Diocesan News14 Dec 15

Christ Church, Londonderry, in Unique Ceremony

The congregation at Christ Church in Londonderry welcomed the Roman Catholic Bishop of Derry, Dr Donal McKeown, on Sunday morning for the beginning of what is believed to have been a unique ceremony to open the Holy Door of Mercy in nearby St Eugene’s Cathedral.

It was the latest in a number of visits made by the Bishop to Christ Church. He said there had been a long and warm relationship between the two places of worship and because of that the only place St Eugene’s could begin its ceremony was in Christ Church. 

Roman Catholic cathedrals around the globe had been asked by Pope Francis to open a symbolic door, marking the beginning of a Jubilee Year of Mercy in the church. The ceremony in St Eugene’s is thought to have been the only one anywhere in the world which began in a church belonging to another Christian denomination.

Bishop McKeown was welcomed to Christ Church by the Rev Katie McAteer, who led morning worship, after which the unique ceremony formally began. The clergy prayed together, then led worshippers in procession from Christ Church to St Eugene’s. They were joined there by the Archdeacon of Derry, Ven. Robert Miller, and the Holy Door was opened by Bishop McKeown.

Archdeacon Miller said Christ Church did not have to think twice about accepting the invitation from St Eugene’s to take part in the ceremony. He said partnership was a key element in their mission in the parish and the two churches were literally within a street’s width of one another. “As Christians we share a message of hope and it’s great to be able to spread that message with others. Today’s ceremony fitted perfectly with the Derry and Raphoe Diocese’s Year of Opportunity 2016, which has ‘Mission’ as one of its main themes.”

Referring to the warm relations which already exist between leaders of the four main Christian churches in the city, Bishop McKeown said: “If we can do anything to make the mercy of God more visible in our city, we’ll do it as often as we can.”

Caption: Rev Katie McAteer (left) with Bishop Donal McKeown in Christ Church.