The Education spokespersons for the three main protestant churches in Northern Ireland record their 'intense disappointment that the necessary political will did not exist to at least find an accommodation on an agreed and regulated interim arrangement for transfer' and call for a Working Group on Transfer to build consensus. Full text of statement provided.
The Standing Committee of the General Synod met in Dublin on 10 March 2009.
On St Patrick's Day, the Bishop of Down & Dromore states that 'by the grace of God, and in the spirit of St Patrick, we are moving forward together as one community into a peaceful future'.
The Right Revd Ken Good, Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, speaks of the unity of people in Northern Ireland, resolute to stand against recent violence, in an opinion piece for the News Letter, 16 March 2009.
The Bishop of Down and Dromore invites pilgrims to walk and pray for peace in our land in Downpatrick on St Patrick's Day, and to wear a purple ribbon as a Lenten sign of solidarity in working for good.
The leaders of the Church of Ireland, Roman Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, together with the Irish Council of Churches and Evangelical Alliance, have have issued a pastoral letter, asking churches this weekend to offer special prayers for 'our land and our people' and encourage people to wear a purple ribbon as sign of commitment to working together for good.
'The Sacred Weave of Life' conference will run from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th May 2009 at the Centre for Celtic Spirituality, Armagh
'Songs of Praise' from Down Cathedral, BBC 1, 5pm Sunday 15th March and Sung Eucharist from St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, 17th March, RTE Radio 1, 10.45am.
Bishop Jacskon reports on the first workshop of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan’s (ECS) Commission for Inter Faith and Ecumenical Relations, Juba, 23-27 February 2009.