Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from The Irish Times
The BCP for Children
The publication of the new Book of Common Prayer as the official liturgy of the Church of Ireland has, happily, been accompanied by the appearance of a steady stream of ancillary publications which seek to provide interpretation, instruction and edification for clergy and laity.
The latest ancillary publication is a BCP Kids? Guide which has been produced by a team of children?s ministry leaders, chaired by the Revd Kyle Hanlon, Rector of Dromore, Co. Tyrone and published by the Clogher Diocesan Board of Religious Education. The Bishop of Clogher, Dr Michael Jackson, who has welcomed the initiative, has likened the style of the guide to that of the children?s supplement in The Times.
The BCP Kids? Guide is a beautifully designed twenty page booklet, in full colour, with graphics, which seeks to make contact with the new prayer book more enjoyable both for children and adult teachers. It navigates children through the use of the bible in the prayer book, the services of Morning and Evening Prayer, Holy Communion, baptism, the ten commandments, the Apostles? Creed, and the Church?s year. The guide aims to familiarize children with the psalms, canticles and scripture verses, and even the purpose of the local church. Complementary teachers? notes are also available on request.
It is expected that the guide will appeal to those involved with primary schools, Sunday Schools, and kids? clubs, and it is available, at Euro3/£2, from the Sunday School Resource Centre and the National Bible Society in Dublin, the Good Bookshop in Belfast and Faith Mission Bookshops throughout Northern Ireland.
This year has been designated as International Year of the Family by the United Nations, and the Mothers? Union has been selected by the UN as a world wide Christian organization to promote and celebrate the family. Arising from this it is planned to have a Family Celebration Day in each diocese. Today (Saturday) the Mothers? Union in Tuam, Killala and Achonry, in conjunction with the Diocesan Board of Mission, will celebrate the International Year of the Family at the Bishop?s House, Knockglass, Crossmolina, with a day for young and old.
Today (Saturday) Schola Cantorum Sancti Aegidii, a choir from Reading, will give a lunchtime recital in St Patrick?s Cathedral, Dublin, where they will sing the services tomorrow (Sunday). The visiting choir in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin , will be sung by the Priory Singers form Belfast.
On Tuesday the lunchtime lecture in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, in association with the exhibition ?The Christ Church Psalter in Context. Manuscripts from the Medieval Priory? will be given by Dr Colman O?Clabaigh OSB, Librarian of Glenstal Abbey. Dr O?Clabaigh will discuss ?The Liber Niger?, one of the items currently on exhibition. This is a fourteenth century manuscript which is believed to have been brought to Dublin by Henry La Warre, who was appointed prior of Holy Trinity in the winter of 1300-1301. The lecture begins at 1.15 pm and lasts for approximately thirty minutes.
The Dean of Belfast, Dr Houston McKelvey, has announced that St Anne?s Cathedral is offering an organ scholarship and several choral scholarships to young people in full time third level education or during their gap year. Successful applicants will receive tuition from the Cathedral?s Director of Music, Mr Philip Stopford, who is a former chorister at Westminster Abbey and a former organ scholar at Oxford University, and from the assistant organist, Mr Ian Barber. The organ scholarship is worth £2000 and the choral scholarships £1000. Full details may be found on the cathedral website www.belfastcathedral.org.
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