Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 20 December 2008Despite the trees and tinsel, the relentless appropriation by the advertising industry, and the occasional intrusion of political correctness which is as ridiculous and it is offensive, Christmas resolutely remains a Christian festival. Cathedrals are overwhelmed with requests for carol services throughout December while on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day cathedrals and parish churches will be packed with worshippers. Some are regular members of a congregation, some will have returned home for Christmas to become reunited, albeit for a short time, with their wider family, but many will be part of that mass of people who do not go the church regularly but feel compelled to do so at Christmas.
Quite why so many people go to church at Christmas no one knows but, as the Bishop of Cashel & Ossory observed, in his diocesan magazine, this phenomenon should be seen a opportunity for outreach and evangelism. Good publicity about services, a warm welcome for worshippers, and music and liturgy of the best that is possible, may encourage the once a year worshippers to return and the occasional to become regular.
This afternoon (Saturday) at 4pm there will be an Ecumenical Carol Service in the courtyard of Marlay House, Marley Park, Rathfarnham, which has been organized by Marlay Grange, Ballyboden and Whitechurch parishes.
Tomorrow (Sunday) RTE will broadcast Morning Service from Holy Trinity Church, Templebreedy, which will also be the location for a Christmas morning broadcast. The Bishop of Derry & Raphoe will preach in Ebrington Presbyterian Church and later will preside at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in St Columb’s Cathedral, Derry. In Dublin the Civic Carol Service will be held at 7pm in St Ann’s Church where the readers will incude the Lord Mayor, the Archbishop of Dublin and the Minister for the Environment. At 7pm in Taney there will be Carols by Candlelight followed by a reception in the Parish Centre to raise funds for the refugee children of Bethlehem.
On Monday evening the Archbishop of Dublin will preside at the Diocesan Carol Service in Christ Church Cathedral and on Christmas Eve the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from St Patricks’ Cathedral will be broadcast on RTE Radio.
On Christmas Day, by tradition the bishops preach in their cathedrals. The Archbishop of Armagh will be in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, and the Archbishop of Dublin in Christ Church but for other bishops with more than one cathedrals in their united dioceses there is rather more travelling with, for example, the Bishop of Derry & Raphoe going to St Eunan’s Cathedral, Raphoe, on Christmas Eve and to St Columb’s Cathedral, Derry, on Christmas morning. The united diocese of Cashel & Ossory has six cathedrals, more than any other of the Irish dioceses, and possibly more than any other in the Anglican Communion. This year the Bishop will be in St Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny on Christmas Eve, Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford, on Christmas Day and St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore, on the Sunday after Christmas.
In St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, which is a national rather than a diocesan cathedral, the Dean will preach at Christmas while in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, which has an association with two dioceses, the Bishop of Down & Dromore will preach on Christmas Eve and the Bishop of Connor on Christmas Day.
The annual charity sit-outs in Belfast and Dublin will end next week. The last day to visit St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast will be Tuesday and the St Ann’s, Dublin, sit-out will end on Christmas Eve.