Added on 20/10/2012

Saturday 20 October 2012

New Issue of Search
The autumn issue of the Church of Ireland journal, Search, which is now available is dominated by two issues – the decade of commemoration and human sexuality.

The Bishop of Clogher, who chairs the Church of Ireland’s Historical Commemorations Working Group, offers an overview of the decade of commemorations, Wilfred Baker from Cork diocese discusses the unionist tradition in the South and Aonghus Dwane, of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise, chronicles the positive attitude to the 1916 Rising expressed by Church of Ireland preachers in the jubilee year of 1966 .

The articles on human sexuality are designed to foster thoughtful discussion of this devisive issue. Bishop Michael Mayes charts his journey through the territory in relation to the biblical texts and the community issues, the Revd Ron Elsdon poses questions from the conservative side of the agenda, and Dean of Leighlin, the Very Revd Tom Gordon, provides a social analysis from recent surveys.

In addition there are articles on the challenge to Christian mission of changing contexts by the Revd Keith Scott, the value and practice of “pastoral supervision” for ministers by Diane Clutterbuck, and, marking 350 years since the 1662 Prayer Book, Revd Dr William Marshall offers a concise summary of our common worship since the Reformation.

Readers of Dr Marshall’s article can expand their experience of the history of the BCP by visiting the exhibition in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin. ‘The Word that Spake’, which is largely the work of Canon Roy Byrne, includes examples of many copies of the BCP from 1549 onwards.
www.searchjournal.ireland.anglican.org

Tomorrow (Sunday) morning Miriam O’Callaghan, TV and radio presenter and broadcast journalist, will speak in the ‘Soul Sisters’ series of addresses at the Sung Eucharist in Trinity College Chapel at 10.45am. In the afternoon the Archbishop of Dublin will preach in Christ Church cathedral at the Annual Diocesan Service for the Church’s Ministry of Healing. At Evensong in St Patrick’s cathedral, President Michael D. Higgins will give the address at the annual Jonathan Swift commemoration, while in St Macartin’s cathedral, Clogher, the Dean of Kilmore, the Very Revd Raymond Ferguson, will preach at the Friends of Clogher Cathedral service.

Next Monday Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise will hold a Eucharist, as Gaeilge, at lunchtime in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, while in the evening the Bishop of Derry will institute Canon David Ferry to the incumbency of Balteagh group of parishes.

On Tuesday evening at 7.30pm in the Knox Hall, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, the actor Frank Kelly, will launch a novel by the retired Church of Ireland clergyman, Patrick Semple. Transient Beings is a story of country parish life in rural Ireland of the 1970s.

The Derry & Raphoe Diocesan Synod will be held in Ballybofey, on Wednesday. In the evening in St Mary’s cathedral, the Revd Sandra Pragnell will be installed as Dean of Limerick while in Dublin City Library and Archive,  at 6.30pm, the Very Revd Dr Robert MacCarthy will address the Old Dublin Society on the subject of St Patrick’ cathedral. In Ferns, Canon Patrick Comerford, Lecturer in Anglicanism, Liturgy & Church History in CITI, will speak at a meeting of the Ferns Ecumenical Group in Saint Mogue’s Cottage on the present state of the Church of Ireland.

On Thursday at 8pm in Belvedere House, Mullingar, Dr Kevin Mulligan will give a lecture on the restoration of Ballyfin House, in aid of the Kilbixy church restoration fund, and at the same time on Friday the Dublin Welsh Male Voice Choir will give a concert in Kilternan parish church.

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’