Irish Times Notes30 Mar 24

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Easter Celebrations

Easter is the most important season of the Church’s year when the timeless story of the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ reaches its glorious conclusion. The bishops, by tradition preach in their diocesan cathedrals on Easter Day while in the National Cathedral of St Patrick, in Dublin, the pulpit is occupied by the Dean, Dr William  Morton.

Reconciliation is the theme of the Holy Week & Easter Message from the two Archbishops of Armagh – ‘rather than simply re–emphasising the message of reconciliation, we prefer – in all humility and admitting our own failings – to call Christians, and all people of goodwill, to the ministry of reconciliation. Reconciliation is not merely an optional extra to the work of peacemaking; it is an imperative – an essential duty and service’.

In churches and cathedrals where there are choral traditions the music for Easter Day will be appropriately splendid music.

In Christ cathedral, where the Archbishop of Dublin will be the preacher, the setting at the Festal Eucharist at 11am will be Mozart’s Spatzenmesse and the Festal Evensong at 3.30pm  will mark the centenary of the death of the composer, Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, who was born in Dublin in 1852. The Cathedral Choir will sing Stanford’s  Beati quorum via. Evening Service in A, Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem, Te Deum in Bb and  Fantasia and Toccata in D Minor.

Festal Choral Eucharist will be celebrated in the National Cathedral of St Patrick, Dublin, on Easter Day at 11.15am. The traditional display of Easter lillies, sponsored by members of the congregation, and others, will be on display in the cathedral from today, and the names of the faithful departed will be remembered with thanksgiving in the intercessions. On Wednesday and Thursday, at 5.30pm, Evensong will be sung by the Choir of Lichfield cathedral who will also be providing a choral concert on Thursday at 1.00pm with music by Mozart, Handel, and Monteverdi. Evensong on Friday at 5.30pm will be sung by the Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge.

As well as being liturgically important Easter is also administratively significant for it is the time of year when parishes hold their annual General Vestry meetings. The Church of Ireland is sometimes described as being democratic, although more properly it is representative in  character. However, it is at parish level that the Church is most democratic. Anyone may register as a member of the General Vestry. There is no religious test – only a simple declaration of membership which then permits attendance at and involvement in the General Vestry meeting including the right to stand for office. Like many organizations the Church needs a regular supply of new blood in its administration and this starts in the parishes. New vestrymen, churchwardens, glebe wardens, parish secretaries and treasurers are essential if the  Church is continue to be vibrant at local level.

The Revd Ross Styles, Rector of Newcastle & Newtownmountkennedy with Calary, has been appointed Archdeacon of Glendalough. The announcement follows the retirement of Archdeacon Neal O’Raw who has served in the role since October 2018. Archdeacon O’Raw will continue to serve as Rector of Donoughmore &  Donard with Dunlavin. The new archdeacon was ordained deacon in 2015 and spent two years as a Deacon Intern in the parish of St Patrick’s, Greystones. In 2017 he was ordained priest and served as Curate in the Christ Church cathedral group of parishes. In 2021 he was appointed Rector of the parishes of Newcastle, Newtownmountkennedy with Calary.