Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 12 Februay 2011
An Appeal for Clonlara
The rural churches of the Church of Ireland are a vital part of the ecclesiastical landscape. They are a much needed focus for scattered Church of Ireland communities, an important part of village life and, increasingly, a valuable component part of the diversity which is so much a part of the new Ireland. Most are small and plain, while some others, usually as the result of the interest of a local patron, are architecturally or artistically more remarkable. For the most part, their clergy and congregations go about their business quietly, faithfully marking the ecclesiastical round and decently celebrating the great festivals of the church. But occasionally they are overtaken by unexpected events which call for the support of the wider community.
Such is the current situation in Clonlara, Co. Clare, where the smallest parish in the union of Killaloe and Stradbally, Kiltinanlea, needs help. The problem is dangerous trees. A number of old trees grow beside St Senan’s church. They once used to face a field and were no danger but now the field is occupied by a housing estate with some of the houses no more than 40 feet from the trees. One tree has already fallen, occasioning a bill for damage of €3,000 from the developer and it seems likely that the parish will face a bill of between €5,000 and €10,000 to have the remaining trees felled professionally. There are only four or five families in the parish and they have a little over €200 in the bank.
Support is urgently needed and contributions may be sent to the Dean of Killaloe, Dr Stephen White, The Deanery, Killaloe, Co. Clare, who is rector of the parish or send an email.
This afternoon Evensong in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, will be sung by the choir of St Anslem’s Preparatory School while in St Michael’s Church, Killorglin, the Bishop of Limerick, Killaloe & Ardfert will introduce the Revd Mairt Hanley as bishop’s curate in the Kilcolman union of parishes.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the ‘Seeing Salvation’ sermon at the Choral Eucharist in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, will be given by the Revd Andy Braunston, from the Metropolitan Community Church, Manchester, who will speak about Salvador Dali’s masterpiece, ‘ Christ of St John of the Cross’. In St Macartan’s Cathedral, Clogher, the Bishop of Clogher will preach at a Diocesan Service of Choral Evensong at which there will be a collection for the Clogher Diocesan Youth Ministry Project.
The well known preacher, writer, and bishop of the United Methodist Church in the USA, William Willimon, will be in Dublin next Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday evening at 7pm he will give the first annual TCD Ecumenical Chaplaincy Lecture, entitled ‘The (Intellectual) Problem of Jesus for the Modern University’ in the J.M. Synge Theatre. From 10am until 3.30pm on Wednesday Bishop Willimon will lead a Quiet Day in Christ Church Cathedral which will offer participants an opportunity to reflect on their role a leaders in the Church.
On Thursday evening at 6pm there will be a Service of Thanksgiving in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, for the life of Miranda, Countess of Iveagh. In St Mary’s Church, Ardress, Co. Fermanagh, the Bishop of Clogher will institute the Revd Henry Blair to the incumbency of Magheraculmoney. The preacher at the service will be Canon Sam Wright, Rector of Lisburn Cathedral.
In Monkstown church, Co. Dublin, on Friday evening at 7.30pm there will a charity concert of music and song with the Dublin Welsh Male Voice Choir, the Quintessentially Brass Quintet and opera singer, Janet de Vigne.