Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 8 May 2010
Networking in Europe
‘Networking’ has taken on a new significance with the rapidly increasing role played by the electronic media in everyday life. Where ecumenical contacts are concerned, electronic means of communication are fast becoming the inexpensive and carbon-free norm. The Anglican Communion has established a series of ‘networks’, covering various aspects of church life, including such issues as migration and youth work, while ‘Churches Together in Britain and Ireland’ has set up a similar set of processes. Latest to appear is an ambitious plan under the auspices of the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches. It was inaugurated at a meeting of the CSC in Brussels last month, at which the Church of Ireland was represented by Dr Kenneth Milne, Honorary Secretary of the Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue.
This network is intended to facilitate ecumenical thought and action in those pressing areas of concern that arise from the economic and social turbulence now affecting every European country and every religious tradition, and uses the acronym CALL, ‘Church Action for Labour and Life’. The Brussels conference addressed the pressing need to address current social and economic issues from a perspective underpinned by Christian values. Much time was devoted to exploring the proposition that solutions to our difficulties are not likely to be found in attempting to re-establish the financial models that have so patently failed, nor in unquestioning acceptance of the doctrine that economic progress and social justice depend on ‘sustainable growth’. Discussion along these lines inevitably leads to debate on the place of religion in the public space, a subject that Irish churches need to take into urgent consideration as they ponder the growing questioning of their traditional role in our society.
Today (Saturday) at 1.15pm the Bishop of Limerick & Killaloe will be the speaker in St Werburgh’s Church, Dublin, at the launch of Share your story: gay and lesbian experiences of Church. This is a resource booklet produced by Changing Attitudes Ireland and the Church of Ireland Chaplaincy in Trinity College, Dublin.
Tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon the annual service of the Friends of St Ronan’s Church, Aghalurcher will take place in Coolebrooke, Co. Fermanagh. The preacher will be the former Bishop of Clogher, Dr Gordon McMullan, who will dedicate memorial plaques to the Ven. Victor Foster, a former rector, and Miss Ena Henderson, a former parishioner. In St Patrick’s Cathedral, Trim, at 7pm, there will be a Songs of Praise service with the St George’s Silver Band.
On Tuesday Professor Richard English, Head of the School of Politics in Queen’s University, will give a lunchtime lecture in St Bartholomew’s Church, Belfast, on the theme of global politics. At Evensong in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, the visiting choir will be from St Columba’s College,
The lunchtime recital in St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, on Wednesday will be given by the pianist, Malcolm Green, while in Dublin, at 8pm the AGM of the Friends of St Patrick’s Cathedral will be held in the Packenham Hall.
On Ascension Thursday RTE 1 will broadcast Choral Evensong conducted by the Revd Tom Gordon.
On Friday evening at 8pm there will be a service to celebrate the 175th anniversary of St Matthias’ church, Ballybrack, at which the Archbishop of Dublin will preach. The church was built on land given by Sir Compton Domville and consecrated in 1835 as a chapel of ease in the parish of Monkstown. It was assigned a parochial district in 1866 and became an independent parish in 1876.