Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
Saturday 7 April 2012
Archive of the Month
The Archive of the Month for April, on the Church of Ireland website, features a collaborative project between the Representative Church Body Library and An Garda Síochána which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. As part of its ongoing project to collect and digitise records of policing in Ireland the Garda Museum and the Garda Historical Society have digitized the records of the parish watch of the parish of St John the Evangelist, Dublin, and these are now available through the RCB Library website – www.library.ireland.anglican.org
From the Reformation until disestablishment Church of Ireland parishes were units of local government and were responsible for a range of local services including policing. This was delivered by a parish watch which was supervised by parish constables and local overseers. It was, in some ways, ideal local government – local services manned by local people and supervised by local people for the benefit of local people.
The records of the St John’s watch, which cover the period 1724–80, are the oldest surviving parish watch records and may be the oldest detailed records of policing in Ireland. They are an extraordinarily detailed account of how the inhabitants of an inner city Dublin parish comported themselves and how their indiscretions, misdemeanours and crimes were dealt with.
Tomorrow (Sunday) Easter Day, the bishops, by traditions preside and preach in their diocesan cathedrals. For the Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Revd John McDowell, and the Bishop of Tuam, the Rt Revd Patrick Rooke, this will be their first Easter in episcopal orders. It will be the first Easter also for the new Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, the Very Revd Victor Stacey, who will preach at the Sung Eucharist on Easter morning.
On Wednesday the lunchtime recital in St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, will be given by the mezzo–soprano Sarah–Ellen Murphy with Peter Barley at the piano who will perform pieces by Balfe, Rossini, Schuman and Elgar.
The choir of St Edward’s Church, Romford, begins a residency in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, on Thursday where they will sing the services until Sunday 15 April while in St Macartin’s Cathedral, Enniskillen, there will be a lunchtime Healing Service.
On Friday evening here will be another lecture in support of St Bigseach’s Church, Kilbixy, Co. Westmeath. In Belvedere House at 8pm Jonathan Shackleton will speak on ‘The First House in Antarctica’.
The Central Communications Board’s annual Magazine, Website and Social Media Competition is now open and invites entries within each category from Church of Ireland parishes, dioceses and associated organisations as well as individuals whose blogging or social networking activity clearly relate to Church activity/outreach/witness. Quality of presentation, strength of editorial content and outreach potential are once again to be the standards of excellence against which entries will be judged. The closing date is Wednesday 18 April and the winners will be announced at the General Synod in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, in May.
Parish and diocesan magazines are important for the exchange of news and printed media continue to play a vital role within the life of the Church. In addition, websites are now firmly established as vehicles which allow the wider community to observe as never before, the life of Church of Ireland members, whether in parishes, dioceses or organisations, as well as helping ‘internal communications’ by providing information and increasing interaction. Beyond this, newer media such as Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, blogs and YouTube videos have created a potentially global audience and innovative ways to assist in the Church’s ministry.
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’