Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from The Irish Times
Easter Celebrations
Next week the liturgical year reaches its climax with the celebration on Easter Day of the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. In churches and cathedrals, throughout the country, the Church of Ireland will be united in sharing the Eucharist. In the medieval church Easter as the supreme feast was for many the main, if not the only occasion, on which they received Holy Communion during the year. If, in more modern times the greater centrality of the Eucharist as the principal weekly service, the inevitable difficulties in today?s pressurized world of keeping Lent and Holy Week, together with the ever increasing commercial hype surrounding Christmas, have tended to reduce, somewhat, the impact of Easter celebrations, yet they remains the focal point of the Christian year.
On Easter Day RTE will broadcast a celebration of the Eucharist from Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford. where the Dean, the Very Revd Trevor Lester, will be the preacher and celebrant. The Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, the Rt Revd Peter Barrett, will preside at the Easter Vigil in St Canice?s Cathedral, Kilkenny, and on Easter Day will be in St Carthage?s Cathedral, Lismore. Similar episcopal peregrinations will take place in other parts of the country for by tradition Easter is an occasion when the bishops preach in their diocesan cathedrals. The Archbishops of Armagh and Dublin, who are also, of course, diocesan bishops, will preach in St Patrick?s Cathedral, Armagh, and Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, respectively. Earlier in the day the Archbishop of Armagh will be the celebrant at an Easter Dawn Service, organized by the Armagh Diocesan Youth Council, at the Argory, Moy. In St Patrick?s Cathedral, Dublin, Easter Day is one of the occasions on which the pulpit is occupied by the Dean, Dr Robert MacCarthy, who will preach at the Festal Eucharist and at Evensong the familiar Easter music from Handel?s Messiah will be sung. Similarly, in St Anne?s Cathedral, Belfast, the Easter preacher will be the Dean, Dr Houston McKelvey.
This evening (Saturday) the Regina Dominican High School Choir from Wilmette, Illinois, will give a concert in St Maelrauin?s Church, Tallaght, and on Easter Day they will sing at the 10. 30 service in St Patrick?s Church, Greystones.
Details have been issued of the 2005 Pipeworks Festival in June which will draw heavily on the resources of Christ Church and St Patrick?s cathedrals. Begun in 1980 as the Dublin International Organ and Choral Festival, Pipeworks aims to bring to Irish audiences a diverse programme of music making with the organ at its centre.
Among the highlights of the 2005 programme will be recitals in Christ Church by the Dutch organist, Jos van der Kooy, and the Italian maestro, Luigi Tagiavini, while there will be a concert in St Patrick?s given by the choirs of the three Dublin cathedrals. The finals of the international organ competition will be held again in Christ Church using the recently restored and expanded organ.
An attractive range of sponsorship opportunities are available and details of these and the programme of events may be had from www.pipeworksfestival.com or by telephoning 01-6337392.
Those who are anxious for some topical reading over Easter holiday might obtain a copy of The right true end of love. Sexuality and the contemporary church by the Dean of Killaloe, Dr Stephen White, which has been published by Columba Press at Euro12.99/Stg£9.50. It has been described as ?a thoughtful and provocative book ?and in it the author urges the Church ?to celebrate, not just tolerate, all human sexuality?
::rcblibrary::