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FEBRUARY 2010 - NEWS

THIS MONTH
The “Good Samaritans’ Service” at which cheques will be presented to local charities and community groups will be held on Sunday 7th at 3.30 pm.

The witness of Saint Bridget, will be observed with a eucharist on Monday 1st at 1.00 pm. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, will be observed with a eucharist on Tuesday 2nd at 1.00 pm. Ash Wednesday is on 17th. As customary, a eucharist will be held at 1.00 pm, and a Penitential Service at 8.00 pm.

On Sunday 21st at 3.30 pm, present and former members of the Guide Association will attend a service of thanksgiving marking the centenary of guiding in Belfast.

The Mothers’ Union Eucharist and Enrolment will be on Saturday 13th at 10.15 am.

A BARREL FOR HAITI
On Thursday, January 14th, the Dean in response to the news of the disaster in Haiti which occurred two days earlier, and to requests from members of the public, placed “A Barrel for Haiti” in the Cathedral to facilitate donations. On the following Thursday, the Dean was able to present a first cheque for £50,000 to Mrs Margaret Boden, the Director of Christian Aid-Ireland. Donations are still being received - see below. Christian Aid were already working in Haiti where country manager Prospery Raymond and Programme Officer Abdonnel Doudou had to be rescued following the collapse of the Christian Aid office in Port-au-Prince.

Making the presentation, the Dean said, “The cheque represents the first payment from the donations placed in “The Barrel for Haiti” since Thursday of last week. Once again the people of this community have shown their generous nature, and I thank them most sincerely. It is important that relief agencies like Christian Aid receive additional support at times like these.

“Several local churches have also sent generous donations to the barrel, and the collection from the inter-church service in the Cathedral marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has been given to this initiative. One lady got me to sign a birthday card to her husband as she put the cash for his birthday present into the ‘Barrel for Haiti’. A four year old brought in a jar containing her savings for a trip to Disneyland.

“The Barrel for Haiti will remain in the Cathedral until February 7 when the annual Good Samaritans’ Service is held at which representatives of local charities and community groups will receive donations from the customary pre-Christmas Sitout which raised £255,000.”

The barrel is just inside the front door of the Cathedral and the Cathedral Stewards and staff will welcome visitors. Gift Aid envelopes are available. The Cathedral is open from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm on weekdays and from 10.00 am - 1.00 pm  and 3.00 - 4.30 on Sundays. Donations can be made by post to The Dean, Belfast Cathedral, Donegall St, Belfast BT1 2HB. Cheques should be made payable to Belfast Cathedral - Haiti.

By January 25 over £93,000 had been received at the Cathedral. Rev Ronnie Lawrenson completed most of the counting of the notes and cash and greatly enabled the Cathedral’s response to this immense tragedy.

A prayer for Haiti
Loving God of creation,
at this time of devastation
we hold before you the people of Haiti.
When the damage is unimaginable,
and the suffering seems overwhelming,
remind us that every person affected
is loved, honoured and precious in your sight.
We remember all those who have been hurt;
all who have lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones.
Work through us to bring healing
to broken and distorted lives,
peace to those who have been thrown into despair,
light to those in darkness,
and hope to those who fear.
We ask this in the name of Jesus
in whom all life and grace is found.

SITOUT 2009
The annual pre-Christmas Sitout for Charities has raised over £250,000 which in a time of economic depression is a wonderful outcome.

The weather for the Chapter was cold but kind in that there was only one rain shower on the late Saturday evening with Archdeacon Dodds and Canon Goddard on the receiving end.

The lay team of counters separated £5,9000 in coinage below £1 for automated counting at the bank and counted the rest! Mrs. McKelvey and Ms Spence prepared the lodgements and the Sexton’s team ensured their safe delivery. Another good example of “Team Cathedral”.

There was an increased number of applications for donations from the Sitout and all but a few will get support.

ECUMENICAL CANONS
Last year at the General Synod the Dean and Chapter sought and obtained the Synod’s approval to appoint up to three Ecumenical Canons from the other mainstream christian denominations in the Dioceses of Down and Dromore and Connor.

Consequently the Chapter met and its call was conveyed by the Dean to the Reverend Ivan McElhinney, a former President of the Methodist Church in Ireland who is currently minister in Joanmount Methodist Church, and to the Reverend Wilfred Orr, the minister of St. John’s Presbyterian Church on the Upper Ormeau Road and a chaplain with the Order of St. John.

These honorary appointments were based on the Chapter members’ first hand knowledge of both these colleagues’ established record in inter-church work. A service recognising their appointments will be held later this year.

ARCHBISHOP OF YORK IN BELFAST
The Archbishop of York, Most Rev. John Sentama will give the annual lectures arranged by the Church of Ireland Student Centre at QUB. They are on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd February at 5.30 pm in the David Keir Building - Room DKB LG115.

Pedestrian access to the Keir Building is possible from both the Malone and Stranmillis Roads. There is car parking at the main QUB Building. Tea and biscuits will be served each day at 3.45 pm in “The Oasis” at the Church of Ireland Centre, 22 Elmwood Avenue.

CHURCH UNITY SERVICE
There was a good attendance at the Belfast Cathedrals’ Partnership service in the cathedral marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The theme was “You are witnesses of these things”. The global organisers (the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches) of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity asked Scotland to draft the worship for the week in 2010 to mark the centenary of the first world mission conference that met in Edinburgh. This gathering is generally regarded as the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement, which seeks the visible unity of the world’s divided churches.

Taking part in the service were: The Dean; Very Rev Dr Hugh Kennedy, St Peter’s Cathedral; Rev. Ivan McElhinney, Joanmount Methodist Church; Rev. Wilfred Orr, St John’s Presbyterian Church; Mr.Michael Earle, Secretary to the Irish Council of Churches and the Irish Inter Church Body; Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor and Rt Rev Anthony Farquhar, Auxiliary Bishop of Down and Connor.

The preacher at the service was the Right Reverend Malcolm McMahon, OP, Bishop of Nottingham. Born in London on 14 June, 1949, Malcolm McMahon was educated at St. Aloysius College, Highgate, and UMIST in Manchester, where he graduated in mechanical engineering. After working for the Daimler Motor Company in Coventry and London Transport, he joined the Dominican Order in 1976, and studied at Blackfriars, Oxford. He was professed in 1977, and ordained priest in 1982.

He continued to study at Blackfriars and at Heythrop College, London, before becoming chaplain at Leicester Polytechnic (1984-85). From 1985 to 1989 he was an assistant priest in London, and became parish priest at St. Dominic’s, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in 1989. Later that year he was appointed prior and parish priest at St. Dominic’s, Haverstock Hill, London.

In 1992 he was elected Prior Provincial of the English Province of Dominicans, based in London. He was re-elected in 1996 and held office till 2001. Fr. McMahon was national chaplain to Marriage Care from 1992 to 1993, and a member of Marriage Care’s national executive from 1993 to 1999.

He was appointed as Bishop of Nottingham on 7 November 2000 and ordained on 8 December 2000, at the Cathedral Church of St. Barnabas, Nottingham, Bishop McMahon is Chair of the Department of Evangelisation and Catechises of the bishops Conference. He is National President of Pax Christi, the International Catholic Movement of Peace.

The Choirs of both cathedrals led the praise.

ROYAL APPRECIATION
The Dean received the following message from the Equerry to HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex regarding the Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving for 19 Light Brigade, following their deployment in Afghanistan:

“The Earl of Wessex has asked me to write and thank you and the Chapter for the welcome he received at the Cathedral Church of St. Anne, when His Royal Highness came to represent The Queen at the Act of Remembrance and Thanksgiving you held, to mark the return from Afghanistan of 19 Light Brigade, on 2nd December. The Prince was greatly honoured to be present among so many brave servicemen and women and to join with them in remembrance of those that did not return and to affirm, with prayer, their families and friends.

“His Royal Highness has asked me to especially thank you for the warm welcome you included in your bidding and for the very moving Address. The four symbols you reflected upon in the Cathedral, combined with the four communities you highlighted, completely caught the purpose of the gathering and the nature of God’s love.

“Please will  you pass on His Royal Highness’s thanks to all the clergy, musicians, choir and staff of the Cathedral for the work they put in to make the event  so affirming for the servicemen and women and for the families and friends of those who died.

“The Earl of Wessex sends you and the Chapter his thanks and very best wishes for Christmas”.

The Commander of the Brigade, Brigadier Tim Radford, sent the following message:-

“On behalf of 19 Light Brigade, I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to you, Roberta and your staff in holding the Operation HERRICK 10 Memorial Service at St. Anne’s. The occasion was extremely moving, memorable and well run. I have had a plethora of comments from senior members in the Army congratulating me and expressing how humbling the occasion was - these are complements that are better levelled at you. More importantly, the families - through their Battalions and regiments - have almost universally said how important the event was as an outlet for their grief. We suspected the event would be cathartic, but not to the overt and near universal scale that has been enunciated This is in large part due to the extremely moving sermon you gave. A number of the participating senior officers have asked for copies of the sermon, which I know Will Strickland has enabled.

“Again, thank you for all of the work, thought and care you put into the Service. From the hardest summer the Army has witnessed in Helmand, and probably the hardest operation since the Falklands’ War, there could not have been a more fitting way to remember the sacrifice. I am particularly pleased that we could do this in St. Anne’s and Northern Ireland - the home of 19 Light Brigade, but also a place that I have lived and breathed for many years.

“We hope that 19 Light Brigade, now they are home, will be more involved in Northern Irish life. As a very small token of our gratitude, I enclose our plaque. We hope that you can find a small place for it, and remember the day that has meant so much to us”.

CANON ON MISSION IN COLOMBIA
Last month Brother David SF, a canon of the cathedral, travelled to Colombia with a team from Divine Healing Ministries. The team was commissioned in the cathedral by Rt. Rev. Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor.

Colombia is a country where a civil war has been going on for more than 40 years At times it has been very violent; in 2001, 40,000 people were killed. In a ten-year period in the city of Cali, where the team was based, 18,000 deaths were recorded.

Yet, alongside this violence, there is a vibrant Christian spiritual movement and Brother David says: “When we were in the country last year we were in churches attended by thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands of people. There is a spiritual openness and hunger amongst the people. When you offer prayer for healing in a public place people flock to receive prayer.”

The other members of the team were Ronnie Orr, Paul Shields and Stuart Gibson. Their host was Pastor Hendrick who has visited the Cathedral.

Bishop Abernethy also launched at this service a series of sermons on Monday nights in the Cathedral on the theme - ‘My Experience of Healing’.

Speakers are relating how they received healing so that others will be able to practice that in their own lives. Prayer of healing and anointing with oil was offered at the service.   Worship was led by St. Joseph’s Parish Church music group from Drumbo, Lisburn.


PUBLIC HONOURS
The Cathedral Community was delighted to see in the New Year’s Honours list, that HM the Queen made Lady Carswell, the former HML for Belfast, a Member of the Victorian Order.

This award is in the personal gift of The Queen and was most richly deserved. Lady Carswell fulfilled her many duties with diligence and grace. “It was always pleasurable to receive her and Lord Carswell at the various services. They both were extremely supportive of the Cathedral’s role in our city and society”. I conveyed to Lady Carswell the regard of the Cathedral community on the occasion”, said The Dean.

Past Chorister, Kenneth Montgomery, the principal conductor of the Ulster Orchestra received an OBE for service to music in Northern Ireland.

The Dean also was awarded an OBE for service to the community in Northern Ireland.

CANON KEN COCHRANE
The death took place last month of Canon Ken Cochrane, a former member of the Chapter. He was a Canon of Belfast from 1986-90 and of St. Patrick’s, Dublin from 1990-98. Following a period in business Canon Cochrane was made deacon in 1958 for the parish of St. Aidan’s, Belfast. He later served curacies in St. Nicholas and Christ Church, Lisburn. In 1963 he was appointed priest-in-charge of the new parish of St. Paul’s, Lisburn. Appointed rector in 1965 he spent the remainder of a most active ministry there until his retirement in 1998. The parish was one of the largest in the C of I and Canon Cochrane’s work rate on behalf of the Kingdom of God was awesome. The sympathy of the Cathedral Community was expressed by the Dean to Mrs Mildred Cochrane.

GWENYTH McGOOKIN
Gwenyth fulfilled her baptism last month when after a short period of care in hospital, her death came most unexpectedly. The aisle of the Cathedral was filled for her thanksgiving service as friends came to support Jim and the family.

In his address, the Dean said, “It was a joy to see Nanny Gwen with the light in her eye when a granddaughter called. Nanny Gwen, the eighty year old with the youngster’s sense of humour. The sharing of funny poems - When I am old I will wear purple... and rattle a stick along railings... Nanny Gwen was young on the inside. She was a person with a great sense of humour.

“Baptised Gwenyth Elizabeth, she was a person who lived into her baptism. As we say in this tradition: “In my baptism I was made a child of God, a member of the body of Christ and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.”

“Gwenyth was a person who shed the love of God through her life and the lives she touched immensely. She was a person who had been coached in basic Christian values by her parents and those standards she held to throughout her life. That was the focus of our most interesting conversation in Bangor hospital just a few days ago. She was a person who kept her word.

“The way too in which Gwyneth faced the worst of news about her health is also a token of her faith. There have been few people whom I have seen who accepted in such a manner what inevitably lay before her. And whilst I too feel robbed of her company - I was looking forward to spending more time with her - nevertheless, I feel that God has been merciful to her, to Jim, to Gwenyth’s family and close friends with the turn of events which took us all by surprise last Sunday morning.

“Certainly when I saw her on Saturday last, she looked more like a person with some distance to go on her journey. However, a merciful God has saved her from further suffering. But the manner in which Gwyneth was facing that the hardest of human journeys, when we leave our nearest and dearest behind, was exemplary. The title of Bishop Jeremy Taylor’s classic book on spirituality came to mind: “Holy Living and Holy Dying”. Gwyneth showed us just that.”

CARDINAL CAHAL DALY
The Dean conveyed the sympathy of the Cathedral Community to Very Rev Dr Hugh Kennedy  of St Peter’s Cathedral upon the death of His Eminence Cardinal Cahal Daly, former Bishop of Down and Connor and Archbishop of Armagh. The Dean read the scripture lesson at a service which concluded the period of lying-in-state at St Peter’s Cathedral prior to the remains being taken to Armagh Cathedral for burial. The service was conducted by Dr Noel Treanor, Bishop of Down and Connor. Also present were Auxiliary Bishops Anthony Farquhar and Donal McKeown, Bishop Emeritus Patrick Walsh, and Cardinal Desmond Connell, from the Dublin Archdiocese.

A homily was delivered by Very Rev Edward O’Donnell, a former secretary to the Cardinal who is now a parish priest at St Anne’s Parish, Belfast. In his address, Rev O’Donnell said Cardinal Daly “lived with the profound realisation that his witness as a Christian, and his ministry as a bishop, would be hopelessly inadequate if he did not understand the call to holiness as a deeply personal call to live in the friendship of Christ Jesus”.

The Dean joined in the procession of more than 60 clergy including priests, canons, bishops and cardinals, which flanked the highly respected cardinal’s coffin as it left St Peter’s.

The inter-church service in St Anne’s marking “The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” commenced with the hymn sung at the service in St Peter’s, John Henry Newman’s, “ Praise to the Holiest  in the height”.  At the commencement of the service the Dean expressed sympathy to Bishops Farquhar, McKeown and Walsh and the members of their church who were present.

Bishop Daly became Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh on the death of Cardinal O Fiaich in 1990, and the following year he was made a member of the College of Cardinals by John Paul II. He followed the traditional Vatican line on social and doctrinal teaching. He opposed divorce, contraception and abortion and spoke out against integrated education in Northern Ireland. But this orthodoxy did not prevent him from promoting understanding with the Protestant Churches, and he became a prominent leader of the ecumenical movement in Ireland. He was to join the Church of Ireland’s primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, in preaching at Canterbury Cathedral when a week of Prayer for Christian Unity was held there in January 1995.

Cardinal Daly, who retired in 1996, on his 79th birthday, was a man of his time. His intimate knowledge of Northern Ireland’s affairs, his understanding of Unionist attitudes and his recognition of a groundswell of support for peace within the Sinn Fein movement was to make him a highly influential figure in the whole peace process. He had always been a moderate nationalist, but preferred (in his words) to emphasise “the universality of the Church rather than a narrow nationalistic understanding”. The message he consistently preached to his church’s 3.7 million members, many of whom passionately believed in a united Ireland, was that terrorism in itself was evil, whatever the motive, and was wholly destructive of Republican ideals. Without his leadership the peace process would have been more difficult to establish.

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