New BBC NI Gospel music series; New role for former Moderator; Jamaican visit ; New Pope recommended Irish linked priests for sainthood; Belfast Bi-centenary
New BBC NI Gospel music series
BBC Radio Ulster will be spreading the gospel with a new eight-part music series presented by Marie Lacey, founder and director of Belfast Community Gospel Choir.
‘You Praise Me Up’, started last Sunday at 4.30pm. Marie took BBC Radio Ulster listeners on a personal journey into the world of spiritual music, from old-time gospel such as Mahalia Jackson, to modern gospel like Take 6.
Closer to home, Marie will not only play the very best in local choirs but will also be giving a nod to a home-grown hero, ranging from Duke Special to Robin Mark.
Marie has travelled the world as a worship leader and conference speaker and has arranged several major choral events. In 2009, she formed the Belfast Community Gospel Choir.
Marie says: “It’s a real privilege to be given the opportunity to share the music I love with BBC Radio Ulster listeners. Each week we’ll be playing all styles of gospel music, from old to new, and from international to local, so there will be a bit of everything in there for everyone.”
‘You Praise Me Up’ is produced by Ralph McLean.
He says: “Gospel music has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Working with Marie has been a dream.
“She shares my obsession with uplifting music in all its many forms. You don’t have to be religious at all to love this stuff. It’s music to make you feel good, lift your spirits and make you smile. Listen to Marie and that’s just what you’ll do.”
‘You Praise Me Up’ is a McLean media production for BBC Radio Ulster. 92–95FM & DAB digital radio, digital TV and online at bbc.co.uk/radioulster
New role for former Moderator
News Letter – Portadown Presbyterian minister the Rev Dr Stafford Carson is in line for a top position within the church in general – as principal of the Union College in Belfast.
Former Church Moderator Dr Carson has been appointed by the church’s sub-committee, and the final stages are approval by the general board of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) and the General Assembly in June.
Union College is in charge of the training of Presbyterian ministers from throughout Ireland and is allied to Queen’s University in the teaching of theology – a total of around 300 students, with 30 destined for the ministry.
Dr Carson was moderator in 2009 and played a key role in resolving the long-running Presbyterian Mutual Society impasse.
The 61-year-old Larne man has had a distinguished career in the church and in academia – he has graduated from the University of Ulster, from Queen’s University and from the Westminster Seminar in America.
He moved to the 800-family congregation in Portadown eight years ago to succeed the Rev Desmond Knowles at First Portadown, after being minister of Carnmoney Presbyterian church for a number of years.
This week, he informed his elders of his impending promotion, and told the congregation at the midweek meeting on Wednesday night.
However, Dr Carson cannot comment until the appointment is ratified and made official at the General Assembly.
On Thursday, the Presbyterian Church’s general board approved the appointment.
Dr Carson was ordained in High Street Church, Antrim, in 1983, and came to Portadown in 2005, via Kells, Carnmoney and the United States. He is married to Patricia, they have two daughters and a son, and he is an Ulster rugby season ticket holder.
Belfast Bi-centenary
Tomorrow evening the bi–centenary celebration of St George’s church, Belfast, begin with a concert featuring the choirs of All Saints and Notre Dame Academy, Worcester,
Massachusetts, St Peter’s cathedral, Belfast and the St George’s parish choir. A programme of events is being planed for the period up to 2016, including a history of the parish which will be written by Professor Brain Walker.
Jamaican visit
News Letter – Presbyterian Moderator the Rev Dr Roy Patton begins a visit to Jamaica today as a guest of the United Church in Jamaica and Grand Cayman.
During his week-long visit, Dr Patton will undertake various preaching and speaking engagements as well as meeting Church leaders from various denominations in the area.
On Wednesday next, Dr Patton will attend the annual synod of the United Church in Jamaica and Grand Cayman and will be the main speaker at the opening service which is themed as a celebration of life and witness.
The Presbyterian Church, up until the 1990s, would have had an active involvement in Jamaica with various people from Ireland being involved in teaching, health care and ministry. However, currently the Church has no overseas personnel working in Jamaica though still remains in partnership with the United Church in Jamaica and Grand Cayman (UCJCI).
UCJCI was formed in 1992 through a union of Presbyterian, Congregational and Disciples of Christ.
Today, it has more than 200 congregations and around 20,000 members in five area councils.
An important aspect of UCJCI’s ministry is its social outreach programme ministering to a country that faces difficult times with on-going violence, child abuse, drug addiction, prostitution and inner city deprivation. The need to care for older people, the disabled and the poor requires scarce resources to be used with integrity and compassion.
A vital aspect of this ministry is the homes UCJCI runs for particularly disadvantaged sections of the community. These include Mount Olivet Boys’ Home and Pringle Home for Girls which face many challenges as they attempt to provide an oasis of care for neglected and traumatised children.
Dr Patton is particularly looking forward to renewing a friendship with the general secretary of the United Church, the Rev Norbert Stephens, who he welcomed to the Presbyterian General Assembly in Belfast last June.
“It was a great delight that Mr Stephens attended our Assembly last year and I consider it a great honour that his Church is returning the compliment by inviting me to address their Synod,” said Dr Patton.
“We have historic links with the church in Jamaica and part of my visit will be to celebrate our involvement in shared ministry over the years. However, we have much to learn from them and the process of restructuring they have successfully completed as we in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland work through a similar process,” he said.
New Pope recommended Irish linked priests for sainthood
Before taking his position in the Vatican as Pope Francis I, the Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio recommended three Argentine priests, who were shot by the police in 1976, to be promoted as saints.
Alfredo Kelly (43), Alfredo Leaden (57), and Alfredo Dufau (67) were shot, along with two seminarians, by the police who stormed the Pallottine church in the Saint Patrick’s parish as they slept.
Francisco Chirichella, who is gathering documentation to justify the three priests’ martyrdom, a key step toward sainthood, said, “The killings were a milestone…The message that everyone got from the church’s higher levels was: ‘Be afraid because if anyone from any community criticizes this government, all might be targeted.’”
During a period of unrest and distrust in the community this group of priests preached and exemplified social commitment which made them a target.
Speaking in 2001 at the 25th anniversary of the men’s deaths Bergoglio said, “This parish has been blessed by the presence of those who chose to live not for themselves, but to die so that others may live.”
During Argentina’s “dirty war” 18 priests, 11 seminarians and about 50 Catholic workers were killed, or disappeared, as death squads tried to eliminate left-leaning activists.
The three priests killed in the St. Patrick’s attack had strong links to Ireland.
Father Alfie Kelly was born in Buenos Aires to Juan Kelly and Elisa Casey, the youngest of seven children. He joined the Pallottines at a young age and studied in Buenos Aires and Rome before his ordination in 1957. At the time of his murder he was the pastor at St. Patrick’s, responsible for student formation and rector to one of the diocesan catechetical seminaries.
Notably, Kelly was the spiritual director to the young man who was to become the Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis I.
Kevin O’Neill SAC, described his life and work “He specialized in spiritual direction, retreats, Catechetics and in youth work which was his principal apostolate. The best word to describe his character is ‘solid’.”
Father Alfie Leaden was born in Buenos Aires but his parents, Patricio Leaden and Brigida Ussher were of Irish descent. One of eight brothers and sisters, he was educated educated by the Irish Mercy Sisters and later by the Pallottine Fathers. He went on to study philosophy at the Pallottine seminary in Thurles, County Tipperary, and continued his studies in Rome, according to Pallottines.ie. Ordained into the priesthood in 1942 he worked in many Pallottine communities in Argentina.
Father Kevin O’Neill SAC described Leaden as “amiable. In the true sense of the word it means more than being worthy of love.” A student of Leaden’s, Father Rodolfo Capalozza, wrote, “Alfredo seemed to have supernatural peace, an uncommon peace. He transmitted the peace of God. To go into his room was like the psychological experience of entering a sanctuary, it was orderly, and he radiated amiability and innocence.”