CHURCH OF IRELAND NOTES
For Saturday 22nd September 2001
From: The RCB Library
Email: RCB Library
Summer in La Serenissima
Most Church of Ireland clergy, although they may move from parish to
parish on a number of occasions, spend their careers within the island of
Ireland. Some, however, do migrate to other provinces of the Anglican
Communion and a small number are, at present, serving in the Diocese of
Europe as chaplains to English speaking communities. Rupert Moreton is in
Helsinki, Ian Sherwood in Istanbul, and Bryn Byrne in Lanzarote. Another of
this company, the Revd John McKay, formerly vicar of St Bartholomew's,
Dublin, is chaplain in Venice and during his summer break he was replaced by
the Chaplain of Trinity College, Dublin, Dr Alan McCormack.
What were Dr McCormack's impressions of ministry in such an apparently
exotic location? The immediate impression was of a city swarming with
tourists and bursting at the seams, and so a key aspect of ministry at St
George's Church was the simple, graceful, repetitive duty of hospitality and
welcome. Sunday by Sunday there were new faces in the church to be welcomed
and guided.
The regulars, perhaps a quarter of the congregation, are mostly from
Britain and the USA, including a small smattering of the aristocracy. There
are also some Venetians who are committed Anglicans and even a Serbian
Orthodox organist and a Nigerian acolyte! Some live in Venice for only part
of the year while others are full time residents - business executives, art
critics, university lectures. Yet all are conscious of belonging to St
George's, conscious that they form the Anglican Church in that place, and
only too delighted to help with whatever needs to be done.
In Venice St George's welcomes those who visit and sustains those who
reside. It is a distinctive Christian witness in an ecclesiastically
saturated environment and one which values its close relationships with
ecumenical partners. It is a church seeking to be of genuine service to
anglophones on the move, and to any who find something valuable or
attractive in the mix.
Today (Saturday) the Bishop of Cork will be the speaker at the
400th Anniversary of the Battle of Kinsale Dinner at which President
McAleese will preside. In Redcross Church the GFS in Dublin and Glendalough
will hold their Festival Service at which the preacher will be the Revd
Sheila Zeitsman while in Wilson's Hospital, Multyfarnham, the Meath and
Kildare Diocesan Synod will take place.
Tomorrow (Sunday) RTE will televise a Service of the Word with the
Revd Michael Wooderson and the parishioners of Naas while BBC Radio Ulster
will broadcast Morning Service from Dromore Cathedral where the rector is
the Revd Stephen Lowry. The Mothers' Union Festival Service for the Dioceses
of Tuam, Killala and Achonry will be held in St Nicholas' Collegiate Church,
Galway, where the preacher will be the Revd Rab Mollan. In Christ Church,
Tramore, the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, will institute the Revd Derek
Sargent as Vicar of the Waterford Cathedral group of parishes.
On Monday the Archbishop of Armagh will institute the Revd William
Quigley as Rector of Killylea and Eglish and on Wednesday he will preside at
the Mothers' Union Festival Service in Armagh Cathedral where the address
will be given by Lady Eames.
On Wednesday the Archbishop of Dublin will licence student readers in the
Theological College and on Friday he will preside at the Diocesan Service
for Primary and Junior Schools, in Christ Church Cathedral, where the
preacher will be the Revd Arthur Barrett, Rector of Booterstown and Mount
Merrion. In Enniskillen the Bishop of Clogher will preside at his last
Diocesan Synod before retirement.
Church of Ireland Notes appear in the Irish
Times whose web site may be found at
http://www.ireland.com/ |
