Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from 'The Irish Times'
Church & Education
In informal discussions with parish clergy about challenging issues in their ministry, one of the topics which constantly occurs is education and, more specifically, the management of schools. There is no doubt that the provision of schools under Church of Ireland management is much valued by Church of Ireland communities throughout the Republic of Ireland. They provide not only a fine educational foundation but contribute in an unquantifiable way to a sense of community and to the place of a minority community within the locality.
A real sense of the bonds of affection which such schools can create is all too apparent in Alison O’Keeffe’s recently published history of St John the Baptist National School, Midleton. In words and photographs the ebb and flow of the fortunes of the school are detailed, from its earliest days as a parish school in the late 18th century, through its association with the Kildare Place Society and the National Board of Education. The principals, teachers and pupils inevitably and properly form the major part of the narrative but it is not without significance that the Rectors of Midleton are also part of the story.
Until relatively recently rectors have been, by virtue of their office, chairmen of the school boards of management. Some choose to continue to be so while others although they now delegate that function, continue to have an involvement. The management of the schools today is a complicated business and few clergy have in themselves the expertise which the job requires. Fortunately they can rely on the General Synod Board of Education which is responsible for advising on and representing the Church of Ireland view on educational developments, supporting and developing the provision of training and information services to educators, creating educational resources and overseeing the implementation of the Church’s child protection code.
Until recently the implementation of the work of the Board has been the responsibility of Canon John McCullagh who brought to the job not only the insights of a parish clergyman but also the experience of a school headmaster. Canon McCullagh has returned to parish life as Rector of Rathdrum in Co. Wicklow, and understandably the Church of Ireland is anxious to fill this most important vacancy. Details of the post of Secretary to the Board of Education may be had at by clicking here and the closing date for the receipt of applications is 30 January.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning the Archbishop of Dublin will preach In St Audoen’s Church and in St Catherine & St James’ Church, which are part of the St Patrick’s Cathedral group of parishes. The parishes are vacant at present following the retirement of Canon John Crawford earlier this month. In the evening Archbishop Neill will attend the National Holocaust Memorial Day in the Mansion House. The ‘Thinking Aloud’ series of sermons continues at the Choral Eucharist in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, where the preacher will be the new Methodist/Presbyterian chaplain, the Revd Julian Hamilton.
The Standing Committee of the General Synod and the Executive Committee of the Representative Church Body will meet in Church of Ireland House, Dublin, on Tuesday.
On Thursday evening Urnai na Nona will be sung in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, at 5.15pm. This will be the first Irish language Evensong in the College for many years and is part of the College Irish language festival, Eigse na Trionoide. At 7pm in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, there will be concert in aid of the Al Ahli Hospital, Gaza City.