In recent weeks, Christ Church Rushbrooke in County Cork hosted a Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving for the lives of the five residents of Cobh Community Hospital who died of COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Memorial Service at Christ Church, Rushbrooke, County Cork
This service was an opportunity for the staff of Cobh Community Hospital and the bereaved families to come together to mourn and commend the souls of those who died to the gracious keeping of Almighty God.
The officiant at the service was the Rector of Cobh and Glanmire Union of Parishes, The Revd Paul Arbuthnot. He was joined by the Administrator of Cobh Cathedral, Fr Tom McDermott who gave an Address.
Memorial Service at Christ Church, Rushbrooke, County Cork
The lessons and prayers were read by staff and board members of Cobh Community Hospital. The music was provided by Dom Finn and John Daly of Cobh Cathedral. The Director of Nursing at Cobh Community Hospital, Erica Mulvihill also spoke at the service. During the service the bereaved families were invited to place candles on the altar as part of an act of remembrance. At the end of the service each family was presented with a carved representation of a tree by Toddy Stafford of the Friends of Cobh Hospital.
Memorial Service at Christ Church, Rushbrooke, County Cork
This afternoon, Wednesday, 30th June, following the updating today of the public health information on the Government website http://www.gov.ie to include formal reference to ‘other religious ceremonies’, namely Holy Baptisms, First Communions and Confirmations’, the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Dr Paul Colton has written to clergy in the Diocese as well as to all confirmands, their parents and guardians, to announce that Confirmations in the Diocese have been cancelled.
Following the expressed hope in the Government announcement of 2nd June that such ceremonies may proceed from 5th July (subject to the public health situation) plans had been put in place to do all the 2020 and 2021 Confirmations in Cork, Cloyne and Ross between 5th July and the end of September.
Today’s Government announcement in the light of the developments in the public health advice from NPHET at the start of this week makes clear that ceremonies ‘such as Baptisms, First Communions and Confirmations should not take place at this time.’ It goes on to state that ‘further advice will follow on the resumption of these ceremonies when it is safe to do so.’ This means that there is no timeline for the resumption of those sacraments or ceremonies for now.
The full announcement by the Government may be read HERE
The following cancellations affecting the following parishes and areas in Cork City and County are announced:
Glanmire, Cobh, Little Island, Midleton, Aghada, Cloyne, East Ferry, Castlemartyr, Youghal, Ardmore
25th September
Cork City – St Fin Barre’s Cathedral
Here is the full text of Bishop Colton’s letter to those who had hoped to be confirmed:
‘Dear Parents/Guardians and Confirmands,
Confirmation Services
In the last 24 hours I have been endeavouring to get a definitive clarification from representatives of our Government about yesterday’s public health announcements. The usual Covid-19 updates on the website http://www.gov.ie contained no reference to Holy Baptisms, First Communions and Confirmations, but when departing from yesterday’s Press Conference An Tánaiste Leo Varadkar remarked that they were ‘off’. As you know the Government had previously announced on 2nd June that, as and from 5th July, it might have been possible to proceed with Confirmation Services taking into account ‘the disease situation in the local community’.
I am disappointed to have to bring you the news that the Government website has been updated today under the heading ‘Other religious ceremonies’ as follows:
“It is advised that religious ceremonies such as Baptisms, First Holy Communions and Confirmations should not take place at this time. Further advice will follow on resumption of these ceremonies when it is safe to do so.“
Unfortunately, as you will have heard in the news, ‘the disease situation’ makes pressing on impossible for now, and we are back to where we started. The commentary since An Taoiseach’s speech at lunchtime refers to uncertainty for the coming three month period. Today’s announcement gives no indication when the ‘further advice’ referred to will be issued.
I am conscious that we had no Confirmations in the Diocese in 2020 because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, that we have also had none in 2021, and that this is the second time I have had to bring you news of the cancellation, until further notice, of your special day. This means that all of the dates that had been tentatively set are, for now, cancelled.
I look forward to the day when I may indeed celebrate your Confirmation with you.’
The Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Dr Paul Colton
On Sunday 27th June a Diocesan Service, with civic and ecumenical participation, was held in Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork to mark the upcoming centenary of the truce: the end of the War of Independence in Ireland. The Service, which was held as part of the continuing Cork, Cloyne and Ross Centenaries Commemoration and Reconciliation Project was limited, due to pandemic restrictions, to an attendance of 50 people led by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Colm Kelleher and the Mayor of Cork County, Councillor Gillian Coughlan. Also present were members of the Oireachtas, the Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána, and representatives of civic, commercial, and voluntary groups in Cork.
After the Centenary Service were (l-r) Archdeacon Adrian Wilkinson, Canon Dr Daniel Nuzum (Ecumenical Officer), Denise Gabuzda (Religious Society of Friends), Bishop Paul Colton, Stephen Murray (Cork Presbyterian Church), Dean Nigel Dunne, Councillor Colm Kelleher (Lord Mayor of Cork), the Reverend Andrew Robinson (Cork Methodist Church), Councillor Gillian Coughlan (Mayor of County Cork), Bishop Fintan Gavin, the Reverend Mike O’Sullivan (Cork Unitarian Church) and Sheila Robinson (Crucifer)
Opening the Service, Bishop Paul Colton quoted his predecessor, Bishop Charles Dowse (Bishop of Cork from 1912 to 1933) who in his address to the Cork, Cloyne and Ross Diocesan Synod over a year on, in October 1922 said:
The future holds days of great opportunity for those who refuse to be cast down.
Bishop Charles Dowse, 1922
Bishop Colton added:
Friends! We are that future. One hundred years on, we are that future.
Bishop Paul Colton, 2021
Setting the Service firmly in the context of the challenge of the way of Jesus Christ and of the scriptures, Bishop Colton, continued:
The end of every war, the cessation of violence, a truce, is worthy of commemoration. In spite of the witness, contradictions and complexities of human history, the Christian view throughout is that justice, righteousness, reconciliation and peace tend towards what St Paul called – the more excellent way – the way of love: the love which Jesus Christ referred to as the greatest of commandments. And which is entrusted to us as ‘the ministry of reconciliation’.
Whatever churches and Christians have to say about commemorations such as these in this Decade of Centenaries it has to be rooted in this witness, challenging and uncomfortable as that may be.
The liturgy was that prepared for occasions such as this by the Liturgical Advisory Committee at the request of the Historical Centenaries Working Group.
The Dean of Cork, the Very Reverend Nigel Dunne, who is himself a member of the Liturgical Advisory Committee, led the Service in which, along with representatives of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, there was significant ecumenical participation by the Most Reverend Dr Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross, the Reverend Andrew Robinson, Cork Methodist Church, Mr Stephen Murray, Cork Presbyterian Church, Denise Gabuzda, Society of Friends, and the Reverend Mike O’Sullivan, Cork Unitarian Church.
With the two bishops, the dean, the Lord Mayor and Mayor after the Service were Captain Denis Sheehan (Defence Forces) and Detective Superintendent Michael Comyns (An Garda Síochána)
A votive candle stand, commissioned from a manufacturer of church supplies in Sweden, shaped like a globe, was a centre piece for the two key points in the Service: first, remembrance when the Lord Mayor of Cork and the Mayor of Cork County lit the central candle during the singing of ‘Hear my prayer’ (Mendelssohn) followed by a time of extended silence. The second key moment was the prayers and thanksgivings, during which the remaining candles surrounding the globe were lit, following which the soloist, Saoirse Daly, accompanied by organist Robbie Carroll, sang Ich folge dir gleichfalls from the St John Passion by J.S. Bach: ‘I follow you likewise with joyful steps, and do not leave you, my life and my light.’
The Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Colm Kelleher, and the Mayor of County Cork, Councillor Gillian Coughlan, light the central candle during the Act of Remembrance.
If you wish to view the Service you can do so on the Diocesan YouTube Channel: HERE
A small, rural two-teacher Church of Ireland National School in Ballineen in West Cork with twenty-nine pupils decided to find a creative and artistic way to overcome one big obstacle caused by Covid-19 restrictions: not allowing the pandemic to break down the sense of community in the school. The school’s two classrooms have been completely separated this year due to those restrictions. The two classes have had separate entrances and separate break times.
That did not stop Ballymoney National School which is in the Kinneigh Union of Parishes. How were they going to help the pupils to feel connected to each other?
Throughout the year the school worked on a massive mural (24 feet x 8 feet) made out of 12,400 plastic bottle tops.
The mural at Ballymoney National School made out of plastic bottle tops.
In September, a sign was put up appealing to members of the local community to collect plastic bottle tops for the school. The response was incredible! For months people delivered bags of bottle tops to the school.
The school’s very talented resource teacher, Esther Quin, drew the mural on six sheets of plywood in December and the senior classroom painted it. The parish hall adjacent to the school had no events happening in it due to the restrictions and the school was very fortunate to be able to use it as an art studio to create our mural in.
When the junior classroom returned to school in March, they began sticking the plastic bottle tops in place. Everyday they sent an updated photograph of their progress to show the senior classroom who were still learning remotely on zoom. Constructing the mural gave the pupils a chance to sit and chat to each other as they stuck the bottle tops in place which was exactly what they needed after the long school closure.
School Principal, Ms Shireen Rountree said:
Our wonderful parents helped permanently secure the glued bottle tops in place with screws. This week the mural was finally erected on the back of the school shelter on the Rossmore Road. It is bright, beautiful and absolutely massive! It is 24foot long and 8 foot high. Altogether it took 12,400 bottle tops to make the mural! It depicts our view of Ballineen Bridge with Enniskeane village on one side and Ballineen village on the other side. It shows some of the wildlife that we are lucky enough to see from our playground – herons and swans. We hope it brings a smile to the faces of passersby to see what we have created from their rubbish. The parents and staff are extremely proud of the children’s wonderful achievement.
Christian Aid Ireland has thanked the people of the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross for their support for the fundraising efforts of a Carrigaline clergyman who recently completed a sponsored walk around the county, raising around €12,000 for the agency’s work in Burundi, a country affected by poverty, hunger and conflict.
The Rev. Tony Murphy’s month-long pilgrimage began in Bantry on 1st May and concluded in Youghal on 27th May. His challenge saw him visit each of the 22 parishes in the Church of Ireland diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, walking for at least 5 kms at each location while collecting sponsorship for Christian Aid’s projects in the East African country.
The Rev Tony Murphy who walked 100km in aid of the Diocesan Maize Project in Burundi. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Tony was joined by local rectors and parishioners and supported on many of the walks by Andrew Coleman, Christian Aid Ireland’s Bandon-based Church and Community Officer. On the final day of his walk, he was joined by the Mayor of County Cork, Councillor Mary Linehan Foley who came along to congratulate him for his fundraising efforts.
Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, Mayor of County Cork and parishioners of Youghal greet the Reverend Tony Murphy on the final day of his 100km walk.
Tony, who was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary, visited Burundi in October 2019 to see for himself how the support of Cork diocese is enabling farmers in Burundi to move from subsistence farming, where they grow food to survive, to a business model where they grow food for sale, in order to thrive.
Local farmers, most of whom are women, receive training in good farming techniques and are given access to a harvest storage facility as well as a small maize processing plant.
Speaking in 2019, one member of the cooperative, Esperance Kigongwe (44), a maize farmer and mother of eight children, explained the difference the cooperative had made:
Because of the cooperative, my harvest has increased. Before we had a storage room, our harvest would spoil. Now I get high quality maize flour from the processing plant. With the extra money, I have bought goats and also land for myself. I can pay for school materials for my children.
Tony’s pilgrimage brings to more than €70,000 the sum raised within the diocese since 2017 to fund the project. The cooperatives were established by Christian Aid’s local partner, the Anglican Church of Burundi in the south of the country and Cork diocese has committed to funding them for this year and next year. Funding levels declined due to the coronavirus pandemic while churches were closed and the Rev Tony Murphy is delighted that his pilgrimage has helped achieve the yearly target for 2021.
Christian Aid Ireland Chief Executive Rosamond Bennett paid tribute to the people of Cork diocese. She said:
Cork’s kindness is reaching all the way to East Africa, bringing hope and opportunity to people living in poverty. Where once the members of these cooperatives were merely surviving, now they’re thriving. We’re very grateful to Rev Tony, and to Bishop Paul Colton and all the local rectors and parishioners who supported his walk so generously.
The Rev Tony Murphy recalled his visit to Burundi:
The support of Cork diocese was hugely appreciated by the people in Burundi, a people with spirit and resilience who are working hard to move from subsistence living. The cooperatives are doing so well that the hope is that they will have become self-sustaining by the end of next year and won’t require further support.
If you would like to sponsor Tony’s walk, you can make an online donation here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/walking4burundi or you can post a cheque to Rev Tony Murphy, 9 Riverside, Carrigaline, County Cork, P43 FP11 marked ‘Burundi’ on the reverse.
RSS - Posts