Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 6 June 2009
400th Anniversary of Connor Chapter Celebrated
The Dean and Chapter of St. Saviour, Connor, in Christ Church Cathedral, Lisburn, will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the granting of a Royal Charter by James 1 in 1609 next Tuesday with a service of Holy Communion in the Cathedral. The service will be conducted by the Dean of Connor, the Very Rev. John Bond and the preacher will be the Bishop of Connor, the Rt. Rev. Alan Abernethy. The service will be followed by a Chapter dinner.
The Dean and Chapter will also participate in a sponsored walk from Belfast Cathedral to Lisburn Cathedral today (Saturday). Proceeds will go to Mungo School in the Diocese of Yei in southern Sudan, linked with Connor Diocese
In 1609 the chapter, then in the church of Connor, near Kells, Co. Antrim, was remodelled by a charter of James I, with a dean, archdeacon, chancellor, precentor, treasurer, and four prebendaries - Kilroot, Rasharkin, Connor and Cairncastle. However, in 1662 a charter of Charles II established the church of Lisburn as the seat of the bishop of Down and Connor, since when the chapter has met in Lisburn Cathedral. Since disestablishment in 1870 the titles of chapter members have been honorary and all appointments to the chapter are exclusively in the hands of the Bishop of Connor.
Today (Saturday) the Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, will hold his Annual Gift Day. This year Dr Robert MacCarthy is appealing for funds to renovate the cathedral organ. Some €70,000 is needed for the Henry Willis organ, the largest in Ireland, which was the gift of Lord Iveagh in 1902. In St Mary’s Church, Killarney, there will be an Evening of Song with the Heritage Singers from North Dakota.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the Patronal Festival of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin will be celebrated, while in Belfast there will be Festal Evensong in St Anne’s Cathedral to mark the 105th anniversary of the consecration of the nave on 2 June 1904. Prior to this service the new Chapel of the Faithful Departed, which incorporates a columbarium, will be dedicated by the Dean, Dr Houston McKelvey. Meanwhile the Friends of Killaloe Cathedral, led by the Dean of Killaloe, Dr Stephen White, will visit St John the Baptist’s Cathedral, Cashel, where there will be a Service of the Word during which the new Diocesan Youth Officer, Scott Evans, will be introduced.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning the Archbishop of Dublin will preach at the 150th anniversary celebrations of Holy Trinity Church, Killiney, and in the evening he will preach at the Kilbride Festival Service which will mark the 150th anniversary of the parish. At 3pm the annual ecumenical service at St Columcille’s Holy Well, Ballycullen Road, Dublin 16. will be held.
In Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford, on Monday evening the Bishop of Cashel & Ossory will ordain Christine O’Dowd Smyth, Ivan Dungan and Ruth West to the diaconate, while in St Fethlimidh’s Cathedral on Thursday the Bishop of Kilmore will ordain Alison Calvin as a deacon..
A major touring exhibition, ‘Icons in Transformation’ will be opened in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin on Wednesday evening by the award winning Irish novelist, Sebastian Barry. The Christ Church exhibition, which is the only Irish venue on an international tour, features the work of the celebrated Russian born artist, Ludmilla Pawlowska, who now lives in Sweden.
On Friday morning the Metropolitan of the Indian Orthodox Church will pay a courtesy visit to the Archbishop of Dublin at the See House on Temple Road.