Diocesan News18 May 04

Down and Dromore diocesan launch of BCP 2004

DOWN AND DROMORE DIOCESAN LAUNCH OF BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER 2004

The Bishop of Down and Dromore, The Rt Rev Harold Miller, will be conducting a special Festal Communion service on Ascension Day (Thursday 20 May) to launch the Church of Ireland?s new Book of Common Prayer. The Ascension Day service will be held at 7.45 p.m. in Shankill Parish Church, Lurgan, which is the largest church building in the diocese.

Each parish in the diocese will be represented and Bishop Miller is urging key musicians, singers and young people to attend the service making it a lively and historic occasion. Alison Cadden (who is a parishioner in Gilford Parish, and a talented musician) has been commissioned to write a superb new Communion Setting, and a modern responsive setting of Psalm 24 for the celebration. As a memento the Bishop will also present each person present with a limited edition plate to put into their own personal copy of the new prayer book.

Speaking ahead of Thursday?s Service Bishop Miller said: ?There is a real sense of excitement with the arrival of the new Book of Common Prayer. It is a beautiful production, and will resource the worship of the Church of Ireland for many years to come. This is only the third new Book of Common Prayer since 1662, so its launch is a truly historic occasion. But above all the Diocesan launch will be an opportunity to celebrate Jesus Christ the King of Kings on Ascension Day.?

In 1997 the General Synod of the Church of Ireland requested their Liturgical Advisory Committee (of which Bishop Miller was chairperson) to prepare a new edition of the Book of Common Prayer. This new prayer book includes not only services of the Church handed down through the centuries but also services in contemporary language and represents the cumulative labours of committee and synod over many generations. The new book becomes legal throughout the Church of Ireland on 6 June(Trinity Sunday) and many individual parishes are planning special services to celebrate the occasion.

Notes:

• There are 79 parishes in the diocese of Down and Dromore, which stretches from the Ards Peninsula in Down Diocese to Kilbroney, Newry and Mourne in Dromore Diocese.
• There are approximately 100,000 members of the Church of Ireland in the Diocese of Down and Dromore.