Diocesan News01 Jul 16

Cross–community Centenary Vigil at Down Cathedral

On 30 June, the eve of the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, Down Cathedral was the venue for a cross–community prayer vigil to remember all who died in the events of 1916.

1916 was a tumultuous year in Irish history with both the Easter Rising and the colossal loss of life at the Somme along with other battles of the Great War.

The service was led by the Dean of Down and involved contributions from all the local church leaders, Bishop Harold and community representatives. 

The congregation heard the poignant stories of 3 Downpatrick men, all of whom were killed in action on 1 July 1916 and a piper played a lament at the end of a 2 minute silence where we remembered the fallen.

In his epilogue, Bishop Harold spoke about the central role of remembering in our faith but also about ‘remembering forward’. 

He said: “It never ceases to amaze me how a man, who has only one life, would sacrifice that life for a future he would never see. But we know the end of the story, and remembering forward reminds us that God is in control, that God is sovereign. We look ahead to a ‘world restored, a world without death or mourning or crying or pain.’”

At the end of the service, members of the congregation were encouraged to place a tealight at the foot of the war memorial in the narthex to remember all who died.