During last weekend in September, the Cork Diocesan Youth Council took a group of young people to Muckross Youth Venture Centre in Killarney. Diocesan Youth Officer Hilda Connolly writes:
Normally around this time of year, CDYC boards the ferry off Baltimore for a weekend on Cape Clear. As accommodation is no longer available for the size of the group on the island, it was back to the drawing board for the youth council. Instead of boarding a boat, young people from Carrigaline, Cork, Carrigrohane, Fanlobbus, Kilgarriffe, Abbeystrewry, Crosshaven and Bandon boarded a bus bound for County Kerry instead and headed to the Muckross Youth Venture Centre for the weekend.
Diocesan Youth at Muckross House.
On Saturday, the group made their way along parts of the Gap of Dunloe as far as Lord Brandon’s cottage and then had a boat trip to Muckross Gardens, where the café made a fortune, and the gardens got a good run around. After running off a good bit of energy, the group made their way back to the hostel to meet the Rev. Terry Mitchell for the first time. They had the opportunity to chat with him and they had dinner together before he headed back to Schull.
An evening of quizzes and games, especially the good old reliable card games, took over with plenty of noise and laughter. On Sunday morning, the group went to St. Mary’s Church in Killarney where the Ven. Lumby was expecting them. The congregation and Ven. Lumby made everyone feel very welcome and even put on a spread of tea and cake for the group before they had to hop on the bus once more to get back home, sugared up and ready for their mums!
Young people of Cork, Cloyne and Ross together with the Ven. Lumby and Judy Peters.
The Tercentenary Celebrations of the Parish Church of Saint Anne, Shandon culminated in a Service of Thanksgiving on Sunday, 2nd October 2022. The Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Right Rev. Dr Paul Colton presided over the service, which was led by the Priest-in-Charge, the Rev. Meghan Farr. Dr Paula Gooder, Canon Chancellor of Saint Paul’s Cathedral, London and renowned preacher and New Testament Scholar, preached at the service.
Clergy and guests after the service outside Saint Anne’s Church, Shandon. From left to right: The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Deirdre Forde, the Rev. Anne Skuse, the Very Rev. Susan Green, the Right Rev. Dr Paul Colton, Dr Paula Gooder, Simon Coveney TD, the Very Rev. Nigel Dunne, Colm Burke TD, the Rev. Meghan Farr, the Most Rev. Dr Fintan Gavin, the Ven. Adrian Wilkinson, and Senator Jerry Buttimer.
The congregation included people from all over the Diocese and Ireland, with current and past associations with the parish. Special guests included Simon Coveney TD, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Deirdre Forde, Colm Burke TD, Senator Jerry Buttimer, and Cllr. Oliver Moran, as well as representatives from local history and community groups. The ecumenical guests included the Most Rev. Dr Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross, the Rev. Andrew Robinson (Munster Methodist Circuit), the Rev. John O’Donovan PP (North Cathedral), the Rev. Mike O’Sullivan (Unitarian Church), as well as representatives from the Religious Society of Friends. The music for the service was provided by the choir of St Luke’s National School, directed and accompanied by Peter Stobart, Director of Music at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, as well as three trumpeters.
St Luke’s National School Choir singing for the Tercentenary Celebrations.
Bishop Colton said:
I was delighted to welcome Dr Paula Gooder as our preacher for the 300th anniversary yesterday and for her focus on the very topical “who is my neighbour?” question in the story of the Good Samaritan. She showed us how it’s a story of acute contemporary significance. So it was that our joyful celebrations of the place of St Anne’s in our city and nation was not simply a retrospect of what has been for the last 300 years, but rather, celebrating all that was, we were challenged to reflect on our calling as Christians today in parishes like Saint Anne’s everywhere.
Dr Paula Gooder, Canon Chancellor of Saint Paul’s Cathedral, London, preaching the the service.
The Reverend Meghan Farr, said:
The celebration of the tercentenary of St. Anne’s Shandon was a joyous and spirit-filled occasion. The parish was delighted to welcome so many honoured guests led by Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Deirdre Forde, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, city councillors, T.D.s, Senator, civic representatives and representatives of community groups. We were also pleased to welcome guests from other churches, led by Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross and to have former rectors of St. Anne’s with us. It was a blessing and privilege to be a part of helping to mark 300 years of worship and witness in this historic church.
Clergy, Lay Readers and guests outside Saint Anne’s Church after the service.
The Church of Ireland United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross in general, and the Parish of Saint Anne, Shandon, in particular, are all set to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the iconic Church of Saint Anne, Shandon in Cork this weekend.
A Service of Thanksgiving, presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese, Dr Paul Colton, and led by the Priest-in-Charge, the Reverend Meghan Farr, will be held in the church on Sunday afternoon, 2nd October at 4 p.m. The preacher will be the renowned preacher and New Testament scholar, Dr Paula Gooder, who is Canon Chancellor of Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Many with current and past associations with the parish – families and clergy – will attend, and the guests will be led by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Deirdre Forde, and the Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Damian Boylan, who will be joined by Cllr Oliver Moran, Colm Burke TD, Senator Jerry Buttimer, Tony Duggan (Cork City Architect) and Helen McGonagle (Cork City Library), as well as representatives of local history and community groups. An ecumenical delegation of clergy of many denominations will be led by the Most Rev. Dr Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross.
Bishop Colton said:
A lot of planning has gone into celebrating this significant milestone in the history of this ancient parish and its 300 year old parish church which is so iconic in the life, not only of Cork City, but in Ireland. For my part, I am looking forward, on Sunday, to throwing a little more light on ‘The Shandon Mystery’ that we asked the public to help us with earlier in the year.
The Reverend Meghan Farr, who recently arrived in the parish from Wisconsin, USA to take up the post of Priest-in-Charge, said:
I’m delighted to have arrived in Cork and taken up my new post in time to be a part of this historic occasion and to celebrate 300 years of St Anne’s Shandon with the parish and wider community. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard and with such love for Shandon.
Culture Night was held on Friday 23rd September in Cork and across the country. The Cathedral proved to be a popular place to visit among over 80 venues in the city which included tourist attractions, heritage buildings, arts venues, outdoor performances, and many more.
A large crowd attended Choral Evensong on Culture Night.
The Cathedral’s programme began with Choral Evensong at 6.15pm at which there were nearly 200 people present. For many, this was their first time hearing the Cathedral Choir and the historic organ. The night continued with three guided tours by the Cathedral’s experienced tour guides, and a further insight into its daily life was available in the form of an audio-visual presentation at the west end fo the building. Some choristers stayed on after their Friday evening choir practice to talk with visitors and to tell them about their contribution to the musical life of the Cathedral.
Two Junior Lay Vicars Choral talked to visitors about their experience of singing in the Cathedral Choir.
At the end of the evening the Dean of Cork, the Very Rev. Nigel Dunne said:
We are delighted to be taking part in what could be called the first full and proper Culture Night since 2019. Over 900 visitors have had the chance to come and experience not just our beautiful architecture and artistic craftsmanship but also to hear our wonderful choir and to learn more about what we do here week in, week out throughout the year.
St James’s Church of Ireland in Mallow held its annual Harvest Thanksgiving celebrations over the weekend of 23rd to 25th September this year.
The Festival culminated in a service of popular hymns on Sunday afternoon last, at which the Rector was joined by Mgr Anthony O’Brien, PP Mallow. A large congregation, representing different churches and organisations in the town, generously donated over €1,000 to Wesley’s Munch Soup Kitchen (Le Cheile Africa). This is a charity set up by two local people, Shane Crowley and Tadhg McMahon, to provide a life-saving meal three days a week to people in the Solai region of Kenya. The Soup Kitchen is named in memory of their best friend Wesley Carey (R.I.P.) who dedicated himself to always helping the most vulnerable in society. Mr Derry Desmond thanked the congregation for their generous donation.
The Rector, the Reverend Meurig Williams, is very grateful to everyone who gave their time, skills and energy to make it a great celebration – as well as people from across the town who came and supported it. He writes:
‘It was a wonderful expression of the sheer breadth of talent and generosity to be found in Mallow and the surrounding area, as well as showing how the church can bring people together.In particular, I want to thank the people from the churches who supported the event, the organisers of Mallow Farmers’ Market, and those who brought their own produce and crafts, as well as those who exhibited their artwork so that the beauty of St James’s could be enhanced. There was excellent cooperation with the Blackwater Photographic Society and with Mallow Arts Collective who organised the excellent ‘Culture Night’ multicultural concert. It all helped us in being welcoming, hospitable and thankful. Importantly for me, it showed how the church can work in partnership with other community organisations.’
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