NEWS BRIEFS

RTE broadcast service for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

This Sunday (January 19) at 11am, RTE will broadcast a service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year, the service will be led by friends of Ecumenical Bible Week (EBW), a Dublin based ecumenical project.

The service will be led by the co–chairs of EBW, Fr Kieran O’Mahony who is a former ecumenical Canon of St Patrick’s Cathedral and Archdiocese of Dublin Academic Coordinator of Biblical Studies and the Revd Ken Rue, the chairman of Dublin & Glendalough Diocesan Council for Mission. Representatives of many Christian traditions will take part.

EBW has taken place in the greater Dublin area since 2014, bringing together a diversity of believers for prayer and reflection in June each year. Both Archbishops of Dublin have lent their personal and institutional support since the start. The topic for this year’s EBW, which runs from May 31 to June 7, is “Faith in the Public Square”. Details are available at [www.bibleweek.ie ]

Clogher Centenary visit

Bishop John mcDowell called with Mrs Sarah Kingston to wish her many happy returns on her 100th birthday. The Bishop, Canon Bridle, the Rector Canon Ian Ellis, and her son Trevor joined with Sarah in a celebration of Holy Communion. Mrs Kingston is the widow of Rev George Kingston, one time Rector of Swanlinbar Parish.

‘The Sea’ is theme of Carnmoney Memorial Service

More than 100 people attended a special evening service in the Church of the Holy Evangelists, Carnmoney, to remember those they hold dear who have died in the past year or else many years ago.

The service took place on November 3, the day after All Soul’s Day. This is the time when the Church remembers ‘The Faithful Departed,’ those people who have now run their race and are no longer with us in this life. However, the Christian doctrines of the Resurrection of the Body and the Communion of Saints, help us to believe that they are very much alive still and with us in Spirit.

Taking up the theme of ‘The Sea,’ the service considered the turmoil that bereavement can bring, but also the support that faith and Jesus can give in the hard times.

Readings from Psalm 107 and Mark 4:25-31 when Jesus calmed the storm, words by Teresa Wilkinson which talked about the similarities between the tides and bereavement, and music from Westlife and Simon and Gurfunkle’s Bridge Over Troubled Water along with traditional music and hymns reflected this theme.

The names of those the parish wanted to remember were read out, and people were invited to place a coracle holding a glass bead on the especially created sea scape on the communion table, signifying God’s continuing and all embracing love.

The rector, the Rev Andy Heber, said: “This special and moving service will hopefully become a regular event in our church on the Sunday closest to All Soul’s Day.

“We chose the theme of ‘The Sea’ because the incoming and outgoing tides mirror often the process of bereavement whereby sometimes as the tide goes out everything seems calm, however when it comes in, it can cover and obliterate what was once calm and ordered.”

New Chaplain Appointed to Tallaght and St James’s Hospitals

A new Healthcare Chaplain has been appointed to Tallaght and St James’s hospitals. Patrick Ryan has been appointed by Archbishop Michael Jackson and will take up the position on February 1 2020.

Originally from Donegal, Patrick studied theology in both Dublin and Berkeley, California. He brings a wealth of experience from his previous role as chaplain in Scotland with the Marie Curie Hospice Foundation as well as with St John of God and St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin.

The appointment has been welcomed by the chairperson of Dublin & Glendalough’s Healthcare Chaplaincy Oversight Committee, Canon Robert Warren. “We look forward to welcoming Patrick as a member of the team and I thank everyone who helped in providing cover during the vacancy,” he said.

Following much work in the area of healthcare chaplaincy in the dioceses in recent years, the major Dublin hospitals are structured through a number of hospital groupings. Chaplains serving in these hubs are part of the hospitals’ multi–disciplinary teams and have undertaken Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training and professional accreditation by the Chaplaincy Accreditation Board. They provide a 24 hour service (with the help of local clergy who are rostered for out of hours service). They have a line manager within the hospital and also answer to the oversight committee.

During their day to day jobs chaplains meet and address the religious, spiritual and emotional needs of patients, their families and members of hospital staff. Chaplains work from the ‘religious census list’ based on information provided by patients on admission. It is important that patients specify their Church of Ireland tradition rather than just indicating ‘Protestant’ or ‘Christian’. Patients can also request a visit from a chaplain through the nursing staff.

Chaplains are integral parts of the healthcare team and help both to support and celebrate the diversity of experiences with a patient and their loved ones. They can be contacted through the Chaplaincy Departments of the relevant hospitals:

Tallaght and St James’ Hospitals – Patrick Ryan

St Vincent’s University Hospital & St Vincent’s Private Hospital – Hilda Plant

Mater Hospital – the Revd Terry Lilburn

Beaumont, Cappagh & Connolly Hospitals – Olwen Lynch

Domestic Chaplain to the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

The Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, has announced that he has appointed the Reverend Paul Arbuthnot, Incumbent of Cobh and Glanmire Union of Parishes, to be also one of his domestic chaplains.

The Bishop’s domestic chaplains now are: the Reverend Anne Skuse and the Reverend Paul Arbuthnot.

The Bishop’s examining chaplains are: the Very Reverend Nigel Dunne, Dean of Cork, and the Reverend Bruce Pierce, Director of Education and Northridge House Education and Research Centre at Saint Luke’s Charity, Cork.

Retirement of Canon Ian Jonas

Canon Ian Jonas, rector of Carrigrohane Union of Parishes in the Diocese of Cork, has notified the Bishop, Dr Paul Colton, and announced to his parishioners, his intention to retire from stipendiary ministry on 31st July 2o20.

Canon Jonas, who has been rector of Carrigrohane since 2009 is also Prebendary of Kilbrittain and Holy Trinity in the Cathedral Church of Saint Fin Barre, Cork, and of Donoughmore, in the Cathedral Church of Saint Colman, Cloyne.

Carrigrohane Union of Parishes is substantially within the recently extended western and north-western boundaries of Cork City, and includes the large towns of Ballincollig and Blarney. In addition, outside the city boundary, is Inniscarra and its hinterland in the Lee Valley.

Canon Jonas was ordained deacon nearly 40 years ago, in 1980, to serve in the parish of Saint Mark, Portadown, and was ordained priest a year later. Her served as curate of that parish until 1982. From 1982 to 1985 he was curate of the parish of Saint Finian, Belfast before moving to Dublin in 1985 to take up the post of secretary of the Bible Churchmen’s Missionary Society (now Crosslinks), a role which he fulfilled until 1990. In that year he moved to the Diocese of Derby in England to serve as Vicar of Saint Andrew’s Local Ecumenical Project and St John’s, Langley Mill.

Ian returned to Ireland in 1997 to become rector of Kilgariffe Union of Parishes (Clonakilty, Kilmalooda, Timoleague and Courtmacsherry, County Cork) where he ministered until 2009, followed by his move to Carrigrohane. He has had a particular interest in mission and served for a time as Secretary of the Association of Missionary Societies and, in Cork, Cloyne and Ross, as Chairperson of the Diocesan Council of Mission.

God in creation