Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 29 November 2008
Enniskerry Celebrations
History will be made and marked tomorrow (Sunday) when the three churches in the greater Enniskerry area of Co. Wicklow – one Roman Catholic and two Church of Ireland – launch a combined year-long programme of religious and social events to celebrate their 150th anniversaries.
Strong ecumenical ties had already been forged over the years between the three parishes of St Mary’s Church and St Patrick’s Church, Powerscourt in the village of Enniskerry and St Brigid’s Church in nearby-Kilbride so when it was realised that each would be celebrating its sesquicentenary in 2009, it was decided that the churches would get together to plan an ecumenical programme of events.
St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church and St Patrick’s Church of Ireland were built with the financial support of the 7th Viscount of Powerscourt. St Mary’s began its life in 1859, replacing a temporary building in the village called Dixon’s Barn. The two Church of Ireland buildings date from that same year – St Brigid’s Church, Kilbride was consecrated in June 1859 and the construction of St Patrick’s Church, Powerscourt was also completed although not fully licensed for worship until four years later.
The year-long programme of events, planned by a committee comprising members of the three parishes will begin tomorrow (Sunday) with the launch of a prayer and specially designed banners which will be displayed at the churches and in the village of Enniskerry. A 64-page year book with features about the history of the village and the three churches over the last 150 years has been published to mark the anniversaries. ENNISKERRY – Celebrating 150 Years of Its Three Parish Churches is available (price €10) from the parish offices.
Today (Saturday) Bishop Roy Warke will represent the Primate at the consecration of new bishops for St Davids and Bangor in Llandaff Cathedral while in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, at 6.30pm there will be a service for the Order of St Lazarus.
Tomorrow evening in St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny, at 7 pm the new Diocesan Youth Officer, Mr Scott Evans, will be commissioned while at 7.30pm in St Columb;s Cathedral, Derry, there will be an Advent Procession by Candlelight.
At 7pm in Julianstown, the Bishop of Meath & Kildare will re-dedicate St Mary’s Church which has been extensively restored under the direction of Frank Keohane of Paul Arnold Architects. Built in 1770, the present building was altered and extended on several occasions in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A stone in the porch lists the rectors since 1616, ending with the present incumbent the Ven,. Patrick Lawrence.
On Monday evening at 7pm the monthly service of reflective prayer and meditation, Spiorad, will be held in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. This month the service will explore the Advent themes of faith, hope, charity and love.
The Archbishop of Dublin will preside at an evening of Advent Carols and Readings with the staff and students of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in St George & St Thomas Church, Cathal Brugah Street, on Wednesday at 7pm. In North Strand School at 7.45pm Sr Mary Mangan-Ruhama will speak about the ministry to trafficked women as part of the series of Advent talks which ahs been organized by the parish of Drumcondra & North Strand.
On Thursday in St Michaels’ Church, Blackrock, the Bishop of Cork will commission Mr Drew Ruttle as Chaplain to Ashton School, while in St Saviour’s Church, Greyabbey, the Bishop of Down & Dromore, will institute the Revd Gillian Withers to the grouped parishes of Greyabbey, Kircubbin, Ballyphilip and Ardquin.