Bishop Colton attends Cork County Commemoration of the First Dáil

Posted on January 22, 2019 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

On Monday, 21st January 2019, the centenary of the meeting of the First Dáil in the Mansion House in Dublin, Cork County Council held a special commemorative meeting at the County Hall, Cork.  Dr Paul Colton, Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork, was in attendance as a guest.

Special meeting of Cork County Council in Cork County Hall, to commemorate the first meeting of Dáil Éireann.

As part of the Cork, Cloyne and Ross Diocesan Commemorations and Reconciliation Project (supported by the Church of Ireland Priorities Fund) Bishop Colton has been working in partnership with other bodies and agencies in Cork City and County who are also engaging with the Decade of Centenaries.  In the case of Cork County Council he has been working with the County Heritage Office, Conor Nelligan, and Nicola Radley, Senior Executive Officer at the Corporate Services Directorate at Cork County Council.

Bishop Colton with (left) Cllr Frank O’Flynn, Chairman of the Cork County Commemorations Committee, and Cllr Kevin Murphy.

Yesterday’s meeting, like that of the First Dáil, was conducted principally in Irish, but included also an excerpt in French from the ‘Message to the Free Nations of the World.’  The meeting commemorated the nine Corkmen who were elected to the First Dáil:   Liam De Róiste; James J Walsh, David Kent, Terence MacSwiney, Patrick O’Keeffe, Thomas Hunter, Michael Collins, Diarmuid Lynch and Seán Hayes.  Principal addresses to the meeting, in Irish, were made by the Mayor of Cork County, Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy, and the CEO of Cork County, Mr Tim Lucey.  In itself, the meeting made history as it was the first recorded bilingual meeting of the County Council.

At the special meeting were (l-r) Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, Bishop Paul Colton, and Cllr Susan McCarthy.

A keynote address was given by Dr Neil Buttimer from the Department of Modern Irish at University College, Cork.  Bishop Colton was warmly welcomed to the special sitting of the County Council by the Mayor and Councillors, as well as the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Cork County Commemorations Committee.

Dr Neil Buttimer (left) Department of Modern Irish at University College Cork, Bishop Colton, and Conor Nelligan, Cork County Heritage Officer.

 

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10th Anniversary of Ecumenical Links with Indian Orthodox Community marked by Cork Church of Ireland Parish

Posted on January 19, 2019 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

For the past ten years, members of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, have been celebrating mass on two Saturdays each month in St Michael’s Church of Ireland Church in Blackrock, Cork, and also on their major festivals.  A special celebration was held recently to mark the 10th anniversary.

At a special service in St Michael’s Church on Saturday 12 January, their priest Fr Zachariah George, and the Church of Ireland rector, Archdeacon Adrian Wilkinson, lit wicks from a large oil lamp to symbolise their shared faith and ecumenical fellowship.

Celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the use by the Indian Orthodox Church in Cork of St Michael’s Church of Ireland Church, Blackrock, Cork.

Later Archdeacon Wilkinson was presented with an engraved glass plaque as a gift to the parish. The inscription reads, ‘Thank you for your generosity and support throughout our journey, with deepest gratitude and appreciation from all our members to St Michael’s Church, Blackrock, Cork 2019’.

A presentation to Archdeacon Adrian Wilkinson.

The large congregation at the service included many young families and children. Afterwards everyone enjoyed a celebratory meal in the Old Schoolhouse beside the church and there both clergy cut a special cake in honour of the occasion. The parishioners in Blackrock would like to thank the Indian Orthodox congregation for this very generous gesture and they look forward to continuing the journey with them for many more years to come.

Cutting the cake.

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, more commonly known as the Indian Orthodox Church, traces its roots back to the evangelical activity of St Thomas the Apostle in the 1st Century. These Christians are predominantly from Kerala State on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India. Quite a number now live in Cork and work in a variety of professions and in business.

The 10th anniversary celebrations of the members of the Indian Orthodox Church in St Michael’s Church, Blackrock, Cork.

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Joint Christmas Message from the Bishops of Cork: Bishop John Buckley and Bishop Paul Colton

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Catholic Diocese of Cork and Ross

Church of Ireland – Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Joint Press Release

 

Joint Christmas Message from the Bishops of Cork:

The Most Reverend Dr John Buckley and the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton

Christmas 2018

As Bishops of Cork, many things are on our minds as we approach Christmas 2018. We recently commemorated the centenary of the end of the ‘war to end all wars’ and yet, one hundred years on, there is war and conflict in many places around world. Everyone feels the global reach of these wars where they are locally. Next year we will begin to mark the events, not without their own violence and conflict, that led to the independent foundation of our State. At a more personal level many live with human conflict and deep upset in their own lives for all sorts of reasons, depending on our circumstances: homelessness, hunger, poverty, striving to keep going in a fast-changing society, keeping up at work, matching the pace of change. These, and so many more, challenge us in ways that affect our well-being: physical, mental and emotional.

It is against this background that we hear again in 2018 the Christmas message of the baby whose birth was announced as bringing ‘peace on earth and goodwill’.   He was called the ‘Word made flesh’ – God among us; and ‘Emmanuel’ – God with us. Peace is so much more than the absence of war, conflict and violence. We often hear that ‘the peace of God passes all understanding’, and so it does, and for many it seems hard to find and to feel. The Christmas message assures us that God is with us no matter what we are going through.

As we join, therefore, once again this year as Bishops of Cork, in wishing you all a Happy Christmas, we pray that you will know the joy, hope and peace that the birth of Jesus, the baby born in Bethlehem brings; and indeed that all, wherever they are around the world, who work for justice, peace and the well-being of humanity, will be blessed and encouraged to persevere.

In offering these hopes and prayers, we are conscious that God energises people’s imaginations and gives them the will, in God’s name, to make the world a better place here and now. As ever, here in Cork, we pay tribute to, and encourage our parishes and the people of Cork to support (through our voluntary work or gifts and engagement), those who work day in and day out throughout the year among us to change things for the better for people who are poor, homeless, living on our streets, looking for affordable housing, newcomers to our shores, people living in fear of violence, coping with mental health issues, living with pain and illness, caring for older people and people living with dementia, those seeking cures for disease, those who feel like strangers among us, and many who are working to put before us the big issues that face us all, such as climate change.

There is so much good being done and worked towards. We wish each and every one of you a peaceful and blessed Christmas.

+Paul Colton,                                                                          +John Buckley,      

Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross                                                Bishop of Cork and Ross.

 

 

Further information from:

Sam Wynn        Church of Ireland Diocesan Communications Officer

Telephone:      +353 (0)86 813 7659

Email               media@corkchurchofireland.com

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Anglican Chant Focus and Rehearsal at Cork Church

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

One Sunday this Autumn,  the Rev. Elaine Murray led the usual service of Morning Prayer at St Mary’s Church, Carrigaline, County Cork.  However, there was a difference.  Under the auspices of the Cork, Cloyne and Ross Diocesan Church Music Scheme, she had invited Peter Stobart from St Fin Barre’s Cathedral to take the congregation through some of the canticles and psalms, and to explore Anglican Chant.

Some members of the choir from Monkstown, County Cork led by Roger Ellis had also come along to the Service and the sound was an impressive one. Peter had chosen three different styles of chant as a way of demonstrating to the congregation what was possible with very little extra effort.

Firstly the canticle Venite was sung to a very simple plainchant. After just a couple of practice verses the congregation was able to break out into antiphony, with one side of the church singing the odd verses and the other side the even verses. This monastic style is one of the oldest forms of liturgical chanting.

Anglican chant proper was used for the psalm of the day. Although the chant itself was longer than the plainchant had been, the tune was seemingly more memorable and so caused very few problems. After a few practice verses everyone stood up so as to be back in Service mode and sang the whole psalm through.

The third musical setting was for the canticle Benedictus. Peter chose a responsorial format and so it was the most modern concept of the three. The principles of chanting were still the same, however, and the congregation by this stage in the morning were picking things up very swiftly. A short refrain using the first line of the text, written by Peter himself,  was sung between the verses.

The Rev. Elaine Murray said afterwards that she thought the congregation had never sounded so good and that the service was exactly what she had imagined it to be. As a lover of Anglican chant she said that she was worried that without initiatives such as this it would quickly disappear completely from our liturgies.

Anglican Chant being taught by Peter Stobart at St Mary’s Church, Carrigaline.

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Young People of Rosscarbery Host Supper for Simon Community

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

On Saturday 24th November, the Youth Group in Ross Union of Parishes, Rosscarbery, County Cork, held a supper in aid of the Simon Community. The young people prepared and served a two course meal, sold raffle tickets and cleared up afterwards. A total of €708 was raised for Cork Simon. Kerry McMahon from Cork Simon came and spoke of how the projects run in Cork city rely heavily on such fundraising events.

Congratulations to all the young people!

Young people and leaders from the youth group in Ross Union of Parishes.

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