Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from the Irish Times
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity may no longer be at the cutting edge of ecumenical relations as the Christian communities in Ireland have become easier in each others company. Nonetheless it is a useful vehicle through which to remind ourselves that there is still some way to go before we are all in communion and, in particular, to remind those in authority that they have a responsibility to ensure continued progress towards that hallowed goal.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning the congregation of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, will welcome to its pulpit the Revd Katherine Meyer, from the USA, who is Presbyterian/Methodist chaplain in Trinity College, and a frequent speaker on ecumenical affairs. The Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd John Neill, will preside at the Eucharist in St Bartholomew’s and in the evening will attend a Church Unity Week service in Christ Church, Leeson Park. In St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, the preacher at Evensong for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be the Auxiliary Bishop of Down and Connor, the Most Revd Anthony Farquhar.
On Monday the Bishop of Cork, the Rt Revd Paul Colton, will mark Church Unity Week by hosting a lunch in the Palace for local church leaders. The Southern Regional Coordinator of CMSI, the Revd Patrick Comerford, will preach in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Firhouse, on Monday evening, and on Tuesday evening in St Saviour’s Church, Arklow.
The chaplains in Trinity College, Dublin, will observe Church Unity Week by celebrating the Eucharist within the Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist and Anglican traditions on four successive nights in the College Chapel. On the final night, Friday, an Agape will be held.
On Friday night in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Cumann Galeach na hEaglaise and Pobal an Aifrinn will hold an interdenominational service of prayer and music at which the preacher will be the Rector of St Peter’s, Belfast, the Revd Charles McCollum.
Tonight (Saturday) at 8.55 pm TG4 will screen Louis Marcus’ Irish language film “No Rootless Colonists. Na Gaeil-Phrotastunaigh” which will be shown with English subtitles.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, the second in the Hilary term series of sermons on the theme “What Makes Me Tick” will be delivered. The preacher will be Senator Martin Mansergh who is the subject of a recent biography by Kevin Rafter which was published late last year by New Island.
The Crosslinks missionary society will be holding an 80th anniversary weekend, beginning on Friday, in Glenada Conference Centre, Newcastle, Co. Down. The guest speaker will be Martin Goldsmith, a Christian Jew, and his wife Elizabeth, and the newly appointed Irish Team Leader, Melanie Lacy, and the General Secretary will be present.
The Revd Dr Naim Ateek, Director of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Centre and Lecturer at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute for Theological Studies, both in Jerusalem will be visiting Ireland later in the month. An Anglican priest, and former Dean of St George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem, he is widely respected for his courageous work for peace in the region. He will be conducting a three day seminar entitled “Ministry in a Troubled World” in Dundrum House Hotel, Co. Tipperary from 26 to 29 January and on 31 January will lead a one day seminar for clergy and laity in the Church of Ireland Theological College in Dublin. Details of the Dundrum event may be had from the Dean of Cashel, Dr Philip Knowles, at 062-61232, and of the Dublin seminar from Canon David Moynan at 01-2955603.