Annual Diocesan Service for Primary Schools in Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

St Peter’s Church, Bandon, County Cork was full to capacity on Thursday, 1st October for the Annual Diocesan Service for Primary Schools in the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.  Schoolchildren from every school in the Diocese, teachers, board members, and representatives of the Diocesan Education Committee had all accepted the invitation to be present from the Bishop, Dr Paul Colton, who is patron of all but one of the schools in the Diocese.

Arriving for the Annual Diocesan Service for Primary Schools. (Photo: Sam Wynn)

Arriving for the Annual Diocesan Service for Primary Schools. (Photo: Sam Wynn)

With the assistance of some of the children, the Reverend Sarah Marry preaches at the Annual Diocesan Service for Primary Schools in St Peter's Church, Bandon (Photo: Sam Wynn)

With the assistance of some of the children, the Reverend Sarah Marry preaches at the Annual Diocesan Service for Primary Schools in St Peter’s Church, Bandon (Photo: Sam Wynn)

The children themselves led all the parts of the Service.  They had made banners for their schools and each brought a school bell ‘to signal’ themselves to all the others present.  The Bishop had a bell too and there was a joyous cacophony of sound at the end of the Service as all the bells were rung at the same time.  The organist was Colin Nicholls and the sermon was preached by the Reverend Sarah Marry.  Collections in the schools, for the third year running, raised a lot of money for the Diocesan Project in partnership with the Bishops’ Appeal and Christian Aid to build houses in Haiti in the wake of the earthquake there.

Our Diocesan Media Officer, Sam Wynn, was on hand to take the photos.  Here are some of them:

This year, the Church of Ireland Education Officer, Dr Ken Fennelly and Assistant Secretary Eimear Ryan travelled from Dublin to be at the Service.

At the Annual Diocesan Service for Primary Schools were (l-r) the Reverend Denis MacCarthy, Rector of Bandon, Eimear Ryan (Assistant Secretary, General Synod Board of Education), the Bishop, Dr Ken Fennelly (Church of Ireland Education Officer), and the Very Reverend Alan Marley, Dean of Cloyne. (Photo: Sam Wynn)

At the Annual Diocesan Service for Primary Schools were (l-r) the Reverend Denis MacCarthy, Rector of Bandon, Eimear Ryan (Assistant Secretary, General Synod Board of Education), the Bishop, Dr Ken Fennelly (Church of Ireland Education Officer), and the Very Reverend Alan Marley, Dean of Cloyne. (Photo: Sam Wynn)

Clergy from the Diocese with the Bishop after the Diocesan Service for Primary Schools. (Photo: Sam Wynn)

Clergy from the Diocese with the Bishop after the Diocesan Service for Primary Schools. (Photo: Sam Wynn)

Heading home happy after the Diocesan Service for Primary Schools. (Photo: Sam Wynn)

Heading home happy after the Diocesan Service for Primary Schools. (Photo: Sam Wynn)

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Bellringers Honoured at St Fin Barres’ Cathedral, Cork

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

On Sunday, 27th September, the Sunday closest to the Patronal Festival of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, special mention was made, and thanksgiving offered, during the Sunday Eucharist for the work of the bellringers at the Cathedral.

The preacher was Diocesan Reader, Wilfred Baker, who is himself a bellringer, having learnt the art in his youth at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral.  He spoke about the role of the Cathedral as mother church of the Diocese, and of the increasing awareness, in our time, of that role, in Cork, Cloyne and Ross.  He noted that the Cathedral is a place to treasure, to inspire and, through the excellence and beauty of what it is, its music, its art and its bell-ringing to draw people into a greater engagement with the Christian faith.

There are twelve bells, all  restored in 2008, in the north steeple of St Fin Barre’s.  Wilfred Baker referred to that magnificent sight, rare, if not unique, when all the bells of the Cathedral, following restoration, as well as the new bells which had been commissioned, were lined up along the nave aisle of the Cathedral for their naming and dedication at the time.  Full information about the bells is to be found here.

The bells of St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork lined up in the nave aisle at the time of their restoration, and the commissioning of new bells a number of year ago

The bells of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork lined up in the nave aisle at the time of their restoration, and the commissioning of new bells in 2008.

The bellringers of St Fin Barre’s were present and afterwards some of them displayed their skills to the Sunday congregation on a miniature ring of bells which is currently set up in the north aisle of the Cathedral.

Some of the bellringers of St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork demonstrate their art on a miniature ring of bells set up temporarily in the north aisle of the Cathedral.

Some of the bellringers of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork demonstrate their art on a miniature ring of bells set up temporarily in the north aisle of the Cathedral.

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Retirement of the Director of Music at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

On Sunday, 27th September, eight years after commencing as Director of Music at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, Malcolm Wisener retired.  His final Service was Evensong at the end of the Patronal Festival weekend of celebrations which began with the Ordination of a Priest on Saint Fin Barre’s Day, 25th September.

Malcolm Wisener (Photo: Paul Colton)

Malcolm Wisener (Photo: Paul Colton)

At the end of the Sunday morning Eucharist , the Dean of Cork, the Very Reverend Nigel Dunne, paid tribute to Malcolm Wisener’s tenure of the important office, as well as to his expertise and proven experience as a choral director, and in training both boy and girl choristers.  Knowing that the Cathedral organ needed to be rebuilt, the Dean said that it was fortunate that Malcolm had experience of this type of project also.  In this connection, Dean Dunne said:

A major part of Malcolm’s tenure as Director of Music has been seeing through the rebuilding and restoration of the Cathedral Organ, from first conception of the idea through to the very end of final tuning and tweaking.  Very few of you will be aware of the countless hours he spent with the organ builder here in the Cathedral, often late into the night, especially when it came to voicing and tuning the instrument – a mind-bendingly tedious task, note by note, pipe by pipe and stop by stop.  The professionalism, patience and diplomacy Malcolm showed, from inception to completion, has been incredible.  Whether dealing with criticism of the project from outside and from within, or during the dark days of financial and management issues of the project, Malcolm was probably the only one involved who managed to keep his cool and keep the rest of us on track to completion!

On a personal level, I just want to say that Malcolm has been a pleasure to work with, not only because of his professionalism but also because of his deep understanding of the role of music in liturgy.

On behalf of the Select Vestry, the Cathedral Chapter, the choir and congregation, Mary Leland, Cathedral Warden, made a presentation to Malcolm.

At the Cathedral presentation to Malcolm Wisener (right) were the Dean of Cork, the Very Reverend Nigel Dunne, and Mary Leland (Cathedral Warden). (Photo: Paul Colton)

At the Cathedral presentation to Malcolm Wisener (right) were the Dean of Cork, the Very Reverend Nigel Dunne, and Mary Leland (Cathedral Warden). (Photo: Paul Colton)

Then on behalf of the choir the Head Chorister, Paula, made their particular presentation. In reply, Malcolm spoke about the fact that there has been a choir in St Fin Barre’s for more than 700 years and he expressed the hope that in that continuum of history he had made his own small contribution to the liturgy and worship of the Church.

? makes a presentation to Malcolm Wisener on behalf of the Cathedral Choir. (Photo: Paul Colton)

Paula makes a presentation to Malcolm Wisener on behalf of the Cathedral Choir. (Photo: Paul Colton)

That Malcolm did indeed make such an immense contribution was affirmed by the congregation, who expressed their gratitude and admiration with sustained applause.  Afterwards the choir assembled with Malcolm for a photograph, and everyone adjourned to lunch in the Chapter House and ambulatory.

The choir of St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork with Malcolm Wisener on his last Sunday as Director of Music. (Photo: Paul Colton)

The choir of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork with Malcolm Wisener on his last Sunday as Director of Music. (Photo: Paul Colton)

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David Bowles Ordained Priest in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

On Friday, 25th September, St Fin Barre’s Day, the Patronal Feast of the Cathedral, the Diocese and City of Cork) the Reverend David Bowles was ordained Priest in ST Fin Barre’s Cathedral.

David has been serving as a Deacon in Dublin Diocese for the past two years, and for the past month as a Deacon in Douglas Union with Frankfield where he is now curate.  The Bishop of Cork, Dr Paul Colton presided at the liturgy, and priests from around the Diocese and wider Church of Ireland joined him in the laying-on-of hands.  Bishop Michael Mayes who, earlier in the day had led a retreat for the clergy in the chapel at the Bishop’s Palace, preached at the Service.  Many people attended from parishes David had connections with including Stillorgan, Taney, and Rathmichael in Dublin, as well as a large crowd from Douglas Union with Frankfield.  The people of Douglas, Blackrock, Passage West and Frankfield laid on a splendid supper which was served afterwards in the ambulatory of the Cathedral.

At the Ordination of the Reverend David Bowles to the Priesthood were (l-r) the Reverend Elaine Murray (Bishop's Chaplain), the Reverend David Compton (Deacon), the Reverend David Bowles (the newly ordained priest), the Bishop, the Very Reverend Nigel Dunne (Dean of Cork), the Ven. Adrian WIlkinson (Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross), and the Reverend John Ardis (Bishop's Chaplain).

At the Ordination of the Reverend David Bowles to the Priesthood were (l-r) the Reverend Elaine Murray (Bishop’s Chaplain), the Reverend David Compton (Deacon), the Reverend David Bowles (the newly ordained priest), the Bishop, the Very Reverend Nigel Dunne (Dean of Cork), the Ven. Adrian Wilkinson (Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross), and the Reverend John Ardis (Bishop’s Chaplain).

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Ordination of A Priest on St Fin Barre’s Day, 25th September, in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Tomorrow is a big day in the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork.  It is the Patronal Festival of the Diocese of Cork and of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, and it will be ordination day for David Bowles who is the new curate of Douglas with Frankfield.  David will be ordained priest by the Bishop, Dr Paul Colton, in a Service which begins in the Cathedral at 7.30 p.m. In the Church of Ireland, all the priests present join with the bishop in laying-on-hands at the Ordination of a Priest.   Everyone is welcome to attend.

David relaxing during his pre-ordination retreat last week

David relaxing during his pre-ordination retreat last week

David is from Blackrock, County Dublin.  He grew up in St Brigid’s Parish in Stillorgan and attended Newpark School in Blackrock.  He attended DIT Cathal Brugha Street, studying Hotel Management and trained in the Kensington Hilton in London for a year.  On his return to Dublin he studied ACCA and has worked in accounts ever since.  He has spent the last 9 years working for PML Group.   David has studied for his Masters in Theology part-time over seven years as circumstances did not enable him to take the full-time route. David is married to Michelle and has two children. He enjoys reading, playing badminton, golf, scuba diving and also amateur dramatics.  He was a Cub Scout leader for 12 years.   For the last two years David was serving as a Deacon part-time in Taney Parish in Dundrum in Dublin.  He arrived in Douglas Union of Parishes at the end of August and has been a Deacon there until now.

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