Diocesan News07 Mar 13

St Macartan’s – at the Heart of the Clogher Valley: Celebrating St Patrick’s Day in St Macartan’s Cathedral, Clogher

A day of special events to mark St Patrick’s Day is being held in The Cathedral Church of St Macartan, Clogher on Sunday 17th March 2013. The Cathedral stands on the hill in Clogher and is a place of great historical and religious significance to all who live in the Clogher Valley. This day of events is an opportunity for visitors to come along and view our ancient Cathedral, learn of its history and its links to our common Christian heritage and also to see and handle items of historical interest from our past.

The celebrations begin with a Service of Holy Communion in the Cathedral at 11.30am which will be followed by a Lenten Lunch in the Cathedral Hall at 1.00pm in aid of the Us missionary organisation(formerly USPG). The Cathedral will remain open to visitors from 2.00pm with various guest musicians providing recitals during the afternoon. Mr Jack Johnston JP, the Cathedral’s archivist and a well–known local historian will give a guided tour and talk on the history of St Macartan’s and its place in the heart of the Clogher Valley at 3.45pm. The day will round off at 5.00pm with a little bit of history when Choral Evensong will be led jointly by the Choir of the Cathedral Group of Parishes and the Choir of St Patrick’s Clogher, to a setting by Thomas Tallis.

Speaking about this special day of celebration The Revd Canon Noel Regan,  Rector of Clogher and Precentor of the Cathedral Chapter said

“As members of the Church of Ireland we have the great privilege of worshipping in some of the most significant and important sites in the Christian history of this land. In Clogher we have a fine Cathedral which stands on one of the most important Christian sites in the area. We are delighted to open our doors that others might come and together with us learn something of our common heritage and enjoy the surroundings of this holy and special place. I hope many from the Clogher Valley will come and join us on St Patrick’s Day”