A review of services, events and appointments
MEATH SONGS OF PRAISE
A Songs of Praise service is being held tonight in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Trim, at 7.30pm in aid of the Meath Child Care Society. The event will be narrated by the Dean of Clonmacnoise, the Very Revd Robert Jones, and there will be music from guest soloists and the Meath Diocesan Choir.
LIMERICK – LISBURN LINKS
In St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick tomorrow (Sunday 30th) morning a plaque in memory of a former Bishop of Limerick, Dr Robert Wyse Jackson, will be dedicated at a service at which the preacher will be his daughter-in-law, the Revd Vanessa Wyse Jackson, while in St Paul’s church, Lisburn, the Dean of Connor, the Very Revd John Bond, will dedicate gifts in memory of a former rector, Canon Ken Cochrane. Dean Bond is a son of Limerick whose vocation was nurtured during Bishop Wyse Jackson’s time as bishop.
BRITTEN IN ST PATRICK’S
At Evensong in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, the choristers will sing Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols accompanied by harpist, Dianne Marshall.
CARING IN CORK
The Bishop of Cork, the Right Reverend Paul Colton was elected as chairperson of the Boards of Directors of Saint Luke’s Home, Corkfor a further three-year period. Although Bishops of Cork are ex officio President of the charity, the chairperson of both the charity and the operating company (which run this residential care facility and its education and outreach activities), are independent roles. Bishop Colton said that this is both a challenging and exhilarating time to be asked to continue leading this important work for the coming years. He said:
‘Caring for the elderly here is immensely rewarding and a great joy. This is the Gospel in action. It also gives me a hands-on engagement with one aspect of healthcare in our country at a very difficult time, not least because the so-called Fair Deal is so ‘unfair’ and under-funded.
‘However, for us at Saint Luke’s it is a hugely exciting time: it is challenging and exhilarating. Our work is needed more than ever. Our experience in dementia care is valued and others are asking to share in it. Our training courses are proving hugely popular. In a few months’ time we will be opening our new Saint Luke’s Home Education Centre to help others to meet their training needs throughout the region.
At a time when other healthcare facilities are withdrawing beds, we are also planning to open additional dementia beds and to expand our daycare facilities. We are also supporting the Diocese by co-funding a wholetime chaplaincy at Cork University Hospital, the largest hospital in the country. Work on setting up a new Saint Luke’s Home Foundation has already begun. www.stlukeshome.ie
NEW CONNOR PASTORAL SUPPORT TEAM
A new Pastoral Support for Clergy team is now in place in Connor Diocese to continue and build on the work of the very successful founding team headed by Desney Cromey who has now retired.
In the caring professions, those who work intensively with people are more effective when they themselves receive periodic support from a mentor, supervisor, line manager or counsellor.
With this in mind, Connor Diocese has over the years developed systems of pastoral support for individuals and groups. Bishop Alan and the Diocesan Council want this to continue.
The new Pastoral Support for Clergy team will continue to offer support to clergy and their spouses in the areas of mediation, counselling and spiritual direction/accompaniment. The team will provide a ‘safe’ place to talk with all conversations strictly confidential. The service is supported financially by the Diocese of Connor.
Pastoral Support for Clergy team co-ordinator is Laurie Randall. The other team members are the Rev Carol Harvey and Canon Raymond Fox.
ELECTED TO QUB GRADUATE BODY
Rev. Stanley Gamble has been elected to the Standing Committee of the Convocation of Queen’s University Belfast at its annual meeting. The Convocation is the entire Queen’s University graduate body and certain categories of staff and members of Senate, whose authority is delegated to the Standing Committee.
The Knockbreda Curate was elected at the Annual Meeting of the Convocation, which saw critically acclaimed author and historian, Professor Keith Jeffrey address the Convocation on the subject of his bestselling book, ‘Real spies and real secrets: writing the history of MI6’.