10,000 Mile Cyclist Visits St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

On Sunday 25th June Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork welcomed Nick Simon (59) to the 11.15 am Choral Eucharist.  Nick is undertaking a 10,000 mile cycle in aid of Christian Aid projects in Africa.  Having already completed a staggering 8,000 miles which took him from Cairo to Cape Town in 2016, Nick is completing the last leg of his cycle from Cork to Camden Town this summer.

At the end of the Service the Dean of Cork, the Very Revd Nigel Dunne offered a special blessing for Nick for his journey which began the next morning.  His daughter, Emma, also joined him for the first leg of his journey to Dublin.  Nick hopes to reach his target of £80k before reaching the well-known London borough of Camden Town in October 2017.

Not only is Nick cycling the 2,000 miles that will take him across Ireland and Britain he will also climb the five highest peaks along his travels – Carrantuohill Mountain 3,406 feet, Slieve Donard Mountain 2,790 feet, Ben Nevis 4,413 feet, Scafell Pike 3,209 feet, and Snowdon 3,560 feet.

Speaking about his journey so far Nick said:

It was a big challenge but a privilege to cycle 8,000 miles independently through Africa for Christian Aid in 2016. The CTCT Challenge took me through 11 countries from Cairo in Egypt to Cape Town in South Africa: Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The aim was to raise funds to reduce extreme poverty.

All funds generated directly by Nick through donations to the  link here will be used to support the range of programmes provided by Christian Aid’s African programmes.  Readers can also donate directly to Christian Aid here.

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New Rural Dean of North-East Cork in the Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

The Reverend Tony Murphy

The Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, has announced the appointment of the Reverend Tony Murphy as new Rural Dean for North-East Cork.  North-East Cork Rural Deanery comprises five parishes: Youghal Union, Cloyne Union, Cobh and Glanmire Union, Fermoy Union and Mallow Union.

The Reverend Tony Murphy is a licensed auxiliary minister in the Diocese.  He was ordained deacon in 2011 and priest in 2012.  He is currently serving in the Fermoy Union of Parishes.  He is a graduate of University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, and the University of Chester.

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Rosscarbery Youth Worker takes part in joint Anglian/Old Catholic Pilgrimage

Posted on July 1, 2017 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Katharine Deane, a youth worker from the Ross Union of Parishes in the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, followed the example of St. Willibrord (the first Bishop of Utrecht) in late May of this year by taking part in a gathering of Old Catholics and Anglicans in Echternach, Luxembourg. St. Willibrord was a missionary from Northhumbria who lived in the 7th and 8th Centuries, and who became known as ‘the apostle to the Frisians’.

Echternach is St. Willibrord’s final resting place.  It was an excellent destination for Old Catholics and Anglicans to meet and build new and long lasting ties. While there the participants were immersed in each other’s cultures and beliefs.  It was an opportunity to build new friendships with other Anglicans and Old Catholics from all over Europe.

Homes of those who were at The Echternach Gathering in Luxembourg

The group stayed at a youth hostel on the edge of Echternach, beside the lake,  within walking distance of the town. Each day, there was the opportunity to engage in discussion about beliefs and traditions in the two churches. Each morning there was a thematic conversation or workshop, followed by activities in the afternoon.  Later each day the group made the 20 minute walk to the cathedral in Echternach where there was an evening Service. This was held in the catacombs of the cathedral near to the final resting place of St. Willibrord.

Evening Prayer at the Cathedral

Working together to discover and write a shared common vision, the group created a declaration known as ‘The Willibrord Declaration 2017’ which sets out aims to bring about unity between Anglicans and Old Catholics.

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Visitors from The Episcopal Church in the USA visit St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

A group of pilgrims from The Episcopal Church, USA (Anglican) led by the Right Rev. Dr Mary Glasspool, Suffragan Bishop of New York, visited St Fin Barre’s Cathedral last week.  They were welcomed by the Bishop of Cork, the Right Rev. Dr. Paul Colton and the Dean of Cork, the Very Rev. Nigel Dunne.

Centre front (r-l) the Dean of Cork, the Very Reverend Nigel Dunne, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, and the Right Rev. Dr Mary Glasspool, Bishop Suffragan of New York.

The group came from both the Diocese of New York and the Diocese of Los Angeles and were touring places of worship and other sites in Ireland.  Welcoming the group to the 12 noon daily Eucharist, the Dean of Cork noted that they had not had sufficient time to kiss the Blarney stone on their visit there earlier in the day and suggested that they would still be able to join in the many words of the liturgy and in singing the offertory hymn!

Speaking after the service, the Dean noted just how familiar the words of the Book of Common Prayer rite were to the visitors and how the common liturgical tradition of Anglicans across the world signified the great sense of unity shared across national and provincial boundaries.  Bishop Colton also spoke of the importance of Anglicans encountering each other with that sense of unity, at a time when the public perception of the Anglican Communion was often one of disharmony and disagreement.

Bishop Glasspool and her fellow pilgrims were delighted with the worship, hospitality and guided tour received at the Cathedral. Bishop Glasspool commented afterwards that this was the warmest welcome they had received on their tour so far.  The group continued to Cashel and Dublin before returning to the United States.

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Muslim Foundation of Cork Welcome Church of Ireland to Iftar

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Two clergy from the Church of Ireland Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross – the Rev. Elaine Murray and the Rev. Tony Murphy – were welcomed to the Muslim Foundation of Cork’s Community Interfaith Iftar (Breaking of the Fast in the Holy Month of Ramadan), held in Blarney Street from 8pm till 11pm on Friday 23rd June.

The Rev. Elaine Murray and the Rev. Tony Murphy at the Iftar.

In attendance also were the deputy Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Fergal Dennehy, members of the Cork 3 Faith Forum and other guests. The Imam, Imam Ahmed Ihab, welcomed all the guests and gave a wonderful explanation of the deeper meaning of Ramadan, explaining how the fasting helped to focus people’s minds on exactly what their priorities should be and how attitudes of patience and gratitude was enhanced during the long hours of fasting, especially for Muslims in the northern hemisphere.

Iman Ahmed Ihab makes a presentation to the Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy.

The children recited from the Holy Quran and gave a little presentation on the joys of Islam. As many of the guests had decided to fast from sunup in solidarity with the community, the refreshments were gratefully received. Never have watermelon and dates tasted so delicious!​ After short prayers, a tasty meal was served and enjoyed by all.

A lovely gift of an engraved glass plaque was received by the Rev. Elaine Murray on behalf of Bishop Colton who could not be present due to a prior engagement. The Rev. Elaine Murray also received a gift of a 1 kilo packet of dates from a representative of the United Arab Emirates embassy.  During Ramadan, the Cork Muslim community had been donating to the Emirates Red Crescent,  a volunteer humanitarian organization that supports official authorities in times of peace and war.

Gift to Bishop Colton from the Muslim Foundation of Cork.

Posted in Church in Society, Cork, Iftar, Interfaith Dialogue, Ramadan | Comments Off on Muslim Foundation of Cork Welcome Church of Ireland to Iftar