Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 7 February 2009
QUB Theological Lectures
The annual Theological Lectures in Queen’s University, Belfast, which are organized by the Church of Ireland Chaplaincy, will be held next week on the theme of ‘Dawkins, Hawking and the Accelerating Universe: Science and Theology in Contemporary Dialogue’.
This year he lecturer will be the Revd Dr David Wilkinson, Principal of St John’s College, Durham, and University Lecturer in Theology and Religion. St John’s, an independent college within the University of Durham, includes Cranmer Hall, the Anglican theological college for the north-east of England, which offers courses for both ordained and lay ministries.
Next Monday Dr Wilkinson will speak on ‘Searching for God in the Origin of the Universe’ and on Tuesday his subject will be ‘Left Behind, Frozen or Fried? Christian Hope in a Scientific World’.
Both lectures will be held at 6pm in the Geography Lecture Theatre which is opposite the Church of Ireland Centre, 22 Elmwood Avenue, and will be preceded by tea in the Centre at 4.45pm.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE Radio 1 will broadcast Sung Eucharist from the Collegiate Church of St Mary the Virgin, Youghal. The celebrant will be the Rector, the Revd Michael Thompson and the service, Schubert’s Mass in G, will be sung by the Clerks Choral directed by Ian Sexton. In the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, the preacher of the ‘Thinking Aloud’ sermon at the Choral Eucharist will be the Revd Mervyn Kingston who will speak on ‘Thinking Aloud about Gay and Lesbian Persons in Our Church’.
The annual Good Samaritans’ Service will be held in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, in the context of Evensong. At this service the Dean of Belfast, Dr Houston McKelvey, will present cheques to representatives of the charities and community groups which are to be supported by the ‘Black Santa’ Christmas Sitout. This year some £250,000 will be distributed.
On Monday in Rosses Point, Sligo, the Archbishop of Dublin will preside at the Dublin and Glendalough annual clergy conference which will continue until Wednesday. Meanwhile the Bishop of Derry & Raphoe will be in Dublin on Wednesday and Thursday where he will speak at the Hibernian Catch Club and preach at the Eucharist in the Theological Institute.
In St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, on Wednesday evening at 7.30pm, the Archbishop of Armagh will be the preacher at a special service which will give thanks for the restoration work at the cathedral and which will be the focus for the launch of an appeal to the whole Church of Ireland for further support. Founded by Donal Mor O’Brien in the late twelfth century, St Marys has been added to, altered and restored throughout the centuries. The present restoration programme began in 1990 and while much has been achieved but there remains more to do so that this distinctive medieval building can fulfil its potential in the church of today.
The parishes of Sandford & Miltown will host a Table Quiz on Thursday evening at 7.30pm in St Philip’s Hall, Temple Road, Dartry in aid of the refurbishment of St Philip’s Hall.
On Friday evening at 6pm in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, the Archbishop of Dublin will speak at the Dublin launch of Malcolm Macourt’s book, Counting the People of God? The Census of Population and the Church of Ireland. The book, which has been published by Church of Ireland Publishing is available in the Good Bookshop in Donegall Street, Belfast, and the Resource Centre Bookshop, Holy Trinity Church, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6.