All are invited to attend and are welcome to St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Cork on Sunday afternoon 20th October, 2013 for the re-dedication of the Cathedral organ by the Bishop, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton. During Evensong, sung by the Cathedral Choir, the preacher will be the Dean of Cork who has led the Cathedral confidently and courageously through this major project of restoration and development.
The clergy and people of the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross have a busy week ahead mapped out for a special guest: Mark Russell, CEO of Church Army. Mark will address the annual clergy conference which meets in Ballylickey, Co. Cork from Wednesday 16th until Friday 18th October. The overall theme of the week is ‘A Time for Confidence.’
On Saturday, 19th October Mark will speak at two events. First, the Bishop, Dr Paul Colton, is hosting a breakfast for leaders of the future in the Diocese. Having spoken at it, Mark Russell will the be the speaker at a Celebration of Lay Ministry in the Diocese in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork at 12 noon. All are welcome to attend that Service along with many of the lay church workers in the Diocese.
Mark Russell
Mark Russell was appointed as Chief Executive of Church Army at the age of 31 in 2006. In this role he leads a society of over 300 full-time Evangelists and is an advocate for evangelism in the wider church. He is a sought-after conference speaker for events such as New Wine, Alpha Home Focus, Soul Survivor and other national conferences. He has been a contributor on the BBC’s Heaven and Earth Show, Sky News, BBC Radio 4’s PM and various BBC regional radio shows. Mark is a natural evangelist and has led missions in many countries around the world such as China, Finland, Australia, USA and Sweden.
Mark is a member of the Archbishops’ College of Evangelists, a Reader in the Church of England, a member of the Council of Reference for Youth for Christ, and for Fusion student ministry. Mark is also an Honorary Canon of Worcester Cathedral.
Mark grew up in Northern Ireland and read Law at Queens’ University in Belfast. At 21 he was one of the youngest licensed local preachers in the Methodist Church in Ireland. After two years of trouble shooting management in industry he served for three years as Youth Pastor of Lurgan Methodist Church in Northern Ireland. Mark developed a creative schools ministry, and became chaplain to a high school. He was a member of the Methodist Conference.
In 1998 he helped develop ONEder, an ecumenical youth congregation. In 1999 Mark was awarded the British Gas Tomorrow’s People Award for his cross-community work bringing Catholic and Protestant young people together across Northern Ireland. In 2000 Mark was appointed as Youth Minister of Christ Church Chorleywood and helped grow an exciting and dynamic youth ministry.
In 2004 he was appointed as the youngest member of the Archbishops’ Council, the senior strategic body of the Church of England. Alongside this he was a member of the General Synod, and became one of the best known speakers, know for his passionate commitment to mission, particularly with younger people. His term of office on both bodies ended in 2011.
Next Sunday, 13th October, the first of the three special events to celebrate the completion of the restoration of the historic Hill organ in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral takes place. On the second Sunday in October each year, the cathedral congregation celebrates Harvest Thanksgiving at all services. This year, the evening service has been moved to 4.00pm when a special Harvest Songs of Praise will be held. All are welcome!
This is a unique opportunity for all to come along and join in the singing of many of their favourite harvest hymns such as ‘We Plough the Fields and Scatter’, All Things Bright and Beautiful, Come ye Thankful People Come, and many others. The cathedral choir will also sing three harvest thanksgiving anthems. All are welcome – this being an act of worship, there is of course no charge. A collection will be taken for the organ restoration fund during the service.
Robin Bantry White
The Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Venerable Robin Bantry White has announced that he intends to retire from stipendiary ministry on 1st March, 2014.
Within the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, as well as being Archdeacon, he fulfils a dual ministry as Incumbent of Moviddy Union and also half-time Assistant Hospital Chaplain (at Cork University Hospital/Cork University Maternity Hospital, Marymount Hospice and the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork).
The Archdeacon has served in the Diocese for 34 years, since 1979 when he was appointed to the Incumbency of Abbeystrewry Union (Skibbereen, C0. Cork). He was ordained deacon in 1972 and priest in 1973 and served first in two curacies in the Diocese of Dublin (Zion Parish, Rathgar, followed by Taney Parish, Dundrum). After ten years in West Cork he moved in 1989 to the large Cork suburban parish of Douglas Union, with Frankfield, before commencing in his current post in 2002. In 2009 he was elected to a canonry in the Church of Ireland’s National Cathedral, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin where he is Prebendary of Castleknock.
Robin Bantry White will not only be missed from the key role he fulfils in Cork, Cloyne and Ross, but also in the wider Church of Ireland in which he is energetically involved in key roles. He currently serves on the Representative Church Body (as well as its Executive Committee, and its Library and Archives Committee); on the General Synod and Standing Committee, to both of which he is a Clerical Honorary Secretary; on the Board of Education of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland; and on many other committees of the Church.
Hearing the news, the Bishop, Dr Paul Colton said:
The Archdeacon is a key role in the Diocese as well as in support of the ministry of and on behalf of the Bishop. I know him to be, and he is also widely recognised throughout the Church of Ireland as, ‘a great Archdeacon.’ More than that, he has been a faithful priest in every capacity in which he has been serving throughout his ministry. When the retirement does come he, together with Faith, his wife, will be greatly missed.
The Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross will make a journey of spiritual significance to him this weekend; he is returning to the parish where he was baptised in 1960. The Bishop will preach at the annual Harvest Thanksgiving in the Parish of Fahan Upper and Fahan Lower on Sunday evening. The rector of the parish, Canon Sam Barton, and the Bishop were in the same class during their years at the Church of Ireland Theological College and were ordained Deacon and Priest at the same ordination Services in 1984 and 1985 in the Diocese of Connor.
The Church of St Mura, Fahan, Co Donegal photographed from near the gateway of the house Bishop Colton lived in as a child.
Bishop Colton said:
The house our family lived in in Fahan until I was three, and before our move to Cork, is less than 200 metres from the Church – St Mura, Fahan – in which I will be preaching on Sunday night. As it happens I was baptised in the other Church in the parish – Christ Church, Buncrana and I am hoping to go to see again the font in which I was baptised. Our baptism is of immense significance for Christians. As the Book of Common Prayer says ‘Baptism marks the beginning of a journey with God which continues for the rest of our lives, the first step in response to God’s love.’ I’m looking forward to the weekend ahead.
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