Cork, Cloyne and Ross initiative for 20-30 year olds

The figures show that there are only 6-7% of our  20-30’s in church on a Sunday. Could this be the impetus we need to make changes that are long overdue – because if we get this right for this generation then possibly, just possibly the church might turn a corner and grow?

This is the question the Cork Diocesan Youth Council posed on Saturday, 28th May at meetings led by Andrew Frame of the Church of Ireland Youth Department.

On Saturday morning a number of clergy gathered to hear Andrew speak about recent research on the topic of the disengagement  of the 20`s and 30`s age group with the Church and his own experience of setting up events to facilitate meetings for this age group.

On Saturday evening, over 40 people from all over Cork, Cloyne and Ross came together to discuss issues of relevance over a meal.

The feedback from the event was very positive with comments such as:

` fab evening – do it again`;having a few points to kickstart the discussion was helpful`;really interesting to chat to people at different points in the faith journey`;` yes a lovely evening was had.`

The group that attended the Saturday morning discussion about 20-30 year olds in the life of the Church.

The group that attended the Saturday morning discussion about 20-30 year olds in the life of the Church.

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Annual IDAHOT Day Service in Saint Anne’s Church, Shandon, Cork

Last Sunday, 22nd May was Trinity Sunday, which highlights the loving unity, harmony and inclusiveness of the Triune God.  This year it coincided with the annual Service in St Anne’s Church,  Shandon, Cork to mark IDAHOT Day (International Day against Homophobia).  A large group of people, including Cork’s LGBT Choir Choral ConFusion joined the usual Sunday congregation.  An address was delivered by Ronnie Dorney of Cork LINC.   The parishioners kindly hosted a well-supported reception in the parish hall after the Service

Front Row (l-r_ Cllr John Buttimer; Siobhán O Dowd (Secretary Cork LGBT Awareness Week); the Rev. Tony Murphy ; Ronnie Dorney (LINC) who gave the address ; Senator Jerry Buttimer; and Kate Moynihan (LINC)

Front Row (l-r_ Cllr John Buttimer; Siobhán O Dowd (Secretary Cork LGBT Awareness Week); the Rev. Tony Murphy ; Ronnie Dorney (LINC) who gave the address ; Senator Jerry Buttimer; and Kate Moynihan (LINC)

Choral Con Fusion with their director Joanne Murphy (centre)

Choral Con Fusion with their director Joanne Murphy (centre)

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Annual IDAHOT Service in Saint Anne’s Church, Shandon, Cork on Sunday, 22nd May

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Charlie Bird’s ‘A Day in May’ Launched in Cork by Bishop Paul Colton

Journalist, writer and broadcaster, Charlie Bird was in Cork on Thursday, 19th May for the launch of his book ‘A Day in May: Real Lives, True Stories.’ Bishop Paul Colton was invited by the organisers, author and publishers to launch the book at a function in Waterstones in Cork.

Four of the Cork-based contributors were interviewed by Karl Hayden at the reception. The renowned freelance photographer, John Minihan, who took the photos for the book, spoke about his contribution, and Charlie Bird himself spoke.  Bishop Colton said that the invitation to him to launch the book was ‘generous and gracious’.

Bishop Colton said:

In a world of generalisations and stereotypes where people make shallow assumptions about one another – ‘the poor, the sick, the mentally ill, the gays, the politicians, the church, the bishops’ – it is very important that there are opportunities for properly getting to know people as fellow human beings, to hear their stories and to come genuinely to understand each others’ situations.  This book is a valuable contribution to such a process. True understanding of one another as human beings, based on getting to know one another at an ordinary day-to-day human level, is very often the first building block of justice and equality.

Bishop Paul Colton (second from right) at the launch in Waterstones, Cork of 'A Day in May' with writer Charlie Bird (centre) and those from Cork who contributed their stories to the book, who were interview by Karl Hayden (right)

Bishop Paul Colton (second from right) at the launch in Waterstones, Cork of ‘A Day in May’ with writer Charlie Bird (centre) and those from Cork who contributed their stories to the book, who were interview by Karl Hayden (right)

 

Posted in Bishop, Book Launch, Books and Publications, Church in Society, Community Involvement, Contemporary Issues, Cork, Diocese, People from Cork, Social Events, Special Events | Comments Off on Charlie Bird’s ‘A Day in May’ Launched in Cork by Bishop Paul Colton

Bishop Paul Colton takes part in Dublin Meeting of the Colloquium of Anglican and Roman Catholic Canon Lawyers

The sixteenth, and final, meeting of the Colloquium of Anglican and Roman Catholic Canon Lawyers met in Dublin on Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th May, 2016.  The subject of discussion was the law of the Church governing the parish:  legal definitions of parish, of parish and church membership, the constitutional organisation of parishes, parish officers, parish property, finance and trusts, and also the legal relationship of the parish with the wider church.  The meetings took place at the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin.

Anglican participants were:  Professor Norman Doe, Professor Mark Hill, QC, and Dr Paul Colton, Bishop of Cork, all of the Centre for Law and Religion at the School of Law and Politics at Cardiff University. Roman Catholic participants were: Professor James J. Conn, S.J. (School of Theology and Ministry, Boston College), the Reverend Fintan Gavin (Archdiocese of Dublin) and the Reverend Andrew Cole (University of Nottingham).

At the Sixteenth Colloquium of Anglican and Roman Catholic Canon Lawyers were (l-r) Professor Norman Doe, Dr Paul Colton, Professor James Conn, Father Andrew Cole, Father FIntan Gavin, and Professor Mark Hill, Q.C.

At the Sixteenth Colloquium of Anglican and Roman Catholic Canon Lawyers were (l-r) Professor Norman Doe, Dr Paul Colton, Professor James Conn, Father Andrew Cole, Father FIntan Gavin, and Professor Mark Hill, Q.C.

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