christ with those she meets on a daily basis.”
Senator to speak in TCD Chapel series
The independent Senator Dr. Katherine Zappone will speak in TCD Chapel on 20 November as part of the Chaplaincy’s ‘Questioning Faith’ series of Sunday morning addresses. Dr. Zappone’s address will be in the context of the Sunday morning Choral Eucharist at 10.45am. The Senator is a member of the Irish Human Rights Commission and a Co–Director of The Centre for Progressive Change – an organisation which promotes an ethical vision that puts community at the heart of public life. All welcome.
For further details see: http://www.tcd.ie/Chaplaincy/ireland.htm
Bishop of Cork in print
The Bishop of Cork, the Right Reverend Paul Colton, has contributed the Irish chapter to a new book – Religion in Public Education: La Religion dans l’ éducation publique – edited by Professor Gerhard Robbers of the University of Trier, and published recently in Germany by the European Consortium for Church and State Research.
The book includes an overview of the place accorded to religion in the public education system in each State of the European Union. Each chapter (including Bishop Colton’s Religion in Public Education in Ireland) describes the education system in the State; and focuses, in particular, on religious education, enrolment, religious symbols and dress, blessing of school buildings, liturgies and religious practice in schools, religious holidays, and provision for those who are not religious.
Limerick diocesan interfaith study day
Around Limerick city, Shannon and Ennis there are Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Baha’is as well as a wide range of African Christian communities. The question of how to engage with people of differing faiths in a positive and respectful manner without watering down our Christian faith and identity is one which is becoming increasingly important. We in the Church of Ireland are well placed to take a lead in this engagement for the sake of the whole Church.
On Thursday !0th November a variety of members from diocese as well as a number of other interested people gathered for an opportunity to explore this important issue at Glenstal Abbey. The day was facilitated by Dr. Chris Hewer.
Dr. Hewer is a well known and highly respected expert in the field of Muslim-Christian relations. He has taught in Birmingham, been the Bishop of Birmingham’s adviser on Interfaith dialogue and St. Ethelburga Fellow in Christian-Muslim relations in London. He has written a number of books on the subject. For many the issues were entirely new and the challanges which arise out of engagement with people of other faiths will require much further reflection
Mouth watering recipes from Ballymena
Curate’s Beef and Bacon Casserole and Treasurer’s Tagliatelle are just two of the mouth watering recipes featured in a new cookery book published by the parish of Kilconriola and Ballyclug.(Connor)
The project was inspired by the visit one cold morning last autumn of a parishioner to the parish office of St Patrick’s in Castle Street, Ballymena. She had found a ‘little gem of a recipe’ and wanted the parish secretary Lorraine McBride to tell her what she thought of it.
As the parishioner was leaving the office after the tasting session she commented that it would be lovely if there was a cookery book in which parishioners could pass on their family recipes for others to enjoy.
Within a week a small committee had been set up to investigate whether it was possible to get enough people to submit contents for the book, and soon the recipes began to roll in and the project was underway.
Ten months of proof readings and the setting out of recipes is over – just open the book and you too can create the Curate’s Beef and Bacon Casserole, the Treasurer’s Tagliatelle and the Secretary’s American Salad and that’s only the first three recipes in the book! This is a limited edition selling at £8 each – a great little stocking filler for cooks of all abilities!
Healthy minds in Ahoghill
St Colmanell’s, Ahoghill, (Connor) has joined forces with the three Presbyterian churches in the village to host a series of evenings this month on the subject of developing healthy minds.
The speaker is consultant psychiatrist, Dr Andrew Collins M.R.C. Psych.
The Rev Mark Loney, rector of St Colmanell’s, said the series comes at a time when social and economic pressure points are increasing across society, to which the church must bear witness and compassion. He welcomed the venture as part of a now well established partnership between the ministers in the village.
“We recognise the potentially wide appeal of the Healthy Minds series and extend an open invitation to anyone who might benefit personally or find resources for their ministry of care with another person,” Mr Loney said.
The programme includes: Dealing with Depression; Dealing with Stress; Dealing with Grief and concludes with “When hope runs out.”