Irish Council of Churches to appoint first Orthodox President; Festival Eucharist for Trinity Chapel Choir; Dedication of plaque in memory of the Very Rev Norman Barr; Easy to Play Hymns for Holy Week and Easter; Church’s Ministry of Healing Quiet Day
Irish Council of Churches to appoint first Orthodox President
Fr Godfrey O’ Donnell, a Romanian Orthodox priest serving in Blanchardstown, West Dublin, will tomorrow become the first Orthodox President of the Irish Council of Churches (ICC), at their 89th Annual Meeting in Dundrum, Dublin.
The election of Fr O’ Donnell is seen as a recognition of his personal contribution to Christian unity in Ireland as well as the growing contribution being made by more than 20,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians living in Ireland today.
Fr O’ Donnell, who was born in Derry city in 1939, is a former member of the Jesuit Order, but entered the Orthodox Church in 1985 with his wife Ruth. Since then, he has served as President of the Dublin Council of Churches and has been actively involved in ecumenical, interfaith and commemorative events and projects. He has also worked for a number of years as a psychotherapist in North Dublin.
The ICC represents the fourteen main Christian Churches in Ireland. It is the longest serving, established national ecumenical body in the world and has a proud history of addressing issues of justice, peace, reconciliation and integration.
Founded in 1922 in the immediate aftermath of the Irish civil war the ICC has ben fostering dialogue and cooperation across the full spectrum of churches, denominations and mission traditions throughout the whole island of Ireland encompassing Reformed, Orthodox, evangelical, Catholic and Pentecostal traditions.
Festival Eucharist for Trinity Chapel Choir
A Festival Eucharist to celebrate 250 years of Trinity Chapel Choir takes place on Sunday April 15 at 10.45 am in Trinity College Chapel. The celebrant will be Revd Darren McCallig, Dean of Residence and Chaplain. The preacher will be the Rt Revd Michael Burrows, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory. There will be a reception afterwards in the Provost’s House.
Dedication of plaque in memory of the Very Rev Norman Barr
A plaque in memory of the Very Rev Norman Barr has been dedicated by the rector of Christ Church, Derriaghy, the Rev Canon John Budd. The wall plaque was dedicated at a service on the evening of Sunday March 25. The preacher was the Rev Canon Victor Stacey, a curate in Derriaghy during Dean Barr’s ministry, and now the new Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, (He will be installed there on March 31). The Rev Clifford Skillen also took part.
Dean Barr was ordained in 1946 and was rector of Derriaghy from 1961 to 1990 and Dean of Connor from 1982 to 1990. During his ministry at Derriaghy a new church hall was opened in October 1966. A noted local historian, he leaves as his legacy several books relating to the history of Derriaghy Parish. He died in October 2010, a month after his 90th birthday and is survived by his wife Florence and daughter Heather who attended the dedication service, along with clergy and friends from as far afield as Cavan, Carlow and London.
Mrs Barr was organist and choir mistress for many years at Derriaghy in addition to her many duties as a rector’s wife, and it was most fitting that choir members Trudy Hull and Ashley Beattie made presentations to her and her daughter Heather, on behalf of the parishioners.
Marilyn Kennedy, People’s Churchwarden of St Andrew’s, made a presentation to Canon Stacey.
Easy to Play Hymns for Holy Week and Easter Now Available
Do you or your organist struggle with playing the hymns at Easter? Does your congregation struggle with singing hymns that are too high?
The struggle is over, for the Dublin & Glendalough Diocesan Church Music Committee has just published five of the most popular hymns used in Holy Week and Easter. These hymns have been arranged simply for easy playing and in lower keys so that congregations find them easy to sing.The arrangements are available on the church music committee’s website www.churchmusicdublin.org.
For instance, everyone knows that playing Jesus Christ is risen today is difficult and it doesn’t help that it’s only used once or twice a year. So don’t worry this Easter, there is an easy to play version in a lower key.
They are available now free of charge. Go to the website, go to the education page and the five hymn tunes are there. Print off each tune and it’s all yours.
The hymns available are:
When I survey the wondrous cross – Rockingham – in D
All glory, laud and honour – St Theodulph – 2 versions in Bb and C
Jesus Christ is risen today – Easter Hymn – in Bb
The whole bright world rejoices OR Light’s glittering morn – Lasst uns erfreuen (Easter Song) – in D
Thine be the glory – Maccabaeus – in C
The committee is planning to publish more of these for each season of the church’s year and this is our first time to try this idea and so would welcome your feedback in order to make improvements for the future.
Church’s Ministry of Healing Quiet Day
The Dublin and Glendalough Diocesan Committee of the Church’s Ministry of Healing: Ireland has organised a Quiet Day on Saturday March 31 in the Mageough Home, Cowper Road, Rathmines from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm. The day will be led by Mrs Carol Casey and admission is free. Soup and tea or coffee will be provided but participants are asked to bring sandwiches. Contact (01) 8722876 or email healing@ireland.anglican.org.