Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from The Irish Times
Publication of Eames Biography
Next week the major English publishing house, Hodder & Stoughton, will publish a biography of the Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Robin Eames, which has been written by the journalist and author, Alf McCreary. Entitled Nobody?s Fool the book has been warmly welcomed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.
Dr Eames has been a pivotal figure in the Church of Ireland for over a quarter of a century and in more recent times has become a widely respected figure throughout the Anglican Communion. A bishop since 1975 and a Primate since 1986, he has, both in public and behind the scenes, played a key role in the life of church and state, especially during the northern troubles.
His own account of his life and times, published as Chains to be Broken in 1992, was a carefully nuanced book but, on the basis of the advance publicity at least, Alf McCreary?s study of the Primate promises to be more revelatory. The new biography is based on extensive private conversations with Archbishop Eames and on interviews with leading churchmen and politicians. It reveals, for the first time the extent of Dr Eames? involvement in the search for peace in Northern Ireland and presents details which could not have been safely published before.
With the onset of Advent and with Christmas fast approaching some seasonal offerings have been issued by Columba Press, the publisher of the Book of Common Prayer 2004.
A Time of Waiting. Images and Insights by the theologian, Anne Thurston, which was launched last week by the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, Dr Richard Clarke, is an Advent study, while the Christmas story is re-worked by the former Dean of Kildare, the Very Revd Matthew Byrne, in The Way It Was. The narrative of the Birth of Jesus.
Today (Saturday), between 10 am and 5 pm the Revd Kevin Dalton will host a Gift Day and Open Day in Monkstown parish church, followed at 8 pm by a concert by David MacKenzie and Josh Johnston, in support of the restoration appeal. The Church of Ireland Historical Society will meet in Christ Church Cathedral where there will be presentations on the forthcoming new history of St Patrick?s Cathedral and the launch a study of J.F. MacNiece , Bishop of Connor, 1934-42, by Dr Christopher Fauske
Tomorrow (Sunday) RTÉ will broadcast a Remembrance Sunday Service from St David?s Church, Naas, conducted by the rector, the Revd Michael Wooderson. The former Bishop of Cork, the Rt Revd Roy Warke will preach and one of the readings will be by the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieut. General Jim Sreenan. The Bishop of Cork will take part in the ceremony at the War Memorial in South Mall while the Bishop of Limerick will preach at the Act of Remembrance in Trinity College Chapel. In Christ Church, Gorey, there will be a parade of uniformed organizations with the theme of the role of the peacemaker and at Evensong in St Patrick?s Cathedral, Dublin, the Dean of Belfast, Dr Houston McKelvey, will preach.
Tomorrow (Sunday) at Evensong in Christ Church Cathedral the Ven. David Pierpoint will be installed as Archdeacon of Dublin and this will be followed by a presentation to his predecessor, the Ven. Gordon Linney.
On Thursday the Bishop of Cork will be in the University of Tübingen where he will represent the Church of Ireland at the European Consortium for Church and State Law and deliver a paper on ?Religion and Law in Dialogue in Ireland.
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