There is something toe-curling about this rush to America, writes Liam Clarke
Mother’s Union profile high as Mrs Welby leads retreat for Tanzanian bishops’ wives; Ex-church aide sent for trial charged with indecently assaulting boys over 13-year period; Dispute over suspension of Christ Church Cathedral's director of operations is settled, High Court hears; ‘Faith and Family’ theme for Knock novena; Youth Centre’s positive impact on Down community; UN criticises Northern Ireland executive on abortion and 'troubles' issues; World Youth Day registration begins; pope is first person to sign up; Media digest
Bishop Kevin Doran at Evensong in Saint Columcille’s Church, Drumcliffe, on the occasion of the opening of the Yeats International Summer School and the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Irish Methodists Listen & Learn in Nepal; 10 years after IRA gave up its armed campaign, Northern Ireland back at the crossroads; Parish benefits from Steps to Funding workshops; Methodist - C of I history made; Man pleads not guilty to murder of religious affairs writer Tom O’Gorman; Media digest
Faithful will respond as vocations fall - Bishop of Limerick; Inaugural Memorial 5km Run for St Luke’s Home, Cork; Methodist fund raiser for Nepal Leprosy hospital; Connor parish hall rededicated; Events; GB Catholic bishops’ guidance on end of life decisions; Media digest
The big questions asked in Vicky Cosstick’s book, Belfast: Towards a City Without Walls, are: will the peace walls ever come down, and will Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson be proved correct in predicting it will happen by 2023?
Pro-Gay Faith Groups Meet Catholic Archbishop; Economics and a just society - Presbyterian Public Square event; New light on Charles Wesley’s time in Ireland; Young Roses rising in the West; Clerical appointments; Musical events; Modern-day Noah is building an ark in a Northern Ireland field; Surge in demand for Church of Scotland’s prayer collection; Media digest
Not everyone will be happy with the dilution of religious content arising from recent changes, writes Martin Mansergh
Irish Farmers Association encourages farmers in Ethiopia; University interns value Belfast cathedral experiences; C of E voices opposition to latest Assisted Dying Bill; Jungle Jamboree - Children’s Holiday Club Rosscarbery Cathedral; Celebrating Magna Carrta - a service for young people; Alto Lay Vicar Choral vacancy at Saint Fin Barre’s; New discipleship resources website launched; Multi-faith response to US churches arson-attack fund; Ecumenical Institute for the Middle East will train young Christians; Media digest
Young Dublin Adults Receive First Ecumenical Leadership Certificates; Unique liturgical music workshop at Roscrea; Visiting choirs at St Anne’s, Belfast; Archbishop Neary to lead the 2015 Reek Sunday national pilgrimage on Croagh Patrick; Carrigaline Parish’s Small Change collection for FTM; Cork priest to be auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles; Churches reflect on climate finance at UN financing for development conference; Media digest
Rachel Treweek and Sarah Mullally consecrated bishops; Bishop McAreavey: “Violence has no place in our society.”; Tributes paid to Irish missionary killed in Liberia; Cheques presented to charities marking Connor parish 250 th anniversary; Sallaghy Parish enjoys glorious 175th anniversary celebrations ; Media digest
Connor parish’s Flute Band Church is serving in Paraguay; Primate affirms role and message of Pioneers; Gala concert in St Nicholas’, Belfast; Sea Sunday theme for Children’s Day; Youth 2000 Summer Festival; Majority of US evangelicals back Israel; Media digest
The big questions asked in Vicky Cosstick’s book, Belfast: Towards a City Without Walls, are: will the peace walls ever come down, and will Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson be proved correct in predicting it will happen by 2023?
Ordinations hit a new high as fresh calls for married priests emerge; Director of Christ Church takes cathedral to court; Fewer church bells ring out for weddings, report shows; Hundreds of Cursillo pilgrims finish walk in Knock; Irish town to be marketed as spiritual tourism hub; High-flier Graham Norton never forgets his Cork roots; CofE go-ahead for children to distribute Communion, Church in Wales achieves Fairtrade status, Media digest
Alexis de Tocqueville famously observed of revolutions that they were both inevitable and surprising, and this is no less true of the recent revolution in Ireland, which “Official Ireland” is now celebrating. Catherine Kavanagh writes
Graham Norton appears on Bishop of Cork show; Care & Share Project – Fund to Assist Struggling Dublin Parishes; New Director of Music at Cork Cathedral; Open air service at Clonmacnoise; Quakers interfaith service commemorating bombing of Hiroshima; University honour for Archbishop; Riverbank where Jesus was baptised now UNESCO heritage site; Media digest
The Rt Rev Dr Bob Gillies, Scottish Episcopal Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney writes -
Northern Ireland's new churches: The impact of immigration on religious life; Trócaire focusses on Sustainable Development Goals; Trail dedicated to eccentric Anglican bishop; Archer’s star meets youth clients of Belfast Central Mission’s Ards homeless support project; Focus on Miler Magrath, the infamous first Protestant Bishop of Clogher; Cork youth weekend on Cape Clear; Secularists: Don’t prosecute NI preacher for Islam remarks; Churchgoers encouraged to contact MPs over assisted suicide Bill; Scots bishop - Shame of many in so rich a society are unable to feed themselves; Christian Aid welcome C of E policy on climate; Church’s £360,000 budget to talk about sex; Jesuit University backs theology chair after gay wedding; Media digest
Recently social media exploded in celebration of the US Supreme Court verdict making marriage legal for gay couples across the USA
Irish Embassy to the Vatican cost €32,000 to run in 2014; Derry clergy scale new heights for charity; Speakers for National Novena in Knock announced; Come&C Day to Shape a Year of Discipleship and Development in Dublin and Glendalough; Churches benefit in six-figure restoration plans for NI buildings; Mothers Union calls on C of E to help end commercialisation of childhood; Archbishop blesses 1,000 pupils in end-of-term service; Vatican welcomes Iran nuclear deal; Media digest
Irish eyes smiling at Llangollen Eisteddfod; Warm welcome during Lammas Fair; ‘The Catholic Church is leading the way in evangelisation' - Nicky Gumbel; Tax cuts will not deliver fairer Irish society; Priest held hostage in Belfast; Urgent action needed on climate change - C of E Synod; C of E Synod welcomes climate change policy of its investing bodies; C of E is 'borderline racist', bishop tells Synod; ‘Inspirational’ first English woman to become an Anglican priest dies aged 92; Media digest
Archbishop Justin Welby urges leaders gathering in Addis Adaba this week for the third annual UN conference on financing for development to reach an ambitious agreement that reflects Christ's good news for the poor.
Sea Sunday highlights work of Mission to Seafarers, Annual Croagh Patrick ‘Reek Sunday’ Pilgrimage, The Camino de Santiago is coming back to Dublin after almost 800 years, C of E synod approves safeguarding legislation, Pope Francis pledges he will focus more on the plight of the middle classes, Media digest
All faiths mark National commemoration of Irish service; Rugby World Cup church resources launched; Bishops’ Appeal Allocations; Diocese criticises political collections at church gates; Muslim who praised Islamic State is main witness against pastor James McConnell; Streetreach in north Belfast; Liberian churches honoured for their services during Ebola outbreak; Eight major religious groups in US prohibit same-sex marriage; Media digest
Major renovations planned for Glenstal Abbey’s church; Moving Hearts in Letterkenny; Church leaders tribute to catechism groups; Dublin Funds Begin to Benefit Gaza Hospital Projects; UK's first bishop for church plants; Don't Stop at the Lights - church greening guide updated; Scotland remembers Srebrenica in St Giles Cathedral service; Evangelical will be returning to The Simpsons; Media digest
Ministers are called, trained and equipped for ministry. That goes without saying, but though the calling might be there, the training and equipping sometimes fall short, writes Mark Woods
England cricket captain becomes supporter of former Belfast choir director; Hopes high for no return to violence on the Twelfth; Bishop questions arguments based on emotion; Trocaire commemorate child victims of Gaza conflict a year on; National Day of Commemoration; Methodist services of welcome and farewell in Portadown; C of I leadership development/intern programme; Workshop to Share Children’s Ministry Ideas; Almost 300 years of Irish parish records go online; Church groups rally to support Calais migrants; Archbishops of Armagh call for peaceful and respectful 12th July Celebrations; Media digest
The old Stormont may have had its faults. However there was one area in which it has not been given credit. It was remarkably free of any whiff or taint of corruption and the cronyism which seems almost inevitably to surround such activity - Houston McKelvey writes
Another new chapter in Titanic Quarter’s Dock Church; Outgoing Mothers' Union chief executive looks back on evolving ministry; Archdeacon of Cashel - a time of change; Tribute to Irish GFS leader; Bishops seek to turn 5,000 churches into ‘missionary parishes’; Queen Appoints Professor David Fergusson to Chapel Royal; Situation in Athens 'incredibly worrying' as Greek debt crisis continues; Pope Francis computer game released ahead of Paraguay visit; Media digest
Jimmy Carter, former President of USA, writes on his decision to leave the Southern Baptist Convention...
Women and girls have been discriminated against for too long in a twisted interpretation of the word of God.