Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from The Irish Times
Auxiliary Ministerial Training
This weekend those who are preparing for the auxiliary ministry will have a three day residential training session in the Church of Ireland Theological College in Dublin.
Typically the ordinands begin to appear on Friday afternoon. Those who can travel early often visit the RCB Library in the late afternoon to collect books on their reading lists, look at the latest periodicals or pick up on the recent press releases. After chapel and dinner there is a further opportunity to visit the Library which remains open until 7.30 pm on these residential weekends and then the work of teaching and learning begins.
This weekend the ordinands will be grappling with church history and will have sessions with the Revd Patrick Comerford, the Revd Tom Gordon and the Principal of the Theological Professor Adrian Empey, a noted medieval historian. Lectures and discussions are punctuated by outings, communal worship and, perhaps most importantly, time together to discuss, informally, the vocation which they have chosen.
There are now 27 men and women in training for the auxiliary ministry which has been growing in recent years as an alternative model to the full time stipendiary ministry. Many auxiliaries have full time jobs or work in the home but are available at weekends, or by arrangement, to assist parish clergy.
Today (Saturday) there will be an International Food Fair in St Patrick?s Hall, Greystones, while in Cork a group of Finnish clergy, led by the Revd Rupert Moreton, Anglican Chaplain in Helsinki, will visit the Palace. Today (Saturday) week the AGM of Catalyst will be held in St George?s Parish Hall, High Street, Belfast, at 11 am
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning the Archbishop of Dublin will celebrate the Eucharist and preach in Clontarf where he will also dedicate a new columbarium, and in the evening he will preach at Evensong in the King?s Hospital. At the Sung Eucharist in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, the lecture sermon on the theme ?Where do we go from here?? will be delivered by Dr Steven King, political advisor to the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, David Trimble MP. At 3 pm in St George and St Thomas Church, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin, there will be another Discovery Service. This will be Anglican worship with an African dimension and will feature the Discovery Gospel Choir. The curate of Castleknock, the Revd Sandra Pragnell will preach and there will be refreshments with an African flavour afterwards.
On Monday evening at 7.30 pm in 63 Merrion Square, Dublin, the Royal Society of Antiquaries will host a lecture by Brendan Twomey, author of a forthcoming historical study of the parish of St Paul, Dublin, on ?Property Developers, Vestrymen and Clergy ? a Local Protestant Elite in early 18th century Dublin?.
Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and in St Iberius Church, Wexford, at 1.05 pm the rector, the Revd Maria Jansson will preview a series of lunchtime Lenten lectures on the theme ?Opening a Closed Book: a Selective Look at the Old Testament? which will be given by the Revd Professor John Bartlett, former Principal of the Church of Ireland Theological College. In the evening in Trinity College Chapel there will be a different perspective on Lent with three short movies, commissioned by the Chaplaincy, for screening liturgically.
The position of Private Secretary/Personal Assistant to the Archbishop of Dublin will become vacant in early April due to the retirement of the present incumbent. Details of this position may be had by contacting chiefofficer - at - rcbdub.org or telephoning 01-4125600
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