| Friday 17th October, 2008 You are here: Home - 17th October 2008 Index Page |
Front Page
Inquiry established into Lambeth Conference finances
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| John Ormerod |
Following reports of a £1.2m shortfall in the funding of this year’s Lambeth Conference, the Church of England’s Archbishops’ Council and Church Commissioners have set up a review, under the independent chairmanship of John Ormerod, a former senior partner of Deloitte, to examine the financial management of the Lambeth Conference. Full Text
Editorial
Mission Statement Begs Questions
The recent publication and distribution of a mission statement by the House of Bishops, clearly intended as enunciating the mission priorities for the Church of Ireland, raises two basic questions - first, regarding the statement itself, and second, regarding the procedure. Full Text
Home News
Young people challenged and energised at Connor youth event
By Karen Bushby
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| A group of young people from Glenavy parish at the ‘Energize’ celebration |
‘Energize’, a celebration of Connor Diocese’s youth and youth work, was held recently in St Brigid’s church, Glengormley. Praise and worship took place in the 550-seat church, which was almost filled to capacity, and different rooms housed a coffee bar, juice dock and prayer space.
JUMP programme interns settle into parishes throughout Ireland
By Barbara Swann
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| The 2008/2009 JUMP programme interns and the parishes in which they are working (front row, from left) Susan Ferguson (the Sligo Cathedral group of parishes); Sabrina Parry and Katie Smyth (both St Mary’s, Ballybeen, Diocese of Down); and Cathy Lewis (Kill o’ the Grange, Diocese of Dublin); (back row, from left) Julie Green (St Augustine’s, Londonderry, and Derry and Raphoe Youth); Adam Coghlan (Limerick City parish); and Andrew Morrison (Ballyholme, Diocese of Down). |
After three weeks of training in Belfast, all seven JUMP programme interns are now in their respective parishes throughout Ireland. The JUMP programme is the new ‘Year Out’ initiative offered by the Church of Ireland Youth Department for young adults aged 18 to 30.
All Ireland President assumes world presidency of Girls’ Friendly Society
In August 2008, Tullow’s Emila Corrigan had the honour of assuming the world presidency of the Girls’ Friendly Society (GFS), a position she will hold for three years. The commissioning was held in Seoul, South Korea, during the closing service of the 19th GFS World Council (Gazette, 3rd October, page 5). During the service, musicians played Danny Boy on traditional Korean flutes to celebrate the commissioning.
Old Testament Scriptures to form focus of annual Belfast theological lectures
The annual theological lectures sponsored by the Anglican Chaplaincy of the University of Ulster (at Jordanstown and Belfast) will take place over two evenings, Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th November, beginning at 7.30pm each evening, at the Belfast campus of the University (beside St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast).
Dublin choirs honoured as members receive RSCM certificates
By Garrett Casey
Young people from three historic Dublin choirs were presented with Certificates of Achievement by the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) at a recent Evensong in Christ Church Cathedral Dublin. The event marked the success of the first group of candidates from Dublin to have entered for the RSCM’s Voice for Life awards, designed to encourage them to develop their vocal skills, musical understanding, knowledge and repertoire.
New national school opened in Co. Monaghan
A new chapter in the life of a parish school founded in the 1700s took place recently, when a new building was opened and dedicated. Built on a ‘green-field’ site, the new Clontibret National School, Co. Monaghan, replaces a building that had served the local Gallagh community for 184 years.
New Children’s Choir
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The rector of Julianstown, Diocese of Meath, the Ven. Patrick Lawrence (standing, extreme right), is pictured with the newly- formed children’s choir of St Mary’s church, Julianstown, with Paola Cullen, choir director (back row, 2nd right), and Jane Lawrence, assistant director (standing, extreme left).
Ploughing Championships
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For the first time, the Church of Ireland had a stand at the national ploughing championships which took place recently in Kilkenny. The stand was manned for the three days of the championships by a rota of local clergy and lay people who welcomed many members of the Diocese and members of other faiths who were visiting the championships. Another first was the facilities for baby-changing provided by the Mothers’ Union and which proved a popular and useful service to young mothers visiting the complex. Pictured (above) are Mothers’ Union members who provided the service (from left) Phyllis Grothier (MU Diocesan President), Linda Ward, Hazel Sherlock and Joan Blake.
Institution
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The Revd Arthur Minion (right) seen following his institution as rector of the Crosspatrick and Carnew group of parishes, Diocese of Ferns, with Bishop Michael Burrows.
World News
Ethics and the Internet
A Geneva-based network that promotes debate on ethical issues has launched a global online library, with more than one million documents, to help lessen the "digital divide" between the northern and southern hemispheres. "Access to information and communication is a key instrument of development," said Walter Fust, president of Globethics.net, at a 9th October media conference in Geneva to launch the online resource, called the Global Digital Library on Ethics. "The North-South digital divide is still deep," said Mr Fust, a former Swiss ambassador.
India celebrates Gandhi while attacks on Christians continue
Christians and secular groups in India have commemorated the 2nd October anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, but attacks against Christians continued on a day that marked the Indian independence campaigner’s message of non-violence.
German Protestants recall the life of Bishop Bell
Protestants in Germany have been recalling the life of George K. A. Bell, a Church of England bishop who opposed the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler, but also sharply criticised indiscriminate bombing of German cities during the Second World War.
Canadians told reconciliation will take a long time
Academics who gathered recently in Montreal for an international conference on Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) have cautioned Canadians against looking at the TRC as the final stage in the reconciliation with aboriginal people harmed by the 150-year legacy of forced assimilation through the Indian residential schools.
Bias against women in the media
Those who spoke during the recent opening day of the 2008 World Association of Christian Communication congress in Cape Town said gender stereotypes, bias and negative stereotyping of women have continued unabated internationally in the media, despite numerous efforts by editors and journalists in different countries to improve the reporting of women.
Russia rejects US report on religious freedom
Russia’s foreign ministry has rejected a US government report on religious freedom, and dismissed its claim that the country treats minority faiths unfairly. "The latest report published on their website shows a traditionally tendentious approach to Russia," the ministry said in a statement about the 2008 edition of the annual International Religious Freedom Report, released by the US State Department in September.
Letters to the Editor
Insight
The greatest spiritual opportunity for the Church of Ireland today
Andrew Brannigan
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Andrew Brannigan, Diocesan Youth Officer for Down and Dromore, has been researching and working to support the area of Confirmation for the past six years. He published a review of Confirmation in Down and Dromore Diocese (1997-2006) last year and has just completed a Parish Confirmation Handbook for use with youth candidates. This is the first in his series of three articles for the Gazette on the future of Confirmation in the Church of Ireland.
Are you ready with your own mouth and from your own heart to affirm your faith in Jesus Christ? I am. I recently watched our young people being confirmed at an evening service in my home parish: 11 teenagers making that most incredible of decisions to turn, submit and come to Christ. I also had the additional privilege of having led them in our Youth Fellowship and I knew them as the wonderful, hilarious, fun-loving, optimistic, decent, mildly infuriating and actually quite ordinary young people that they were.
Soap
Down at St. Davids
By Ted Woods
‘Hard as it is to find a good one, it is even harder to get rid of a bad one!’ The maxim kept going round and round in Bishop Priscilla Barker’s mind, as she mulled over whom she should make Archdeacon and Dean. She needed to appoint not only ‘a good one’ but a good two! Another piece of advice she was given was ‘Hug your rival. Keep the enemy closer than a friend!’ But no, she wasn’t going to appoint Robin Flower, secretary to Anglicans Against Apostasy and placard-carrier at her consecration, to any post of responsibility!
Popular Culture
Religion that helps us hate, and religion that helps us love
Gareth Higgins
The fourth part of a series on Irish spirituality
I’ve been writing over the past few issues about the spiritual terrain of Ireland, and it’s time to turn to the most obvious question: one of the strangest realities of my life is that the very place where I live has been used as evidence for God’s non-existence. The violent conflict in Northern Ireland that has claimed so many lives and traumatised the rest of us over the past 40 years is often spoken of as a religious war - Protestants and Roman Catholics killing each other for the sake of a tiny piece of land. It makes a certain kind of sense to refute the positive value of spiritual belief when it seems to produce murder.
Life Lines
Too much hot air
Ron Elsdon
I recall a TV advert that was, at first sight, truly heart-warming - until I thought about it some more. Picture the scene. It’s the middle of winter and the oil tanker arrives at the house to fill the central heating tank. The driver has a chat with the elderly couple at the door. They know each other well. The banter brightens up everyone’s day. He drives away. They wave to each other. Outside, it’s clearly very cold (snow on the ground? I can’t remember.). They shut the door and retreat into the cosy warmth of their little home. You can tell they are nice and warm. They don’t even need to be wearing pullover or cardigan.
Yours Faithfully
Letting Go
Maureen Ryan
The accepted wisdom used to be that women invested too much in their children, leaving themselves vulnerable to the empty-nest syndrome. Then, when their husbands, who had over-identified with work, retired, they, in turn, experienced loss of role and loss of structure which precipitated bitterness, worthlessness and depression. Remember those stories of men who had worked all their lives, only to die a few months after retirement?
Book Reviews
CLERGY OF KILMORE, ELPHIN AND ARDAGH
Edited by Canon D.W.T. Crooks; pp. 930
CLERGY OF TUAM, KILLALA AND ARDAGH
Edited by Canon D.W.T.
Crooks; pp. 678
CLERGY OF WATERFORD, LISMORE AND FERNS
Edited by The Revd Iain
Knox; pp. 513 + 288
MY PEW - THINGS I HAVE SEEN FROM IT
Author: Dave Walker
Publisher: Canterbury Press
Price: £5.99
AN ANGLICAN COVENANT - THEOLOGICAL AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR A GLOBAL DEBATE
Author: Norman Doe
Publisher: Canterbury
Press; pp.259
Price: £16.99
WAVES OF GOD’S EMBRACE – SACRED PERSPECTIVES FROM THE OCEAN
Author: Winston Halapua
Publisher: Canterbury
Press; pp.104
Price: £8.99
News Extra
Author of history of ordained women’s ministry
in Church of Ireland makes history again
By Garrett Casey
Speaking at the launch of her book, EmbracingWomen - Making History in the Church of Ireland, held recently in Christ Church Cathedral Dublin, Canon Ginnie Kennerley quipped that only the previous Sunday she had become the first woman to celebrate the Eucharist from the Cathedral’s High Altar. She said: "It was rather strange with this title, Making History in the Church of Ireland, to find I was at it again!"
Law professionals told of ‘need to do better’
Fr Godfrey O’Donnell, of the Romanian Orthodox Church, preaching at a service in St Michan’s church, Dublin, to mark the opening of the Michaelmas Law term, told the assembled solicitors, barristers and clergy that "as one person in a helping profession speaking to those in another, we all need to do better."
Resignation