Irish Times Notes27 Feb 26

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Lent

Last week a prominent churchman remarked on how large the Ash Wednesday congregation was in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, and especially he noted how many young people were there. What, he wondered, was happening elsewhere in the Church of Ireland during Lent? Well, the answer is, quite a lot.

In Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, there is a series of Lenten sermons and addresses, devised by Canon Anne Lodge, at the 11am Sunday Eucharist, on the theme of ‘The homelessness crisis: A Christian response’. This Sunday there will be address by  Fr John Collins, Acting Chair of Mendicity, who will speak on ‘Dublin’s Oldest Working Charity: Supporting the Homeless’. The ecumenical theme continues on Wednesdays with the ‘Learning from Matthew’ course, led by Fr Kieran O’Mahony O.S.A. in the cathedral’s Music Room or online at 7.30pm.

This Lent, Connor Diocese is partnering with SAMS, the South American Mission Society, to support the Church in Northern Argentina. Introducing the project, Bishop George Davison stated: ‘This Lent, I warmly invite you to walk alongside the Church in Northern Argentina, among the remote communities of the Chaco and in the city of Salta’. Find out more about how to give support to this initiative at  https://connor.anglican.org/about-us/mission

In St Anne’s cathedral, Belfast, following the 1pm Eucharist on Thursdays, there will be an opportunity to meet to study through John’s Gospel with the aid of David Ford’s devotional, ‘Meeting God in John’.

In Down & Dromore Bishop David McClay’s series invites viewers to join him for 40 daily Lent devotionals exploring ‘Revival and the early chapters of Acts’.

Videos are being shared around 6am each morning on the diocesan website –www.downanddromore.org – and social media channels. An introduction from Bishop McClay is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmwicVlaCZo

The Bishop of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe is touring churches in his dioceses during Lent, bringing communities together in support of the work of Embrace Farm – helping farm families in crisis, bereavement or trauma – and the Bishops’ Appeal, including relief work in the Middle East and its general funds to help to respond to other crisis situations. A video interview with Bishop Burrows, introducing this year’s initiative, is available on the diocesan YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q14t02FcpQs

More discreetly, many parishes will have Lenten events, sometimes for their own parishioners and sometimes in cooperation with other local Christian communities.

For example, in Taney parish in south Dublin, there is a weekly reflection at 7pm in St Nahi’s church, led by clergy from the Dundrum Churches Together group of parishes.

The Christ Church Dublin Past Choristers Association will hold its annual table quiz in the cathedral crypt on Monday. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

A new series of lunchtime talks and concerts begins in St Maty’s cathedral, Limerick, on Tuesday at 1.15pm when there will be recital by Triona Walsh (soprano) and Tatyana Vykodsera (piano).