The February edition of the Church Review hits the pews this weekend. In this month’s issue Canon Patrick Comerford writes of the romantic tales that link Venice with Dublin, Cambridge and Oxford’s ‘dreaming spires’ in his regular column.

There are reports from the launch of BACI’s Lenten Bible Study resource and of the Jesus Agenda which was launched in association with Christian Aid. There are reports and photographs of dedication of gifts at St Mullin’s Church, Timolin and the Victorian Tea Party in Rathmichael.

Fr Peter McVerry’s visit to Killiskey is highlighted along with the church planting seminar which took place in Christ Church Cathedral. The parish profile turns the spotlight on St Matthias’ in Killiney–Ballybrack.

There is the usual comprehensive round up of news from around the parishes and from the cathedrals and book reviews to guide your reading choices.

The Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Richard Chartres (pictured), will visit Dublin and Glendalough on February 27. During his time here he will address gatherings of the clergy and laity and it is hoped that the discussions will contribute to the ongoing debate on the development of a shared vision for the future of the dioceses.

London Diocese has experienced encouraging development under Bishop Chartres’ leadership. He has facilitated and enabled a wide variety of traditions of the church to coexist harmoniously and to flourish mutually.

The bishop will meet clergy in the Church of Ireland College of Education on the morning of Thursday February 27 starting at 9.30 am. The session will include a time of worship, an address by the bishop and an opportunity for questions and answers. The morning will conclude with lunch. 

On the same day, lay people of the dioceses will have the opportunity to hear from Bishop Chartres at an event in St Catherine’s Church, Thomas Street, Dublin 8. This session will start with hospitality and again there will be worship, an address and time for questions and answers.

The visit of the Bishop of London follows a gathering of the clergy of the dioceses late last year which was a first step in looking at how Dublin and Glendalough could plan for the future. 

Archbishop Michael Jackson feels that those participating in the seminars will benefit from what Bishop Chartres has to say. “There is much, I am sure, we can learn from him – especially perhaps in the vital area of hospitality and welcome, which is very much to the fore for us in Dublin and Glendalough,” he commented. “I hope that this discussion will help us in our own discussion of how we can best build for the future.”

There are a few places available for the lay event in St Catherine’s. Anyone who would like to attend should email archdublinoffice@gmail.com for more information.  

February 2014 marks auspicious month in the calendar of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute (CITI) – formerly the Theological College (until 2008) and before that the Church of Ireland Divinity Hostel, founded in 1913, which prepares future clergy for ordination. On 17 February 2014 it will be exactly fifty years to the day since the official opening and dedication of the premises at Braemor Park, Churchtown (formerly Rathgar) in Dublin.

To mark the occasion, this month’s Archive of the Month at the Representative Church Body Library (which is part of the CITI campus) features of the resources available in the Library to document with accuracy the evolutionary story of this central Church institution, and thus contribute positively to its anniversary.

In addition to keeping safe two concurrent minute books of the Divinity Hostel (evolving into the Theological College), for the period 1913 to 2000, the Library also holds an array of supplementary printed materials that help to flesh out the story. These latter include the Reports of the General Synod published annually, which document the administration and funding of the institution; the news pages of the Church of Ireland Gazette which in February 1964 include pictures and reports covering the re–opening in Braemor Park some fifty years ago; and even the order of service used in the chapel of the “new hostel” on the very day when the Most Revd James McCann, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland opened the new premises, and when the chapel was dedicated by the Most Revd George Otto Simms, Archbishop of Dublin.

The minute books, as original manuscripts, are subject to normal 40–year closure rules, so they are available for public consultation up to and including the year 1974. The printed materials are open to all. A colourful selection of archival and printed items is included on the online display.

Re–location of the Divinity Hostel in 1964 had repercussions for the RCB Library, which was founded in 1932, and originally occupied the top floor of the Church’s central administration at 52 St Stephen’s Green. When Church of Ireland House re–located, the decision was made to move the theological and reference library of the Church of Ireland, as well as the principal repository for its written heritage, in close proximity to the Divinity Hostel, to facilitate ordinands in training. This occurred in 1970, and today the Library’s printed collections of books and periodicals are used on a daily basis by the current generation of ordinands, as well as a wide range of public researchers.

To view the online presentation, see: www.ireland.anglican.org/library/archive

For information about the Church of Ireland Theological Institute see http://www.theologicalinstitute.ie/

For further information please contact: Dr Susan Hood RCB Library Braemor Park Churchtown Dublin 14 Tel: 01–4923979 Fax: 01–4924770 E–mail: susan.hood@rcbdub.org

Rathmines Town Hall became a hub of stimulating discussion and exciting conversation as Rubicon 2014 took place on Saturday February 1. Now in its third year, Rubicon is an initiative of Greg Fromholz and the Revd Rob Jones of Holy Trinity, Rathmines. It aims to create a place where the big questions can be debated and talked about. It draws together people to collaborate intentionally and explore ideas about how people of faith can continue to engage in all their spheres of influence.

This year the focus was on the theme of justice and social action. Over 100 people gathered to hear Shane Claiborne, founder of the Simple Way Community in Philidelphia; the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Michael Jackson; and John Foong of Google offer their diverse perspectives on the subject. They were joined later by the Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Charles Brown who took part in a good natured debate with Archbishop Jackson and Shane Claiborne.

Archbishop Michael Jackson opened the morning session and set the scene for discussion on the Church and the city. He said there had been an uneasy relationship between Christianity and the city from the earliest days. The distinction between secular and sacred was real and tangible, he stated although he added there was engagement between them.

“The ecclesiastical world is going nowhere without the secular world, most particularly because the world as Christians understand it is the gift of life by God in creation. How this understanding is received and lived out in contemporary spiritual and scientific terms is always going to be a point of critical and often conflagrational engagement. Hence there is an imperative for Christian people to engage in a spirit of service and of custodianship and of protection and generosity towards others, particularly those who are vulnerable. For such generalized reasons as these, there is need for churches and for church people to engage enthusiastically with knowledge about the world and its workings – its potentials and its pitfalls – and this we have frequently failed to do,” the Archbishop stated.

Dr Jackson also spoke of interfaith criteria in the city and said we failed to see how deeply embedded religion and culture were for those of other world faiths. He concluded that respect, ecology and integration were needed if we were to fully participate in the life of the city.

To read the full text of the Archbishop’s talk click here.

Shane Claiborne said that the world was suffering from a breakdown in relationships. He said that Churches were often known for who they had excluded rather than those who they had embraced. He said that some of the words used by non–Christian young Americans in response to a survey decribed Churches as ‘anti–gay’, ‘judgemental’ and ‘hypocritical’ rather than inclusive and loving places.

Shane suggested that walls were used to keep things out but they also locked us in. “Almost everything in the world compels us to hide behind walls and we don’t see the suffering,” he said. “It’s easier to hate people that we do not know and one of the tragedies of this world is that we don’t know people. It’s not that rich people don’t care for poor folks, it’s that they don’t know poor folks. And that’s a danger. When we build those walls, either economic or social, it is always easier to hate those we don’t know. We talk at each other rather than with each other. When we try to build friendships there’s a power and that’s when the walls start to crack.”

Part of what Jesus was trying to do, Shane contended, was to create subversive friendships, break down the barriers and tear down the trapping walls. He hoped that thanks to conversations like those happening at Rubicon, people would not see churches as anti–gay, judgemental and hypocritical a generation from now.

To learn more about Shane’s work see www.thesimpleway.org or follow him on Twitter at @ShaneClaiborne.

John Foong talked of justice and corporate responsibility. He explained the concept of triple corporate responsibility by which large corporations diverted one percent of their time, energy and profit to causes beyond their profits. However, he posed the question – What if one of the primary tools used by God in this world was profit driven companies?

He pointed out that corporations were heavily incentivised – they needed to have a great product at the right price point and suggested that by trying to make a profit they were actually doing good. Over the last 10 years there had been the greatest movement of people from absolute poverty to lesser poverty through working for corporations. This did not happen because the corporation wanted to create jobs but because they wanted to make a profit. He said there were very few true socialist states left and this was due, at least in part, to corporations and added that countries in which the majority of people were employed by corporations were better places to live.

However, he added the caveat that this model did not work in countries where there were “dumb citizens” who aren’t politically active. “Brand and reputation is so important to big companies so they have to get it right… and if you have an active public, corporations are held to account,” Mr Foong said.

During the day there were also contributions from Lauren Shaw, who formerly worked for Ruhama, on human trafficking, while Elaine and Cathy Moore of the Women’s Shelter in Rathmines spoke about justice for the women they had met. Brand consultant Cameron Stewart, spoke of random acts of kindness and simple steps to justice. Graham Jones of the Solas Project talked of people who were caught in the “victim stance” failing to realise that they had “the right to be the cause of their own solution and not that they are victims of the world around them”.

A panel discussion, chaired by Gavin Jennings of RTÉ featured Dr James Gallan of Dublin City University’s Law and Government Department, Brother Martin Bennett of the Capuchian Friary, Thywill Bankole of Fingal Ethnic Network, government advisor Daniel Ramamoorthy, and Lydia Monds of Bishops’ Appeal.

All the talks from Rubicon will be available to view at www.wearerubicon.com

Photo captions:

1. Greg Fromholz chairs a panel discussion with Shane Claiborne, activist, author and founder of the Simple Way Community in Philidelphia; the Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Charles Brown; and the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Michael Jackson at Rubicon 2014 in Rathmines.

2. Cameron Stewart, brand consultant.

3. John Foong, Google.

4. Graham Jones, Solas Project.

A range of gifts which will enhance the practical and worship life of Holy Trinity Church, Killiney, were dedicated by Archbishop Michael Jackson on Sunday February 2, the Feast of the Presentation.

The gifts, which range from Advent candles to a piano, were from parishioners. Church wardens, Linda Peters and Stephen Rhys–Thomas, sought their blessing from the Archbishop.

In his sermon, Archbishop Jackson spoke of the dedication of Jesus and Samuel and said that things changed drastically and radically through both dedications. He said it was not possible to live without the joy of change and new life. “Every day is a gift from God; every day is a radical day; and every day is a day of change because night and day, day and night of themselves speak wonderfully of change and return change to us as a gift to do with change what we will and what we must,” he stated.

While celebrating the Presentation of Jesus in The Temple, the parish was also celebrating the generosity of its people in the gifts they have given for others to enjoy and in memory of people and situations which matter deeply to them, the Archbishop said.(The Archbishop’s sermon is reproduced in full below.)

“As well as the things themselves that people have given, we celebrate the gifts which lie within the gifts. There is the gift of commitment, by which people have decided to offer something of themselves, in memory of someone who means so much to them, for the enjoyment of others. This is a commitment on their part to others and it is a commitment to their desire that the life of this community will flourish and develop in new ways. There is the gift of generosity, because always it is possible for people to do otherwise with their money. People who want to be generous are thinking of other people first and are genuinely delighted when others enjoy what they receive. This is what makes a day like today so special in the life of this parish. It is when people whom we know and people who know us are generous with themselves and with what they want to have others enjoy and share,” he said.

The gifts which will be used throughout parish life include: Advent candles from Stephen and Linda Franck, a bench in the Garden of Remembrance presented by Wendy Airey in memory of Richard Airey, CDs for the church from Anne Peters in memory of Frank Peters, a cabinet for notices and the refurbishment of the vestry presented by Cynthia Hughes in memory of Ben Hughes, chairs for the Carry Hall by the Day family, copies of the Church Hymnal from Edgard and Daphne Hall, crystal cruets by the Duncan family in memory of Maurice Duncan, a notice board by Ernest Smythe in memory of Lillian (Babs) Smythe, a piano for the Carry Hall by Eileen McCracken, an Alter set by Betty Burdett in memory of John Burdett, recovering of chairs and stool from Henry and Marianne Irvine, refurbishment of the choir area by Helen Irwin in memory of Sam Irwin, reordering of the baptistery and creation of a children’s area by Helen Middleton in memory of Ian Middleton, steps to the Garden of Remembrance from John Course in memory of Patricia Course, a storage heater for the vestry from Stanley and Pamela Clarke, a wedding kneeler from Paul and Ruth Stewart and a wooden coffin stand by Nicholls Undertakers.

Other gifts were donated anonymously including: a CD player, curtains and rails behind the choir, a fridge for the Carry Hall and a microwave for the Carry Hall.

Photo caption: Church warden, Linda Peters; lay reader, Nigel Pierpoint; Archbishop Michael Jackson; rector, the Revd Niall Sloane; and acting church warden, Stephen Rhys Thomas in Holy Trinity, Killiney, where the Archbishop dedicated gifts which were presented to the parish.

Killiney Holy Trinity, Diocese of Dublin

The Feast of the Presentation February 2.2014

Readings: Malachi 3.1–5; Hebrews 2.14–18; St Luke 2.22–40

A sermon preached by the Archbishop

St Luke 2.22: When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord…

I am sure that this particular dedication of Jesus, the firstborn of Mary and Joseph, reminds all of us of the dedication of the infant Samuel, when his mother Miriam brought him to the Shrine at Shiloh. Miriam did so to dedicate Samuel to the Lord; Mary did likewise in order to dedicate the child Jesus and to declare the Messiah. Things changed radically and drastically through both dedications because, in no sense, were the two holy places ever the same again. In each case, we have firstborn children; in each case, we have prophets; in each case, we have priests; in each case, we have people who change everything in their generation. And this is still who God is and who we are in our generation. This may indeed seem far, far away from the mind–set of those who would rather live the future by the rhythms of the past and the present without any of the joy of change and new life. It just does not work like this. Every day is a gift from God; every day is a radical day; and every day is a day of change because night and day, day and night of themselves speak wonderfully of change and return change to us as a gift to do with change what we will and what we must.

In both Shiloh and Jerusalem we have people who work within the system, The Law of Moses. The most amazing of creative things happen and come out such obedience and loyalty for the future. Dedication brings joy and fulfilment and the recognition that a God of power is present in the life of the child of Bethlehem now proclaimed as the Messiah of God. The dedication is most clearly of the child Jesus. This is the focal point of today’s Gospel. Simeon takes Jesus, does for him what The Law requires and then sings the Song of Simeon which we know as Nunc Dimittis. The Messiah will give salvation to all peoples as a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.

Many people are giving and receiving in this central interchange. Mary and Joseph are given the assurance that their son is within The Law of Moses and is honoured as such. Mary, like Miriam, is in fact giving him away. Simeon and Anna are given the assurance that their watching and their waiting over many years has not been in vain. Jesus is given the work of Messiah as a life’s work, to save his people from their sins. All who are present are given the very precious gift of being in the presence of God when something of importance and significance happens and they are part of that action.

But let us dig deeper. Mary is also given the gift of realism without any sentimentality. The saving of souls cannot be done on–line; it requires the sort of spiritual battle most of us have decided does not happen any longer. I suggest that we are terrified that, left to our own devices, we may well be on the wrong side. The way in which is it expressed shows such realism also to be a gift, but a gift with consequences. The child will be a sign to be opposed. The opposition will be precisely because the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and believe you me, people don’t like those who reveal their inner thoughts, precisely because they have not got the nerve to do this for themselves. And, as in all things, the gift of love itself brings with it the pain of loss. There is no avoiding this, sad indeed as it, in life as we know it. It leads us, and Mary, from The Presentation in The Temple to the Foot of The Cross.

As well as celebrating with joy and delight The Presentation of Jesus in The Temple today, we celebrate the generosity of people of this parish in the gifts which they have given for others to enjoy and in memory of people and situations which matter deeply to them. As well as the things themselves that people have given, we celebrate the gifts which lie within the gifts. There is the gift of commitment, by which people have decided to offer something of themselves, in memory of someone who means so much to them, for the enjoyment of others. This is a commitment on their part to others and it is a commitment to their desire that the life of this community will flourish and develop in new ways. There is the gift of generosity, because always it is possible for people to do otherwise with their money. People who want to be generous are thinking of other people first and are genuinely delighted when others enjoy what they receive. This is what makes a day like today so special in the life of this parish. It is when people whom we know and people who know us are generous with themselves and with what they want to have others enjoy and share. 

The gift of thanksgiving lies at the core of both commitment and generosity. I say this because it could all have been otherwise. It is the thanksgiving which turns hearts and faces and eyes and hands to God and to the future. And in this turning we are instinctively turned towards our neighbour, as have those who are generous benefactors of Holy Trinity Killiney and its parish and community today. God is central to the gift of thanksgiving and God is central to the gift of celebration.

Malachi 3.1: See. I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.

Former Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, the Very Revd Tom Salmon, has been commemorated in a new portrait which was unveiled in the Crypt on Sunday evening.

The portrait was commissioned by the Friends of the cathedral and painted by Olivia Bartlett.

The unveiling took place following the Candlemas Procession in the cathedral when the former Dean was remembered as ‘a cleric of patent holiness, a scholar and a family man’. The reception was attended by his niece, Iris Sherwood.

The Very Revd Thomas Noel Salmon died on July 20 last year in his 101st year. He was the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, from 1967 until his retirement in 1988. 

The Friends have also commissioned a portrait of Dean Des Harman which will be unveiled at a later date.

There are few portraits of former Deans on display in the cathedral. Portraits of Herbert Kennedy and John Paterson hang in the Chapter Room while among the portraits of the archbishops of Dublin, which are hung in the cathedral, are two who had been Deans of Christ Church – Charles Cobbe, by Francis Bindon, and Richard Chenevix Trench, by Sir Thomas Jones.

Photo caption: Artist Olivia Bartlett and Iris Sherwood with Portrait of Dean Salmon (Photo: David Wynne)

A new series of lunchtime lectures aimed at ‘Introducing Christ Church’ gets underway in March. The Cathedral Library and Archives Committee has arranged the series of illustrated talks in Christ Church Cathedral each Tuesday in March.

Each session will feature a different speaker and the lectures get underway at 1.05 pm. They will last about half an hour and will be followed by a short break for tea and coffee and discussion concluding at 2.00 pm.

The series gets underway on Tuesday March 4 when Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary–General of the Anglican Communion, will speak on ‘What are cathedrals for’. 

On Tuesday March 11 ‘Music at Christ Church’ will be the subject of a lecture by Ian Keatley, Director of Music at the cathedral.

On Tuesday March 18 Professor Raymond Gillespie, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, will speak on ‘Christ Church and its history’. 

On Tuesday March 25 ‘The architecture of Christ Church’ will be highlighted in a lecture by Dr Michael O’Neill, architectural historian.

Admission to the lectures is free and the series is supported by the Friends of Christ Church.

A new Canon has been appointed to the Chapter of Christ Church Cathedral. The Revd David Gillespie (pictured), Vicar of St Ann’s and St Stephen’s, has been announced as the successor to Canon John McCullagh who retired in January.

The appointment has been welcomed by both the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson and the Dean of the Cathedral, the Very Revd Dermot Dunne.

Archbishop Jackson said he was delighted that the Revd David Gillespie had accepted his appointment. “I have every confidence that Dean Dermot Dunne joins me in the joy of receiving a new member into the Chapter of our diocesan cathedral which combines antiquity of belonging to the city of Dublin with vibrancy of witness in contemporary Ireland. In Christ Church we seek to respond in service to the presence of God in the capital city,” he said. “David is indeed already associated with the cathedral as a Minor Canon. His parochial ministry serves the inner city through both St Ann’s and St Stephen’s. This links with the outreach initiatives and the welcome to visitors and pilgrims which are carried out by the community of the parish to the community of the city on a daily basis. As bishop of the dioceses, I appreciate the continuity of witness offered by these parishes to the people of Dublin in the Anglican tradition of faithful worship and pastoral concern,” he concluded.

Dean Dunne said he was very happy that David had been appointed to the cathedral Chapter. “I am delighted at this appointment. David will make a great addition to the life of the cathedral as he does already. I’m pleased that he’ll become part of the cathedral community,” he said.

Commenting on his appointment, David said: “I am very pleased to be appointed, and look forward to working with the Dean and the Chapter to further the mission of the Church of Ireland in the centre of the city. However, in accepting the Archbishop’s invitation, I am grateful for the distinctive ministry which St Ann’s and St Stephen’s Churches has exercised in Dublin over many years, and I  extend my sincere thanks to all those who share with me in it now”.

The Revd David Ivan Gillespie was born in 1968 in Derry and was educated in Faughan Valley High School in the city. Upon leaving school he worked as a journalist with Morton Newspapers. In 1999 he moved to Dublin to study for Ministry in the Church of Ireland Theological College (now Institute). He was ordained a Deacon in 2001 and a Priest the following year. In 2001, he was appointed Curate in Agherton (Portstewart, Co Derry) in the Diocese of Connor and in 2004 was appointed Rector of Moy. He was appointed Vicar of St Ann’s and St Stephen’s in December 2008.

It has been announced today (Sunday February 9) that Canon Robert Deane (pictured), Rector of Swords and Donabate, has been appointed Canon Treasurer of the cathedral Chapter. The position had been held by Canon John McCullagh who retired in January.

The appointment was announced by Archbishop Michael Jackson who said: “Canon Deane has served the people and parishes of Dublin for many years with considerable faithfulness and industry, as curate–assistant, rector and Rural Dean. I am delighted that he has accepted the position of Canon Treasurer of Christ Church Cathedral in succession to Canon McCullagh and wish him well in the contribution he will make to the developing life of the diocesan cathedral”.

Dean Dermot Dunne said that this appointment recognised Canon Deane’s commitment. “I’m really thrilled that Robert Deane has been appointed as Canon Treasurer. He is very loyal to the cathedral and has helped it a lot and this is a great recognition of his work in the cathedral and the dioceses,” he commented.

Canon Deane said he was honoured to accept the appointment. “I am very honoured to have been appointed Canon Treasurer of Christ Church Cathedral. It is a privilege to be given a further opportunity to serve within the Chapter and the dioceses and I am quite humbled by the appointment,” he said.

Canon Robert Deane was born in 1952. After study he was ordained a Deacon in 1985 and a priest the following year. From 1985 to 1988 he served as Curate in Raheny and Coolock before going on to become Rector of Clonsast with Rathangan and Thomastown in the Diocese of Meath and Kildare. He was a Canon of St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare from 1997 to 2000 and Trim Cathedral from 1998 to 2000. In 2000, he was appointed Rector of Swords with Donabate and Kilsallaghan. In that capacity he also serves as Chaplain to St Ita’s Hospital in Portrane. He is also Rural Dean of Fingal. He became a Canon of Christ Church Cathedral in 2008.

Staff, students and those associated with the Church of Ireland Theological Institute are preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the institution’s move to Braemor Park on Monday February 17.

The former Divinity Hostel moved to Braemor Park in February 1964, when the new premises were blessed and opened by the Archbishops of Armagh and Dublin. In the past half century, the Divinity Hostel has grown and developed into the Church of Ireland Theological College, and since then has become the Church of Ireland Theological Institute.

On Monday afternoon, as part of the celebrations, former staff member, the Rev Dr David Hewlett, who is now the Principal of the Queen’s Foundation in Birmingham, will lead a seminar with the current student body on the subject of Theological training for Contextualised Mission.

Dr Hewlett will preach later that day at a service of Celebration and Thanksgiving in the Chapel of CITI. 

The class of 1964 has been invited to a buffet meal, along with staff and students of CITI, the serving and retired bishops of the Church of Ireland, former principals and members of staff, members of the CITI Governing Council and Management Committee and Heads of Department in Church House.

Two class members from 1964 who were part of the move from Mountjoy Square to Braemor Park have been invited to speak after dinner: the Right Revd Michael Mayes, former Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, and the Very Revd John Dinnen, former Dean of Down and Rector of Hillsborough. 

The anniversary is the subject of the February 2014 RCB Library Archive of the Month which can be found at www.ireland.anglican.org/library/archive. The RCB Library has a whole range of materials that might assist people researching significant anniversaries at other institutions.  

A new Lent book written by the Dean of Belfast, the Very Revd John Mann, will be formally commended in Church House, Dublin, next Wednesday, February 19.

Published by The Columba Press, the book is a series of 47 daily reflections (including Sundays and continuing right up to Easter Day) on selected individual verses from St John’s Gospel.

The new publication is the result of a process initiated by the Church of Ireland Literature Committee in 2012 which issued an open call for authors to produce a Lent book with the potential to be both an aid to personal devotion and also a resource for group discussion during the penitential season. Lent with St John’s Gospel fulfills this aim with daily reflections also arranged in weekly sections for group discussion in parishes or homes.

Dean Mann says, ‘Lent is a very special time in the Christian Year. Some may approach it with a sigh and others with joy, but one way or another it is an opportunity to try and restore equilibrium in all of the balances that we try to maintain between, for example: work and rest, activity and inactivity, prayer and action.’

He continues, ‘Lent may be seen as an encouragement to do more or a chance to re–find a spiritual discipline – but I feel, and it is reflected in the book, that though Lent may allow space for both of these things, it is increasingly important to see it as a time of gently directed thought, of which the element of reflection in devotion is no small part. St John’s Gospel, as my source of daily Biblical texts, I chose for this reason and in order to bring the focus of our Lenten thoughts on a distinct area of the Scriptures. I do hope that those who share the reading of this book with me over the course of Lent 2014 may find something of help.’

Columba Press commends the new book as one offering: ‘depth, intelligence, compassion and insight in abundance … these reflections [provide] an invaluable backcloth to a thoughtful and prayerful Lent’.

Lent with St John’s Gospel is being launched in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, next Monday, February 17. It will be available through Columba Press and various outlets.

The Church of Ireland Theological Institute and Edgehill Theological College are hosting a new series of lay training opportunities during the year.

The Faith in Everyday Living series is aimed at members of the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland and is designed to encourage theological reflection, fellowship and discussion on matters of everyday discipleship.

The series will run on separate dates in both Belfast and Dublin and for the first time training for the laity will utilise both CITI in Dublin and ETC in Belfast.

The series will explore the themes of Praying Well, Parenting Well and Working Well. Praying Well will explore how to deepen one’s experience of prayer and different styles of prayer. It will be facilitated by Louise Wilson, training and development officer at ETC and David Brown, lay training coordinator at CITI. It takes place on March 22 in Dublin and on October 18 in Belfast. 

Parenting Well is a one day workshop exploring how to best parent teenagers and will be delivered in partnership with Love for Life. It will be held on May 10 in Belfast and November 22 in Dublin.

Working well will be an evening workshop aimed at people who are interested in exploring how Christian faith impacts the workplace. The guest speaker will be David Blevins, Sky News Ireland correspondent. Dates have yet to be finalised for these workshops. 

For more information and to book see www.edgehillcollege.org/events (for Belfast workshops) and www.theologicalinstitute.ie (for Dublin dates).

To download a flyer for the series click here.

This week’s batch of interviews on Soul Waves Radio features the Revd Ása Björk Ólafsdóttir (pictured) who talks about her plans to start a free meals service which are about to come to fruition in Dun Laoghaire.

Ása, who has been Vicar of Dun Laoghaire for a year, has been working with the homeless in the area with Teen Challenge and their bus which brings hot meals to people living on the streets.

Now, with the unanimous agreement and support of the Christ Church Dun Laoghaire select vestry, Asa is opening the church hall on Park Road on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for free hot meals between 12.00 noon and 2.00 pm.

The Dining Room, as it is called, is not just for homeless people but will include those who are suffering the effects of food poverty or those who are just lonely.  She will also welcome people addicted to drugs or alcohol provided they are not high or drunk. 

The initiative has attracted volunteers from all churches and none. The local community Gardai, the council and area social workers are supporting the effort with help and advice.  The Gardai and social workers in particular have been letting people know that the service will be available at Christ Church Dun Laoghaire from noon on Monday February 24.

Soul Waves Radio supplies over 30 local and community radio stations throughout Ireland with news, reaction stories and features. Each week, three interviews, edited and ready for transmission, are broadcast and posted to their website, reaching an estimated audience of 300,000. Topics are of a religious and social nature and can fit into a number of categories: Church Year, Calendar Year, Faith/Spirituality, Current Topics, Social Issues, Third World Issues, Human Interest Stories

To listen to the interview with Ása go to www.soulwavesradio.ie.

The Church of Ireland Youth Department is working with Tearfund to organise a mission trip to Zambia in 2014. The trip is aimed at youth leaders aged 18 years and over.

While in Zambia the visitors will join the Zambian Scripture Union team who are one of Tearfund’s project partners and will help out with various children’s, youth and community programmes.

The trip will take place from August 2 to 17 and aims to provide youth leaders with the opportunity to serve and experience life in a different country and different context.

Participants will have to raise approximately €2,000 and CIYD will help with fundraising ideas. Those interested should go to www.tearfund.org/en/about_you/go_overseas/apply_now/ for information and to fill in an expression of interest form.

Queries can be addressed to Amy at amy@ciyd.org.

For further information click here.

Members of the Girls’ Choir of Christ Church Cathedral have added their voices to a new initiative to raise funds for Barretstown Children’s Charity. The choristers, directed by Ian Keatley, have teamed up with singer, Joyce Murphy, and a host of Irish musicians and broadcasters to record A Song for Barratstown, a version of Bruce Springsteen’s Dream Baby Dream.

A Song for Barretstown will be available on iTunes from this Friday, February 21. It was officially launched by President Higgins at Barretstown on Saturday February 15. Each time it is played on local radio and television stations, money will be donated to help support the work of Barretstown. Proceeds from downloading the song will also be go to the charity.

Barretstown was founded by Hollywood actor Paul Newman in 1994 and modelled on his renowned Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut, USA. The charity supports children with serious illness, primarily cancer and serious blood diseases.  Each year it costs €4.5 million to run the programmes at Barretstown. Children and families don’t pay a cent and all their travel costs, accommodation, food, medical care and activities are provided free of charge.

The Girls’ Choir of Christ Church Cathedral was re–founded in January 2013. The recording is the start of a new partnership with Barretstown. Joyce Murphy attended a family camp at Barretstown after her sister Rachel died of cancer in 2004. The song was recorded at The Button Factory, Temple Bar, on Saturday February 1 and at Barretstown on Saturday February 8.  

The Girl Choristers of Christ Church Cathedral will be performing a concert for Barretstown in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, in May 2014 as they seek to develop a lasting relationship with the charity.  

Listen to A Song for Barretstown at: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CEyaMSDkaas 

The Church of Ireland Theological Institute marked 50 years at Braemor Park in Churchtown, Dublin, yesterday, Monday February 17. The Divinity Hostel was officially opened on February 17 1964 having moved from its previous home at 25 Mountjoy Square to its luxurious new surroundings in south Dublin.

The celebrations got underway with a service in the chapel which was attended by the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, and the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson.

The large congregation was welcomed by CITI’s director, the Revd Dr Maurice Elliott who said he, the staff and the students were delighted that so many people had joined them for the great occasion.

The preacher was the Revd Canon Dr David Hewlett, principal of the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham and former lecturer at CITI. He described the five years he spent lecturing at CITI as a formative experience – it having been his first teaching post and his first time in Ireland.

He took the text of the reading from Romans 12: 1–8 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,” for his sermon, which he said was a key part of theological education.

Dr Hewlett said that conforming to the world was to diminish a person but transformation represented an opening out, freeing and enlarging of the self and the spirit.

He suggested that the renewal of minds could be brought about by encounters with difference, reading theology and through standing with those whose wounds are felt deeply.

He also spoke about the vocation of a theological college, the most important of which was to help the students grow in their Christian character.

Speaking after dinner, Dr Elliott said the new Divinity Hostel at Braemor Park was trying to represent the best of the old and the best of the new of a confident Church of Ireland. It was considered at the time to be very much the lap of luxury, although he conceded that this may have been something to do with comparisons to Mountjoy Square.

Five members of the original class of ‘64 were present at the celebrations, Desmond Sinnamon, Mervyn Dickson, John Pickering, John Dinnen and Desmond Hanna.

John Dinnen, former Dean of Down, spoke with great humour of the move to Braemor Park. In his trip down memory lane he described 25 Mountjoy Square as a “rambling, draughty bags of a place. It was spooky and would be worthy of a Harry Potter film”.

He said he appreciated the staff of the college most after he had left, adding that they had received immense encouragement from the teaching staff. He spoke of the value of student life and said he and his wife continued to pray for the staff and students at the college. The former dean remembered those who had passed on and those who could not join the celebrations.

The Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Rt Revd Harold Miller, closed the evening in prayer.

Photo captions:

Top: The director of the institute, the Revd Dr Maurice Elliott; the Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Rt Revd Harold Miller; the Revd Canon Dr David Hewlett, principal of the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham (preacher); the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke; and the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson.

Bottom: The class of ‘64 – Desmond Sinnamon, Mervyn Dickson, John Pickering, John Dinnen and Desmond Hanna returned to the Church of Ireland Theological Institute for the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Divinity Hostel at Braemor Park.

Author, blogger, speaker and member of Holy Trinity, Rathmines, Scott Evans, has just published his third book. The launch of Failing From the Front took place in Roasted Brown in Temple Bar and was attended by a large group of friends and supporters.

Failing From The Front is an exploration of the insecurities, failures and flaws of biblical leaders and how their humanity should come as a great encouragement to those of us hoping to impact the world. “While there are a lot of books available on the practical and methodical processes of leadership and change management etc, Failing is a series of reflections based on the heart and character of leaders like Moses and David and the way in which they can change and challenge us,” he explains.

This is Scott’s third book having previously self–published Closer Still in 2012 and Beautiful Attitudes in 2013.

Scott has 10 years experience in youth ministry. After leaving school, he completed a BA (Hons) in Applied Theology and Youth and Community Work and worked as a Chinese food delivery person, a video shop clerk, a youth pastor, an assistant manager (and eventually manager) of a national youth and schools team and, most recently, as Director of Youth Ministry for the southeast for the Church of Ireland. 

For information on how to buy Failing from the Front see www.scottevans.ie.

Photo caption: Scott Evans (centre) is pictured with Greg Fromholz and the Revd Rob Jones at the launch of Failing from the Front.

A new book of reflections for Lent was launched in Dublin today, Wednesday February 19, by the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke. Lent with St John’s Gospel by the Dean of Belfast, the Very Revd John Mann, was launched in Church House having already received its Belfast launch on Monday. 

The new book, published in hardback by The Columba Press, comprises a series of 47 daily reflections (including Sundays and continuing right up to Easter Day) based on selected individual verses from St John’s Gospel.

The publication is the result of a process initiated by the Church of Ireland Literature Committee in 2012 which issued an open call for authors to produce a Lent book with the potential to be both an aid to personal devotion and also a resource for group discussion during the penitential season. Lent with St John’s Gospel fulfils this aim with daily reflections also arranged in weekly sections for group discussion in parishes or homes. 

Speaking at the launch, Archbishop Richard Clarke described Dean Mann as a person with an intellect of extraordinary strength and a spirituality of great depth. He said he was delighted to commend the book ‘warmly and sincerely’ as an excellent daily devotional Lent resource. Archbishop Clarke continued by saying: “We often have a favourite gospel and unashamedly I return again and again to John’s gospel, for its deceptive simplicity, use of metaphor, simile and image and because it brings us deeper and deeper into the person of our Lord. St John’s gospel can be read at many levels and it is endless in its depth – one never gets to the bottom of it – but in it when we encounter Christ we are given a direct choice: there is no other way, our encounter with Christ is going to change us.”

Dr Kenneth Milne, Chairman of the Church of Ireland Literature Committee, outlined its role and explained that one of its purposes was to identify gaps where the Church should be publishing useful material. One such gap was in the provision of devotional literature, articulating “what the Church believes”. For this reason the committee set in train the process by which Lent with St John’s Gospel by Dean Mann came about. “We are grateful to Dean Mann for this book, published by Columba Press with whom we have a long and fruitful relationship,” he concluded. 

Dean Mann thanked the Literature Committee, Columba Press, the Archbishop of Armagh and everyone for attending. He said the book had “exceeded his expectations in every way”. Prior to the event he said, “Lent is a very special time in the Christian Year. Some may approach it with a sigh and others with joy, but one way or another it is an opportunity to try and restore equilibrium in all of the balances that we try to maintain between, for example: work and rest, activity and inactivity, prayer and action. Lent may be seen as an encouragement to do more or a chance to re–find a spiritual discipline – but I feel, and it is reflected in the book, that though Lent may allow space for both of these things, it is increasingly important to see it as a time of gently directed thought, of which the element of reflection in devotion is no small part. St John’s Gospel, as my source of daily Biblical texts, I chose for this reason and in order to bring the focus of our Lenten thoughts on a distinct area of the Scriptures. I do hope that those who share the reading of this book with me over the course of Lent 2014 may find something of help.”

Lent with St John’s Gospel is available at the National Bible Society bookshop on Dawson Street, from Church House, Dublin and other good booksellers.  An online service is provided through The Book Well: www.thebookwell.co.uk, E. info@thebookwell.co.uk, T. +44(0) 7581143596) and the Columba Press www.columba.ie. Lent with St John’s Gospel by John Mann is published by The Columba Press in hardback; 128pp; Price €10; ISBN 9781782181309.

Photo caption:

Pictured at the Dublin launch of Lent with St John’s Gospel by the Dean of Belfast, the Very Revd John Mann, were Dr Kenneth Milne, chairperson of the Church of Ireland Literature Committee; Dean Mann; the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh; and Fergal O’Boyle, managing director of the Columba Press.

The spring issue of SEARCH – A Church of Ireland Journal comes out on February 24 and offers a mixed bag of subjects. Looking forward to May’s General Synod, Ethne Harkness, chair of the Commission on Episcopal Needs, offers some reflections on the proper role of bishops; while looking back to the autumn, the Bishop of Connor writes of his time at the World Council of Churches 10th Assembly in Busan. But undoubtedly the headline event of the autumn was the election of the Revd Patricia Storey as Bishop of Meath and Kildare.  “Call me Pat,” was her simple response as to how she was to be addressed, even if she had to accede to being called “Madam Bishop” on formal occasions. It’s a sign of her no–nonsense attitude that she has released an article she wrote about her vocation five years ago, until now unpublished, so that SEARCH readers can share some of her journey into Christian ministry and leadership in the Church of Ireland.

Another important matter for the May Synod, and also for June’s Methodist Conference, will be the vote to confirm that the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church will from now on accept each other’s ministers. The Revd Barry Forde, the secretary of the Church  of Ireland – Methodist Church in Ireland Covenant Council, offers a digest of the Council’s proceedings and its resolution of the issues, also sharing his personal experience of ministry in tandem with his Methodist colleague.

Further items include a report from Adrian Stringer and Dr Abby Day of a recent conference in Canterbury addressing issues that threaten to divide the Anglican Communion. This is complemented by a look at the source of divisions within Islam – a faith with probably as many “denominations” as Christianity and with two major traditions. Nearer home, Malcolm Macourt contributes a consideration of the “religious” element of Irish Censuses of Population of 2011, which show a decline of self–identifying Anglicans in the North and a corresponding rise, occasionally a dramatic one, in the South. Or do they?  On a more general level, Noel Coghlan takes a questioning look at 21st century attitudes in Ireland, asking “Whatever happened to Civic Morality?”

This issue’s Book Reviews are the last to be provided by the editor of the past 8 years, Dr David Hutchinson Edgar. He is to be succeeded as reviews editor by the Revd Stephen Farrell.

Website: www.searchjournal.ireland.anglican.org   

SAINT PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL, DUBLIN VERGER

We are seeking to expand our Vergers’ team at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and therefore have two vacancies. One for a full–time verger and one for a part–time verger.

Vergers in Saint Patrick’s work with the Cathedral Clergy and Management to ensure that all services and events in the Cathedral are organised and executed to the highest possible standard, and that the day to day activities of the Cathedral are carried out in a safe, secure and efficient manner.

Due to the nature of the work, candidates must be physically fit, comfortable with working at heights and sympathetic with the Cathedral’s primary purpose of Christian worship.

A detailed job description is available on request from the Cathedral Office or from our website:

www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/careers.aspx

Salary €25,000 + O/T (Full time post)

This is a one year fixed term post.

Application closing date: Monday 10 March 2014

Applications should be sent to:

The Cathedral Administrator

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral

Saint Patrick’s Close

Dublin 8

Or by email:

administrator@stpatrickscathedral.ie

To view a full job description click here.