Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 12 September 2009
New Term In Theological Institute
A new academic year begins in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute next Friday with a new staff member and students arriving for an Introductory Weekend. The Revd Patrick McGlinchey has taken up his position as Lecturer in Missiology. He joins the other full time staff members, Revd Dr. Maurice Elliott, Canon Patrick Comerford and Dr Katie Heffelfinger. Other speakers at the weekend include Dr Michael Jackson, Bishop of Clogher, Dr Stephen White, Dean of Killaloe and the Revd Dr Tim Hull from St John’s College Nottingham.
Twenty four new students are expected to register for the new Master in Theology degree with Trinity College, Dublin, and fifteen students for the distance learning course as preparation for the Non-Stipendiary Ministry. After the weekend, eight students return for the final year of the Bachelor of Theology programme. In all forty seven men and women are now training for ordained ministry at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute with an additional thirty participating in the Foundation Course which is a requirement for those seeking to be selected for training for the ordained ministry.
During the summer the Theological Institute has been substantially refurbished and now provides greatly improved facilities for students, visitors and staff.
To facilitate the Introductory Weekend the RCB Library will remain open until 7.30pm on Friday evening.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE Radio will broadcast the Archbishop Agar Bi-Centenary Service which was recorded in Cashel Cathedral on 12 July. The preacher at the service was the Archbishop of Armagh, the Rt Revd Alan Harper, and the music was led by the combined choirs of Cashel, Waterford and Lismore cathedrals. In Dublin there will be a Service of Thanksgiving in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, for the refurbishment of the church, at which the preacher will be the Archbishop of Armagh, while at 11.15am in St George & St Thomas’ Church, Cathal Brugha Street, Racial Justice Sunday will be celebrated at a service led by the Discovery Gospel Choir.
The ecumenical celebrations marking the 150th anniversary the Enniskerry’s three churches is drawing to a close. Tomorrow (Sunday) morning in St Patrick’s Church, Powerscourt, the date of the consecration of the church in 1863 will be celebrated. The preacher will be the Bishop of Limerick & Killaloe, the Rt Revd Trevor Williams, who follows in the footsteps of a predecessor as Bishop of Killaloe, William Fitzgerald, who preached at the consecration of the church.
The annual commemoration of the novelist, Elizabeth Bowen, will be held in St Colman’s church, Farahy, Co. Cork, tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon. The service of Evening Prayer will be led by the Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, Dr Robert MacCarthy, and the address will be given by Dr Maud Ellman, Donald & Marilyn Professor of Irish Studies in the University of Notre Dame.
On Tuesday the Standing Committee of the General Synod and the Representative Church Body will meet in Church of Ireland House, Dublin.
In Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, on Tuesday evening the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr John Neill, will be the celebrant at the Mothers’ Union Diocesan Festival Service and the address will be given by the outgoing All Ireland President of the MU, Mrs Margaret Crawford.
Christ Church is also to be another home for the Church’s Ministry of Healing. In addition to its Tuesday services in St Ann’s church, Dawson Street, there will also be a celebration of the Eucharist with the laying on of hands in Christ Church each Thursday at 12.45pm.