New Livestream Online from St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork

As soon as the ‘lockdown’ due to the Covid-19 pandemic came into effect on 18th March St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, like so many cathedrals and churches across Ireland, moved very quickly to provide worship and concerts online.  At first this was done using technology immediately to hand – mobile phones, a tripod, existing streaming platforms and learning new recording and editing skills.

Thanks to a grant to each diocese from the Church of Ireland Priorities Fund and the Representative Church Body, the Cathedral was able to ‘up its game’ by installing professional and permanent equipment installed by Co Wicklow based company Churchservices TV.

The Dean of Cork, the Very Rev’d Nigel Dunne, commenting on the recent installation said:

Our move to online provision of worship, weekly concerts and recitals, online choir practices for the choristers and the provision of music classes for primary schools (under the Diocesan Church Music Scheme) have all meant a steep learning curve for those of us involved.  The live streaming element has been particularly difficult and we are delighted to have been able to solve that through this generous funding from ‘central church’.  We now have a seamless stream to churchservices.tv via our website and on their own site. We will continue to stream from the new setup to our YouTube channel for another few weeks until people have had time to move to the new system.

The new livestream currently provides for four different camera settings ranging from a shot of almost all of the cathedral right down to a close up of the High Altar.  Two more shots will soon be added to provide for either a concert setup at the crossing or a close up of the crossing should someone be giving a speech or lecture.

The livestream can be viewed on the Cathedral’s website www.corkcathedral.webs.com or on Churchservices TV https://www.churchservices.tv/corkstfinbarre

Posted in Cathedral, Church Online, Contemporary Issues, Cork, Corona Virus, COVID-19, Five Marks of Mission, Liturgy, Technology, Webcam, Worship | Comments Off on New Livestream Online from St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork

Bishop Paul Colton’s Monthly Letter for July to the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Each month, Bishop Paul Colton writes a short one page letter as a foreword to the Cork, Cloyne and Ross Diocesan Magazine.

As the letter for the July edition of the Magazine relates to the reopening of church buildings for worship as and from 29th June, the Bishop is publishing that letter online in advance.

Here is his letter in the July edition of the magazine:

I broke a tooth yesterday. I was really glad it didn’t happen during the strict ‘lockdown’ period.  So I phoned my dentist.  His dental nurse chatted me through it and then it came to making an appointment.  Some things had changed.  We made the appointment for Monday coming (I’m writing on Saturday, 13th June don’t forget).  Then  she went through a long checklist with me: a health check, signs and symptoms of CoronaVirus.  All was well.  Then I got my instructions – ‘Do not come in.  Wait in the car outside until I phone you.  That’ll be a while after the last person has left.  And wear a mask.  See you Monday!’

We are all adjusting, and, for the foreseeable future, this CoronaVirus will affect the way we live and go about our business. Church too! The HSE has produced lots of resources for this time. They are all available online.  Google ‘HSE Covid-19 resources’.   The headline on ‘Stay Safe Protect’ – the first of the posters – is twofold.  First, it says ‘Stay Safe’ (this has become the common parting greeting for many people).  The second part of that is ‘Protect Each Other’  I wonder if this part of the message has really taken root with everyone?

‘Protect each other’ – this should come as first nature to us as Christians for whom ‘Love God – Love your neighbour’ is our core principle.  Jesus told us that everything we are and do hangs on these.  This was his answer to the question ‘which is the greatest commandment in the law?’ (Matthew 22.36-40)  Many of the things we are being asked or required to do now are for the sake of other people.

We are looking forward to the reopening over time of our church buildings.  As we do so there are regulations and protocols that we must keep.  But we should want to keep them, not only because they are about staying safe, but because, perhaps even more than ourselves, other people in our community may need our protection. Your clergy and select vestries are busy getting ready. Because some people are at risk, we may not have the same team of lay volunteers or clergy to keep things going.  We need to understand this and  to be patient.  We need to understand that church-going will not be the way it always was, for a time.

Most of all, may I make one strong plea?  Please do not come to church (not something you usually hear a bishop saying)  – if you or anyone in your household has symptoms of COVID-19 or has been in contact with someone who has in the previous 14 days.

Stay Safe.  Protect Each Other.

✞ Paul Cork:

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It’s Diocesan ‘Synod’ Day 2020 in Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Saturday, 13th June 2020 is in the diary as the day for this year’s Diocesan Synod of the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.  ‘Synod’ is rooted in the idea of gathering and meeting. But that, of course, cannot happen this year.

So instead?

You are invited to take a 30 minute break and to join us anytime today or in coming days for today’s Cork, Cloyne and Ross Diocesan ‘Synod’ – a gathering and celebration.

You will see many people you know, perhaps even yourself, and catch up with what we are doing here in this part of the Church.

Yes, a ‘synod’ – well, sort  of – in just 30 minutes and you can view it, as has been said, anytime today or in coming days on our YouTube Channel

To view the 2020 Diocesan ‘Synod’ and celebration

Click  Here

The Cathedral Church of Saint Colman, Cloyne and the Round Tower. © Cathal Noonan. Thank you for permission to use this photograph.
http://www.cathalnoonan.com

 

Posted in Bishop, Carraig Centre, Cathedral, Cathedral Choir, CDYC, Chaplaincies, Charities in the Diocese, Charting A Future With Confidence, Children's Ministry, Christian Aid, Church in Society, Church of Ireland, Church Online, Churches in Cork, Clergy, Contemporary Issues, Cork, Cork Person of the Year Awards, Cork Three Faiths Forum, Diocesan Secretary, Diocesan Synod, Diocesan Youth Officer, Diocese, Eco Congregation, Ecumenism, Environmental Issues, Five Marks of Mission, Fresh Expressions, Guild of Lay Ministry, ICICYMA, Labyrinth, Mission to Seafarers, People from Cork, People from the Diocese, World Aid and Development, Youth Work | Comments Off on It’s Diocesan ‘Synod’ Day 2020 in Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Prayer in Preparation for Re-opening Church Buildings ~ Archdeacon Adrian Wilkinson

The Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Venerable Adrian Wilkinson, who celebrated the silver jubilee of his ordination as  a priest on Saint Columba’s Day, 9th June, has written a  prayer for his parish and for use in the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and  Ross.

It is for use as preparations are made for the reopening of church buildings.

It is now shared more widely as others may like to use it.  Here it is:

 

Creator God, 

not limited by time or space; 

your Son worshipped in synagogue and Temple, 

and your Spirit came in power on the disciples as they met in the Upper Room. 

By that same Spirit, 

guide us as we prepare to reopen the churches in this parish/diocese. 

May they be places of safety, 

where all feel your welcome, experience your love and are equipped in your service. 

We pray for those who through age or vulnerability will continue to worship at home, 

that together we may all rejoice in your goodness and know your blessing, 

until we can offer unceasing praise in your heavenly kingdom,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen. 

 

 

Archdeacon Adrian Wilkinson

Posted in Archdeacon, Church Services, Churches in Cork, Clergy, Cork, Corona Virus, COVID-19, Liturgy, Prayers | Comments Off on Prayer in Preparation for Re-opening Church Buildings ~ Archdeacon Adrian Wilkinson

Five Online Singing Classes for Schools from Cork Diocesan Church Music Scheme

The Cork, Cloyne and Ross Diocesan Church Music Scheme is funded by the Diocesan Board of Education, the City of Cork Church School Board, the Diocesan Council with further support from Ashton School. Recently the Scheme received a generous donation of €30,000 given in memory of Avril Watters.  The Scheme is run by the music department at Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork and provides support for the development of music in primary and secondary schools, as well as in parishes across the Diocese.

A large component of the Scheme involves weekly and monthly visits to schools.  Primary schools further from the city are brought together for several joint workshops each year centred on the towns of Skibbereen and Bandon.

The latest development during the current school closures is a one week programme of videos made by Director of Music, Peter Stobart.

Peter said:

In order to bring some music into the lockdown lives of the children in our Diocesan Primary Schools, I have created a series of five short videos to be watched from home, one for each day of the week. They are all different and include warm-up songs, some with actions, tongue twisters, and each one ends with a hymn. Whilst nothing beats communal singing, this is an attempt to keep spirits up and to bring some of what would normally happen in school into the home.

The videos were released at the end of May ‘Diocesan Church Music Scheme’ playlist on the Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral’s YouTube channel: click HERE

Here are the links to the five lessons:

Monday – click HERE

Tuesday – click HERE

Wednesday – click HERE

Thursday – click HERE

Friday – click HERE

Posted in Cathedral, Children's Ministry, Church Music, Diocesan Church Music Scheme, Diocese, Education, Schools in the Diocese, Youth Work | Comments Off on Five Online Singing Classes for Schools from Cork Diocesan Church Music Scheme