Religious leaders in peace appeal; A haven of refuge for young and old; St Columb’s Cathedral – Biography and Mexican Wave; Education And Ethos – Focus Of Anglo Nordic Baltic Theological Conference; Events
Religious leaders in peace appeal
Belfast Telegraph – Religious leaders in Northern Ireland have urged politicians to reach out to others following weeks of parading-related violence.
Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist clerics gathered at Belfast city hall for a special meeting to discuss how to lower tensions.
Hundreds of police officers have been injured during serious rioting in north and east Belfast with swords, petrol bombs, masonry and scaffolding used as weapons. The Police Federation has called for a six-month ban on parades and the recruitment of 1,000 extra officers.
The spiritual figures issued a joint statement following their meeting.
“We met today to highlight the constructive ongoing work and promote positivity in Belfast. Our aim is to help reduce tensions and promote discussion, dialogue and inter-faith co-operation.
“We are committed to working together to recognise the hurts and the problems felt by communities. We encourage politicians to think imaginatively and generously in reaching out to others.”
All-party talks are due to be held this autumn chaired by US diplomat Richard Haass.
Yesterday’s meeting was convened by Belfast Lord Mayor Mairtin O’Muilleoir, who was himself targeted by angry loyalists during a recent park opening. He circulated a prayer for Belfast which he hopes will be embraced by worshippers of all denominations and will be adapted for all faiths.
“While I do not claim to have strong religious affiliations, I recognise that churches are at the coalface of inter community work and are working hard to continue peace building across the city and beyond,” he said.
“There is an enormous amount of good work already going on but we need to progress dialogue and do what we can to reduce tension. Whilst this has been a testing summer for all, we are now sending out a united message appealing for calm and an end to violence.
“I am proud of the many good news stories across Belfast with people helping their neighbours and working hard to support reconciliation. We need to shine a spotlight on that positivity and I am pleased to do what I can to promote it.”
Catholic, Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, Methodist, Baha’i, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist church leaders agreed to nominate a chaplain to work with the Lord Mayor throughout his one-year term in office.
See also – Religious leaders in peace plea amid ongoing tensions
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/religious-leaders-in-peace-plea-amid-ongoing-tensions-1-5421019
St Columb’s Cathedral – Today
This evening (Saturday) at 7.30pm in St Columb’s cathedral, Derry, as part of the celebrations of Derry as UK City of Culture 2013, in an event organised by the Verbal Arts Centre, the former Bishop of Edinburgh, Dr Richard Holloway, will speak about his recent biography, Leaving Alexandria.
The Cathedral is also hosting an art exhibition by Belfast born Colin Corkey in which the works on display – some with reference to the Troubles in Northern Ireland – make visual reference to a world in which suffering and despair are so often seen in conjunction with dignity, integrity and spiritual strength .The artist uses diverse sources of inspiration with faith as the initial spark which drives the creativity to conclusion.
St Columb’s Cathedral – Tomorrow
The Cathedral Bells, the oldest peal of bells in Ireland, will sound at 12.30 pm on Sunday to herald the Mexican Wave.
Come along on Sunday – to morrow – and help celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the ‘stepping out’ of the Walls of Derry in August 1613.
There will be a mile-long Wave on the Walls which will be photographed from the air and all participants will receive a souvenir certificate and t-shirt. Participation in the Wave on the Walls is free but everyone is encouraged to make a voluntary donation to Foyle Hospice of £3 for adults and £1 for children. To complete the mile circuit, 1500 people are needed so groups and individuals are asked to register on-line today at www.walls400.com/waveonthewalls. On the day, people will also be able to register in Guildhall Square from 10.30 am. Everyone taking part is asked to gather in Guildhall Square at 11.45 am at the latest; stewards will guide people onto the Walls to be in place at 12.30 pm, when the bells of St Columb’s Cathedral will peal to signal the start of the Mexican Wave. The event will be over by 12.45 pm. The times are slightly later than previously advertised, to faciliate participation by church groups. Foyle Camera Club will be photographing the event at ground-level and from high buildings to help capture the diverse range of people participating in the Wave on the Walls.
The other main event on Derry Walls Day will be the “1613 Charter Market at the Ship Key”
Guildhall Square will be transformed into a History Square and you can experience some of what made life colourful when Springham and Smithes arrived in Derry to step out the site for the Walls in August 1613. Mark Lusby, Project Co-ordinator for the City Walls Heritage Project explained: “The 1613 Charter gave citizens the right to hold a monthly market so the Charter Market would have been a feature of life in Derry even during the building of the Walls. In 1613, such a market near the Ship Key, would have been where London adventurers, native Irish freeholders and Scots planters might have met.” After the Wave on the Walls, people can come along and talk with living history performers, watch demonstations of weapons and costumes, get up close to some livestock, sample some food from the period and be entertained by some very special street theatre”.
A haven of refuge for young and old
News Letter – Around the years 1983/84 the First Step Drop-In Centre came into being out of the concern of some members of Jennymount Methodist Church for young people who were walking the streets in all weathers abusing solvents.
As the Drop-In Centre evolved, a café was created offering lunches to older people every day at a subsidised cost and to provide revenue for the running of the building and employment to local people.
In the evenings the building was open as a Drop-In for kids from the surrounding streets as a warm place to congregate.
The Church Leadership were beginning to see that this work was making a difference and the First Step Drop in Centre was formally constituted as an outreach work of Jennymount Methodist Church.
This was a novel idea as mission in those days was primarily defined by special services conducted in the church building where people were given the opportunity to respond to an ‘altar-call’.
In more recent years the vision was expanded from essentially offering youth provision and subsidised lunches to older people to include a wider missionary vision to the whole community.
From the outset some members of Jennymount Methodist Church have provided voluntary services to the Drop-In from washing dishes to baking.
For almost 13 years this continued to be the case.
Education And Ethos – Focus Of Anglo Nordic Baltic Theological Conference
The Anglo Nordic Baltic Theological Conference takes place in Dublin for the first time next week. Delegates from all over Europe, in particular the Nordic Baltic countries, as well as participants from Ireland and Britain will focus on the theme ‘Education, Ethos and Social Transformation’.
The conference will be hosted by the Church of Ireland College of Education, by kind permission of the Principal Dr Anne Lodge, from 27 to 29 August.
The Anglo Nordic Baltic Theological Conference has been taking place every two years since 1929. It takes the form of a ‘Theological House Party’ and provides an opportunity to share theological ideas in an analytical way in an informal and friendly setting. This is the first time in its 84 year history that it will take place in Ireland. The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Michael Jackson, is its chairperson.
The conference will be attended by church people and scholars from many parts of Europe. Apart from being exposed to a variety of styles of theology, the conference enables Lutherans and Anglicans to foster a sense of mutual understanding in the Nordic–Baltic context. Set against the background of the Porvoo Agreement, the conference is an important forum where delegates of member churches can meet and talk as members of the same family allowing genuine conversation and engagement to take place.
The three day conference draws together a broad range of people associated with this year’s theme. Keynote speakers from Ireland include the Revd Dr Ian Ellis, Professor Brian MacCraith, the Revd Dr David Tuohy, Dr Tony Walsh and Dr Gerry Jeffers.
Areas covered will include ethos and education, educational ethos in legal and social contexts and social transformation and ethnic diversity in Ireland today. Aspects of the life and work of the Church of Ireland Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough will also feature in the conference. The participating churches share a responsibility for education and the preparation of children and young people for informed participative citizenship together with a sense of mission and service which expresses itself in social action.
Events
Today (Saturday) the Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society conference which commemorates the 800th anniversary of the building of Carlow castle continues. Among the speakers will be the former Dean of St Patrick’s, the Very Revd Dr Robert MacCarthy.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the services in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, will be sung by the Past Choristers while in St Patrick’s cathedral, Armagh, the Charles Wood Boys’ Choir will sing at the Eucharist and Festal Evensong will be sung by the Charles Wood Singers and Boys’ Choir.
On Friday evening, in St Comgall’s church, Newtownbutler, the Bishop of Clogher will preside at a Service of Introduction for the Revd Anita Kerr as Diocesan Curate serving in the grouped parishes of Galloon, Sallaghy and Drummully.
At lunchtime on Wednesday the Revd Stanley Monkhouse will give an organ recital in St Peter’s church, Portlaoise while on Friday in Sandford parish church, Dublin, the final recital in the Summer Music at Sandford series will be given by organist, David O’Shea. In the evening at 8pm in Calary parish church, Co. Wicklow, the final concert in the 2013 Music in Calary series will be given by the Schumann Quartet – tickets from derekneilson@eircom.net