SEPTEMBER 2008 - THIS MONTH & NEXT MONTH
A summary of events and services to come and a look back at July and August.
The Cathedral Choir and Choristers resume duty after their two months summer break.
The Young People’s Group under the leadership of Fiona Hawkins will resume its activities on Sunday 7th.
On Sunday 7th, the Reverend Paul Twomey will be the celebrant at the 10.00 Eucharist - and he will be the celebrant at this service each first Sunday in the month. Bishop Edward Darling thankfully continues as the celebrant on the second Sunday. With Canon Charles Leeke deciding - at an age when many have retired - to resume full time parochial ministry as Rector of Dromara, the Cathedral Community is fortunate to be able to have the assistance of Edward and Paul.
On Sunday 14th. we will welcome back to the church of her baptism, the Very Rev Penny Bridges of the Episcopal Church of the USA who will be the celebrant at the Choral Eucharist and the Cantor at Evensong. See later - US Priest returns to her Cathedral roots.
On Sunday 21st, at Evensong, the Ven Barry Dodds, Archdeacon of Belfast will be installed as Precentor, and the Reverend Ken McReynolds, Rector of Lambeg, will be installed as a Canon. Previously the Archdeacon of Connor by virtue of that office was the Precentor and the Archdeacon of Down, the Chancellor. However, with the reorganisation of Connor diocese into three archdeaconries, it was deemed appropriate by the Bishop and Diocesan Council, that the Archdeacon of Belfast should be the Precentor of Belfast Cathedral. General Synod earlier this year gave its approval to this change in the Constitution of the Cathedral Chapter.
The Bishop of Connor will be at Evensong on Sunday 28th to preach and make the presentations to the Organ Scholars currently involved in the Connor, Down and Dromore scheme for the development of musicians to serve in our parish churches. The Chair of the scheme is our good friend and Rural Dean, Canon Gregory Dunstan, Rector of St Matthew’s Parish.
The Cathedral Branch of the Mothers’ Union will recommence its monthly meetings with the customary eucharist and address on Saturday 13th at 10.15 in the Chapel of Unity.
The Cathedral Board will meet on Monday 22nd at 7.30 pm.
NEXT MONTH
The Most Rev Lord Eames of Armagh will be present at a service for the RUC-GC on Sunday 12th October at 3.30 pm, to dedicate a window on the theme of “Peace” in memory of the service and sacrifice of members of the RIC and RUC. The Dean is the preacher.
The Harvest Festival Eucharist will be, as customary, on the third Sunday, 19th October at 11.00. In the afternoon the tradition, started last year, of hosting the Harvest Festival for the Mission to Seafarers will be maintained at 3.30 pm. The preacher is Bishop Edward.
LOOKING BACK - JULY AND AUGUST 08
These were busy months. The service marking the 60th anniversary of the National Health Service was held in the first week of July. The concept of a cathedral ‘having a break’ is not supported by a review of the tempo of activities.
The refurbishment of the floor area was a major task which was achieved through the professionalism of our contractors “Town and Country”, and hard work by our team of Sextons. All comments have been favourable and tend to state that the impact of the renovation is stunning.
The Stewards were busier than ever this summer. The closure of the City Hall and the Ulster Museum for renovations had a positive impact on visitor numbers. Also, this year a total of 34 cruise ships will visit Belfast port, and that one statistic is indicative of the increased number of visitors to the Cathedral. Amongst the groups visiting were the Friends of Canterbury Cathedral. See later - The Stewards’ Tale
With visiting choirs and groups, together with a couple of groups comprising of choir members and friends, most Sundays in the summer months had cover for the 11.00 am Eucharist. Thanks are duly recorded to: Renaissance, Derry Cathedral Choir, and Templepatrick Choir who brought with them their rector and our former Chaplain, Rev Jennifer Bell who was the preacher at the Eucharist and Cantor at Evensong.
The Cathedral Choir travelled to Derry to sing the services there.
Visits by BBC and Stirling Television were accommodated. The Dean met with BBC staff who were researching for a series for Remembrance Day which will be presented by Eamonn Holmes. His grandfather’s name is on the Printing and Allied Trades’ war memorial in the Cathedral. With the help of Norman Weatherall, the details of his great uncle were discovered in the memorial books of Ireland’s dead of the Great War which are contained in the lectern in the north aisle. The Director of Music met with Stirling Television, a local company which is making a programme for RTE’s Irish speaking channel. The cathedral organ was the focus for their comment on Edward Bunting who was the deputy organist here and who organised the Irish harpists convention at which many of the traditional Irish tunes were noted down for the first time.
The Dean recorded an interview on the Lambeth Conference for BBC News “Sunday Sequence” and wrote two articles for the Belfast Newsletters weekly Churches pages.
