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JULY 2008 - NEWS

THIS MONTH .....
In response to a request of Mr. Michael McGimpsey, MLA, Minister for Health and Social Services, a service of thanksgiving is being held on Wednesday 2nd July at 8.00 pm to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the National Health Service. The preacher is the Bishop of Connor. Representatives of Health Boards and Trusts from throughout the province will be attending.

Cascada, a group from the USA will sing Evensong on Sunday 6th and The Oriana Singers from Tunbridge Wells will sing Evensong on Sunday 20th at 3.30 pm. 140 visitors are expected the following day from a cruise ship visiting the port.

The Lambeth Conference will commence. Mrs. McKelvey is a member of a Mothers’ Union team from Mary Sumner House which will be staffing a presentation during the conference.

During the month we will be commemorating the witness of Mary Magdalene (Tuesday 22nd) and St. James (Friday 25th).

The Dean will represent the Bishop of Connor at the annual Battle of the Somme Act of Remembrance at the cenotaph on Tuesday 1st.

AND THE NEXT .....
In August the Friends of Canterbury Cathedral will visit (Thursday 28th). The Very Reverend Robert Willis, their dean, is the chair of the C of E’s Dean’s Conference to which the Dean of Belfast is invited each year.

The Feast of the Transfiguration will be observed - Eucharist at 1.00 pm on Wednesday 6th. The witness of St. Bartholomew will be commemorated on Sunday 24th.

Sunday praise will be led by a number of visiting choirs. They are: Renaissance on Sunday 10th, Eucharist and Evensong; The Choir of Derry Cathedral on Sunday 24th, Eucharist and Evensong and Templepatrick Parish Choir, Sunday 31st, Eucharist. The Rector of Templepatrick, the Reverend Jennifer Bell, will be the preacher. Belfast Cathedral choir will sing the services in Derry Cathedral on Sunday 31st.


LAST MONTH
In June groups visiting the Cathedral included Movilla Abbey Mothers’ Union, Shaftesbury Square Reformed Presbyterian Church, St. Patrick’s High School, Lisburn, Ballyrashane Parish, and the Lord Mayor’s guests prior to the Belfast City Carnival.

The Royal Ulster Rifles Regimental Association’s annual Holy Communion service was held on the anniversary of D-Day. The celebrant was their chaplain, Rev. Michael Roemmele, rector at Macosquin, who has served as a chaplain in both the RAF and the army.

Divine Healing Ministry organised a day of prayer in the Cathedral. Speakers included: Rev. Jim Rea, Shankill Road Methodist, Bishop Donal McKeown, Auxiliary Bishop Down & Connor, Michael Perrott, Founder of Christian Guidelines, David O’ Connor and Rev. Don Gamble, Koinonia Community/ROC, Canon John McCammon, Lecturer in Belfast Bible College, Sister Eileen Hegarty, Dominican Sister, Alf McCreary, Journalist & Author, Jim Tate, Divine Healing Ministries, Paul and Nuala O’Higgins, Florida, USA and Bro. David Jardine & Sister Margaret McStay, Divine Healing Ministries.

The Past Choristers Association held its Annual General Meeting.

The first Cathedral Festival was held over the weekend of 7th and 8th, commemorating the 104th anniversary of the consecration fo the nave. Organ recitals, conducted tours, a gift day and the Choir’s summer concert took place on the Saturday. For the first time the parish silver was on display in the Treasury. On the Sunday, Bishop Gordon McMullan was the most welcome preacher at the Festival Eucharist.

The theme of Bishops Gordon’s address was recognition and respect: recognition of what had been achieved over the years and was being achieved at present at the Cathedral. Respect for both the Christian witness and the Christian values which the Cathedral and its worship conveyed. The ultimate recognition was of the resurrection and the love of God shown at Calvary.

A Festival Evensong brought the weekend to an appropriate close.

The biggest project in the month was challenging to the Cathedral team - namely the sanding and resealing of the flooring. Every chair in the nave and every piece of furniture in the ambulatory had to be moved. Daily worship, the services of healing and all Sunday services were maintained during this necessary major upheaval.

Tourists and visitors had to be excluded or have their visits restricted during aspects of this project - which involved health and safety requirements. The team from “Town and Country Cleaners” under Mrs. Cheryl Milliken co-operated in a most sensitive manner with the ethos and worship schedule of the Cathedral. Most folk who know the building are delightfully surprised at the “new look” floor.

The Dean and Mrs. McKelvey attended the episcopal ordination of Bishop Noel Treanor at St. Peter’s Cathedral.

The Dean conducted an Act of Blessing at the opening of a new eye clinic in York Street. The principal guest was the Minister of Social Development, Miss Margaret Ritchie, MLA. The Dean and Mrs. McKelvey were guests at the installation dinner of the Lord Mayor Cllr. Tom Hartley.

BISHOP WALSH’S RETIREMENT MARKED
Last month Bishop Patrick Walsh retired as bishop of Down and Connor. At a lunch honouring Bishop Walsh the Dean thanked him for his long friendship with the Cathedral Chapter and community. He presented Bishop Walsh with a copy of The Book of Common Prayer and a book token from the Cathedral Chapter and community. He made a personal gift of a book on Celtic spirituality by Archbishop George Simms. Also present on the occasion were Monsignor Tom Toner, and his successor at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Very Rev. Dr. Hugh Kennedy, members of the Chapter of St. Anne’s, Board officer-bearers, Bishop Darling, Bishop McMullan and Canon Leeke.

CHAPTER CHANGES
Connor Diocese has been divided into three archdeaconries: Connor, Dalriada and Belfast. The former Bishop of Connor, Rt. Rev. A. Harper and the Diocesan Council felt that it would be more appropriate if the Archdeacon of Belfast was to be the Precentor of Belfast rather than the Archdeacon of Connor. A motion amending the General Synod Act to enable this to happen was passed at this year’s Synod in Galway. Such revisions in the composition of the Chapter of the Cathedral have occurred from time to time since the very foundation of the chapter. At the outset, the Deans and chapters of the three Cathedrals in Down, Dromore and Connor formed the chapter at Belfast Cathedral.

In human terms, we say farewell to the Ven. Dr. Stephen McBride Archdeacon of Connor and Vicar of Antrim. Despite the workload of both those offices, Dr. McBride gave of his time and talents to Belfast Cathedral. With a primary degree and a doctorate in architecture, he was an obvious choice for a judge in the competition for the design of the Cathedral spire. He fulfilled his duty as a preacher, a board member and at the Sitout barrel. The Cathedral is indebted to him.

The Archdeacon of Belfast, Ven. Barry Dodds is already a member of the Chapter and the Board. He is rector of St. Michael’s Parish on the Shankill Road and has been heavily involved in dialogue for peace with community groups and para-militaries. He is a Clerical Hon. Secretary of Connor Synod and Diocesan Council. His preferment to Precentor left a vacancy among the canons from Connor Diocese.

The Bishop of Connor has appointed the Reverend Kenneth McReynolds, Rector of Lambeg to the canonry. He was ordained in 1983 for Ballymena and served as rector of Rathcoole from 1986-1990 when he was appointed to Lambeg.

Archdeacon Dodds and Canon McReynolds come from the same parish group in the diocese of Armagh where they were influenced by their rector, Rev. Wallace Fenton. They completed their training together as diocesan lay readers under the direct tutoring of the late Archbishop George Simms. They will be installed on Sunday 21st September prior to the commencement of Evensong.

SPIRE OF HOPE SELECTED
The Spire of Hope was one of five architectural designs in Northern Ireland to receive awards and which were selected by the Royal Institute of British Architects for further consideration in the national and international ‘building of the year’ awards in London.

Dawson Stelfox, president of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, said it had been one of the best years in memory.

“This is the most entries I can ever remember for Northern Ireland. Last year there were only two or three,” he said.

“Being recognised in itself is an achievement. It clearly shows the talent and quality of design here.”

In their citation of the spire, the judges say the “brushed stainless steel transforms its appearance subject to the prevailing weather and sky conditions, sometimes appearing blue or white and appears to almost float or hover in its location with almost no structural support.”

The other four designs are the Orchard Building at Stranmillis College, the McGonigle house in the east of the city, the Meter House in south Belfast and the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh. The Spire is perhaps the best known of the projects. It also features on the new television advert for Metrolink.

THANK YOU
- to Fiona Hawkins, Gail Barr and associates for another year of service to the children of the Cathedral Community. Their much appreciated work will re-commence in September.

- to Gwen Preece who has organised the floral arrangments for the last five years. Appreciation is duly recorded for her service.

Until a successor is appointed persons wishing to donate flowers are asked to contact the office.

TRIBUTE TO DR. GRINDLE
Last month former Cathedral Organist and Master of Choristers, Dr. Harry Grindle was honoured in Bangor Abbey, his home parish.

Andrea Rea filed the following report in the Newsletter.

It isn’t often that someone involved in the rather modest role of church musician is singled out for special attention, but one such person was specially and rightly honoured this past sunday at Bangor Abbey with a Choral Evensong. Harry Grindle was born in Bangor, and as a chorister at the Abbey from the age of seven, so it was a very fitting place for such a tribute. It was also very typical of the role of church musician that Dr. Grindle himself was directing the choir from this occasion, after a lifetime of working on Sundays. He was an organ scholar as well as a choral scholar in Bangor studied in England and came back to direct music at Bangor Parish Church in 1962, and then two years later, St. Anne’s Cathedral. His goal was to maintain and even raise the standards of church music in Northern Ireland, something he did through many years. His book, Irish Cathedral Music, is regarded as an essential text on the subject. Grindle also taught music in schools for many years, most particularly at Stranmillis College of Education, where he became head of music.

His love of choral music led to the formation of the Priory Singers some 20 years ago. Sunday’s Choral Evensong marked the end of an era for them, with the retirement of Dr. Grindle as their conductor. They will continue under the directorship of Nigel McClintock.

As is always the case when someone is so dedicated to music and talented in so many areas, it is impossible to do justice to their accomplishments. Indeed, Sunday afternoon’s service didn’t feel like an ending so much as a continuation, given the encouragement and opportunity that Harry Grindle has given to some many musicians over the years. The Rev. Edward Darling spoke of him as a father figure who gave meaning and purpose to the role of music in the church.

I remember having a cup of tea with him years ago during a break at a local music festival at which he was adjudicator. He was full of questions about the town’s music and musicians, interested in the grassroots work that was encouraging musicians of the future. A modest man, with an impressive, understated authority. Bangor, Belfast and Northern Ireland owe him a great deal, though I suspect he would never see it that way.

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