Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from the Irish Times
New Role for Harold’s Cross Church
Tomorrow (Sunday) Harold’s Cross parish church will be consecrated as a Russian Orthodox church and will be known as St Peter and St Paul’s church. Presiding at the ceremony will be Bishop Theopan of Magadan and other senior Russian Orthodox prelates and ecumenical figures will be present. The Church of Ireland will be represented by the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd John Neill, his immediate predecessor Dr Walton Empey, and the Rector of Rathmines and Harold’s Cross, Canon Neil McEndoo.
Harold’s Cross church was built in 1837 as a chapel of ease in the parish of St Catherine to cater for the spiritual needs of soldiers in Portobello Barracks. The building work was financed by voluntary subscriptions and the work was carried out by the firm of R.& W. Tough under the supervision of the architect, John Louche. It was, initially, a trustee church and the trustees included the Dean of St Patrick’s, clergy from the parishes of St Catherine, St James and St Luke and Arthur Guinness. The first chaplain was the Revd R.J. McGhee, a noted orator, controversialist and commentator. In 1903 ownership of the church was transferred to the RCB and Harold’s Cross was created a parish in its own right. It was grouped with Rathmines parish in 1977 and ceased to be used for worship in June 2001.
The building is an important part of the streetscape of south Dublin, situated behind Harold’s Cross park and beside the gates of Mount Jerome Cemetery. It is good that a new use has been found for the building and that it continues to be a place of Christian witness.
Tomorrow (Sunday) RTE will broadcast a celebration of the Eucharist from St Catherine and St James’ Church, Dublin, where the vicar is Canon John Crawford. The Bishop of Tuam will travel to Achill Island to visit St Thomas’ Church, Dugort, while the Bishop of Cork will celebrate the Eucharist in Knockmourne. The new Girl’s Choir in St Bartholomew’s parish, Dublin, will have its first outing tomorrow (Sunday) when it will sing Evensong to the setting of Sumsion in A. The preacher at the service will be the Revd Charles Mullen, Dean’s Vicar in St Patrick’s Cathedral.
In the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, tomorrow (Sunday) morning the fifth in the current series of sermons on the theme “What Makes me Tick” will be delivered by the novelist and Writer, Deirdre Purcell. On Tuesday night the College Chaplaincy’s February lecture series on “An Introduction to Orthodox Christianity” will continue.
On Monday night the tenth anniversary of Healing Services in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, will be marked by a special healing service with Pastor Mike Evans from California. Pastor Evans will also be visiting St George’s and St Finian’s churches in Belfast and St Hilda’s church, Seymour Hill.
The new Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, the Rt Revd Peter Barrett, will be enthrone in St Cathage’s Cathedral, Lismore on Wednesday evening by the Dean of Lismore, the Very Revd William Beare. The music will be provided by the St Carthage Singers and Dr Jan Van Putten, Organist and Choirmaster of the cathedral. The installation will be followed by a reception in Lismore Castle.
Christian Aid has launched a new publication entitled Losing Ground. Israel, Poverty and the Palestinians which identifies the problems in the occupied territories and makes recommendations for dealing with these problems. Copies of the publication may be obtained from Christian Aid Ireland, 17 Clanwilliam Terrace, Dublin 2 and 30 Wellington Park, Belfast BT9 6DL.