The Dublin & Glendalough Diocesan Kids’ Summer Camp is currently taking place in the beautiful setting of the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation. The theme of this year’s camp is ‘Kingdom Lives’ and children aged 10 to 12 from all over the dioceses are taking part.

They are looking at the call of Abraham, the ministry of John the Baptist and the call to be part of God’s kingdom. Taking into account the camp’s base this year, they will also be making space for a special focus on being peacemakers and reconcilers in their own lives.

Throughout the week they will be taking part in daily meetings and prayer groups interspersed with arts and crafts, team building exercises, games, quizzes and outings. There is also plenty of time to relax, hang out and make new friends while exploring their faith in God.

Two new appointments have been announced to the Chapter of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. The Archbishop has appointed the Revd Sonia Gyles Twelfth Canon following the retirement of Canon Neil McEndoo. Canon Roy Byrne has been appointed by the Chapter to the position of Precentor, also in succession to Canon McEndoo.

The Revd Sonia Gyles is Rector of Sandford and St Philip’s, Milltown, while Canon Byrne is Rector of Monkstown and was appointed a Canon of Christ Church Cathedral by the Archbishop in 2012.

Announcing the appointment of the Twelfth Canon, Archbishop Michael Jackson said: “I am very pleased that the Revd Sonia Gyles has accepted my invitation to be a Canon of Christ Church Cathedral. Sonia has served all her ministry in Dublin and Glendalough and for many years has been involved in the annual National Schools’ Service and in the Clergy Conference both of which cover the whole of the United Dioceses. I wish Sonia and the cathedral well as they form a new partnership through Sonia’s joining the Chapter”.

Dean Dermot Dunne also commented on the appointment saying: “I was happy to agree with the Archbishop’s choice of a new Canon for the cathedral when he invited the Revd Sonia Gyles to accept preferment to the Twelfth Canonry. Sonia will bring much experience and talent to the Chapter which I and the Chapter look forward to sharing. I wish Sonia every blessing in her role and every good wish for her forthcoming marriage”. 

The Revd Sonia Gyles said she was very happy to accept the Archbishop’s invitation to join the Chapter of Christ Church Cathedral. “Having been an Acolyte in the cathedral many years ago, I was then ordained in Christ Church in 2001 by the Most Revd Walton Empey.  I look forward to becoming more involved in the life of the cathedral once again. I would like to acknowledge the support of the parishioners of Sandford and St Philip’s Milltown with whom I share this appointment,” she said.

Dean Dunne also commented on the appointment of Canon Byrne as Precentor. “I am very pleased with Canon Byrne’s appointment as Precentor of the cathedral. Roy brings much experience to the role. This coupled with a deep attachment and commitment to the cathedral will serve him well when he takes up his new responsibilities. I wish him well in his new post,” he stated.

Canon Byrne said he was delighted to accept the nomination of the cathedral Chapter to serve as Canon Precentor of Christ Church. “Having been involved with the cathedral since my ordination in 1999. I am looking forward to serving the cathedral community and choir in the years ahead in this new role, conscious of the enormous contribution made by my predecessor Canon Neil McEndoo,” he said.

The Revd Sonia Gyles was ordained to service in Taney Parish as curate assistant to Canon Desmond Sinnamon. She was appointed Rector of Sandford and St Philip’s Milltown in 2004, where she is also Chaplain to Alexandra College. Sonia has served on Diocesan committees including the Diocesan Board of Education, the Diocesan Council for Mission and the Diocesan Committee for Social Action and continues to be a member of Diocesan Councils.

A native of Co Offaly, Sonia entered the Church of Ireland Theological College (now Institute) in 1999. She later qualified as a Counsellor/Psychotherapist in 2012. Sonia is due to be married in October this year.

Canon Roy Byrne was ordained in 1999 for the curacy of the Christ Church Cathedral Group of Parishes which included work in the cathedral itself. In 2003, he moved to the diocese of Leighlin to take up the incumbency of the Killeshin grouped parishes but returned to Dublin in 2007 becoming incumbent of Drumcondra and North Strand. He moved to become Rector of Monkstown in February 2016.

He was appointed a Canon of Christ Church Cathedral in 2012 and a board member in 2014. He has been involved with the cathedral’s library and archives committee with special responsibility for the cathedral’s extensive plate collection for many years and has curated a number of historical exhibitions during his time there.

The ‘Book of the Moment’ in the RCB Library is the latest volume in the Library’s Texts and Calendars series: Episcopal visitations of the diocese of Meath 1622–1799. Edited by Dr Michael O’Neill and published by the Four Courts Press (www.fourcourtspress.ie), in association with the RCB Library, it will be launched by the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, the Most Revd Pat Storey, at a reception in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Trim, this evening, Thursday July 6, at 6.30 pm.

Episcopal visitations are formal/structured accounts – parish by parish – which build up to give an in–depth state of a diocese at a given time. Specific questions were asked and the answers – and indeed non–answers or evasions – helped the bishop to build up a picture of the diocese, and the strengths and weaknesses of individual parishes and clergy. The early visitation records of the Church of Ireland were largely destroyed in the fire at the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922, which greatly enhances the significance of those that have survived in copy form.

The current volume provides editions of the visitations of the diocese of Meath for the years 1622, 1693, 1733 and 1799, covering the episcopates of James Ussher (Bishop of Meath from 1621 to 1625), Anthony Dopping (bishop from 1682–97), Welbore Ellis (1732–34), and finally Thomas Lewis O’Beirne (1798–1823).  Two of these sources are located in Marsh’s Library, Dublin, the third in the RCB Library, and the fourth in the Library of Trinity College Dublin. 

This is the eighth volume in the RCB Library’s Texts and Calendars series, and the first to focus on sources outside Dublin. It brings all four diocesan visitations together as a single edition, offering unique insights into the life of the Church of Ireland and its interaction with the wider community, from the post–Reformation period to the eve of the Act of Union. As the enlightening introduction reveals, there is much in the content of these records about the spiritual and temporal life of the Church in a large Irish diocese during the 17th and 18th centuries, providing a framework for more detailed studies of localities, based on the records of individual parishes.

The editor, Dr Michael O’Neill, is well known as an architectural historian, who has written widely on the heritage of the Irish Church, and manages the project to digitize, catalogue and make available online the Church of Ireland’s extensive collections of architectural drawings, available at: www.archdrawing.ireland.anglican.org

All are welcome to attend the launch in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Trim, this evening or for those who cannot make the launch the book may be purchased through the Church of Ireland online bookstore here: https://store.ireland.anglican.org/store/product/129/episcopal-visitations-of-the-diocese-of

‘Book of the Moment’ is also being highlighted via the Library’s new twitter feed – @RCBLibrary – as an initiative aimed at promoting books of interest to its multiple audiences via Twitter. See:  https://twitter.com/rcblibrary

The Representative Church Body (RCB) has a vacancy for a Graduate Assistant. This is a one year contract commencing on 4th September, 2017.

Based in Rathmines Dublin, the RCB is the trustee body for the Church of Ireland, managing properties and substantial funds on behalf of parishes and dioceses in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The successful candidate will be required to work across the various departments within the RCB. The duties will include research, policy analysis, compiling reports, database management, general secretarial and administrative duties and other general duties.

Candidates will be required to have a third level qualification with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Organisational skills and presentation skills will also be required.

Application for the position is by completed application form together with CV.

Further details and application form are available at: www.ireland.anglican.org/vacancies or email recruit@rcbdub.org

Applications may be submitted by email, preferably in pdf, to recruit@rcbdub.org.

Alternatively applications may be sent to: Senior HR Manager, Representative Church Body, Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6.

Completed applications must arrive no later than 4pm on Monday, 10th August 2017.

Archbishop Michael Jackson was among the Faith leaders officiating at the National Day of Commemoration in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham yesterday (Sunday July 9). The event is held annually to remember all Irish men and women who died in past wars or on service with the United Nations.

The commemoration was led by President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and attended by representatives of the Council of State and the Government as well as members of the judiciary, members of the diplomatic corps, TDs and Senators, representatives of ex–servicemen’s organisations and relatives of leaders of the 1916 Rising.

Imam Sheikh Hussein Halawa (Islamic Cultural Centre), Archbishop Michael Jackson (Church of Ireland), the Revd Laurence Graham (Methodist Church in Ireland), Fr Rouies (Coptic Orthodox Church), the Rt Revd Dr Nobel McNeely (Presbyterian Church in Ireland), Bishop Raymond Field (Roman Catholic) and Rabbi Zalman Lent (Jewish Community in Ireland) led prayers and readings during the ceremony.

President Higgins laid a laurel wreath on behalf of the people of Ireland and a minute’s silence was broken by a gun salute and the sounding of the Last Post. The commemoration concluded with a fly–past by three Pilatus PC–9 aircraft.

The Army band of the 1st Brigade and pipers provided the music and accompanied soloist Sharon Lyons.

The memory of the late Dr Valerie Jones was honoured on Friday last (July 7) when the author royalties of her book ‘Rebel Prods: The Forgotten Story of Protestant Radical Nationalists and the 1916 Rising’ were presented to the Irish Cancer Society. Valerie’s daughter, Dr Heather Jones, presented a cheque for €1,000 to the Irish Cancer Society. This is in addition to €1,125 donated to the organization from royalties of sales of the book from the Church of Ireland website.

Valerie was a former lecture at the Church of Ireland College of Education and Diocesan Communications Officer for Dublin & Glendalough. Her book was launched in November 2016 and has been very well received. Valerie died in February 2014 and the book was brought to fruition by Heather, an Associate Professor in History at the London School of Economics, and her son Mark. It is published by Ashfield Press and its publication was supported by the Church of Ireland’s Historical Centenaries Working Group as one of its several contributions to marking the centenaries of 1916.

Heather was joined in presenting the cheque by the Bishop John McDowell (Clogher), former chairperson of the Church of Ireland Historical Centenaries Working Group, and Dr Susan Hood, Librarian and Archivist at the RCB Library.

Heather thanked by Bishop McDowell and Dr Hood for all their support and help in publishing the book. She said her mother had been researching the book since 2001 and she and her brother had promised to see that it was published. “It’s really nice to see the culmination of all my mother’s hard work being put to good use for a good cause. Other families experiencing cancer will benefit from this,” she said.

Bishop McDowell said it was a great privilege to be associated with the publication of the book. “As well as the sentimental connections to Valerie, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that this is a first rate book which begins to fill a gap in the historiography of the period,” he stated.

Dr Hood noted the very positive impact that the Church of Ireland Online Bookstore had on sales of the book. She added, “This book provides an interesting insight into Irish history written by a fondly remembered member of the Church of Ireland community.”

Brenda McCarthy, Community Fundraiser with the Irish Cancer Society, said the donation of the author royalties was a fantastic way to honour Valerie. She outlined the work of the organization in prevention, services and research and said 98 percent of their funding came from donations. “We are so grateful to you. Without people like yourself, these services wouldn’t happen,” she stated. At the request of Heather and Mark, the funds will go towards the society’s night nursing service.

‘Rebel Prods: The Forgotten Story of Protestant Radical Nationalists and the 1916 Rising’ is still available to order through the Church of Ireland Online Bookstore.

The book provides the first overall study of the role of Protestant radical nationalists in planning, and participating in, the Easter rebellion and reveals that a far larger number were involved than previously known. The revolutionary generation of 1916 spanned the deep religious divisions in the Ireland of the time – while still a predominantly Catholic uprising, the 1916 rebellion was more religiously diverse than its later historical image suggests. Based upon a range of detailed sources, this study reveals the significant collective contribution of Irish radical Protestants to the Rising and their fate in the new Irish Free State.

The 2017 Diocesan Camino de Glendalough will take place on Sunday September 10. As with last year, pilgrims will be welcome to join the Camino at any point during the day and can choose to take the full 30 kilometre pilgrimage following St Kevin’s Way from Hollywood in West Wicklow to Glendalough or a shorter route.

The day will start with a Service of Holy Communion and Pilgrim blessing in St Kevin’s Church in Hollywood at 9.00 am on September 10. There will be a service in St John’s Church in Laragh at 9.30 am.

Once again, St John’s in Laragh will act as a hub during the day with buses available to ferry people to the Wicklow Gap for shorter walks. The day will conclude with a short service at the Upper Lake in Glendalough and those who undertake the full camino will receive their medals there.

The first Camino de Glendalough took place last November and attracted pilgrims from all over Dublin & Glendalough and beyond. The idea arose from the diocesan Come & C discipleship programme and has sparked a lot of interest both locally and internationally.

A special booklet was compiled to assist reflection during the day. It can be downloaded the Camino de Glendalough page on this website. 

Previously hidden aspects of the Church of Ireland’s input and influence on the Irish Convention which opened in Trinity College Dublin 100 years ago, on 25th July 1917, are brought to light in a new online exhibition from the RCB Library – the Church’s record repository and reference library (www.ireland.anglican.org/library/archive).

The Irish Convention is significant because it would be the last time that all of Ireland participated in political negotiations to find a solution to the Irish question before Partition in 1921. By initiating a gathering of Irishmen to decide their own political destiny, the British Government’s ostensible objective was to keep nationalist and unionist Ireland together as a single political entity (albeit at this point within the British Empire).  The Government invited the two Church of Ireland archbishops of Armagh and Dublin – John Baptist Crozier and John Henry Bernard – to attend. Additionally the Roman Catholic hierarchy was represented by the Archbishop of Cashel and three other bishops – of Down, Raphoe and Ross – and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland by its Moderator. Once in session, the proceedings of the Convention were strictly secular – there were no prayers or religious formalities as part of the proceedings. Nevertheless, the juxtaposition of the church leaders among the political leaders in the front row of the official photograph that appeared in August 1917 (reproduced in the online exhibit courtesy of the National Library of Ireland) signals how highly–valued their input to the Convention was considered in political circles.

The Church of Ireland, then as now an all–island institution, and including members of all political persuasions and none, appears to have been deeply committed to support the Convention and promote the stability it offered, particularly in the aftermath of the Easter Rising of 1916. The exhibition draws on the rich resources of the weekly Church of Ireland Gazette, now digitized and freely searchable online between 1890 and 1923, for insight to what could be considered as the moderate and middle–ground opinion being written and read by its members and others during this period.

It reveals that for the duration of the Convention’s deliberations, the Gazette continued to be edited by Warre Bradley Wells.  As previously revealed, (https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/6413/reporting-the-rising-a-church) Wells had witnessed first–hand the events of the 1916 Rising from inside the paper’s premises on Middle Abbey Street – initially writing up the graphic detail in the columns and editorials of his paper, and then co–authoring one of the first contemporary histories of the 1916 Rebellion: A History of the Irish Rebellion of 1916 (published Dublin, 1916, and New York, 1917).

Significantly, as the exhibition demonstrates, Wells co–authored the first independent contemporary record of the proceedings of the Irish Convention written in the immediate aftermath of its demise in March 1918, which was actually published as a sequel to his history of the Rising, as The Irish Convention and Sinn Fein, in Continuation of “A history of the Irish rebellion of 1916” (Dublin, 1918). Whilst this book would lament what could have been achieved had the Convention succeeded, back in July 1917 through the pages of his Church of Ireland Gazette, Wells used his editorials and lead articles to foster hope: ‘The Convention has in its power to rescue us from our tragic confusion’ he wrote on the eve of its convening, in the 20th July 1917 edition’s lead article.

In the next edition, published on 27th July 1917, two days after the Convention got under way, the paper’s opening ‘The Week’ column was pleased to report the first day’s proceedings had resulted in the ‘happiest omen’ with the unanimous appointment of Sir Horace Plunkett as Convention chairman, adding with some pride that Plunkett was ‘a member of our Church’. The paper further reveals that whilst the actual proceedings of the Convention did not contain any religious content, the Church of Ireland appears to have hosted a pre–Convention ‘special Service for delegates in St Andrew’s Church, Suffolk Street’. Rather than use the adjacent chapel building within Trinity’s precincts, added political symbolism was provided by staging the service in what had been the parish church for the Irish Houses of Parliament. The only detailed report of this service appears in the Church of Ireland Gazette on 27 July 1917, which observed how ‘Wednesday’s Service’ appeared to revive the old tradition being ‘the first Service of the kind since the Act of Union’, and was well attended: ‘about one–third of the congregation were gentlemen chosen to deliberate on the future of Ireland’.

Other interesting stories of Church of Ireland significance presented in the exhibition include Wells’ revelation that the operating procedures to regulate the work of the Convention were in fact modelled on those of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland, with Archbishop Crozier selected as ‘Chairman of the Procedure Committee’, while the typescript memoirs of the RCB Library’s founding benefactor – Rosamond Stephen (1868–1951) – include a personal and hopeful exchange of correspondence with Sir Horace Plunkett on the eve of the Convention, and its opening day.

The RCB Library gratefully acknowledges the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for supporting this online exhibition, and covering the costs of hosting the Church of Ireland Gazette search engine online to the end of the Decade of Commemorations in 2023.

The Church of Ireland Gazette (available in complete hardcopy format in the Library from 1856 to the present) is also fully viewable and free to search from 1890 to 1923 here: https://esearch.informa.ie/rcb

The Representative Church Body (RCB) has a vacancy for a Manager Special Projects working in the department of the Chief Officer and Secretary.

Based in Rathmines Dublin, the RCB is the trustee body for the Church of Ireland, managing properties and substantial funds on behalf of parishes and dioceses in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The successful candidate will be required to lead and manage key projects within the RCB as well as work in other areas such as continuous process improvement, funding applications and assisting the work of various committees and work groups. The role will require a broad range of skills including excellent communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, an ability to organise and prioritise and a focus on delivering results. Candidates will be required to have a relevant third level qualification with previous project management experience an advantage. Previous experience in change management would also be desirable.

Application for the position is by completed application form together with CV. Further details and application form are available from www.ireland.anglican.org/vacancies or email recruit@rcbdub.org.

Applications may be submitted by email, preferably in pdf to recruit@rcbdub.org. Alternatively applications may be sent to:

Senior HR Manager,

Representative Church Body,

Church of Ireland House,

Church Avenue,

Rathmines,

Dublin 6.

Completed applications must arrive no later than 4pm on 4 August 2017.

Dublin & Glendalough Youth Council has announced the appointment of Susie Keegan as the new Dublin & Glendalough Diocesan Youth Ministry Development Officer. She will take up the role in August.

Susie comes to the post with lots of experience having volunteered as a parish youth worker at St Catherine’s Church before assisting with 3 Rock Youth (which preceded Dublin & Glendalough Youth Council), where she particularly focused on school retreats and confirmation events. For the past three years, she has been the Lay Church of Ireland Chaplain at DIT Aungier Street, a position which she has really enjoyed.

She also brings many different talents in the areas of creativity and lots of contacts throughout the wider Church as well as within the Church of Ireland. She brings a real vision to the post and is very much looking forward to working with young people again. Having had the opportunity to journey with third level students has highlighted the importance of youth work, Susie says, adding that journeying with young people from an early age through the many issues that they face is very important.

The post of Youth Ministry Development Officer focuses particularly on enabling young people to grow in their Christian faith within their local parish context. To that end, Susie will be seeking to support those who are working with youth in parishes as well as supporting new developments. “I am looking forward to starting this new role and working with and supporting youth workers, clergy and young people,” she comments. “It’s all about creating community and collaboration.”

Susie will be commissioned on October 1 so save the date to join the celebrations. More details will follow nearer the time.

The Church of Ireland Priorities Fund is now open for applications. Application forms for grants are available by contacting:

Mrs Sylvia Simpson, Priorities Fund, Church of Ireland House Rathmines, Dublin 6, Tel: 00353–1–4125607 Email: priorities@ireland.anglican.org or may be downloaded from www.priorities.ireland.anglican.org

The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is 31st October 2017.

Please note: Application forms received after this date will not be processed and will be held over until the following year.

Since 1980, the Priorities Fund has supported projects within the Church of Ireland. Every parish is asked to contribute to the Fund and the amount raised is allocated to the following categories:

From time to time, to respond to a particular need, a new category is introduced for a specified number of years. Currently, in order to support and encourage the Church of Ireland in sparsely populated areas of the country, grants are being given under the heading ‘Innovative Ministry in a Rural Context.’

The Priorities Fund Committee recommends allocations to the Standing Committee for approval. The commitment to Growth, Unity and Mission are reflected when applications are assessed.

There is a particular emphasis on:

◾People rather than buildings

◾New projects rather than recurrent expenditure

◾Mission and Outreach rather than maintenance

◾Projects and programmes rather than structures

Please visit the Priorities Fund website, www.priorities.ireland.anglican.org for further information.

Christ Church Cathedral has unveiled its programme for Heritage Week 2017 and they are looking forward to welcoming new and returning visitors. There is a full itinerary with something for everyone to enjoy from August 19 to 27 with a special Crypt Open Afternoon taking place on Tuesday August 22.

Throughout Heritage Week there will be reduced price for admission for families with €5 off the family ticket price (please quote ‘’Heritage Week” when purchasing tickets).

Also running all week with be a children’s nature themed treasure trail. Children will be challenged to find the answers to fun questions about animals and nature at Christ Church Cathedral as they explore the cathedral with their special Heritage Week Treasure Trail. Prizes will be available from the welcome desk for anyone under 12 who gets all the answers right.

There are a number of special events during the week which are free with normal cathedral admission. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis on the day.

On Saturday August 19 at 2pm the cathedral’s organ scholar, Caroline Richards, will give a recital featuring a selection of music on the cathedral’s fine organ.

From Monday to Friday at 1.15 pm there will be a ‘Ring the Bells’ guided tour of the cathedral and belfry with a chance to ring the famous Christ Church Bells. This is for over 12s only.

On Monday August 21 there will be an opportunity to ‘Discover the Monuments of Christ Church Cathedral’ with cathedral archivist Stuart Kinsella.

On Wednesday August 23 at 1.15 pm you can step through 1,000 years of history with the ‘1017 to 2017 Walking Tour‘ of the cathedral and its neighbourhood in the company of historian Mike O’Neill. This includes access to nearby St Werburgh’s Church.

On Saturday August 26 at 2pm there will be a talk entitled ‘Monastic Landscapes and Biodiversity’ by landscape architect Haley Farrell. This is free but normal cathedral admission applies.

The Crypt Open Afternoon takes place on Tuesday August 22 from 1pm to 6pm providing the chance to explore the cathedral’s famous crypt, the largest in Ireland. There will be a full line up of fun events to celebrate its forthcoming refurbishment. There will be free entrance to the crypt only via the St John’s Lane entrance.

The crypt is the oldest structure still in use in Dublin. Over its history of almost 1,000 years it has served as a burial place, a reliquary, a wine warehouse and a market with three taverns.

The open afternoon includes a free Monks Tour of the cathedral a 12pm. Aimed at 7 to 10 year olds (although this is flexible), children can dress up in a monk’s robe and learn how the monks lived at Christ Church. The tour is free but places are limed and must be reserved at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/childrens-monks-tour-of-christ-church-cathedral-tickets-36272121893

During the open afternoon children can explore the Crypt and complete the special archaeological and historical crypt trail learning about the different ways the crypt has featured in the history of Dublin.

There will be a Nature Journal Workshop with illustrator Melissa Doran from 2pm to 4pm. Melissa will help children discover the wildlife around Christ Church Cathedral and teach them to document the world around them in their own fun and creative way. This workshop is aimed at 8 to 12 year olds and is limited to 10 places. Booking is essential at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nature-journal-workshop-for-8-12-year- olds–tickets–36265338604

Finally, during the Crypt Open Afternoon, Canon Roy Byrne will lead two fascinating tours, at 2.30 pm and 4pm entitled ‘Dublin’s Subterranean Treasury‘ focusing on the many wonderful artefacts on display in the crypt. Tours are available on a first come, first served basis.

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, has welcomed a new member to the cathedral community. Laurence Magnificat is currently making himself at home at the cathedral and has also taken to Twitter where you will find him @ChristChurchCat.

Laurence plans to provide a cat’s eye view of events and happenings at Christ Church Cathedral. He will tweet about life in the cathedral with the help of Christ Church organ scholar, Caroline Richards and Jonathan Bull of the IT department.

Laurence (named after St Laurence O’Toole) is living with Caroline, who has adopted him. He is just four months old but in time he will attend cathedral services and generally take part in all that cathedral life has to offer a cat.

Laurence is not the first tweeting Magnificat. Doorkins Magnificat tweets daily from Southwark Cathedral in London to a large following.

We look forward to hearing how Laurence is settling in and in particular if he plans to attend the annual Peata Dog Carol Service in December.

The Marshal Beresford’s Fund and the Church Fabric and Development Fund are held towards the building or repair of churches or chapels. The grants from the Marshal Beresford’s Fund and the Church Fabric and Development Fund are allocated half–yearly in April and November.

Completed application forms must be returned to the Representative Church Body by either March 1or October 1 for the relevant half–year. If a parish is awarded a grant, it will be allocated from either the Marshal Beresford’s Fund or the Church Fabric and Development Fund and not from both funds.

Grants are usually not allocated towards a project until the completion of the works relevant to the grant application.

Application forms and guidelines are available from the Parish Resources section of the Church of Ireland website (www.ireland.anglican.org/parish-resources). Completed forms and supporting documents should be sent to Mr Ian Walshe, Property Department, Representative Church Body, Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6, D06 CF67. (Tel: 00353–1–4125 619; Email: ian.walshe@rcbdub.org).

The next deadline for receipt of applications is 1st October 2017.

Heritage Week is back from August 19 to 26 and St Patrick’s Cathedral is offering more events than ever before. The eternally popular lunchtime and evening recital series return with performances from Roderick Elms and Joanna Smith, David Leigh and the Phoenix Five among others, followed by late evenings in the Cathedral with photography nights, heritage table quiz and a special scavenger hunt.

They’re hosting not one but two talks on Jonathan Swift, approaching his life from different angles, as well as special thematic tours that are unique to Heritage Week. There will be a family day on August 19 with storytelling, a lunchtime Disney concert and Peter and the Wolf performed on the Cathedral organ.

All events for the week are completely free of charge, but with most likely to book out, advance registration is recommended. Click here to see the full programme for Heritage Week 2017 at St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Rathfarnham Parish is seeking to appoint a part–time secretary who will work from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings in the Parish Office adjacent to the War Memorial Hall and the Rectory.

IT skills are essential. Job description includes updating parish data bases; producing Church service sheets and monthly newsletter; overseeing Hall and Parish Center bookings; ordering supplies and answering general parish queries and other administrative duties.

Please send a CV and two recent references from employers (not related to the applicant) to: Canon Adrienne Galligan, Rathfarnham Rectory, Rathfarnham Road, Terenure, D6W
XV62 by 5.00 pm on Friday 1st September 2017.

The Biblical Association of the Church of Ireland has announced the speakers for their AGM Lecture which takes place on Wednesday September 13 in Castleknock Parish Centre at 7.30 pm. The topic of the lecture is The Church in Today’s World: Engaging with the Five Marks of Mission.

The Five Marks of Mission, as identified in the Anglican Communion, will be explored biblically in brief presentations by the following speakers:

1.TELL – The Revd Jack Kinkead: To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.

2.TEACH  – The Revd Lesley Robinson: To teach, baptise and nurture new believers.

3. TEND  – Mr Philip McKinley: To respond to human need by loving service.

4. TRANSFORM – Canon Paul Houston: To transform unjust structures of society, and pursue peace and reconciliation. 

5. TREASURE – Mr David Richie: To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.  

Attendance at the Five Marks of Mission lecture is free to paid–up members of BACI. The admission charge for non–members is €5.

The AGM will follow at approximately 8.45 pm.

BACI’s Lent Course 2018, available in January, will be prepared by these presenters on the same theme, enabling parishes around the country to reflect biblically and contextually on the mission of the Church at local level today.

Check the BACI website for updates.

The Representative Church Body (RCB) has a vacancy for a Manager Special Projects working in the department of the Chief Officer and Secretary.

Based in Rathmines Dublin, the RCB is the trustee body for the Church of Ireland, managing properties and substantial funds on behalf of parishes and dioceses in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The successful candidate will be required to lead and manage key projects within the RCB as well as work in other areas such as continuous process improvement, funding applications and assisting the work of various committees and work groups. The role will require a broad range of skills including excellent communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, an ability to organise and prioritise and a focus on delivering results. Candidates will be required to have a relevant third level qualification with previous project management experience an advantage. Previous experience in change management would also be desirable.

Application for the position is by completed application form together with CV. Further details and application form are available from www.ireland.anglican.org/vacancies or email recruit@rcbdub.org.

Applications may be submitted by email, preferably in pdf to recruit@rcbdub.org. Alternatively applications may be sent to:

Senior HR Manager,

Representative Church Body,

Church of Ireland House,

Church Avenue,

Rathmines,

Dublin 6.

Completed applications must arrive no later than 4pm on 4 August 2017.

The chairperson and the secretary of Dublin University Mission to Chota Nagpur, Archbishop Michael Jackson and the Revd Steve Brunn, are currently spending time in Ranchi and Hazaribagh where the focus of the Mission has been and where the footfall of the Mission historically has been. They are visiting schools and colleges, hospitals and nursing institutions along with the diocesan theological college. Their hope is that as Dublin University and the Church of Ireland engage afresh with DUMCN there will be a vibrant two–way exchange of experience between India and Ireland as the years progress and the link strengthens. Notable names of members of the Church of Ireland who have been associated with the Mission in Chota Nagpur are, among others Bishop Packenham–Walsh (obit), Miss Elizabeth Ferrar (obit) and the Reverend Canon William Marshall.

The Archbishop arrived in Ranchi on Thursday last from Nagpur where he had been participating in a Consultation on Inter Faith Approaches to Disability Issues in India in The Pallotine Conference Centre (August 7–9). During that time he also met with the Bishop of Nagpur (Bishop Paul Dupare) and the diocesan clergy. The Revd Steve Brunn, Chaplain of Trinity College, and Secretary of DUMCN, had arrived in Ranchi the previous day.

Steve, together with members of the Diocesan Clergy and Lay Team of Chota Nagpur Diocese, met the Archbishop at Ranchi Airport. There followed a meeting over lunch where the local church leaders (Diocesan Secretary, Diocesan Vice–President, Diocesan Treasurer, Diocesan Secretary for Education, Diocesan Registrar, Director of the Diocesan Catechist School and others) briefed the Archbishop and Steve on aspects of diocesan life and of on–going work supported by DUMCN. They explained that the Diocese of Chota Nagpur is set in a state with a population of 31.9 million people. They described the range of diocesan life as consisting in some 70 parishes and 150 congregations; ministering to a wide range of tribal peoples with a broad diversity of languages; taking responsibility for healthcare and educational institutions, both primary and secondary and sensitive to the needs of people whatever their economic standing. The third strand of outreach into the society is agricultural development programmes, as 85% of the population of the state is involved in agriculture.

The Archbishop and Steve then went to The Bishop Westcott Boys’ School, Namkom where they were received and welcomed by The Principal, Mr RI Thornton. The school was founded in 1927 by The Right Reverend Foss Westcott, bishop of Chota Nagpur and Bishop Westcott subsequently became Metropolitan of India, Ceylon and Burma. The Archbishop and Steve are based in the school during their time in Chota Nagpur.  

Archbishop Jackson has been writing about their visit so far:

DAY 2: VISITING DIOCESAN INSTITUTIONS IN RANCHI

The focus of attention on the first full day was on diocesan institutions in Ranchi, the capital of the state and seat of the Bishop of Chota Nagpur, Church of North India. These institutions include: The Bishop Hubback Theological College; SPG Women’s Primary Teachers Education College; St Michael’s School for the Blind; St Barnabas Hospital, Dr Arnold Eates School of Nursing; St Barnabas Hospital College of Nursing.

Our visit was to The Bishop Hubback Theological College where ordinands are trained to serve in the Chota Nagpur Diocese. We were invited to worship with them and each told us his personal story. In the worship, they sang, in one of their tribal dialects, hymns that spoke of the calming of the storm by Jesus in St Mark 4 and the unending praise of the Lord by the angels in Revelation 4. The ordinands learn a trade in their final year of study. They also grow the vegetables for the college and tend the garden, keep it clean and do the cooking. Degrees offered are BTh and BD and the college has an urgent need to upgrade the library to comply with the syllabus of the Senate of Serampore University. They collaborate with The Lutheran Theological Seminary for parts of teaching and learning, while retaining a focus on the tribal context.

Next we visited St Michael’s School for Blind Children. It receives support from Templebreedy Parish, Diocese of Cork, among other sources. The students offered Welcome Song and Dance. The range of achievements of the students over many student generations is significant and impressive and includes the areas of sport, music and education, the civil service and law.

St Barnabas’ Hospital, our next port of call, has gone through a major transformation in recent times and its association with DUMCN dates back to 1903. Today’s hospital has over 100 staff and urgently seeks to develop new facilities to enable it to be a leading hospital in Ranchi. As a Christian hospital, it is not able to access any Government funding directly. Because of the complexities of Indian society, particularly the caste system, Christians have led the way in nursing care from the very beginning. Their spirit of service is enshrined in following the way of Christ and sharing Christ’s sense of care and healing through clinical, scientific and technological means today. Nursing itself was inspired directly by the missionaries in India. The College is awaiting final accreditation of its BSc degree in nursing by Ranchi University and would hope to partner in whatever way possible with the School of Nursing in Dublin University.

The Teacher Training College, founded by SPG in 1910, is where Bishop Basil Baskey joined us. Appropriately, he is the chairperson of the college. The motto of the college is an inspiring one: Service for building a new life. The students have lectures daily from 8am until 2.30pm. They are all women and their philosophy is clear and direct: the empowerment of one woman can change a family and society itself. One of the dances they performed was a depiction of the powerful hymn: O the deep, deep love of Jesus.

This initial experience of a very few of the 150 institutions run by the diocese has opened up ways in which DUMCN can engage staff and students in Trinity College, ordinands in the Church of Ireland Theological College along with members of the Church of Ireland country–wide in practical projects of reciprocal mission in Chota Nagpur Diocese. It will be possible for individuals, parishes and dioceses of the Church of Ireland who want to be associated with such exciting possibilities to do so for the future.

DAY 3: VISITING FURTHER DIOCESAN INSTITUTIONS IN RURAL AND TRIBAL PARTS OF THE DIOCESE

This day had a different feel to it, although there was significant continuity with the day we spent visiting the diocesan institutions in Ranchi itself on Thursday. We were fortunate to be accompanied throughout by the diocesan bishop and members of his diocesan team. We travelled for approximately an hour and a half to reach the rural areas in order to begin our visits to communities and schools. The tribal people, who are not part of the Indian caste system, live in the rural areas and 85% of the occupation of the people is agricultural in character. The diocese trains both catechists and clergy for such work of ministry and mission today, in two distinct colleges, Bishop Hubback Theological College, Ranchi and The Catechist Training College, Hembrom. Interestingly, we were not able to visit the latter as the students are currently on annual leave to assist their families with farm work and harvesting.   

Our first visit was to St Luke’s Schools and Church in Maranghada, Khunti where the church is built on a high rocky promontory with a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. The church, constructed in the third quarter of the nineteenth century, is also known as The Whitely Memorial Church because of Bishop Whitely, first bishop of Chota Nagpur, who supervised its construction while still serving as a priest. There had first been a small church in the marketplace and today’s church was built when the congregation outgrew its first home.

Growth is a major consideration in understanding the life of the Diocese of Chota Nagpur. It was in this area that the Agrarian Movement took root and the missionaries were strongly supportive of this. It was led by Birsa Munda, a native of the area, and he was hailed as a freedom fighter. The airport is named after him. Three bishops of Chota Nagpur have come from this place. More recently, Jaipal Singh Munda was brought from this area by a missionary to study in Oxford where he excelled in hockey, becoming an Oxford Blue and he subsequently led India to Olympic Gold in the sport. He then became a parliamentarian in the Delhi Parliament and spoke frequently for democracy from the perspective of the tribals of whom he was one.

DUMCN supports 30 students in St Luke’s School where we both spoke on being proud to be local and on the privilege of education. They also took questions from pupils and staff. St Luke’s is among secondary schools in the tribal area that teach Hindi, Sanskrit and English.

We next visited Bishop Westcott School, Soeko, a co–educational school celebrating its silver jubilee this year and set in the midst of its village in the tribal area. The school was founded by a former bishop of the diocese, Bishop Terom, who was the first Indian bishop of Chota Nagpur, deliberately to be an English–medium school in order to facilitate the pupils from tribal areas in preparing themselves for life in a fast–moving and rapidly–changing world. It began its life on July 1st 1992 and today flourishes with a wide–ranging local student population. The pupils led us to the school in worship and I spoke to them about the inspiration we must derive from the future as well as from the past in understanding education as a preparation for citizenship.

Our third port of call was the complex of schools in Murhu for the education of girls under the patronage of St Luke and of boys under the patronage of St John and St John’s Church. There is also St Luke’s Hospital, currently not in use. The Revd Kenneth Kennedy, a DUMCN Missionary, was pivotal in the development of Murhu, its schools and its church. He trained both as a doctor and as a priest in Dublin University before going to India with the Mission and staying on with SPG. He served as bishop of the diocese from 1926 to 1936.

There are 460 girl students and 339 boy students in Murhu. The afternoon culminated in an act of worship in St John’s Church. It had been built by the Revd Kenneth Kennedy and was packed by members of the community. It was inspiring to hear those gathered in the church say The Lord’s Prayer each in his/her own native tongue and very spiritually moving to be there in the name of DUMCN. Characteristically, the afternoon finished with tea.

The Bishop’s Visitation Book made interesting reading around recent confirmations. The following numbers of confirmands were recorded for this one rural church: 66 in 2014; 66 in 2015; 75 in 2016; 99 in 2017. This is a significant response to God’s call to discipleship and belonging, by anyone’s standards.  

DAY 4: St PAUL’S CATHEDRAL RANCHI AND BISHOP WESTCOTT SCHOOL NAMKOM

By the time we reached the cathedral at 8.00 am for the 8.30 am celebration of Holy Communion, there had already been The Hindi Service, and a second Hindi Service was due to follow the English Service later in the morning. The cathedral clergy are responsible for seven services in the cathedral and its surrounding parishes Sunday by Sunday. The 8.30 am congregation numbered 450 with a substantial choir and the Bishop of Chota Nagpur was celebrant. The cathedral, dedicated to St Paul, was built in 1870.

I was invited to preach and the Lectionary was that of the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. I took as my theme the guidance of the ignorant and wayward – that is ourselves – by Jesus the great High Priest to the throne of grace. From Exodus I drew out the theme of a covenant of goodness and response between God and the children of Israel and God’s naming them a royal priesthood and a holy nation. The Epistle from Hebrews defined afresh the character of High Priesthood for the Christian through the self–sacrifice of Jesus Christ and through the life of teaching and healing that itself characterised the earthly life of the same Jesus Christ. St Matthew’s Gospel spoke of the yoke being easy and the burden light. I suggested that the spirit of mission and Godly adventure that inspired the early members of DUMCN in coming to Chota Nagpur to serve in teaching and in healing was of a piece with the person of Jesus Christ and still forms the core of the new and reciprocal mission and ministry that will unfold through DUMCN today. The Revd Steve Brunn was also given an opportunity to bring the greetings of Dublin University.     

During the evening there was a reception in Bishop Westcott Boy’s School. This involved the unveiling of two plaques to commemorate our visit, one for the school and one for the cathedral. There followed a reception at which the combined forces of the pupils of Bishop Westcott Boys’ School and Bishop Westcott Girls’ School sang and performed tribal dances. We were again granted an opportunity to address pupils and staff and to congratulate and encourage the pupils in their studies and in the celebration of their culture.

Christ Church Cathedral is hosting a new speaker series focusing on experiences of the direct provision system. ‘What’s the Story? Lives in Direct Provision’ will give those who are currently living or have lived in the direct provision system the opportunity to share their experiences and reflect on the themes of family, home and time.

All sessions will take place in the Music Room of Christ Church Cathedral and begin at 6.30 pm.

The series launch will take place on Monday September 4. This will be followed by a reception catered by Ellie Kisyombe and friends from Our Table.

The second and third sessions take place on Monday September 11 and Monday September 18.

The sessions are free of charge but donations towards the Diocesan Refugee Housing Appeal will be gratefully received.

Further information is available from the cathedral office on 01–6778099 or welcome@christchurch.ie.