Press Releases03 Oct 14

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s visit to the Church of Ireland – Sermon and Images

As part of his visit to the Church of Ireland, The Most Revd and Rt Hon. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, last night (Thursday 2nd October 2014) preached at a service of Festal Evensong at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, which was followed by reception in the Primate Alexander Synod Hall, Church House, Armagh. The Archbishop’s visit to the Church of Ireland concludes today with a visit to St Patrick’s National Cathedral, Dublin.

In his sermon yesterday, Archbishop Welby (pictured) said: ‘We need to be a people who are deeply committed to the worship of God and to prayer. It is meaningless if there is no God, and so it is at the heart of the church’s life, that we do something that distinguishes us from being an NGO with a lot of old buildings, and turns us into the living people of God, encountering him, being changed and changing our communities.’ To read the full transcript of the sermon, visit: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/articles.php/5422/archbishop-justins-sermon-at-armagh-cathedral

Earlier yesterday, Archbishop Welby and his wife, Caroline, visited Belfast seeing a range of places including St Anne’s Cathedral, the peace wall at Cupar Way and church projects in East Belfast at Willowfield, St Christopher’s and the Dock Cafe at Titanic Quarter. For a report and images, see: http://ireland.anglican.org/news/5342 and also visit the Connor Diocesan website: http://connor.anglican.org/2014/10/03/archbishop-of-canterbury-tours-north-and-west-belfast/ and the Down & Dromore Diocesan website: http://www.downanddromore.org/news/2014/10/The-Archbishop-of-Canterbury-visits-Down-and-Dromore#.VC15PvldWSo

Further images from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s visit are provided below:

Above: Before Evensong at Armagh Cathedral, L–R: Cardinal Sean Brady; Dr Michael Barry, Presbyterian Moderator; Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin; Dr Richard Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh; Archbishop Justin Welby; the Revd Peter Murray, Methodist President; Archbishop Eamon Martin (Photo: Paul Harron/CoI Press Office)

Above: Visiting North Belfast, L–R: Archbishop Michael Jackson; Archbishop Justin Welby; Mrs Caroline Welby; Archbishop Richard Clarke; Bishop Alan Abernethy (Photo: Karen Bushby)

Above: Visiting St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast – Dean John Mann; Archbishop Welby; Archbishop Clarke (Photo: Paul Harron/CoI Press Office)

Archbishop Justin Welby at the peace wall at Cupar Way, Belfast (Photo: Karen Bushby)

Above: Archbishop Welby brews tea at the Dock Cafe at Titanic Quarter, Belfast (Photo: thebigwoodenbox.com)

Archbishop and Mrs Welby and Archbishop Richard Clarke at the Church House, Armagh reception (Photo: Paul Harron/CoI Press Office)

Above: Archbishops and bishops of the Church of Ireland with Mrs Welby, bishops’ spouses and Archbishop Eamon Martin, See House, Armagh (Photo: Paul Harron/CoI Press Office)