Latest News from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Student from Virginia Theological Seminary on Placement in Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Zachary Harmon

This month (January 2015) Mr. Zachary Harmon, a student from Virginia Theological Seminary in the United States, will be on placement in the Diocese, dividing his time between Douglas Union with Frankfield, and Ross Union. This link across the Atlantic, came about through the Rev. Dr. Robert Heaney, a member of staff now teaching at the Seminary. Robert is a native of County Down and began his ordained ministry in the Diocese of Meath, where he served as curate working alongside Archdeacon Adrian Wilkinson, who was rector of Dunboyne Union in the Diocese of Meath at the time.

Speaking about this link, the Archdeacon said:

Over the years I have kept in contact with Robert Heaney. When he approached me about taking a student for a few weeks placement, I was delighted to respond to his request. In Douglas we have a long tradition of theological students spending some time with us as part of their training. However this is the first time we have had a student from the United States. I am grateful to the Bishop for approving this placement and to Dean Peters, who will be providing some pastoral opportunities in West Cork. I hope that Zachary Harmon enjoys his time in the Diocese. It might be the start of a very fruitful link between us in Cork, Cloyne and Ross and one of the most highly regarded seminaries in the Episcopal Church in the United States.

Zachary is looking forward to his placement in the Diocese and has written to introduce himself:

Greetings! My name is Zachary Harmon, a seminarian with the Episcopal Church in the United States. I am quite excited to say that I will be in Cork for the month of January and learning more about Anglicanism in Ireland as part of my coursework at Virginia Theological Seminary.

I grew up on the rainy islands and arctic taiga of Alaska. These places could be described as remote since one of the places I grew up was 450 kilometres from the nearest cinema. During most of my childhood I attended evangelical churches, but sometimes my family would attend services at St. Columba’s, a small Anglican mission in Yukon, Canada. My memory of the relational Christianity and liturgy there shaped me.

I later attended college in Oregon and became active in a college based ministry there (Intervarsity). My sophomore year I experienced an amazing semester when I studied and lived at NUI Galway for six months. From that experience I gained a strong interest in the Irish language, trad music and GAA sports which I have tried to keep up in the US. After university, God blessed me with the experience of serving with a Native American-led ministry working with at-risk youth on the Yakama Reservation in the Pacific Northwest. Following these varied experiences, I settled in Oregon working as a court clerk.

My memories of the Anglican mission in Canada and my experiences of a more incarnational Christianity on the Yakama Reservation led me to be curious about the Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition. Once I started attending a local church, I was drawn to many different kinds of ministry (from vestry to mission to cross-cultural relationship building). To my surprise, I found myself considering a possible call to ordained ministry as I learned more and more about Anglicanism. I had never considered such a course before, but this direction was strongly affirmed in the discernment process. Thus I am now studying at Virginia Theological Seminary.

I greatly look forward to getting to know the Church of Ireland in Cork this January.

Posted in Diocese, Parish News | Comments Off

Epiphany Celebrations in Parishes and Schools of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Last year was the first year in Ireland when many schoolchildren returned to school before the end of the 12 days of Christmas. This was a result in changes by the Department of Education and Skills’ in the standardised school year. Children returned to school on the Feast of Epiphany itself last year, so the patron of primary schools in Cork, Cloyne and Ross – Bishop Paul Colton – asked parishes and schools to find ways of marking the day. The same happened again this year, although on the second day of the new school term, 6th January (Epiphany). Services were again held in schools across the Diocese.

In Saint Luke’s Parish, Douglas, Cork, school-children attended a Service in the parish church, at the end of which a representative from each year group was given a star to lead each class back to school. The stars were then displayed in each classroom.

Stars were distributed to each class group from St Luke’s National School in Saint Luke’s Church, Douglas, Cork

Led by a star back to school in Saint Luke’s, Douglas, Cork on the Feast of the Epiphany.

Parishioners of Carrigaline and Monkstown joined the schoolchildren at the parish school in Carrigaline (Saint Mary’s) for an Epiphany Service which included the traditional blessing of the chalk and the blessing of the lintel of the doorway with the chalk numbers and letters: 20 + C + M + B + 15. The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 2015 is the year. 300 pieces of chalk were blessed and all of the children brought home the Service booklet together with a piece of chalk as their ‘written homework’ for that evening.

The Reverend Elaine Murray, Rector of Carrigaline, checks the traditional Epiphany blessing with chalk on the lintel of the doorway.

The Reverend Elaine Murray, Rector of Carrigaline,watched by school principal, Valerie Elliffe, checks the traditional Epiphany blessing with chalk on the lintel of the doorway.

Parishioners and school gather together in Carrigaline to celebrate Epiphany.

In Holy Trinity Church, Crosshaven, County Cork the children from Templebreedy National School (the school is in the churchyard) attended a special Epiphany Service where the focus was on the gifts of the Magi (the wise men) of gold, frankincense and myrrh, as well as on their journey to the crib in the Church porch which features Holy family figures, animals and visitors designed and made beautifully by Yvette MacKeown.

The Magi arriving at Holy Trinity Church, Crosshaven, County Cork

: The Magi arrive

: The Templebreedy Crib

: The Templebreedy Crib

Posted in Diocese, Education, Epiphany, Schools in the Diocese | Comments Off

Top Results in International Computing Challenge for Ballydehob CofI School

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Pupils from Saint Matthias’ Church of Ireland National School, Ballydehob, County Cork were among the top scorers in a recent international informatics challenge in which three-quarters of a million other school-children took part from over 40 countries around the world.

Thirteen of the Ballydehob schoolchildren took part in the ‘Bebras Challenge’ online. ‘Bebras” is a problem-solving challenge with a focus on computational and logical thinking.and which introduces Computer Science to students. The programme is designed to get students excited about computing. It also aims to identify and encourage students who may have a talent in the area of computational thinking.

One pupil from the small West Cork school scored in the top 100 around the world and three scored in the top 2,600. Six others scored in the top 3,600, while the remaining six achieved an above average score.

Success! Students from St Matthias' Church of Ireland National School who were among the top scorers internationally in the 'Bebras Challenge.'

Success! Students from St Matthias’ Church of Ireland National School, Ballydehob, County Cork, who were among the top scorers internationally in the ‘Bebras Challenge.’

The school principal, Ian Haseldine, was naturally delighted, and said:

Their success reflects the talent of the pupils involved and the emphasis that is placed on information technology within the school.

Posted in Diocese, Education, Parish News, Schools in the Diocese | Comments Off

Bells of the Diocese Ring In New Year in Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Latest News and Photos from the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Among the church bell towers hard at work at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve in Cork, Cloyne and Ross was that at the Church of Saint Mary Doneraile, County Cork.

Five minutes to midnight – all ready to ring in the New Year in St. Mary’s Church, Doneraile, County Cork are l-r Paul Deane, Eddie Gabriel, Mark Buckley, Linda Deane, David Deane and Ian Wharton (Photo: Tom Corbett)

Bell-ringing, as in change-ringing, the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of ‘mathematical’ patterns (called changes) is done in five churches in the Diocese: Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, Saint Fachtna’s Cathedral, Rosscarbery, Saint Mary’s Church, Doneraile, Saint Peter’s Church, Bandon, and Abbeystrewry Parish Church (Skibbereen).