Naas 800th anniversary; Bishop’s visit to Connor cancelled; Canons installed; No comment from Taoiseach after meeting with Pope Benedict
Naas 800th anniversary
Next Friday a weekend of celebrations begins in Naas to mark 800 years of continuous worship in St David’s parish church where the rector is the Revd Philip Heak. On Friday evening there will be a Civic Service in the church at which the bishop of Meath & Kildare will preside. This will encompass examples of music and liturgy which would have been used over the last 800 years. The prayers will be led by church leaders from Naas and there will be musical accompaniment by the Kill Singers. Following the service there will be a reception in the council chambers and a presentation on the history of St David’s and the Christian witness in Naas dating from the fifth century.
The celebrations will continue on Saturday 30 September with tours of the church and a Childrens’ Harvest Service at 3.30pm while in the evening there will be a concert in St David’s with the Nas Na Ri Singers. The concluding service, a United Service of Harvest Thanksgiving, will take place in St David’s on the following Sunday morning when the celebrant will be Bishop Roy Warke and the preacher, the former Provost of Tuam, Canon Patrick Towers.
Bishop’s visit to Connor cancelled
A visit by Bishop Hilary of Yei, South Sudan, to Connor Diocese has had to be cancelled due to an 11th hour visa delay.
The Bishop had been scheduled to arrive in Belfast on Sunday September 23, and a detailed itinerary drawn up by CMS Ireland would have seen him speak and preach in a number of Connor parishes including Lisburn Cathedral, Ballymoney and Larne, and address a CMSI Sudan Focus evening.
Announcing the cancellation of Bishop Hilary’s visit, David Gough, CMSI Partnership Co–ordinator said: “On behalf of Bishop Hilary and CMS Ireland please accept our genuine apologies that he will not be able to fulfil his programme on this occasion.”
Connor has had a link with Yei Diocese, in the new state of South Sudan, since 2006, and
Bishop Hilary has visited on a number of occasions. Several Connor teams have been to Yei, and the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, will lead a META (Mission Experience Team Abroad) to Sudan in January 2013.
David Gough said CMSI would endeavour to bring Bishop Hilary to Ireland on the next available occasion.
Canons installed
Yesterday at Evensong in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, Canon Patrick Lawrence, Rector of Monkstown, will be installed as chancellor , Canon Robert Warren, Rector of Taney, as Prebendary of Tipperkevin and the Revd Kieran O’Mahony, a member of the Augustinian community in Ballyboden as Prebendary of Finglas, an ecumenical canonry which was previously held by Professor Enda McDonough.
No comment from Taoiseach after meeting with Pope Benedict
It was the first meeting of the pair since Kenny’s landmark speech in the Dáil last July.
http://www.thejournal.ie/enda-kenny-pope-benedict-meeting-605510-Sep2012/
Kenny’s meeting with the Pope is a chance to give hope to Catholics
Irish Independent – Since arriving in Ireland, Archbishop Brown has embarked on a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, he has been travelling the country reassuring Irish Catholics that their church is not deaf to their concerns. At the same time, he has been working …
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/michael-kelly-kennys-meeting-with-the-pope-is-a-chance-to-give-hope-to-catholics-3236474.html