Six Lay Pastoral Assistants commissioned; Pioneering Teams Commissioned as Prayer Ministers; Boys’ Brigade Annual Founder’s Thanksgiving Service; Plans for new Cathedral Library at St Anne’s
; Enniskillen clergy attend reception in Buckingham Palace; Media review
Six Lay Pastoral Assistants commissioned
Six new lay church workers – Lay Pastoral Assistants – have completed their three year course of training at Saint Luke’s Home Education Centre and were commissioned by Bishop Paul Colton on Sunday last, 21st October at Evensong in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
Bishop Colton said, “God calls all of us who are baptised to worship him and to serve both him and his people. It is vital that those who respond to this call are supported by the Church in their work and given the training and skills which they, and the people they will be working among, deserve. For us in this Diocese, the training of these lay workers has been undertaken at Saint Luke’s Home Education Centre under the oversight and tutelage of the Director of Education, Bruce Pierce.”
This is the second group of Lay Pastoral Assistants to train and to be commissioned in Cork, Cloyne and Ross. The first group were commissioned in 2009 after their three years of training. This is a form of training and ministry that has been pioneered in Cork, Cloyne and Ross.
The journey to becoming an LPA began with an interview process. In year one of training (one evening a week) the focus was on the theory of pastoral care. In years two and three the students were in placements in parishes or an institutional setting (eg hospital or nursing home). The time in placements was spent reflecting on the experience of ministry. It was principally about integrating the various theories with the experiences of ministry they were having. The course also focussed on how our own story shapes our ministry. Special attention is given to the losses so many encounter (illness, grief, stillbirth and suicide) as well as the diversity of religious and spiritual responses in these and other caring situations. Throughout the course mentors have supported the students.
The Lay Pastoral Assistants commissioned on Sunday are: Sidney Bradfield, Pat Culleton, Marjorie Garland, Sylvia Helen, Jennifer Kingston and Agnes Wilson. Two others journeyed with them in the training: Oke Odjegba who has emigrated to Texas, and Lisa Cotter who has deferred her commissioning until the next occasion.
Pioneering Teams Commissioned as Prayer Ministers
The Prayer Ministry Teams of St Ann’s, Dawson Street and Christ Church Cathedral became the first people to be commissioned as Prayer Ministers in the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough at a service of Choral Evensong in Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday October 21.
Lily Byrne, Violet Elder and Ron Elder of the St Ann’s team and Hilary Ardis, Carol Casey, Avril Gillatt and Barbara O’Callaghan of the Christ Church Cathedral team were appointed and commissioned by the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson. His sermon is reproduced in full below.
There are currently 20 people in training for prayer ministry. They are due to be commissioned next year. Once their training is complete they will work in their parishes as well as taking part in weekly services.
The prayer teams of St Ann’s and Christ Church Cathedral make a huge commitment to their role. They minister in St Ann’s on Tuesdays and in the cathedral on Thursdays – both at 12.45 pm.
Boys’ Brigade Annual Founder’s Thanksgiving Service
The Boys’ Brigade in the Republic of Ireland attended their Annual Founder’s Thanksgiving Service in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, on Sunday, 21st October.
Amongst the large attendance were the President of The Stedfast Association, Ken Richards; President of Girls’ Brigade Ireland, Margery McElhinney; the National Commissioner of Girls’ Brigade Ireland, Isobel Henderson; and the Chairperson of the National Board of Girls’ Brigade Ireland, Gillian Lesware.
The service was conducted by the Revd Martin O’Connor and the address was given by the Revd Vanessa Wyse Jackson, Minister of Rathgar Methodist Church. Her address commenced with some of the young people present practising their basketball skills and using the theme of sport and in particular basketball and rugby, she went on to explain the importance of standing together and uniting in the task ahead.
The lessons were read by Nathan Collins, 12th Dublin Company and Liam Phelan, 5th Dublin Company, while the prayers were led by the Fergal Francis and Brian Carter, 1st Dublin Company and Ethan McMillan and Jack Battye, 10th Dublin Company.
The music during the service was provided by the Stedfast Band, conducted by Peter O’Callaghan.
Plans for new Cathedral Library at St Anne’s
The Dean of Belfast, the Rt Rev John Mann, is establishing a reference library in St Anne’s Cathedral as a quiet place for reading and study. It is hoped that the library will contain theological works, commentaries and some Irish church history. It will also seek to reflect and celebrate the endeavours of those who have a connection with Connor or Down and Dromore, and it will serve the dioceses as well as the Cathedral community. If anyone has books which they no longer require please consider donating them to the Cathedral library. Anyone who has published a book or has undertaken study which led to the production of a dissertation or thesis is asked to consider donating a copy of their work to the library. Books can be left at the Cathedral or collected by arrangement. Please contact Paul Gilmore on 07858 426506 or email paulgilmore40@yahoo.com
Enniskillen clergy attend reception in Buckingham Palace
The Very Revd Canon Peter O’Reilly, Parish Priest of St Michael’s Church Enniskillen, and the Very Revd Kenneth Hall, Dean of Clogher and Rector of St Macartin’s Cathedral Enniskillen, attended a reception in BuckinghamPalace last week at the invitation of Her Majesty The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The reception was for those who helped organise various events to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee included a number of celebrities, including Gary Barlow, who had contributed to the festivities of the Diamond Jubilee weekend itself. Canon O’Reilly and Dean Hall were invited as co-hosts of the Northern Ireland State Service of Thanksgiving to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, which took place in St Macartin’s Cathedral in June and was followed by a reception in St Michael’s Church.
During their time at the Palace both clergy had the opportunity to speak to Her Majesty at length upon arrival, and again later as part of a small group at the Queen’s request. During their conversation with the Queen, Canon O’Reilly and Dean Hall spoke about the impact of Her Majesty’s visit to Enniskillen, and how the visit created a pathway in terms of community relations that many have wanted to follow but have not had the confidence to do freely in the past. The Queen’s visit to Enniskillen had provided a glimpse of the future, one where people can be together, not necessarily be the same, but together in peace and harmony. They also had the opportunity to talk to other members of the Royal Family, including the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of York and Princesses Beatrice and Eugene.
During their time in London, the clergy were followed by an ITN film crew in preparation for a two part series covering the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, they had previously been interviewed for the programme when the Queen and Prince Phillip visited Enniskillen in June.
MEDIA REVIEW
Parent survey for school patronage
Excerpts from Irish Times report – The Department of Education will today begin surveying parents to establish which patrons they wish to see operating primary schools.
Today’s move is the first step in a process in which the Catholic Church could be divested of the control of schools in 44 areas.
Parents’ views will be canvassed on single-sex schools, Irish language-medium schools, and other patronage models. Currently, 93 per cent of the State’s 3,200 primary schools fall under Catholic patronage.
The existing patrons within the five pilot areas are An Foras Pátrúnachta and bishops from the Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland. The bodies which have expressed interest in becoming patrons of divested schools in the five areas are An Foras Pátrúnachta, Educate Together, VECs, the National Learning Network and the Redeemed Christian Church of God. More at:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1022/breaking16.html
Ireland will work to make transgender rights an international issue – Gilmore
The Tánaiste tells a European forum in Dublin that it will use its chairmanship of the OSCE to highlight trans issues.
http://www.thejournal.ie/eamon-gilmore-speech-transgender-rights-644205-Oct2012/
Interview: How I know human decency trumps politics – Fr Brian D’Arcy
Priest and journalist Father Brian D’Arcy discusses how politics and religion were always intertwined in his life, even as a young boy.
http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/fr-brian-darcy-childhood-570853-Oct2012/