Mission Support Fund grants awarded; Archdeacon appointed; Dracula in St Patrick’s, Dublin; Cashel institution; Orangeman envisages Dublin parade; Gay marriage: Shatter joins Gilmore in support; Back-to-school payments due for 380,000 children; Programme for high-risk children ‘very cost effective’; Standing Committee Appointments
Mission Support Fund grants awarded
Connor Mission Support Fund has this year awarded four grants to assist people wanting to be more involved in mission both at home and overseas. Mother and daughter Carol and Clare Mulligan of Woodburn Parish, Carrickfergus, have each been awarded a grant towards their involvement in a Fields of Life project in Uganda from August 3–18. Daniel Gill from Monkstown Parish receives a grant towards his training as a pilot with the Mission Aviation Fellowship in Australia. And Connor Diocese Mission Experience Team Abroad (META) to Connor’s partner diocese of Yei in South Sudan, planned for January 2013, also receives funding. The META team will delivery clergy training, training for youth workers and communications training. The Mission Support Fund was established by Connor Council for Mission to assist people wanting to be more involved in mission both at home and overseas. The Council wants to deepen a sense of mission throughout all parishes within the diocese but has found the enthusiasm of many individuals keen to get involved is often dampened by a lack of resources to complete the task. Applications to the Mission Support Fund are invited annually from any individual who seeks to become actively involved in mission either in Ireland or around the world. Applicants must be able to demonstrate active membership of the Church of Ireland and belong to a parish within the Diocese of Connor.
Archdeacon appointed
Rev Robert Miller has been appointed Archdeacon of Derry. He succeeds the Venerable Donald McLean who has retired from the parochial ministry.
Dracula in St Patrick’s, Dublin
“A SCARY EVENING: Join us, IF YOU DARE,” is the invite for Wednesday July 4th at 7pm to see a dramatised reading of Dracula in the Cathedral, with Laurence Foster (as Jonathan Harker), and Micheal James Ford (as Van Helsing). Organist, Stuart Nicholson provides suitably Gothic incidental music as St Patrick’s celebrates the Bram Stoker Centenary. Admission is free. The event is sponsored by Dublin City Libraries.
Cashel institution
The Revd Michael Stevenson will be instituted as incumbent of Bunclody Union on Thursday 5th July at 8 p.m.
Orangeman envisages Dublin parade
BBC – A senior member of the Orange Order tells the Irish senate that members of the order from the Republic would like to see a parade in Dublin.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18687595
The Journal.ie – A senior member of the Orange Order told the Seanad that the organisation wants to contribute to the “normalisation of relationships within these islands”.
Gay marriage: Shatter joins Gilmore in support
The Journal.ie – The justice minister has become the second senior Cabinet member to show support for full marriage equality.
http://www.thejournal.ie/gay-marriage-ireland-shatter-gilmore-506853-Jul2012/
Back-to-school payments due for 380,000 children
Irish Examiner – Low-income families should get payments this month to help send more than 380,000 children and young adult dependents back to education this autumn, but fewer will qualify this year and the rates have been cut.
The Department of Social Protection paid over €90m last year to 196,000 homes for 384,000 school and college students under the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance.
However, Social Protection Minister Joan Burton has slashed the budget to €63.7m. Children aged two or three no longer qualify, and the amount payable has been cut by up to 25%.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/back-to-school-payments-due-for-380000-children-199494.html
Programme for high-risk children ‘very cost effective’
Irish Examiner – A HSE-funded programme for high-risk children claims to be up to four times more cost effective than private foster care and up to 10 times cheaper than private residential care.
Youth Advocates Programme (YAP) Ireland worked with 475 young people and families last year. It deals with those aged 10 to 18 who are at high risk of placement in care, secure care or custody, and operates in 11 counties.
At the launch of its 2011 annual report, the YAP said it provided intensive support for up to 15 hours a week to children and families for a period of six months
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/programme-for-high-risk-children-very-cost-effective-199491.html
Standing Committee Appointments to Committees – June 2012
Finance and Arrangements Committee
The Honorary Secretaries (ex–officio)
The Rev Shane Forster
Mr Wilfred Baker
Legal Advisory Committee (General Synod)
The Hon Mr Justice Declan Budd
His Honour Judge Tom Burgess
The Rt Hon Sir Anthony Campbell
Mr Michael Davey
Mr Lyndon MacCann SC
The Hon Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness
Mr William Prentice
His Honour Judge Derek Rodgers
His Honour Judge Alistair Devlin The Hon Mr Justice Benjamin Stephens
Mr John Wilson QC
Budget Sub–Committee
Mr Wilfred Baker
Mr Andrew McNeile
Mr Samuel Harper
Mr Roy Totten
Rev George Davison
Rt Rev John McDowell
Bishops’ Appeal Advisory Committee
The Bishop of Cashel and Ossory
The Bishop of Tuam
The Rev Canon Jonathon Pierce
Ms Ruth Handy
Mr William Kingston
Mr Albert Smallwoods
The Rev Canon Noel Regan
The Broadcasting Committee
Ms Ruth Buchannan
Mr Roger Childs
Rev Eileen Cremin
Very Rev Tom Gordon
Rev Dr Bert Tosh
Mr Paul Loughlin
The Literature Committee
Rev Canon Peter McDowell
Dr Kenneth Milne
Dr Raymond Refaussé
Ven Richard Rountree
Rev Ken Rue
Mr Richard Ryan
Rev Bernard Tracey OP
Central Communications Board (Standing Committee Representatives)
The Ven Robin Bantry White
The Ven Richard Rountree
Church of Ireland Representative to PACT
The Rev Canon Aisling Shine
Lay Judges of the Court of the General Synod
The Hon Mr Justice Declan Budd
His Honour Judge Tom Burgess
The Rt Hon Sir Anthony Campbell
The Rt Hon Lord Justice Paul Girvan
Mr Patrick Good QC
Mr Lyndon MacCann SC
The Hon Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness
Mr Ronald Robins
The Hon Mr Justice Benjamin Stephens
Mr John Wilson QC
Commission on Ministry (Standing Committee Representative)
The Rev Brian Harper
Working Group on Disability
Rev Canon William Murphy
The Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe
Mr Ian Slaine
Dr Timothy Jackson
Mrs Carol Ferry
Mr James Clarke
Miss Audrey Tormey
Priorities Fund Committee
Mr Roy Totten
Rev George Davison
Mrs Joan Bruton
Mr Samuel Harper
Rev Andrew Forster
Mr Glenn Moore
Rev Adrian Wilkinson
Rev Canon Stephen Neill
Mrs Brigid Barrett