Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
Refugee Video
Members of the Church of Ireland share stories on how they welcome and integrate refugees in a new video released in association with last month’s World Refugee Day.
The film includes interviews with Helen Livingstone and David Maganda from All Nations Ministries in Belfast, and the Revd Abigail Sines and Dr Naomi Masheti from the Carraig Centre and Cork Migrant Centre. It seeks to inspire and encourage local churches to support refugees not only in this year’s Refugee Week but at any time throughout the year.
Produced by Pelumi Adewuyi for the Primate’s Reference Group on Ethnic Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Justice, the project was funded by the Church of Ireland Priorities Fund. The Primate’s Reference Group is an initiative of the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd John McDowell, chaired by him with Dr Lucy Michael as the group’s secretary.
In a motion proposed by Dr Michael and seconded by Stella Obe at the General Synod’s 2023 meeting in Wexford, the General Synod acknowledged ‘the impact of anti–refugee and migrant hatred in our communities’ and sought suggestions from the Church’s dioceses ‘regarding ways in which the Church can counter the language of anti–refugee and migrant hatred at the local level and communicate a strong message of Christian welcome to all.’
The video can be viewed on the Church of Ireland’s website – www.ireland.anglican.org – and its Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo channels @churchofireland
Summer Music at Sandford continues today (Friday) in Sandford parish church, Ranelagh, at 1.10pm when there will be a recital by soprano, Marion Creely and the Hannaville String Quartet. In Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, there will be a lunchtime recital by the Westchester Chorus from New York, and on Thursday there will be an organ recital by Gary Cobb, Professor of Music at Seaver College, Pepperdine University, Malibu.
On Sunday Choral Eucharist at 11am and Evensong at 3.30pm, in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, will be sung by the RBS Europa Choir.
In Co. Dublin, All Saints Church, Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, is open to visitors every Saturday afternoon in July and August, from 2pm to 4pm, as part of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown’s ‘Summer of Heritage’ programme. Admission is free.
Eco Congregation Ireland has launched a new small grant scheme for churches and congregations. Thanks to generous sponsorship from church supplies companies RPD Ltd and Logos Publications, churches across Ireland can apply for a grant to support biodiversity or energy conservation projects. The grants will be between €100/£90 and €500/£450, and the ECI committee will be looking for small scale practical projects which are either already running or will begin before the end of 2024. The church or congregation must have already registered with ECI (a very simple process) and begun their Eco Congregation journey. The closing date for applications is 31st July. The criteria for the grants and an application details may be found at info@ecocongregationireland.com
Published in the Friday edition of The Irish Times