Ecumenical Bible Week is a major ecumenical initiative in its fourth year, led by the Archdiocese of Dublin and United Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough and other Christian Churches in Dublin. It provides a localised programme of reflection on Scripture and a number of Core Events – Thinking Allowed, Symposium, Pentecost Project for children and online resources.

This year the programme honours the fifth centenary of the Reformation (1517–2017).

Ecumenical Bible Week will start on Sunday 4th June @ 7:30 pm in Lutherhaus, Adelaide Road, Dublin 2 with Sung Lutheran Vespers. The week will close on Sunday 11th June @7:30pm-9:00 pm also in this venue with a film entitled, Martin Luther: Heretic, followed by a reflection and discussion.

This year there will be 23 separate events, 25 presenters in various venues (Holy Cross College Clonliffe, Lutherhaus, Rathgar, Glasnevin, Swords, Arklow, Clondalkin, and Ballyfermot).  There will be debate, discussion, talks, music and hopefully lots of participation.

·       The 2017 Symposium takes place on Friday 9th June (2–5pm) in the Holy Cross Diocesan Centre, Clonliffe Road.  Papers by Prof Tony Lane, Prof Salvador Ryan and discussion chaired by Archbishop Michael Jackson – Register on www.bibleweek.ie

·       Thinking Allowed – Friday 9th June @7:30 pm , in Holy Cross Diocesan Centre, Conliffe Road, – Topic: Is the Reformation Over?  There will be a chaired panel representing leaders in the different churches and traditions and an opportunity for audience participation. www.bibleweek.ie

·       The Pentecost Schools Project 2017 takes place in Ballyfermot and Chapelizod. Pupils are learning the stories of Acts using various creative media and will create a printed booklet. A Launch and Presentation night will take place on Tuesday 6th June at 7pm in Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Ballyfermot.

Please support this initiative and advertise the information on notice boards, online and on social media.

For more information – www.bibleweek.ie , Facebook – www.facebook.com/bibleweek – Email – hello@bibleweek.ie – Book for Symposium online at www.bibleweek.ie or phone  01–8087533

Dublin and Glendalough Diocesan Kids’ Camp 2017 takes place from July 3 to 7 at Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, Glencree, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

This residential camp is for kids finishing 4th class to 6th class. With daily worship, games, crafts, outdoor pursuits, and creative ways to engage with faith it’s a week that will be remembered! The cost is €165 and includes room and board and all activities.

Booking deadline: 5 June

Contact Lynn Storey on dublinandglendaloughkidscamp@gmail.com or 087 695 7061 for booking.

A limited number of bursaries are available for families in financial need. Please contact the Revd Abigail Sines on abigail@christchurch.ie to inquire.

The booking form is available online here.

Regulars and visitors alike gathered at St Matthias’ Church in Killiney–Ballybrack on Sunday afternoon (May 21) for a special diocesan Come & C Messy Church. The team at St Matthias’ runs one of the few registered Messy Churches in Dublin & Glendalough and they invited visitors from other parishes along to see how it operates and how it can compliment their existing worship.

The theme for the afternoon was ‘The Unbelievable Truth – Jesus is Alive’. This was explored through Messy Science helping children to make the link with the truth of the Easter story: Jesus died and then was alive again and there are some science experiments that look like magic tricks but they are real. The afternoon centred around Bible stories with science and crafts and concluded with worship in the church followed by amazing food.

St Matthias’ Church started Messy Church in September 2015 and it has been growing from strength to strength ever since. Messy Church is a way of being Church for all ages involving craft, celebration and hospitality. The parish runs Messy Church once a month for two hours on a Sunday afternoon in the parish centre and church. It is informal and easy for people attending to invite family, friends and neighbours to Come & C. Their attendance ranges from 60 to 90 people each month and it is established as part of the regular worship services.

Their team of 20 people work in three main areas: welcome, craft and hospitality. Their commitment has seen new people coming to the church and a loyal attendance from families.

If you weren’t able to attend on Sunday but want to learn more, you can watch a video in which the Rector, the Revd Dr William Olhausen and St Matthias’ Messy Church coordinator, Alistair Doyle, outline how and why they do Messy Church.

Photos and videos from Sunday’s event are available on St Matthias’ Facebook page.

Messy Church started 14 years ago in a Church of England Parish in Portsmouth, faced with many of the challenges that many parishes experience today, in attracting new people and engaging families and young people. Lots more information can be found at www.messychurch.org.uk .

The Church and Society Commission (CASC) of the Church of Ireland is issuing an invitation to clergy and church leaders from all denominations to attend an information morning addressing issues surrounding mental health. The seminar takes place on Thursday June 15 from 9.00 am to 12.30 pm in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Braemor Park, Dublin 14. It will conclude with a light lunch at 12.30 pm. Attendance is free and there will be free parking available onsite for attendees.

The speakers at the event will be:

• Dr Eilis Hennessy, Senior Lecturer in developmental psychology in UCD School of Psychology, ‘Challenging stigma to improve young people’s mental health’,
• Dr. Regina Mc Quillan, Palliative Medicine Consultant, St Francis Hospice and Beaumont Hospital, ‘Supporting the Mental Health of People Living with a Life Limiting Illness’
• The Revd James Mulhall, Social Worker, Career Guidance Counsellor and Church of Ireland Curate in the Lismore Union of Parishes as well as being the Safeguarding Trust Child Protection Officer for the Dioceses of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory, ‘Faith and Mental Health’.
• The introductory remarks on the day will be made by Archbishop Michael Jackson.

Places are limited, and will be allocated on a first–come/first–served basis. To secure a place, please email seminar@ireland.anglican.org or contact Caoimhe Leppard in Church of Ireland House, Dublin, 01 4125608.

The 150th anniversary of St Bartholomew’s Church, Dublin 4, was celebrated yesterday evening (Thursday May 25) with the Solemn Eucharist of the Feast of the Ascension. The service was celebrated by the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, and the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, a former curate of St Bartholomew’s, was the preacher.

The beautiful church, which is undergoing an extensive programme of renovation, was full of current and former parishioners as well as past clergy and choristers who returned for the occasion and ecumenical visitors.

The evening was made all the more special by a presentation to the longest serving member of the parish’s renowned choir. Bobby Barden has been contributing to the music in St Bartholomew’s for 75 years, half the life of the church itself. Director of Music, Tristan Russcher, thanked Bobby and he was presented with an RSCM certificate in honour of his dedicated service. The Rector, the Revd Andrew McCroskery, thanked him for all he had given to the life of the church. “Your singing in the choir will for ever be part of the life and fabric of this church,” he stated.

In his sermon, the Archbishop of Armagh recalled his first visit to St Bartholomew’s which took place almost exactly 50 years earlier. This was the beginning of a relationship which would continue to develop two years later when he became Curate. He said that the church was known for its beauty both in the building and in the concentrated beauty of its worship. “Nothing will ever be allowed to become mundane or ordinary,” he commented.

“St Bartholomew’s reminds us that heaven is not a place of otherness but a place of beauty with which we can begin our relationship here on earth,” he said adding that the beauty of the place made it easy to stand and gaze up to heaven.

The Archbishop said that on Ascension Day we are reminded that the Ascension represents both a continuity and radical discontinuity of discipleship. In the season of Easter we see the Risen Christ who is here yesterday, today and always. However the discontinuity is found in the fact that we are to remain in the world to take on the ministry of Christ and be witnesses to the ends of the earth.

Archbishop Clarke said that St Bartholomew’s had stood for 150 years as a place of beauty but the church was never an end in itself. Former Rector, Canon Walter Simpson said there was a world beyond the doors that needed to be met where it was rather than enticing people into the pews. “ Yes, we come to gaze into heaven but also to be witnesses of Christ to the ends of the earth,” the Archbishop concluded.

The foundation stone of St Bartholomew’s Church was laid on Ascension Day in 1865. The church was consecrated on December 23 1867. To celebrate the 150th anniversary, the book ‘St Bartholomew’s – A History of the Dublin Parish’ by Dr Kenneth Milne is being updated and published. It was originally published in 1963 and the expanded edition is expected to be available in December 2017. The book is available to pre–order now. Contact 01–6688522 or admin@stbartholomews.ie for further information.

Parishioners of Killiskey and Ashford united on Sunday afternoon (May 28) for a wonderful ecumenical walk to retrace their roots. Both parishes are currently celebrating milestone anniversaries with the bicentenary of the Church of Ireland Nun’s Cross Church, Killiskey, and the centenary of the Catholic Church of the Most Holy Rosary, Ashford. The walk was organised by the Revd Ken Rue of Nun’s Cross and Fr Eamon Crosson of Ashford and the participants all enjoyed the good weather and fellowship.

The walk began at the old Killiskey church and graveyard which was the original church of Killiskey Parish. Killiskey Church was established by the Augustinian Order so the walkers were joined by Canon Kieran O’Mahony, an Augustinian Friar. Those who built the church were likely to have had links to St Kevin and it was on the pilgrim route to Glendalough.

Ashford man, Tony Dunne, was responsible for getting a group together to wrestle the ruined church and its graveyard back from the undergrowth. Their work began in 2004 and continues today. Tony gave a history of the church from its establishment in early Christian times to its decline which began in the 12th century. However, people from across the community, both Anglican and Catholic, continued to bury their dead in the graveyard and Tony’s great grandmother was the last person to be interred there in 1970.

Following prayers led by Canon O’Mahony, the large group walked the three kilometre journey to Nun’s Cross Church. There the Revd Ken Rue outlined the history of Nun’s Cross Church. He also gave details of their bicentenary celebrations which include a flower festival in the church from September 1 to 3 and a Bicentenary Service which will be celebrated by the Archbishop of Dublin on October 28, the exact anniversary of the consecration of the church.

The walkers then made their way to the Church of the Most Holy Rosary in Ashford where they were greeted by Fr Eamon Crosson. Maurice Corr outlined details of their parish celebrations which include a special Mass on June 30 concelebrated by the Archbishop of Dublin with Fr Eamon and former priests of the parish, a pilgrim walk on July 29 and a parish mission in October. Local historian Dick Fitzpatrick gave a brief outline of the history of the church.

As this year is also the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Canon Kieran gave a talk in the parish centre on Reformation and the links between Martin Luther and the Augustinian order.

Representatives of the General Synod Board of Education attended a forum on the role of religion in primary school admissions in Dublin yesterday (May 29). It was organised by the Department of Education and Skills as part of a broader consultation process. A range of views was expressed at the forum.

Following the forum the General Synod Board of Education issued a statement. In it they said:

“The General Synod Board of Education is grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Forum on the Role of Religion in Primary School Admissions hosted by the Minister for Education and Skills.

“Having heard the range of views expressed by all those who participated, the Board hopes that the Minister will now fill the information gaps identified by the Forum. The Board also hopes that the Minister will bring forward a set of proposals to assuage the concerns held by minority faiths involved in the provision of education on the effects new measures may have on their faith communities”.

Archbishop Michael Jackson and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr, are currently on a joint visit to Jerusalem. They are being hosted by the Archbishop of Jerusalem, the Most Revd Suheil Dawani and they have visited St Paul’s Church in Jerusalem, St Andrew’s Church in Ramallah and Bethlehem. Archbishop Jackson also facilitated a session on Dublin & Glendalough’s Come&C discipleship programme.

The visit arose out of Dublin & Glendalough’s diocesan link with Jerusalem and Archbishop Dawani invited the Lord Mayor when he was in Dublin last December. The Lord Mayor mentioned that he had hosted Kids4Peace at an event in the Mansion House. The organisation was established by Archbishop Dawani in Jerusalem in 2002 and it is now a global movement of Jewish, Christian and Muslim youth, dedicated to ending conflict and inspiring hope in divided societies around the world. They visited Kids4Peace Jerusalem yesterday.

Today the Lord Mayor presented a copy of the Dublin City Interfaith Charter to Dr Miriam Feldmann Kaye of the Three Faiths Forum Middle East. The presentation took place after a discussion of the work being undertaken by Dublin City Interfaith Forum and the Three Faiths Forum Middle East to further people’s understanding of different faiths.

The Dublin charter was launched by the Lord Mayor last December and was signed by Archbishop Jackson along with many other Dublin faith leaders. This ground breaking document was brought forward by the Dublin City Interfaith Forum and deals with issues including religious freedom, interfaith dialogue and the promotion of religious diversity in the city. The charter provides a platform for educating and encouraging people of different faiths to dialogue and act together in challenging all forms of injustice and discrimination. It also encourages people to live confidently with religious diversity and dispel fears of difference. This charter is intended to be used by all faith communities and can be found at https://www.dublincityinterfaithforum.org/resources/

Archbishop Jackson preached in St Paul’s Church in Jerusalem today (Tuesday May 30). The church was the first Arab Anglican church in the region and was consecrated in 1874. It was in regular use until 1948 when members of the congregation found they could not easily get there as it was on the west side of the green line dividing East and West Jerusalem. It was reconsecrated in 2011 and is now used by other Christian worshipping groups as well as Anglicans.

In his sermon, the Archbishop said that the new life and energy of St Paul’s Church was something for Christians worldwide to celebrate as its congregation are sent to abide and witness in that part of Jerusalem. “The community of baptism, of teaching and of nurture – The Second Mark of Mission of the Anglican Communion – exists to equip ordinary people to be sent to proclaim and to strive for an ever more inclusive and ever more universal community of God’s kingdom – not simply to be bigger or louder than it was last year. Numbers are not the definition of mission,” he said.

Drawing on the readings [1 Peter 4.7–11; St John 15.26–27, 16.1–4] the Archbishop focussed on the phrases ‘let us abide’, ‘let us witness’, ‘let us be apostolic’ and ‘let us pray’. He concluded: “You have been called to abiding, to witnessing, to sending and to praying – and to suffering. You who are The Living Stones by God appointed are an inspiration to all of us worldwide. As we have been invited to Come and See, so we are commissioned to Go and Tell. May God continue to bless you, together with the Christian church world–wide. As children of Pentecost you in a very special way await the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost as you pray”.

You can read the Archbishop’s sermon in full here.

‘While we are rightly appalled by callous attacks on citizens close to home at this time, I am acutely conscious that we must also condemn the atrocious killing and wounding  of dozens of Coptic Christians in Egypt while travelling towards a monastery in recent days. We remember those who bear the name of Christ there in our hearts and prayers. We should think of them as Christian martyrs.

‘It is tragic that Coptic Christians in Egypt have increasingly become targets, with four brutal massacres since last December, including attacks on churches on Palm Sunday – which both the Archbishop of Dublin and I commented on at that time. In speaking out against these horrors, we also pray for those families who have been bereaved and for those who have been injured – for their recovery and wellbeing, and for those who are attending to their medical needs and welfare – praying in the name of the Prince of Peace, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.’

“Having had the opportunity to worship with members of the Coptic Orthodox Community in Ireland only 10 days ago at the dedication of a new church in the Coptic tradition in Drumcondra, I should like to express my sadness and sorrow to Pope Tawadros ii and all the Coptic Christians in light of the most recent attack and atrocity perpetrated on Coptic Christians in Egypt.

“I have spent the last two days in Jerusalem with The Lord Mayor of Dublin and members of his staff team. We have had a range of in–depth consultations and discussions with members of three World Faiths. It has become increasingly clear to us that respect for human life is sacrosanct and that it lies at the base of political life, dialogue and civil society.

“I wish to add my sympathy to that of others for those who mourn the loss of those whom they love and cherish in the most recent tragedy. As I pray for the Copts in Egypt and around the world, my prayer is also that God will turn to good the hearts of those who are their murderers”.

Archbishop Michael Jackson

Archbishop Jackson is a member of the Anglican Oriental Orthodox International Commission and will be hosting its meeting in Dublin in October 2017.

The writer Julie Parsons spent some time at the RCB Library last year analysing little–known Church of Ireland sources – including preachers’ books, parish magazines, vestry minutes and a variety of other parish resources. She then contributed an article based on and colourfully illustrated with extracts from these sources, published last year (for the year that was in it) in a commemorative journal (Irish Archives: the journal of the Irish Society for Archives) dedicated to “Hidden Pages” of the 1916 Rising.

Given the unprecedented demand for Valerie Jones’ book Rebel Prods covered here https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/6872/final-available-copies-of-rebel a new collaboration with the ISA is making available copies of the journal which includes a variety of other articles as well as Julie’s, through the online bookshop at a special price of €9/£7.80+postage. 

Irish Archives: Hidden Pages From the 1916 Rising is co–edited by Dr Susan Hood, RCB Librarian and Archivist, and Elizabeth McEvoy, Archivist in the National Archives of Ireland. The concept of revealing hidden pages and dialoguing with the public was first envisaged by the ISA in 2015 in collaboration with St Patrick’s Cathedral. A seminar entitled ‘Hidden Pages from World War One’ saw archives professionals reveal their explorations of previously unknown archives to make the events of the First World War more accessible to people 100 years later. In the same spirit, a subsequent seminar was held at the beginning of 2016 to encourage nuanced debate on the complex topic of the Rising, demonstrating how hidden archives and the stories they contain can underpin a true understanding of significant historical events.

So Julie’s article, entitled “From ‘Cheerful day, good congregation’ to ‘The undiluted celt, a curse’: Responses to the Easter Rising and its Aftermath as Recorded in Church of Ireland Parish Registers, 1916–1925” draws on relatively obscure sources to bring to life the impact of events on particular Church of Ireland communities. Opening with an article published in the June 1916 edition Mariners’ parish magazine of the in Dún Laoghaire, county Dublin (or Kingstown, as it was known then), the editor apologises for its late appearance because of the Sinn Fein rebellion which disrupted life in the city centre. He then goes on to present in vivid terms the response of the Mariners’ parish to what we call the Easter Rising and its aftermath: “The Irish rebellion of Easter 1916 has brought out the worst and the best in Human nature. We do not wish to dwell further on the dark side and the horror of it.” (RCB Library, P368.25.3).

The ‘Cheerful day, good congregation’ piece appears alongside a variety of other articles providing colourful insight to other hidden aspects of events during the Rising. Colum O’Riordan, General Manager of the Irish Architectural Archive, takes the reader on a journey through the architectural legacies of 1916; Stephen Ferguson, Assistant Secretary of An Post, uses archives at the Postal Museum in London and An Post materials in Dublin, to explore the experiences of GPO staff during Easter Week, bringing to life a thrilling sequence of stories of how the city’s communications routings came to be re–established after the seizure of the GPO; the Wexford County Archivist Gráinne Doran examines the collective effort of the men and women in county Wexford during Easter 1916 and finally, Ellen Murphy, Senior Archivist at Dublin City Library and Archive, reveals reactions to the Easter Rising through the lens of Monica Roberts, the 26–year–old daughter of the Vice–Provost of Trinity College Dublin, who kept a diary of events in a 33–page Pitman exercise book.

Julie Parsons comes from a family with a long line of Church of Ireland clergymen. When she decided to research the reactions of the Church of Ireland clergy to the Easter Rising and its aftermath, using preacher’s books and vestry minutes, she sought out clergymen to whom she was related. Her article, therefore, features Canon Harry Dobbs, vicar of All Saints Blackrock, who was her stepfather Peter Dobbs’ father and the Revd Hamlet McClenaghan, rector of Dunshaughlin, her great–uncle. Both gave her valuable insights into the feelings and immediate responses to the changes which were taking place in the political, social and religious life of Ireland in the early 20th century. Her new novel The Therapy House is set in contemporary Dún Laoghaire but draws on original research which Julie conducted into the people of the Mariners’ Parish, where her grandfather, Canon George Chamberlain, was rector from 1925 until 1959.

To order your copy of the journal, including Julie’s illustrated article, at the special price of €9/£7.80+postage please click here

To mark the 500th anniversary of the year that Martin Luther famously nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, sparking the Protestant Reformation, a major ecumenical conference will be held in Clontarf on Saturday June 24 from 10am to 4pm. The event takes place in the Church of St John the Baptist, Seafield Road, Clontarf.

The conference will feature renowned theologians and ecumenists and allow plenty of time for discussion/questions from the floor in a bid to understand how we got to where we currently are on our ecumenical journey, and how we can all work together on the road to greater unity.

The facilitator for the day will be Philip McKinley, and there will be input from the following speakers:

Ø Dr. Gesa Thiessen: Background to the Reformation – An introduction to Luther’s Theology.

Gesa Thiessen is Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Religions and Theology, in Trinity College Dublin, and an assistant Lutheran Minister. Her research interests include Ecumenical theology and ecclesiology

Ø Dr. Andrew Pierce: The Ecumenical Journey So Far – inter–church dialogue and developments.

Andrew Pierce is an Assistant Professor in Ecumenics, Course Co–Ordinator of the M.Phil. in Intercultural Theology & Interreligious Studies and Head of Department, in the Irish School of Ecumenics, TCD. His areas of expertise include Ecumenical ecclesiologies and Ecumenical theologies.

Ø Fr. Gabriel Daly: One Bread, One Body – an ecumenical theology of the Eucharist.

Gabriel Daly OSA has taught and published widely in theology. Following his PhD thesis on Catholic Modernism, he lectured at the Irish School of Ecumenics as a founder member, and subsequently at TCD, of which he is now an honorary fellow.

Ø Gillian Kingston: Stepping Stones Towards Greater Unity – what can be done at local level to progress things.

Gillian Kingston is well known and respected in Ecumenical circles. She is currently Interim Vice President of the World Methodist Council and was formerly the first Lay Leader of the Methodist Conference in Ireland.

The cost of the day is €20 per person. Patrons are invited to bring a packed lunch and tea/coffee facilities will be provided. Alternatively, there is a Coffee Shop which serves lunch a 5 minute walk from the Church.

Timetable for the Day

10 – 10.30am                  Registration, Coffee, Welcome, Introduction & Opening Prayer

10.30am – 11.30am         Dr. Gesa Thiessen: Background to the Reformation – Luther and his ideology/theology. (30 – 40 minutes input from speaker followed by questions/comments from the floor)

11.30am – 12.30pm        Dr. Andrew Pierce: The Ecumenical Journey So Far – inter–church dialogue and developments.  (30 – 40 minutes input from speaker followed by questions/comments from the floor)

12.30pm – 1.30pm           Lunch

1.30pm – 2.30pm              Fr. Gabriel Daly: One Bread, One Body – an ecumenical theology of the Eucharist.  (30 – 40 minutes input from speaker followed by questions/comments from the floor)

2.30pm – 3.30pm              Gillian Kingston: Stepping Stones Towards Greater Unity – what can be done at local level to progress things.  (30 – 40 minutes input from speaker followed by questions/comments from the floor)

3.30pm – 4pm                     Closing Worship

It is with intense sadness that we have learned today of the death during the night of the Right Reverend Dr Donald Caird, formerly archbishop of Dublin and bishop of Glendalough, having previously served as bishop of Limerick and Killaloe and bishop of Meath and Kildare in the Church of Ireland. As a diocesan family, we express our sympathy and our gratitude to his wife Nancy and to all members of his family. Dr Caird remained throughout his life a friend of all who knew him and of all he came to know. His affection for the people of Ireland and the Church of Ireland was unsurpassed. He loved the Irish language, was committed to it and excelled in it. In recent years he enjoyed the community of Brabazon House and was loved and cared for by its staff and residents and its chaplain Canon Adrian Empey with whom he shared a friendship since he was chaplain of Portora Royal School, Enniskillen.

He engaged personally, pastorally and intellectually with his environment and with its priorities. This commitment extended into all parts of his interaction with church and society, cultural and political life. His personality was characterized by a radiance of engagement that gave him great delight in other people throughout a long and cherished life. He will always be remembered for his contribution to the field of education and to critical understanding of everyday issues and to his championing of the Irish language as part of the weave of the Church of Ireland and of national life.

Countless individuals will have personal memories of Dr Caird. On a day such as this, these memories will come flooding back with warmth and with humour. The flourishing of others was the hearbeat of his humanity. Our prayers today are with his wife Nancy and all members of the Caird family. They have shared with us over countless decades a man who warmed our hearts and contributed richly to our lives.

“Tarrnocht a tháinig mé as broinn mo mháthar, Agus tarrnocht a fhillfidh mé inti arís. An Tiarna a bhronn orm, agus an Tiarna a rug uaim. Moladh le hainm an Tiarna.”  Iób 1:21

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.   

The Most Reverend Dr Michael Jackson

Archbishop of Dublin 

[Biographical information below]

Is le fíorbhrón a tháinig scéala chugainn faoi bhás Iar Ardeaspag Bhaile Átha Cliath agus Easpag Gleann Dá Locha, an tSár Oirmhinneach Dochtúir Donal Caird, i rith na hoíche.  Sula rinneadh Ardeaspag de chaith sé roinnt blianta mar Easpag ar Luimneach agus Cill Dalua agus le himeacht aimsire mar Easpag ar Mí agus Cill Dara in Eaglais na hÉireann.  Le mór bhuíochas dá shaol déanaimíd cómhbhrón lena bheanchéile Nancy, agus a chlann iomlán. Ba dianchara é leo siúd lena raibh sé i dteagmháil i rith a shaol agus iad leisean. Cion gan sarú a bhí aige do mhuintir na hÉireann agus Eaglais na hÉireann. Bhí grá mór aige don Ghaeilge, agus líofacht inti dá bharr. Le déanaí chaith sé roinnt blianta i gcuideachta muintir Brabazon House agus is ansin a fuair sé  anchuid cúnamh agus aire ón bhfoireann ansin agus ón tSéiplíneach, an Canónach Adrian Empey, cara leis ó laethanta i Scoil Ríoga Portora, Inis Ceithleann.

Ghabh sé go díograiseach le gach a tháinig chuige i réimsí pearsanta, spioradálta agus intleachtúil, thar na gnéithe fairsing a bhaineann leis an saol, ina measc  – creideamh, cultúr, an tsochaí agus an saol polaitíochta.  Ba mhór leis daoine i rith a shaol, agus is ina dteannta a tháinig a shainiúlacht bríomhar chun solais. Beidh cuimhne i gcónaí air mar dhuine a rinne plé ionraic agus fadbhreathnaitheach ar chúrsaí oideachais chomh maith le gnáth chúrsaí an tsaoil lena raibh sé i ngleic. Aidhm eile a bhí aige ná an Ghaeilge a náscadh i saol na hEaglaise agus sa saol náisiúnta chomh maith.

Spreagfaidh an scéal faoi bhás an Dochtúir Caird iliomaí cuimhní mánla agus barrúil air.  B’ansa leis aibíocht talanna agus éirim gach duine. Guímís inniú ar son a bheanchéile Nancy agus gach baill den chlann Caird.  Thar na blianta fada dá shaol is go fial a roinn siad a chuid ama linn agus ba mhór an sonas agus tairbhe a  fágadh linn da bharr. 

“Tarrnocht a tháinig mé as broinn mo mháthar, Agus tarrnocht a fhillfidh mé inti arís. An Tiarna a bhronn orm, agus an Tiarna a rug uaim. Moladh le hainm an Tiarna.”  Iób 1:21

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis

The Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson

Archbishop of Dublin 

The Rt Revd Prof Donald Arthur Richard Caird was born on 11 December 1925 in Dublin, the third son of George and Emily Caird. He was educated at Wesley College (1936–44) – where he represented the College on the 1st XV Rugby Cup Team – and at Trinity College, Dublin (BA 1949, MA 1955, BD 1955, HDipEd 1959); he was a distinguished undergraduate scholar, taking a 1st Class Moderatorship in Philosophy, being Scholar of the House and receiving several prizes including being Kyle Prizeman in the Irish Language. He received an Hon DD in 1988 and and Hon LLD 1993.

He was ordained Deacon in 1950; Priest in 1951 and Bishop in 1970.

He was a Curate in St Mark’s Church, Dundela, Belfast (1950–53); Assistant Master and Chaplain at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen (1953–7); Lecturer in Philosophy, St David’s University College, Lampeter, Wales (1957–9); Rector of Rathmichael Parish Church, Shankill, Dublin (1960–9); Assistant Master of St Columba’s College, Dublin (1960–7); Lecturer in Philosophy of Religion, Divinity Hostel, Dublin (1962–70); Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at TCD (1962–3); Dean of Ossory (1969–70); Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert & Aghadoe (1970–76); Bishop of Meath & Kildare (1976–85); Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland (1985–96).

He retired in April 1996 and was a Visiting Professor at the General Theological Seminary in New York City, USA, from 1997.

He married Nancy Ballantyne Sharpe in 1963 and the couple had three children, Ann, John and Helen.

An insightful biography of Donald Caird written by Aonghus Dwane was published in 2014: Donald Caird: Church of Ireland Bishop, Gaelic Churchman, A Life (Columba Press), recognizing his lifelong interests in the Irish language and ecumenism which led to him being well known in Irish society.

The Rt Revd Prof Donald Caird, former Archbishop of Dublin (1985–96), Bishop of Meath & Kildare (1976–85) and Bishop of Limerick (1970–76) died during the early hours of this morning, Thursday June 1, aged 91.

Bishop Caird’s Funeral Service will take place in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, at 11am on Monday 5 June.

You can read Archbishop Michael Jackson’s statement here.

The archbishop of Dublin spent two full days in Israel–Palestine at the end of May (May 28th – May 31st) with the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr, and Ms Fanchea Gibson of The Lord Mayor’s Office.

They went at the invitation of Archbishop Suheil Dawani with the purpose of observing first hand the interaction of the three World Faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam and their contribution to Israeli–Palestinian society. The first person with whom they met formally was Rabbi David Rosen, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, immediately on their arrival (May 28th). Early on the second morning (May 29th) they visited in succession Haram al Sharif (also known as the Temple Mount), The Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. From this they gained an in–depth impression of the public expression of the three Faiths in Jerusalem in the period between Ascension Day and Pentecost, during Ramadan and just ahead of Shavuot.

This was followed by a meeting in St George’s Cathedral with the Armenian Patriarch. The Armenian Church in Ireland has close links with the Church of Ireland in two Dublin churches, Christ Church Taney and St Stephen’s, Mount Street and in Christ Church Cathedral. The afternoon was spent learning about some of the educational and medical outreach projects in Ramallah pioneered by the Anglican Diocese and open to all irrespective of Faith tradition, most notably the Evangelical School (a vocational training centre, specializing in IT and catering) and the Arab Episcopal Medical Centre (diabetic and cardiovascular). Later in the afternoon, the group met Kids4Peace who draw together for the purpose of shared friendship, cultural understanding and mutual respect children of all three Faith traditions. The Lord Mayor renewed his association with some of the Leadership Team of Kids4Peace whom he had hosted late in 2016 in The Mansion House Dublin. Archbishop Suheil had himself founded Kids4Peace at the turn of the millennium.

On the third day (May 30th) the archbishop, the Lord Mayor and Ms Gibson visited Bethlehem where they met members of religious communities and those who strive to keep alfloat economic endeavour and enterprise in the area. Returning to Jerusalem, they spent time in The Princess Basma Centre where the range of services offered to children with disabilities within the Arab community in Jerusalem, The West Bank and Gaza were explained to them by the Director. There is also a primary school in The Princess Basma Centre where children with and children without disabilities learn together in as integrated a manner as is possible. There is a woodcraft workshop for adults with disabilities. The group was moved by the empowering atmosphere and spirit of the Centre, which is under the auspices of the Anglican Diocese, but also forcibly struck by the hardship and hurdles experienced by the mothers of the children who accompany their children every step of the way throughout their travel to The Centre from The West Bank and Gaza and throughout their treatment.

At midday the archbishop preached in St Paul’s Church West Jerusalem as part of the diocesan Come&C project (read the Archbishop’s sermon here). St Paul’s, the Arabic Anglican Church, was destroyed by fire in 1948 and is now restored to its beauty and simplicity and serves the spiritual needs of an English–speaking and an Arabic–speaking congregation.

In the afternoon the Lord Mayor was able to bring to bear on a presentation made on behalf of The Jerusalem Three Faiths Forum his own experience in pioneering The Dublin City Interfaith Charter. He did this in response to a presentation by Dr Miriam Feldman–Kaye of The Jerusalem Three Faiths Forum on Scriptural Reasoning in the healthcare sector and in Israeli hospitals. The archbishop, as part of the link between the two dioceses and expressed in The Epiphany Agreement 2016, made a presentation to Mrs Shafiqua Dawani from Dublin & Glendalough to the Empowerment of Women Project in Jerusalem Diocese.

The visit, although short, has strengthened the link between civic and ecclesiastical Dublin and The Three Faiths in Jerusalem and in Israel–Palestine.

The Most Reverend Dr Michael Jackson

Archbishop of Dublin                                                                              31st May 2017

Pipeworks Festival is calling for parish choirs and singers to join them in Christ Church Cathedral later this month to be part of their ‘singing audience’. The concert is on Saturday June 24 and is part of a larger feast of music celebrating the organ and its music. This year’s festival celebrates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

The concert in Christ Church will explore some of the most popular pieces by Martin Luther in a variety of forms and settings from over four centuries. It centres around organ improvisations from gifted young Dutch organist Gerben Mourick. The Mornington Singers, under the direction of Orla Flanagan will sing.

A feature of the concert will be its participatory nature with the audience invited to join in the singing of some of the chorales, taking the role of the congregation in a traditional Lutheran service. Pipeworks is offering a special discount for singers who would like to attend an afternoon introductory rehearsal followed by a pre–concert talk on Martin Luther and his legacy. The rehearsal will be taken by Orla Flanagan who will also conduct the combined forces in the concert.

The cost of the entire experience including rehearsals, refreshments, talk and concert is €10 (a discount of €8 on the full ticket price for the concert). To sign up please email adminpipeworks@gmail.com.

The format of the afternoon will be:

3.30 pm – Introduction and rehearsal.

4.45 pm – Tea.

5.15 to 6.30 pm – Rehearsal in the cathedral.

Break

7.30 pm – Talk.

8.00 pm – Concert.

Thirty–seven young people from Dublin & Glendalough were confirmed by Archbishop Michael Jackson in Christ Church Cathedral on Pentecost (Sunday June 4). The candidates hailed from the parishes of Celbridge, Clondalkin, Drumcondra, Killiney–Ballybrack, Monkstown, Santry, St Bartholomew, St Catherine and St James with St Audoen, Tallaght, and Whitechurch.

The Archbishop said that the young candidates had been equipped to stand and raise their voices and speak out. He drew on a line from the reading [Acts 2: 1–21]: “But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them” when Peter addressed the crowd on the day of Pentecost and gave them an explanation of what was happening.

“It takes confidence to stand up and speak out in a situation where there is distraction and chaos… Very often when something new happens we say that we don’t like it, we don’t want it, we don’t know where it comes from. But Peter said it came from the heart of tradition,” the Archbishop said. “Looking at that encounter, that is exactly what is happening when we are confirmed. You have prepared and you have formed a new community with people in your parish. Another new community is formed with the people with whom you are confirmed and you are asked to stand and raise your voice to be confirmed.”

The Archbishop said that Pentecost and confirmation help all of us to understand our discipleship. “We are not Jesus Christ. Our calling is to harvest – to spot the signs of God’s Kingdom in the world around us and harvest the gifts of God,” he said. “As Pentecost comes around year on year I hope you will remember that this was the day on which you were confirmed. I hope you will do what Peter did and what you are equipped to do: Stand, raise your voice and say something.”

Ecumenical Bible Week 2017 got underway on Sunday evening (June 4). The week long programme of events runs each year from Pentecost to Trinity Sunday and this year there are 23 events with 25 presenters in venues across Dublin and Glendalough. The theme is ‘Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ’ which honours the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

The week was launched in St Finian’s Lutheran Church in Adelaide Road with a service of Sung Lutheran Vespers. The closing event will take place here also on Sunday next, June 11. Pastor Stephan Arras said it was a great honour for their tiny church to host the events and mark the 500 years of Reformation. He added that the theme of Ecumenical Bible Week 2017 got right to the centre of Martin Luther’s theology.

Pastor Arras also led prayers for the people of London and for all people who fear attacks as well as refugees and those who host them.

Ecumenical Bible Week continues this evening with the Pentecost Schools project involving St Michael’s National School in Ballyfermot and St Laurence’s National School in Chapelizod. A symposium, chaired by Archbishop Michael Jackson, takes place on Friday in the Holy Cross Diocesan Centre on Clonliffe Road, Drumcondra from 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm. The topics are: “The Joint Declaration on Justification: its significance and potential” presented by Prof. Tony Lane and “How should we remember the Reformation?” presented by Prof. Salvador Ryan.

Later on Friday evening, Thinking Allowed, a panel discussion chaired by Philip McKinley, takes place in the Holy Cross Diocesan Centre from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm. The discussion will be on the topic “Is the Reformation Over?” and panellists include: the Very Revd William Morton

Church of Ireland, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral; Pastor Nick Park, Evangelical Alliance, Solid Rock Church; Dr Geraldine Smyth OP, Roman Catholic, Adjunct Associate Professor in Irish School of Ecumenics; the Revd Vanessa Wyse Jackson, Methodist Church.

The closing event in the Lutherhaus takes place on Sunday June 11 from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm and features the BBC 1983 film ‘Martin Luther: Heretic’. The screening will be followed by a reflection and discussion led by Dr Kieran O’Mahony OSA.

In between these core events there will be a myriad of events taking place in local venues in Dublin and Wicklow. The full programme can be found on http://www.bibleweek.ie/

St Nicholas’ Church in Dunlavin was packed to capacity this morning (Thursday June 8) for the West Glendalough Children’s Choral Festival. The annual event was hosted this year by Jonathan Swift National School which is celebrating its 125th anniversary while the church is marking its 200th anniversary.

The pupils from Jonathan Swift National School were joined by their counterparts from Donoughmore NS, Blessington NS and Athy Model School for the service. The theme was ‘Looking Back, Looking Forward in Prayer’ and pupils from Dunlavin, wearing period clothes, gave beautiful performances of ‘I am the Gentle Light’ and ‘Turn, Turn, Turn’ to reflect the theme. In a brief history of Jonathan Swift NS, which was formerly Dunlavin No 2 School, the boys and girls who were educated there over the last 125 years were remembered.

The service was led by the Rector, the Revd Neal O’Raw and Archbishop Michael Jackson was in attendance.

The sermon was given by the Revd Philip Heak, Rector of Naas, who spoke about the importance of prayer which he said could look back in thankfulness for what has been and look forward to the future and what God will do in the future. He said that they had already prayed and given thanks for the gifts of Jonathan Swift National School in the past and they could also pray for everything the school will be in the future.

Bringing the service to a close, Archbishop Jackson thanked all who made the day possible and all who had come to Dunlavin to join pupils of Jonathan Swift NS in their celebrations. He highlighted the importance of the name of their school which he said was known worldwide. He thanked the pupils for sharing the happiness of their education with the rest of the congregation.

The children from each school were hoping for the rain to hold off after the service so they could compete in the annual sports day.

Christ Church Cathedral Choir gave the first performance of a new anthem, composed by Eoghan Desmond, on the Eve of the Feast of St Columba, Thursday 8 June, at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. The new piece, entitled De Ascensione Eius in Caelum, was commissioned by Organist & Director of Music, Ian Keatley, and the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral in association with Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise.

Commenting on the commission Ian Keatley said, “We thank our good friends at Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise for their generous financial support of this exciting new work in the ancient Irish language. This new anthem forms part of a project in which I am seeking to commission a new piece of music, in the Irish language, for as many of the Celtic saints as I can, following the shape of the liturgical year.”

De Ascenscione Eius in Caelum comes from a lengthy poem entitled Amra Choluimb Chille (The Elegy of Colum Cille) which was probably written by a disciple of Columba, named Dolláin Forgaill. Due to its great age, it is considered one of the most important Irish poems from the early Christian church. The original is written in a mix of obscure old Irish and Latin, and is divided into 10 sections, each with a heading in Latin. De Ascenscione is the second section, detailing the ascension of Columba’s spirit into heaven, his impressive scholarship, and the great extent of his influence and teaching.