Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 21 May 2011
New Book on St Patrick to be Launched in Armagh
In the context of the conference on Celtic Spirituality which is being held in Armagh this weekend, a new book about St Patrick will be launched in St Patrick’s Cathedral at lunchtime today (Saturday).
The story of St Patrick is well known. Captured from his home by pirates as a teenager, sold into slavery in Ireland, Patrick escaped only to return years later as Ireland’s famous Apostle and now the world’s most celebrated Patron Saint. But did St Patrick come to Ireland from Britain - or ‘France’? This book is the fruit of four years extensive research. It combines a scholarly, historical enquiry with story-telling. The book also captures a sense of St Patrick's deep, personal spirituality and the true inspiration behind his great legacy. The reader is invited to embark on a sacred quest, entering a labyrinth of legend and tradition to share in the adventure of an exciting historic discovery. Step by step, as the journey unfolds, we find ourselves drawn into an even greater mystery. St Patrick's life and our lives, his story and our story - are inextricably intertwined.
Rediscovering Saint Patrick has been written by the Revd Marcus Losack who served as a curate and rector in the Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough and in the Middle East, in Libya and Jerusalem. Since 1995 he has been Executive Director of Ceile De and is perhaps best know for his book, Glendalough. A Celtic Pilgrimage, which was written with Michael Rogers and published in 1996.
Rediscovering St Patrick has been published by Ceile De at £15 and £10.
Today (Saturday), in support the Pipeworks Festival of Music , incorporating the Dublin International Organ Competition, which will be held next month, there will be a Psalmathon in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, from 10 am until 5pm. The entire psalter will be performed in one day by visiting choirs and groups of friends in a variety of modes including plainchant, Anglican chant and responsorial psalmody. The day will end with the massed voices singing Parry’s anthem, ‘I was glad’. This afternoon (Saturday) St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, will be visited by bell ringers from all over Ireland while this evening, at 8pm, keyboard and vocal staff of the DIT Conservatory will present ‘A Little Night Music’, in St Stephen’s Church, Lower Mount Street, Dublin.
Tomorrow (Sunday) evening at 8pm in St Fiaac’s Church, Clonegal, Co Carlow there will be a Songs of Praise service at which the address will be given by the Dean of Christ Church, Dublin, he Very Revd Dermot Dunne.
In St Macartan’s Cathedral, Clogher, the Dean of Clogher, the Very Revd Kenneth Hall, will install new members of the chapter. Canon Stanley Bourke, Rector of Inishmacsaint, is to be Chancellor of Clogher; Canon Ian Berry, Rector of the Monaghan, Tydavnet and Kilmore, will be installed as Prebendary of Donacavey; Canon David Skuce, Rector of Maguiresbridge and Derrybrusk, as Prebendary of Kilskeery; and Canon Helene Steed, Rector of Clones, Killeevan, Newbliss and Currin , as prebendary of Devenish. The preacher will be the dean of Derry, the Very Revd Dr William Morton.
On Wednesday evening at 50 Marlborough Park, Belfast, a memorial plague to the stained glass artist, Wilhelmina Geddes (1887-1955) will be unveiled and this will be followed by a lecture in the Faculty of Art and Design, York Street, by Dr Nicola Gordon Bowe from NCAD. Among Geddes’ best known Church of Ireland commissions are windows in St John’s Malone, and in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street.