Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 7 March 2010
Remembering the Environment for Lent
Eco Congregation Ireland (www.ecocongregationireland.org) has contacted clergy throughout Ireland to encourage them to sign up to the’10:10 campaign’, which sees churches, schools, organisations, businesses and individuals committing to cut carbon emissions by 10% by the end of 2010.
They are also encouraging church study groups and individuals to use one of the many excellent Lenten resources that incorporates an environmental theme. For example, the Diocese of Bath and Wells has produced a Lenten course called ‘Love for the Future’, which consists of six short films on DVD. The course poses the question, What can we find within ourselves to develop family and community life, respond to the environmental crises and achieve a sustainable world? Or, the Church in Society Environmental Advisory Group has produced an Environmental Bible Study – ‘Five Studies on God’s Works in Creation and Redemption’, which aims to show that creation care is an integral part of the Christian faith.
Dr David Atkinson, former Bishop of Thetford and author of Renewing the Face of the Earth, a theological and pastoral response to climate change, will be giving a talk in the Irish School of Ecumenics at 2.30pm on Wednesday 24th March. The respondent speaker will be Rev Elaine Murray, Vicar of the Kilkenny Group of parishes. Places will be limited, so if you are intending to attend, please contact [email protected].
Rev Elaine Murray was one of the people responsible for the Dioceses of Cashel & Ossory adopting a Green Charter, which is displayed in all church premises throughout the dioceses. The Dioceses’ Environmental Group hopes to have a bill introduced at General Synod, in May, which will encourage the adoption of a similar charter by the other dioceses in the Church of Ireland.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning the singer Noirin Ni Riain will be the speaker at the Lent series in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, while on Wednesday evening, in Drumcondra, Geoffrey Perrin will address the subject of unemployment. Education and science are the subjects for Lenten discussion in Rathfarnham at 8pm on Thursday evening when the speakers will be Professor Ferdinand Von Prondzynski from DCU and Dr Chris Horn, President of the Engineers of Ireland. At the same time in the Stillorgan Park Hotel the local churches in Booterstown, Mount Merrion and Blackrock will meet to discuss ‘One Spirit – Many Churches’. The speakers will be Fr Dermot Lane, President of Mater Dei, and Mrs Gillian Kingston, Lay Leader Designate of the Methodist Church in Ireland.
This evening at 8pm in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, the Cathedral Choir and the Seafield Singers will give a concert in aid of the Coombe Hospital. ‘Celebration for the Coome’ will feature music by Mozart and Hayden and will be preceded by a reception for patrons in the Deanery.
The Standing Committee of the General Synod and the Representative Church Body will meet in Church of Ireland House, Dublin, on Tuesday.
On Wednesday evening at 8pm in Whitechurch parish church the Archbishop of Dublin will commission Mrs Joy Gordon as the new Diocesan President of the Mothers’ Union in Dublin and Glendalough.
At the same time, the successful series of public lectures in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute will continue when the guest lecturer will be the Very Revd John Dinnen, former Dean of Down. Dean Dinnen’s lecture will look at Anglican missions in the 21st century, and he will speak about the work of the Intercontinental Church Society, a mission agency with a particular interest in European and continental chaplaincies