On Tuesday, 27th February 2024, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Kieran McCarthy, accompanied by Ann Doherty, Chief Executive of Cork City Council, made the annual courtesy call of the Lord Mayor to the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, and Mrs Susan Colton. Cllr Kieran McCarthy is the twenty-seventh Lord Mayor of Cork to make a courtesy call to the Bishop and Mrs Colton.
As in previous years, Bishop Paul Colton invited all members of Primary School Boards of Management to a dinner and training event at the start of their four year office term from 2023-2027. This year’s event took place on Tuesday, 20th February at the Rochestown Park Hotel and the speakers were Dr Ken Fennelly, Secretary to the General Synod Board of Education and Education Officer in the Republic of Ireland, and Susan Ellis, Education Governance and Management advisor for the Church of Ireland as well as the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association.
The Bishop thanked everyone for coming and also for making their experience, expertise, time and insights available voluntarily to the Diocese by doing this work. A special thanks was also extended to Dr Ken Fennelly and Susan Ellis for travelling to Cork for the event.
A year of celebrations for the bicentenary of the consecration of St Mary’s Church in Carrigaline concluded last Wednesday, 7th February 2024, with a service of Choral Evensong, exactly 200 years after the consecration of the church, on 7th February 1824. The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Rev. John McDowell travelled to Carrigaline to preach at the service. The Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Right Rev. Dr Paul Colton, also dedicated a new Reredos, Credence Table and the Bicentennial Quilt at the service. Afterwards the two Bishops planted an oak tree in the church grounds to mark Bishop Colton’s 25th anniversary as Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.
St Mary’s Church was full for the event with members of the parish as well as clergy, readers and visitors from across the diocese. The Choir of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral was invited to sing Evensong conducted by Peter Stobart, Director of Music at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, and St Mary’s National School Choir also attended to sing an anthem led by Matthew Breen, Assistant Director of Music at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, who visits the school weekly as part of the Diocesan Church Music Scheme. Members of the Select Vestry led the prayers, and Diocesan Reader Simon Woodworth and the Rev. Richard Dring read the lessons.
As part of his visit to Cork, Archbishop McDowell also visited St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, where he had a tour with Barry Twomey, Cathedral Administrator, and saw the maquette collection curated by Orla O’Byrne, Artist in Residence. In the afternoon, Bishop Colton and Archbishop McDowell travelled to Midleton College, where the Archbishop participated in a Q&A about the Northern Ireland Assembly with Leaving Certificate students of the Politics and Society class, and had lunch with them afterwards.
Photos: Eoin Murphy @artfotoglobal
On Sunday evening, 4th February 2024, the Rev. Elise Hanley was instituted as the new Incumbent of Cobh and Glanmire Union of Parishes by the Bishop, the Right Rev. Dr Paul Colton, at Christ Church, Rushbrooke, Cobh. The service was live-streamed to allow Elise’s friends and family to join in the celebrations from America.
Christ Church was full for the occasion with parishioners, clergy and readers from the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, as well as ecumenical guests, including the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cloyne, the Most Rev. William Crean, as well as community representatives, including the principal from the local National School, Valerie Ford, and public representatives, including the Mayor of County Cork, Cllr. Frank O’Flynn. The Clerks Choral sang at the service under the direction of Colin Nicholls, with Ian Sexton playing the organ.
The Rev. Elise Hanley was presented to the Bishop by the Archdeacon, the Venerable Andrew Orr and the preacher at the service was the Rev. Meghan Farr, Priest-in-charge of St Anne’s Church, Shandon. After the service, speeches were given by the Bishop, as well as by Neil Walker on behalf of the parishioners of Cobh and Glanmire Union. Following the speeches, the new rector spoke to the congregation, reflected on her Irish roots, and thanked everyone for their warm welcome. Afterwards everyone enjoyed the hospitality of the parish.
On Saturday, 27th January, Bishop Paul Colton held a Morning Vigil of Thanksgiving for ministry in the Diocese with prayers also for vocations at Cloyne Cathedral. This was in response to the Morning Vigil held in 2023 at which members of the Diocese prayed for the vacant parishes at the time. During the course of the year, all these vacancies were filled, and at last Saturday’s Vigil the Diocese gave thanks for the various appointments made in 2023, and prayed for vocations, ministries and upcoming vacancies.
Bishop Paul Colton said:
I say this tentatively and in humility, that, nearly one year on, I cannot help but feel that our prayers offered here last year have, in huge measure, been answered. Thanks be to God. And thank you to all those who worked so hard to fill the vacancies, including those who tested vocations and are shortly to join us.
Invariably by the way we operate as dioceses in the Church of Ireland, before long we, in all probability, may have more vacancies in the months ahead, but there is much to be thankful for this year:
- vacancies in stipendiary posts filled or about to be filled since January last year
- one in ongoing training for stipendiary ministry
- four new people in training for the Ordained Local Ministry
- four new Diocesan Readers with one more in training
- five new Lay Local Ministers (Pastoral)
- one new Lay Local Minister (Liturgical)
- three pioneer ministry hubs established discerning potential in connection with pioneer ministry
- not to mention all the countless volunteers for the unceasing number of voluntary tasks and work needing to be done to do the work of the Church in Cork, Cloyne and Ross
We constantly need to pray for the sustaining and supporting of all in ministry, lay and ordained, and the work of all parishes and chaplaincies. And we need to discern what God wants of us in ministry in this place, and how we are to give shape, through our churches, chaplaincies and parishes to that calling, taking into account the many demands, exigencies and realities of the present time.
So we returned to Cloyne Cathedral on the equivalent Saturday this year – to give thanks and pray for what the future will bring.
The Bishop led the Vigil in the Quire of Saint Colman’s Cathedral together with the Dean of Cloyne, the Very Rev. Susan Green, and the prayer stations set up in the two chapels provided a space for private prayer. Parishioners of Cloyne Union served refreshments throughout the morning. The varied opportunities for guided prayer, private prayer and mingling with people from all across the diocese resulted in a prayerful yet lively and joyful occasion.
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