Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 20 March 2010
Foundation Weekend in Theological Institute.
The Introductory Weekend for the third cycle of the Foundation Course began in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute yesterday (Friday). The weekend is entitled ‘Fit for the Purpose’ and is themed around the various personal and communal issues of vocation to ministry. The main sessions at the weekend will be conducted by Canon Dr Christina Baxter, Principal of St John’s College, Nottingham, and, in addition to the academic staff in CITI, there are three outside facilitators, Revd Dr Will Murphy, Revd Denise Acheson and Mr Andrew MacNeile. This year twenty five students from eight different dioceses have applied to begin the course.
The Foundation Course is jointly sponsored by CITI and St. John’s College, Nottingham, and is now accredited through the Open University as a Professional Certificate in Ministry. It lasts for thirteen months and is concentrated upon the twin processes of study through distance learning and vocational discernment. There are three modular components, ‘Ministry and Mission in the Local Church’ at certificate level, ‘Biblical Studies’ at intermediate level and ‘The Matrix of Christian Belief’ assessed at degree level. Alongside fulfilling these, students participate in a series of day seminars and conference calls which together enable the vital aspects of personal vocational awareness and group networking to become more fully established. Satisfactory completion of the Foundation Course now forms the academic component of selection for training towards ordination in the Church of Ireland and is necessary for admission to the MTh professional course in Trinity College, Dublin.
For further information may be had from Mrs Lynda Levis at CITI or local Diocesan Directors of Ordinands.
www.theologicalinstitute.ie
Diocesan Directors of Ordinands
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE will broadcast an ecumenical service of reflection on healing and healthcare from the Chapel of Christ the Healer, Cork University Hospital. The service will be led by the Church of Ireland Chaplain, the Revd Daniel Nuzum and his colleagues from the hospital chaplaincy team. In the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, the preacher at the Choral Eucharist will be Canon Kenneth Kearon, a former TCD Chaplain and presently Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.
In the afternoon the Connor Diocesan Mother’s Union Service will be held in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast and at 7pm the sports commentator, Jimmy Magee, will give the address at the 61st Annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service for the Gift of Sport which will be held in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. The Gaudete Singers and the Girl Choristers of St Patrick’s Cathedral will give a concert of works by Durufle, Elgar and Lauridsen in St Bartholomew’s Church, Dublin, at 8pm.
On Monday evening St Killian’s German school will give a concert in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, preceded by a reception in the Deanery.
The former Bishop of Thetford, the Rt Revd David Atkinson, will speak on ‘Renewing the Face of the earth’ in the Irish School of Ecumenics, Milltown, Dublin 6 at 2.30 next Wednesday. The respondent speaker will be the Revd Elaine Murray, Vicar of Kilkenny.
On Wednesday evening Canon Fred Applebe, Rector of Rathmichael, will speak at the Druncondra Leneten Service on the theme of sickness. On Thursday the theme of the Ratrhfarnham Lent series will be ‘Environment & Community’ and the speakers will be the Scottish journalist, Alexander Bell, and Suzie Cahn, Transition Towns initiator.
On Thursday evening in St Brigid’s Church, Stillorgan, the Archbishop of Dublin will ordain the Revd Ruth Elmes to the priesthood. Ms Elmes was ordained to the diaconate last year to serve as curate in Stillorgan and Blackrock.