C of I welcomes to new RC Coadjutor of Armagh; Cork Church Unity observance; Church In Wales bishops visit CITI; Bishop of Connor preaches at service to open Yei Diocesan Synod; Bishops’ Appeal update
C of I welcomes to new RC Coadjutor of Armagh
The BBC reported yesterday that “the administrator of the Diocese of Derry looks set to be the next leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
“Monsignor Eamon Martin has been appointed as coadjutor (assistant) Archbishop of Armagh. It was announced by the current leader, Cardinal Sean Brady on Friday.
“Msgr Martin said the church must learn from the “terrible trauma” of abuse.
“Former Bishop of Derry Edward Daly said he was seen as “a clean pair of hands” after the church’s abuse scandals.
“He does not carry any baggage from the past with him,” the retired bishop said.
“It’s a challenging time for the church in Ireland. He has been asked to lead that church”.
“Msgr Martin said the church had to learn from past scandals.”
The Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh in a statement welcomed the appointment of the Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh. Dr Clarke said –
“May I wish Monsignor Eamon Martin my sincere congratulations on his appointment as Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh. I welcome him, as another newcomer to the City of Armagh, and wish him God’s richest blessing in the ministry to which he has now been called.
“I know from my colleague, the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, that Monsignor Martin is a man of great energy, friendliness and vision, and I very much look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead.”
Archbishop Michael Jackson of Dublin said, “I welcome the appointment of Monsignor Eamon Martin as Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh and wish him well in his work. Monsignor Martin brings with him a wide experience of ministry in the Diocese of Derry over the last 25 years.
“I would like to affirm his desire to work with those of us who are members of other Christian traditions. I respect and welcome his intention to engage in dialogue and hope that this will issue in shared action. I would also like to respond with my own encouragement that our exchanges among the churches may enrich the life and dignity of all, irrespective of their faith tradition. I look forward to fruitful engagement as we come to know each other.
“I would also like to record my appreciation of my longstanding personal friendship with Cardinal Brady and thank him for all the good things that he has contributed to the relationship between Churches in Ireland.”
Rt Revd Ken Good, Bishop of Derry & Raphoe conveyed good wishes, stating,
“I wish to extend warm congratulations and very best wishes to Monsignor Eamon Martin on his appointment as coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh.
“During my ten years as Bishop of Derry and Raphoe I have enjoyed working with him as a colleague, initially as Principal of St Columb’s College and more recently in his role as Administrator of the Diocese of Derry.
“The archbishop–elect is a man of spiritual depth, of humility and of vision. He works well with other church leaders and this co–operation has been particularly evident in our shared planning for the City of Culture Churches’ Bible Initiative, which will be launched on Monday.
“I will be sorry to see Monsignor Martin move away from his native city, and will miss his friendship. He will continue to be in my prayers.”
Presbyterian Moderator, Dr Roy Patton, also offered his congratulations.
“I look forward to meeting him and welcome his comments that as church leaders we must continue in dialogue and working together for the good of all,” Dr Patton said.
See also –
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21073064
Monsignor Eamon Martin – profile
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21079648
Cork Church Unity observance
The Annual International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place from 18-25 January. As they have done since 1908, local communities will gather in fellowship with Christians around the world to pray for the unity of Christians. In Cork city there will be a Service on Sunday 20 January at 7 p.m. in St Columba’s Church Douglas. All are welcome to attend and take part.
The Service will be led by the Cork Ecumenical Standing Committee from the four main Christian Churches: Fr Christy Fitzgerald, Roman Catholic Church, Ms Valerie Fletcher, Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Geraldine Gracie, Methodist Church and the Rev. Daniel Nuzum, Church of Ireland.
Church of Ireland Diocesan Ecumenical Officer Daniel Nuzum says: This annual Week of Prayer is a time for us as churches in local communities to refresh our commitment to walking with one another towards the unity that Christ wills for his Church. Even a first step together is the start of a new journey…
Further information about this year’s material is available from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland at http://www.ctbi.org.uk
Church In Wales bishops visit CITI
The Bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales visited the Church of Ireland Theological Institute for three days from 15 to 17 January. The bishops held their quarterly meeting in the institute but the main purpose of their visit was a factfinding mission to see how training is carried out in the Church of Ireland and how CITI has been developed. During their time in Ireland they met the director of CITI, the Revd Dr Maurice Elliott; Andrew McNeile of Dublin and Glendalough Diocesan Councils, CITI staff member Dr Katie Heffelfinger; Diocesan Director of Ordinands, the Revd Ted Woods; and a number of the intern deacons. They also visited the RCB Library.
Bishop of Connor preaches at service to open Yei Diocesan Synod
The Bishop of Connor preached at the service which opened the tri–annual Synod of Yei, South Sudan, on Thursday January 17.
Bishop Alan Abernethy and the team from Connor were among the special guests at the Synod which began at 9am in Yei Cathedral.
Bishop Alan preached on Nehemiah and had the Synod delegates participating with enthusiasm. During the opening of Synod Bishop Alan also introduced the team members, who brought greetings from to the Synod from their parishes and families at home.
GP Dr Frank Dobbs was the only team member absent – Frank was at the local hospital delivering a training session to local nurses.
The Synod continues until Saturday afternoon, although the Connor team are not involved all the time. On Thursday afternoon, they had tea with John and Poppy Spens, former CMSI mission associates in Yei, who had just flown in from their home in Winchester. John and Poppy have been a great help to Connor visitors to Yei in the past, and following tea John took some members of the team on a drive through Yei town.
One of the sites they hoped to see was the new Post Office – quite unique in somewhere like Yei where no postal service exists!
The previous day, their second in Yei, team members met with various groups including youth co–ordinator Amule and Rev Obediah, former diocesan lay training co–ordinator who has been supported by CMS Ireland and Connor Diocese to run a number of lay training sessions.
The clergy members of the team, Bishop Alan, Canon Sam Wright, Archdeacon Stephen Forde and the Rev Andrew Sweeney, along with Judith Cairns, Chief Executive of Love for Live, will deliver two days of training to local pastors on Friday and Saturday, and some time was spent preparing for these.
Frank held a number of meetings at Yei Hospital, and on Wednesday afternoon he visited the wards, accompanied by Andrew, David Gough of CMS Ireland and Diocesan Communications Officer Karen Bushby. Here conditions on first impression were not much improved since Karen last visited the hospital in January 2010 – the wards were still seriously lacking in equipment including mattresses and mosquito nets, the nurses had no uniforms, the paint was peeling from the walls and the grounds were still a camping ground for the families of patients who have to provide food for their sick relative.
But there were improvements. In January 2010 the hospital had no doctors. Today there are six, and 49 nurses who despite the lack of uniforms and depressing fabric of the wards were working hard and with dedication to look after those who needed their care.
New buildings have also sprung up, housing a TB ward and a training centre. Change is happening though its progress may be slow.
Yei is three hours ahead of Uk time. The weather here remains hot and dry, the food at the Episcopal Church of Sudan Guesthouse is excellent, and the team are all in good health and enjoying the hospitality of Bishop Hilary and his staff. There is now a blog on the CMS Ireland website (www.cmsireland.org) called Connor team Yei 2013.
Bishops’ Appeal update
Lydia Monds writes – In past months, there have been whispers of bishops donning football jerseys, wielding fishing nets, walking around holding potties and operating antique vehicles from tractors to bicycles, all in the name of highlighting and combating gross injustices in the developing world. Through these unusual acts, the bishops are reminding us that as the Church we cannot forget those whom society, global or local, deems unimportant. Indeed, we are called to serve them.
The focus on nets is symbolic of the need for lifesaving mosquito nets in malaria zones. The emphasis on potties highlights the lack of dignity that people in developing countries face without access to proper sanitation. Indeed, one third of the world’s population does not have access to such a basic need. And the focus on antique vehicles is an act of solidarity with farming and rural communities in developing countries who are completely dependent on small plots of land which may or may not produce adequate harvests to feed their families.
The response to these initiatives by church communities has been and continues to be remarkable. Church of Ireland people have joined together in creative ways to raise funds for vulnerable children in Swaziland, subsistence farmers in Rwanda and families exposed to the threat of malaria in Nigeria. Others are now responding to educational needs of Maasai girls in Kenya, supporting the provision of medical assistance for pregnant women with HIV/AIDS in Malawi and getting behind the training and support for farmers’ milk cooperatives in Haiti. People across dioceses have been united in common purpose and in solidarity with the poorest of the poor of this world.
The difference that these extravagant yet simple acts of kindness and generosity make are summed up in a child being born free from HIV, a family avoiding illness and death from mosquito bites, a farmer providing security and therefore health and education for her family and a child from a poverty ridden background receiving quality care and education at school. Even if a handful of people’s lives were affected so dramatically, the efforts of parishes and dioceses would be worth it. The good news is that it is not one but thousands of children, thousands of farmers, thousands of women who are being supported through the care of Church of Ireland people supporting the Bishops’ Appeal.
Bishops’ Appeal would like to thank the bishops and the Dioceses for keeping justice issues at the heart of the Church’s activities. A remarkable number of projects were funded in 2012 and we look forward to serving the needs of those around the world who live in a constant state of lack in the year to come.
The vintage vehicles, potties and fishing nets are all potent symbols of our collective remembering of the other, which leads us to collective response.