A review
Frank’s last call at Belfast cathedral
The funeral cortege for well-known comedian Frank Carson, following the Requiem Mass in St Patrick’s Church, Donegall Street this morning (Saturday 3rd March), will pause at the steps of St Anne’s Cathedral. The Dean of Belfast, the Very Revd John Mann, will say a prayer. Dean Mann commented, “We are thankful for Frank’s humour, for the happiness he spread, for embracing this Cathedral in his concern and for, at all times, expressing those great qualities of hope and love, through word and action, that transcend division and bring people together in common endeavour.” A few years ago Frank visited the cathedral and was televised rehearsing with choristers recording a programme about his childhood in Belfast.
http://insideireland.ie/2012/03/02/comedian-carson-funeral-tour-through-city-58886/
St Patrick’s Cathedral News – four items from “Close News – March”
Past Choristers’ & Pupils’ Association Dinner
The Annual Past Choristers’ & Pupils’ Association Dinner will take place on
Saturday 24th March at 7.00pm in the Masonic Hall, Molesworth Street.
All past choristers and pupils are welcome to the event. Tickets priced at
€45, may be had from gsburleigh@eircom.net or Mr Stephen Burleigh at
Presentation to St Catherine’s Church
At its January meeting, the Cathedral Board granted a donation of €1,000 for Saint Catherine’s Church, Meath Street. The church’s interior was destroyed in an arson attack in December. Fr. Niall Coghlan, OSA, Priest-in-charge of Saint Catherine’s, visited Saint
Patrick’s to collect the cheque. He said that the Cathedral is held in high esteem amongst his congregation in the local community, and that the gift was a generous act of Christian charity.
Tour Guides’ Evening
The annual tour guides evening took place in the Cathedral on 21st February. Over 70 guides from across Dublin attended. The Precentor spoke about the past year and our future plans for the Cathedral, followed by the Administrator, Mr Woods, who informed the group about the forthcoming restoration of the Lady Chapel. The evening ended in the Deanery where hospitality was offered to the guides. Dean MacCarthy was thanked by the
guides for his generosity to them in the past and presented with a gift by Tour Guides Committee.
Relocation of Cathedral shop
The Cathedral shop has been relocated. It has not moved very far; just a few
metres into the north aisle of the nave. We will monitor sales closely, and, if
not adversely affected, we plan to replace the ageing shop units with new
ones within the next year or so. Following the move, the shop has now less
of a visual impact on the west end of the Cathedral and is unobtrusive
during services. To clear space for the shop we have placed the wonderful sculpture of John McNeil Boyd in the north aisle where he now keeps company with Ogle,
Whiteside, Fitzgibbon and the Marquis of Buckingham. In an extraordinary
coincidence, Boyd was removed from his plinth on the 151st anniversary of
his death. The ancient Irish grave stones in the same area have also been
moved. The stone which formed the famous cap to the well discovered
beside the Cathedral in 1901 now has a more prominent position against a
pillar in the nave. The other has joined the pair of grave markers in the
south transept. All things come at a price. The fine memorial to John Philpot Curran is now largely obscured. Happily, this is a temporary state of affairs. When we
replace the old units he will be restored to view. The shop is vital to our ability to fund the conservation of the Cathedral and our many other activities.
Guides from all over Wicklow gather to mark Thinking Day
Wicklow People – A service held in Wicklow town marking the Irish Girl Guides ‘ Thinking Day’ saw guides from Bray, Greystones, Enniskerry, Newcastle and Wicklow town in attendance. Thinking Day is a special day of reflection celebrated by girl guides from all over the world. The unique occasion is designed so that girl scouts can look back on and appreciate the strong bonds they have forged with their fellow scouts. The service took place at the Church of Ireland Church on Church Hill in Wicklow town. Those that were present on the day included the Ladybirds, Brownies and of course the Guides. Last year the Wicklow Girl Guides marked their Golden Jubilee by planting a tree in the grounds of St. Patrick’s Church having donated an Oak Tree to the parish.
Training Weekends in CITI
Over the next two weekends the Church of Ireland Theological Institute will be brimming with activity. Today (Saturday) this years’ introductory weekend for the Foundation Course, ‘Fit for the Purpose’, continues, facilitated jointly by Dr Christina Baxter, the Revd Dr Andy Angel, both from St Johns’ College, Nottingham, and Revd Dr Maurice Elliott, Director of CITI. A total of 25 participants from 8 dioceses will be taking part. For the first time this year this group will be joined by 21 people who are embarking on the agreed new course in Diocesan Reader training. This course will extend over a two year cycle.
From 9 to 11 March one of the regular monthly residential weekends for part–time M.Theol students will be held. In addition to the input from the academic staff at CITI, Dr Catriona Russell from the School of Religions, Theology and Ecumenics in Trinity College, Dublin, will be lecturing in the area of cosmology, anthropology and the Church. On the Saturday morning there will be further sessions in the Children’s Ministry Certificate course currently running both in Dublin and in Lisburn. Irish Times notes.
Rathfarnham series
The Rathfarnham Ecumenical Lent Series on’ Hope in a Time of Crisis’ will begin on Thursday evening at 8pm in Rathfarnham parish church where the Ven. Gordon Linney and Fr Des O’Donnell will speak on ‘Finding a Faith Compass in a Time of Recession’.
Project completed for African hospital
In St Paul’s Parish Centre, Glenageary, on Thursday evening at 8pm, there will be a celebration of the completion of a €200,000 project, funded by the parish, to build operating theatres and train a surgeon at Kisiizi Hospital in Uganda.
Diocesan and Provincial Registrar appointed
The Rector of Zion, Dublin, the Revd Stephen Farrell, has been appointed Diocesan and Provincial Registrar. The appointment was made by the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, following the election of the Revd Canon Victor Stacey as Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral on Tuesday. “I think Stephen has to qualities to do this well,” the Archbishop commented. Mr. Farrell was instituted as Rector of Zion in April last year. Prior to that he had been curate assistant in Taney Parish since June 2008. He was made a deacon in June 2008 and became a priest in June 2009. He studied law in Jesus College, Oxford, before entering the Church of Ireland Theological Institute and studying theology in Trinity College Dublin. He is married to Laura, a barrister. He took up is new role on March 1.