Armagh consecration; Voices Raised in Joy for Us. Celebrations; Services and events; Mid week choral worship at St Anne’s; Vintage prams and modern buggies fundraising; Minister offers to meet with church vandals
Armagh consecration
A service for the Consecration of the Revd Ferran Glenfield was held yesterday, the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in St Patrick’s Cathedral Armagh.
It was attended by a large number of clergy and lay people from across the Church of Ireland as well as the Glenfield family – Mrs Jean Glenfield and children, Michael, Esther and Richard – and the new bishop’s friends and well–wishers, not least from the Dioceses of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh in which he now serves.
The Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, was assisted in the consecration ceremony by the Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, the Rt Revd Trevor Williams, and the Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry, the Rt Revd Patrick Rooke, while other bishops present included Archbishop Michael Jackson; Bishop Ken Good; Bishop John McDowell; the Rt Revd the Lord Eames; the Rt Revd Kenneth Clarke, the former Bishop of Kilmore and now Director of the South American Missionary Society (SAMS) in the UK and Ireland (and currently Commissary for the Bishop of Down and Dromore); the Rt Revd Roy Warke, former Bishop of Cork; and the Rt Revd Edward Darling, former Bishop of Limerick.
The preacher at the service was the Revd Canon Andy Lines Mission Director of the mission agency Crosslinks, whose sermon was based on 2 Corinthians Ch.4 vs 1–10. The lectors at the service, which was one of Holy Communion, were Ms Sandy Feenan of Kill o’ the Grange parish (Dublin) in which Bishop Glenfield had served as rector from 1996 to 2012 and Mr Dermot O’Callaghan of Hillsborough Parish (Down), the parish which the bishop was rector. The Gospel was read by the Revd Tim Silk.
Voices Raised in Joy for Us. Celebrations
A joyful gathering marked the celebration of a new name and a new home for Us. (formerly USPG) in St Michan’s Church, Dublin, on Wednesday May 29. The Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, presided over the Eucharist and the preacher was Africa’s first Anglican female bishop, the Rt Revd Ellinah Wamukoya, Bishop of Swaziland.
The service was attended by the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson; the Rt Revd Michael Burrows, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory; the Rt Revd Trevor Williams, Bishop of Limerick; the Rt Revd Patrick Rooke, Bishop of Tuam; the Rt Revd Ken Clarke, Mission Director of SAMS UK and Ireland; the Very Revd Victor Stacey, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin; and the Very Revd Dermot Dunne, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. Clergy from around the country were also present.
The celebrations were joined by Senator David Norris, Judge Catherine McGuinness, the All Ireland President of Mothers’ Union Phyllis Grothier and the All Ireland President of GFS Sylvia Quinn. The CEO and General Secretary of Us. in Britain, Janette O’Neill was also there along with the National Director of Us. in Ireland, Linda Chambers and many Us. staff and volunteers.
Music was provided by a consort of the Christ Church Cathedral Choir and the Discovery Gospel Choir. The organist was David Bremner.
In her sermon Bishop Wamukoya spoke on the theme of serving others. “We become Christians through God’s unmerited favour, not as a result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. However, out of gratitude for this free gift we will seek to help and serve others with kindness, love and gentleness and merely to please ourselves. While no action or work we can do can help us to obtain salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are not saved merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church,” she said.
The Bishop concluded by appealing: “Please pray for us to remember that in whatever small way even us in Africa we are: created to serve, saved to serve, gifted to serve, commanded to serve, our service is needed and we serve because of Jesus.”
Following the service, Bishop Michael Burrows, chair of Us. in Ireland said it had been a marvellously well attended and joyous occasion with a “myriad of voices raised in joy to the Lord and in thanks for the new name and new home” of Us. He praised Linda Chambers for the work she does for Us. in Ireland. “She is the soul person [of Us.] in Ireland – she is its incarnation and its epiphany,” he stated.
Us. (the United Society) is the new name for USPG – an organisation which works in direct partnership with Anglican Churches in over 50 countries, helping to support vital work, including healthcare, education, leadership training and action for social justice. The name USPG – United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel – was derived from a name coined in 1701.
Us. in Ireland works directly with the Diocese of Swaziland where they have been building up strong networks over the last five years working with all members of the community.
Services and events
This evening (Saturday) there will be a baroque concert by the instrumental ensemble, Respicio, with guest soprano Rachel Talbot, in the Church of St John the Baptist, Church Avenue, Drumcondra, at 7.30pm. The concert, which will feature works by Teleman, Bach and Graupner, is in aid of the parish.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II will be celebrated in, among other places, St Anne’s cathedral, Belfast, and St Macartin’s cathedral, Enniskillen, where the Bishop of Clogher will preach.
June 13 marks 300 years since Jonathan Swift became Dean of St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, and several events have been planned to celebrate the occasion. The first of these begins next Tuesday. This will be an exhibition of Swiftiana in Marsh’s Library gathered from the collections of St Patrick’s cathedral, the Representative Church Body Library, Marsh’s Library and from private collections. The exhibition will run until 18 June. For a full schedule of events during Swift300, please click here.
On Tuesday evening the Pauline Circle, which exists to promote greater understanding among Christians, will have as its speaker the Revd Dr Adrian Empey who will deliver a paper on ‘The development of the episcopacy from New Testament times to Constantine’.
A new series of lunchtime summer recitals begins in St Paul’s church, Glenageary, next Thursday at 1.15pm. The first recital will be given by the Glenageary Killiney National School Choir.
During June and July a new service being held in St Ann’s church, Dawson Street, on Thursdays at 6pm. It will be a twenty minute service of reflection with music, readings and prayers called Inner Space: A place to rest, reflect, renew. It has been organised by the Parish Development Committee and is designed to provide a reflective space in the centre of the city for those who are on their way home from work or about to begin some late night shopping. Members of St Ann’s choir and musicians who have given lunchtime recitals in St Ann’s will be taking part. The first service is next Thursday. — Irish Times C of I correspondent
Mid weekchoral worship at St Anne’s
From Monday 3 June, St Anne’s Cathedral will provide two choral services on weekdays for all who are heading home after work or shopping.
On Mondays at 5.30 pm there will be Sung Compline and Choral Evensong will take place every Wednesday at 5.30 pm.
“Each service lasts for about 20 minutes and provides a quiet and peaceful end to the working day,” says Dean of Belfast, The Very Revd John Mann. “The traffic will be so much lighter after 6.00 pm and the journey home full of heavenly melody!”
Please note that these services will only take place during school term–time. They will finish at the end of June and resume in September.
Vintage prams and modern buggies fundraising
Vintage prams and modern buggies were the stars of recent fundraising efforts in Christ Church, Kilkeel.
Over 20 vintage prams were on display at a coffee morning in the halls, which also boasted a car wash, plant stall and crafts for sale.
Local lady, Ella Crutchley, collects vintage prams but after a general appeal from the organisers, quite a few beautiful models were retrieved from roofspaces around the town. One of the oldest was last in use 52 years ago.
The £1000 raised was divided between the Mourne Stimulus Day Centre for adults with a learning disability and the JIMS team heading to Nicaragua in the summer.
Later in the week, parents and children from the church’s Parent and Toddler Group embarked on their annual Sponsored Buggy Push round the town. The reward for their efforts was tea and hot dogs and the satisfaction of raising money for children’s charities at home and abroad.
Minister offers to meet with church vandals
Fermanagh Herald – The minister of Holy Trinity Church of Ireland parish church, Lisnaskea, has issued a ‘come and meet’ me invitation to vandals who, last week stoned a leaded glass window in his recently restored church, and chalked lewd graffiti on the driveway at the …
http://fermanaghherald.com/2013/05/minister-offers-to-meet-with-church-vandals/