CMH: Ireland pays tribute to former leaders; Christ Church Bray Narnia Festival; ‘Retreat in the City’ in Christ Church Cathedral; Fáilte Ireland Grant for St. Mary’s Cathedral; New Belfast Cathedral Girls Choir; Emigration at famine levels
CMH: Ireland pays tribute to former leaders
Two special people were honoured for their work with the Church’s Ministry of Healing: Ireland at the organisation’s annual general meeting. CMH: Ireland’s chairman, the Rt Rev Patrick Rooke, paid tribute to the Revd Baden Stanley, a former Chairman of CMH:I who retired from the board earlier this year. Baden was unable to be present at the AGM, but the Chairman spoke of how Baden had given so much of himself to the role during difficult times and how greatly his contributions were appreciated by all. Baden remains a member of CMH: Ireland and a member of the Dublin & Glendalough Diocesan Committee.
Also honoured at the AGM was the Rev Canon Susan Watterson, who served first as Warden and for the last five years as Training and Resources Advisor. In a farewell tribute, the chairman remarked that Sue’s “quiet, but dependable personality, coupled with her expertise, made her ideally suited to this ministry”. Mrs Avril Gillatt presented Sue with a gift on behalf of CMH:I, thanking Sue for her constant encouragement and for “pointing and guiding us as to how we should behave as Prayer Ministers and in the Ministry of Healing”. Accepting the gift, Sue observed that in 25 years of ministry, she believed she’d learned the most from the 10 spent in the Ministry of Healing, adding, “Thank you for sharing those years with me.”
Christ Church Bray Narnia Festival
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader comes to Bray in the spring. The Narnia Festival will take place in Christ Church Bray from Wednesday February 13 to Sunday March 31. For further information see www.christchurchbray.org
‘Retreat in the City’ in Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin and the nearby St Werburgh’s Church will be the locations for a Lenten retreat from February 15 to February 17 2013. Entitled “Retreat in the City”, the weekend–long event aims to give participants spiritual inspiration for their journeys and will be led by Ian Adams, Anglican priest and author of Cave, Refectory, Road.
Beginning on Friday evening, February 15 and continuing until after lunch on Sunday February 17, “Retreat in the City” will have a Lenten theme inspired by the monastics and spiritual writers of the past. Throughout the weekend, Ian Adams will lead sessions focusing on the season of Lent and what the monastics have to provide inspiration for the season as we journey towards Easter. There will also be time and space for personal reflection and spiritual directors will be available for retreatants to talk to. The whole weekend will be bound together by worship based on monastic offices.
The retreat is being organised by Christ Church Cathedral’s residential priest vicar, Revd Garth Bunting. “All of us lead very busy lives, with a lot going on and a lot of noise. The idea of a spiritual life is that we find peace and quiet regularly to listen to God’s voice. Going out to the countryside to find peace and quiet is great but that does not reflect our everyday experience. So we’re going to have the retreat here in the middle of the busy city,” he explains.
The retreat is open to all. It is non residential and costs €85 which includes tea and coffee as well as lunch on February 16 and 17. For those visiting the city there are a number of reasonably priced hotels within a few minutes’ walk of the cathedral.
For more information or to obtain a booking form for “Retreat in the City” contact the Revd Garth Bunting at garth.bunting@cccdub.ie or on +353 1 677 8099. Participants can apply online at http://www.christchurchdublin.ie/Worship/Retreat.htm
Fáilte Ireland Grant for St. Mary’s Cathedral
Dean Sandra Pragnell writes – During the interregnum our Curate, Jane, heard about the possibility of a Fáilte Ireland grant to upgrade facilities at the cathedral, to enhance the experience for visitors, which was designed to tie in with a wider plan for the mediaeval quarter of Limerick. The Select Vestry agreed that this should be explored and the results are now visible.
The most striking example is the new sign at the gate – with the beautiful figure of St Mary cradling the infant Jesus, a detail from one of the stained glass windows in the cathedral. The exterior works include refurbishment of the Great West Door and the South Door, as well as revealing the steps to the West Door, and new lamps at the west entrance. The cobbles at the south entrance (which were uneven and difficult for people with limited mobility) have all been lifted and relaid, and are now much easier to walk on. Some of the pathways have been upgraded also. In addition, there is a guide to the more interesting graves in the grounds of the cathedral.
Inside, under our new logo (featuring the West Door and tower) there is a clear trail to guide visitors around – tasteful signs and panels giving relevant information (and scripture references) to all the key areas with their unique monuments, windows, and other features such as the misericords and the lepers’ squint. In addition, the designers are providing us with a new website for the cathedral (and for Limerick City Parish). The work is being completed as I write. We are very grateful to Jane and all the those on the committee who have been involved in various capacities to bring this project to a successful conclusion.
A separate restoration project, which has been ongoing since last year, has provided the cathedral with a much needed toilet block and a small kitchen. This work, which also included the provision of an office for the Dean, is being paid for out of the cathedral’s own fundraising. The work is almost complete, and will enable the cathedral staff to move back to the vestry and the office upstairs, and for the old baptistery to become a chapel once more.
New Belfast Cathedral Girls Choir
The cathedral’s new girls choir sang for the first time at the ‘Carols for the City’ on December 23rd, and again at the service of ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’ on December 24th. The girls are selected for their excellent musical abilities from a number of schools across Belfast, and, after only a few weeks of rehearsal, are already making a wonderful sound together.
Emigration ‘at famine levels’ as 200 leave country each day
Independent report
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/emigration-at-famine-levels-as-200-leave-country-each-day-3339480.html