Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 22 March 2008
Clerical Succession Lists to be Published
Canon J.B. Leslie, who was Rector of Kilsaran, Co. Louth, from 1899 until shortly before his death in 1952, devoted much of his life to the compilation of what he called biographical succession lists of Church of Ireland clergy. These pen portraits contained information on both family and career and were, in many instances, based on archival sources which have no longer survived especially those in the Public Record Office of Ireland. Some of Leslie’s work was published but much of it remained in typescript and manuscript form in the Representative Church Body Library in Dublin.
However, in recent years there has been a renewed interest in Leslie’s work and a number of volumes have been published. The succession lists for the dioceses of Armagh, Clogher, Derry & Raphoe, and Down & Dromore, which had been published, have been re-issued and updated while lists for Connor, and Dublin & Glendalough have been published for the first time.
The Rector of Taughboyne, Canon David Crooks, has been working on the lists for the dioceses of Kilmore, Elphin & Ardagh and Tuam, Killala & Achonry and it is hoped that these will be published by the Ulster Historical Foundation and launched at the General Synod which is to be held in Galway in May. A pre-publication price of €60/£40 is available for the Tuam, Killala & Achonry volume and orders should be sent to Canon Crooks at Taughboyne Rectory, Churchtown, Carrigans, Co. Donegal.
Tomorrow morning (Sunday) RTE Radio 1 will broadcast an Easter Eucharist from the Church of Ireland Theological College with the College staff and students for the Non-Stipendiary Ministry. The celebrant will be the College Principal, Canon Adrian Empey, and the preacher will be Canon Patrick Comerford, who is Director of Spiritual Formation.
By tradition Easter Day is a time when the bishops preach in their diocesan cathedrals. In St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast the preacher at the Choral Eucharist will be the Bishop of Down & Dromore while in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, Easter is one of the dates on which the pulpit is reserved for the Dean. At Evensong in St Patrick’s the Cathedral Choir will sing the Easter music from Handel’s Messiah. The Archbishop of Armagh will celebrate a dawn Eucharist at 6.15 am at the Argory while in Co. Wicklow the ‘Sonrise’ service will begin in the Old Church, Enniskerry with the lighting of the Pascal Fire followed by a procession of Easter light to St Patrick’s Church, Powerscourt.
Next Thursday in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, the Warrington Male Voice Choir will give a concert on the theme ‘Across the Bridge of Hope – A Concert for Peace at Home and Around the World. Since the Warrington bombing of 1993 the choir, which has as its patron, Terry Waite, has been closely involved with Ireland and has given many concerts throughout the country.
The Irish College of Preachers has announced details of its annual conference which will be held in the Church of Ireland Theological College from 10 to 12 September. The guest speaker will be the Director of the new Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Dr Maurice Elliott. The purpose of the conference is to encourage biblical and relevant preaching in the Ministry of the Word and it is open to all aspiring or practising preachers, lay and ordained. Details may be had from the Revd Ferran Glenfield, Kill o’ the Grange Parish Office, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin: Telephone +353 (0)1 2896442; e-mail [email protected]