On Sunday, 16th June 2024, during Evensong in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Dr Paul Colton, licensed Joanna Griffin as Readers to serve in the diocese. Joanna has completed one of the courses approved by the House of Bishops and was presented to the Bishop by the Rev. Terry Mitchell, Chaplain to the Guild of Lay Ministry. Joanna was joined for the occasion by her husband, the Rev. Eugene Griffin, and clergy and lay people from across the Diocese.
On Sunday, 16th June 2024, three new Honorary Canons were installed at Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork. The three Canons had been appointed by the Bishop, Dr Paul Colton, back in March 2024.
Mrs Gillian Kingston has been installed as a lay Ecumenical Canon, the Reverend Robert Ferris, Rector of Carrigrohane Union of Parishes has been installed as Honorary Canon Missioner, and the Reverend John Ardis, Rector of Abbeystrewry Union of Parishes has been installed as Honorary Canon with responsibility for vocations in the Diocese.
The three new Canons were joined at the service by some of their family members, by representatives and colleagues of the parishes in which they minister, and by clergy and lay people from all over the Diocese.
On Saturday, 15th June 2024, a Diocesan Quiet Day Retreat for clergy and lay people was held at St Mary’s Collegiate Church, Youghal. The retreat was led by Brother Tobias from the Society of Saint Francis and the theme for the day was Sharing Christ’s Peace in a conflicted world.
The morning started with light refreshments at 10.00am and from 10.30am to 1.00pm the silent retreat was led by Brother Tobias, with readings reflecting on the Peace of Christ, as well as reflective silent periods between each talk.
Everyone made use of the extraordinary building and its grounds to find places that worked for contemplative prayer and the retreat finished with a short Eucharist at 1.00pm followed by a light lunch served by members of Youghal Union of Parishes.
After the retreat there were many expressions of gratitude, with comments ranging from “Thank you for a really interesting and inspiring quiet day” to “A spiritual tonic”, among many other requests to repeat the event in the coming year.
As part of the 200th anniversary celebrations at St James’s Church, St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Choir travelled to Mallow on Sunday 9th June, the Feast of St Columba, to sing Evensong at the church. They sang Canticles in D minor by T. A. Walmisley, Leighton’s Responses and the anthem was William Boyce’s O where shall wisdom be found? with words from the Book of Job.
The Rector, the Rev’d Meurig Willliams welcomed the large and diverse congregation to St James’s and in his address picked up on the text of the anthem. He weaved this together with references to St Columba whose feast day it was, and with thoughts on the role of music in the liturgy and the place of Choral Evensong within a hectic modern lifestyle.
The Rector said:
We were thrilled as a congregation to welcome our Cathedral Choir to St James’s on the occasion of our bicentenary celebrations. The service reminded us of the skill and discipline that undergird the gift that is Choral Evensong. More widely, we were reminded of the crucial place of music in Christian worship. I’m quite sure that Columba would have given us all his thumbs up!
Refreshments were served in the Church Hall after the service which was attended by over sixty people.
On Sunday, 26th May 2024, the Rev. Elise Hanley, Rector of Cobh & Glanmire Union of Parishes, joined the Very Rev. Tom McDermott of Cobh Parish in blessing a new pilot boat for the Port of Cork. The festivities were held at Quay’s Bar in Cobh and included Port employees and their families. A competition had been held for the children to choose the name of the pilot boat, and the winning submission was Solas.
May God bless all who sail on Solas, and all who work in our ports and on the sea.
Photos: The Very Rev. Tom McDermot
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